Program Manager
Tactical Technology Office
Chris “Doc” Cotting, Ph.D., joined DARPA in February 2026 as a program manager in the Tactical Technology Office. His areas of focus are autonomy, robust control, and optimization of flight vehicles for maximum performance.
He has experience as a program manager, chief engineer, flight test lead, and guidance, navigation, and control lead for multiple aerospace vehicles.
Prior to joining DARPA, he was vice president of engineering and head of test for EpiSci, an Applied Intuition company. Prior to EpiSci, he was the head of flight sciences and the inaugural director of research at the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Test Pilot School (TPS). He has also worked for NASA and Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works.
Prior aircraft he has worked on include the X-33, X-35B, X-43A, X-43C, and X-62 VISTA. His last project at USAF TPS was leading the effort to rebuild the NF-16D VISTA into the X-62 VISTA and then led USAF TPS in the DARPA Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program.
Cotting is an associate fellow and deputy director of Aerospace Sciences for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Education
- Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Master Certificate, Engineering Education, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- M.S., Aerospace Engineering, Mississippi State University
- Honorary Graduate, USAF Test Pilot School
- B.S., Aerospace Engineering, Mississippi State University