NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, Patuxent River, Md. – The Adversary and Specialized Aircraft Program Office (PMA-226) and the AV-8B Harrier Program Office (PMA-257) welcomed new leadership during a change of command and retirement ceremony July 17 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.
Capt. Jason Pettitt assumed command of both PMAs, relieving Capt. Greg Sutton as program manager, who retires after 27 years of naval service.
Sutton served as PMA-226 program manager since 2022 and assumed concurrent command of PMA-257 in March 2025.
“This leadership transition represents the seamless continuity woven into the strength of our PEO(T) team of teams,” said Rear Adm. John Lemmon, Program Executive Officer of Tactical Aircraft Programs (PEO(T)). “Capt. Sutton set the standard for operational excellence and provided a strategic vision during his tenure, and Capt. Pettitt’s expertise will sustain the innovation necessary to remain at the forefront of our mission. Both of these Naval Officers exemplify the caliber of leadership our warfighters and the American people can count on.”
During Sutton’s tenure, the programs of PMA-226 saw many firsts and had great success supporting the fleet and U.S. partners. The F-16 adversary fleet added 30 aircraft to replace aged F/A-18s supporting the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center mission and the PMA stood up F-16 organic depot support at Fleet Readiness Center Southwest in an astonishing 18 months. The team accelerated F-5 involvement in many readiness initiatives, achieving mission capable rates that had not been seen in many years and delivered initial F-5 upgrade aircraft that greatly improve safety and adversary training.
The Contracted Air Services team delivered over 35 percent growth in hours and sorties while also adding new capabilities, developing a critical E-6B in-flight-trainer contract, creatively identifying ways to provide EW training support, and standing up a new Marine Corps’ F-35 adversary contract. Additionally, the air-to-air refueling contract provided first-ever tanking support to the Navy’s P-8 community and the U.S. Air Force (servicing 11 different aircraft types), as well as inaugural support to foreign military sales partners India, Canada, Germany, and INDOPACOM, USCENTCOM and USAFRICOM.
“It has been a true privilege to lead these two programs,” Sutton said. “The unwavering dedication of these teams to support our warfighters has been nothing short of extraordinary. Their commitment to going above and beyond has never required prompting—they simply embody excellence in everything they do. I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of both teams.”
Under Sutton’s leadership he managed nine distinct IPTs, two abbreviated acquisition programs and a budget totaling over $370 million annually across both programs.
“Capt. Pettitt is absolutely the right person to lead PMA-226 and PMA-257. He brings the right vision, talent, and drive to enhance and sustain our critical support to the fleet,” Sutton said.
Pettitt recently served as the Program Overmatch Advanced Capabilities Lead for Naval Warfare Systems Command. He has expressed his enthusiasm to work with both teams to navigate PMA-257 through the AV-8B sundown and transition to FMS support, along with leading and managing the varied and dynamic missions of PMA-226.
“PMA-226 and PMA-257 provide our warfighters cradle-to-grave lifecycle support for Adversary, Specialized Aircraft, Contracted Air Services and the historic AV-8B Harrier,” Pettitt said. “The unmatched efforts by the program offices ensure the Warfighter can train like they fight against threat representative adversaries; cost effective alternatives to operational aircraft utilization; and the safe return of every Sailor and Marine from the final AV-8B Marine Expeditionary Unit deployment. We have the right team for that job!”
As part of Program Executive Office for Tactical Aircraft Programs (PEO(T)), PMA-226 provides program management, engineering, logistics, and contract support for F-5 and F-16 adversary aircraft and associated engines, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and Naval Postgraduate School aircraft, Contracted Air Services, and multiple foreign military sales programs for out of active inventory naval aircraft. PMA-257, also part of PEO(T), provides lifecycle sustainment of the AV-8B Harrier for the U.S. Marine Corps and its allied partners, Spain and Italy.