Mr. Kalmen I. Leikach
As deputy commander, Kalmen Leikach is the senior civilian in the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), reporting directly to the commander. He is responsible for planning and organizational effectiveness related to execution of NAVAIR’s five core processes: Acquisition Management; Research and Development; Test and Evaluation; In-Service Support; and Repair/Modification. NAVAIR consists of more than 25,000 civilian and military personnel located in headquarters, the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft and Weapons Divisions, and the Fleet Readiness Centers, and operates with affiliated Program Executive Officers in a competency aligned organization construct.
Leikach began his professional career as an aerospace structural engineer at the Naval Air Development Center, Warminster, Pa., in 1971. Joining the NAVAIR Structures Branch in 1979, he advanced and ultimately served as the principal authority for structural integrity of all Navy fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
Selected for the Senior Executive Service in June 1999, Leikach served as the NAVAIR Air Vehicle department head until December 2004. He led and directed activities (spanning technical areas of aeromechanics, flight controls, structures, materials and subsystems) relevant to the airworthiness, design, development, qualification, safe operation, and in-service support of all naval aviation air vehicles.
From January 2005 through November 2010, Leikach was assigned as the NAVAIR deputy assistant commander for Logistics and Industrial Operations. Managing an operating budget of more than $3 billion, he provided leadership to more than 11,000 personnel engaged in aviation supportability, sustainment, and maintenance activities that significantly influenced fleet mission readiness and affordability.
Leikach is a 1966 graduate of the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. In 1971, he earned a bachelor’s degree, with high honors, in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland. His master’s degree work at Villanova University, 1971-1977, concentrated on mathematics and statistics. He has received numerous acknowledgements and performance awards throughout his 40-year civil service career and has been the recipient of the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive Service.