Frank Kendall

Frank Kendall (LinkedIn) is an independent consultant and a Senior Fellow at The Center for American Progress. He is the author of “Lethal Autonomy, The Future of Warfare, Whether We Like It or Not.” Mr. Kendall has over 50 years of experience in engineering, management, defense acquisition, and national security affairs in private industry, government, and the military. From 2021 to 2025 he served as the Secretary of the Air Force. From 2012 to 2017, Mr. Kendall served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. Earlier in his career Mr. Kendall was the Vice President of Engineering for Raytheon Company, and the Deputy Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Tactical Warfare Programs. Mr. Kendall is a member of the Board of Directors of the Air and Space Forces Association, a member of the Advisory Board of the Truman National Security Project, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In addition, Mr. Kendall is an attorney and has been active in the field of human rights, working primarily on a pro-bono basis. He has served as the Chairman of the Board of the Tahirih Justice Center, a Member of the Boards of Amnesty International USA and the Center for Victims of Torture, and as an observer for Human Rights First at Guantanamo. Mr. Kendall retired from the US Army Reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel and is a graduate of the Army War College. Mr. Kendall holds degrees from West Point, the California Institute of Technology, the C W Post Center of Long Island University, and Georgetown University Law Center.