Massivit 3D Printing Technologies has appointed Brigadier General Chris "Alf" Athearn, USAF (Ret.), to its Advisory Board.
A former U.S. Air Force acquisition professional, Athearn joins Massivit with a 'specific mandate to support and accelerate the company's expansion into the U.S. aerospace and defence market.'
Massivit says the appointment marks a strategic step in its efforts to establish a strong U.S.-rooted presence and manufacturing ecosystem serving the defence sector.
Athearn brings 35 years of deep expertise in advanced airborne weapons systems, defence acquisition, and defence industrial base strategy. Throughout his military and government career, he has held a series of senior positions within the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Defense.
He oversaw a defence armaments portfolio exceeding $5 billion that included some of the Department of Defense's most advanced weapons programs. Athearn served as Commander of DCMA Northrop Grumman, one of the world's largest defence prime contractors. Athearn was also previously responsible for oversight of more than 400 defence contractors across seven U.S. states and led the Weapons Capacity Task Force between 2022 and 2024, where he was charged with addressing critical Defense Industrial Base shortfalls and accelerating weapons production. He has developed strategies focused on affordable mass production and has pushed for distributed manufacturing and the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies to increase production capacity and supply chain resilience.
A long-time advocate for modernising defence manufacturing, Athearn has championed agile production methods that accelerate deployment timelines. Massivit hopes his expertise and experience helps the company to strengthen relationships with leading defence contractors, military stakeholders, and key program offices.
Yossi Azarzar, CEO of Massivit, said: "We are delighted to welcome Chris to our Advisory Board. The United States represents a key strategic market for Massivit, and we are confident that his experience, industry relationships, and deep understanding of the U.S. defence landscape will help accelerate our engagement with leading aerospace and defence organisations while creating long-term value for our shareholders."
Chris Athearn, Brigadier General, USAF (Ret.), added: "The U.S. is pushing hard to expand manufacturing capacity and accelerate the production of critical defence systems, but many programs still depend on legacy manufacturing methods. Massivit's technology can dramatically reduce production lead times and enable faster innovation. I believe this capability can be a game-changer for defence manufacturing. The need for advanced manufacturing has never been greater. I am honoured to join Massivit's Advisory Board and look forward to helping accelerate new manufacturing capabilities that strengthen the defence industrial base, increase production agility, and reduce the time required to field new operational capabilities."
