Keenan Ward

Keenan Ward is a retired U.S. Navy Commander, former Northrop Grumman Chief Engineer, and Founder and CEO of Forward Engineering LLC, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business specializing in Digital Systems Engineering, Integration, and Test (SEI&T) for aerospace, defense, and government partners.

Mr. Ward brings 3 decades of combined military, defense acquisition, and aerospace engineering leadership. His career advanced from aircraft plane captain and avionics technician performing aircraft carrier-based operations, maintenance and sustainment to senior acquisition, engineering, and executive leadership.  As a Navy Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer, he supported major defense acquisition programs, aircraft operations, and developmental and operational test and evaluation, overseeing portfolios exceeding $350 million and multidisciplinary teams of more than 300 personnel.

His systems engineering expertise spans Electronic Warfare (EW), Radar, Communications, Navigation and Identification (CNI), Avionics, Flight Management Systems, Mission Systems, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), and Satellite Communications (SATCOM). His extensive platform experience includes the B-2 Spirit, F-35 Lightning II, F/A-18 Hornet, S-3 Viking, T-6A/B Texan II, RAH-66 Comanche, H-46 Sea Knight, C-40, Boeing 757, and tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

During his defense-industry career, Mr. Ward advanced through engineering and technical leadership roles to Chief Engineer at Northrop Grumman, directing multidisciplinary teams and SEI&T execution from requirements and architecture through integration, verification, and flight testing. He holds DAWIA acquisition credentials, a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, and an M.S. in Systems Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology.

Through Forward Engineering, Mr. Ward applies his operational, acquisition, and prime-contractor experience to reduce technical risk, accelerate program execution, and deliver mission-ready capabilities. He is equally committed to mentoring future engineers and strengthening the nation’s defense industrial base.