National Armaments Consortium Names Defense Acquisition Leader Don Palathinkal Director of Customer Affairs

Palathinkal to strengthen partnerships, enhance customer engagement, and drive efficiency in advancing critical armaments technologies for the warfighter

SUMMERVILLE, S.C., Nov. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Armaments Consortium (NAC) today announced the appointment of Don Palathinkal as Director of Customer Affairs. In this role, Don will lead NAC's collaboration with government partners, oversee business operations, and implement process improvements that accelerate the delivery of advanced capabilities to America's warfighters.

Don brings more than two decades of experience in defense acquisition, program management, and armaments technology development, with a distinguished record of service in both the Department of War and industry. Before joining the NAC, he founded BridgeHill Corporation, a provider of Agile Acquisition, Program Management, and Engineering expertise to Department of War customers.

"Don has built his career connecting people, ideas, and organizations to develop technologies that deliver decisive advantages to our warfighters," said Joe Buzzett, Chairman of the NAC Executive Committee. "His blend of government, industry, and consortium experience makes him an ideal addition to our leadership team as we work to rapidly equip our warfighters with cutting-edge technologies amid growing global tensions."

"Don's leadership—grounded in technical and acquisition expertise—will strengthen NAC's ability to move at the speed of need," added Ben Harris, Executive Director of the NAC. "He understands both the challenges and opportunities within the armaments enterprise and is deeply committed to fostering collaboration across government, industry, and academia to ensure America maintains its battlefield advantage today and into the future."

The NAC is the premier organization delivering armaments innovation to the Department of War (DoW). The NAC brings together 1,200+ innovative companies and academic institutions under three Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) with the DoW. The programs enable collaboration between the government and among traditional contractors, small, innovative companies, national labs, and academic institutions to rapidly develop prototypes in critical weapons technology areas, including ammunition, aviation, energetics, missiles, ordnance, and more.

Before founding BridgeHill, Don held multiple leadership roles within the Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments & Ammunition (JPEO A&A), including Deputy Product Director, where he managed a diverse portfolio encompassing Shoulder-Launched Munitions, the Family of Grenades, and Protection Systems. He also served as Deputy Chief of Staff for JPEO A&A and as Director of the Assured Precision Weapons and Munitions Office, overseeing the integration of Assured Position, Navigation, and Timing (APNT) technologies across the organization.

Earlier in his career, Don held key positions at the Development Command Armaments Center (DEVCOM AC), including within the Department of Defense Ordnance Technology Consortium (DOTC) office. During his tenure at DOTC, he supported the founding of the National Armaments Consortium following the merger of the National Warheads and Energetics Consortium and the National Small Arms Technology Consortium.

"I've seen firsthand the NAC operating as the gold standard in rapidly developing prototype weapons technologies—both from inside government and industry," said Palathinkal. "I'm honored to join the NAC at a time when our mission—to rapidly deliver the technologies that ensure America's ability to prevail in any conflict—is more important than ever."

Don is a graduate of the Defense Acquisition University Senior Service College Fellowship program. He holds a Master of Engineering in Supply Chain Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH).

About the National Armaments Consortium

The National Armaments Consortium (NAC) is one of the largest collaborative organizations working with the Pentagon to develop armament technologies in support of national security. The NAC focuses on rapidly transitioning technology to the warfighter, promoting innovation, strengthening the industrial base, and fostering collaboration among government, industry, and academia. NAC also drives participation by nontraditional defense contractors and supports the nation's equities in R&D, OTAs, and future capabilities.

For more information, visit www.nacconsortium.org.

Contact:

Dan Palumbo
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE National Armaments Consortium