U.S. Navy Rear Admiral (Ret.) Jim Kirk Joins Reach’s Government Advisory Board
Redwood City, Calif., Dec. 10, 2024 – Reach Power (Reach), the leader in wireless Power-at-a-Distance, today announced the addition of U.S. Navy Rear Admiral (Ret.) Jim Kirk, former commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3, to its Government Advisory Board. Kirk joins an expert group including U.S. Army Major General (Ret.) Clay Hutmacher, former U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Acquisition Executive Jim Smith, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General (Ret.) David Krumm, and former Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Energy Portfolio Director, Benjamin Richardson to strengthen Reach’s capabilities and deepen its engagement with the Department of Defense.
Reach develops wireless power beaming systems that enable persistent operations of electronic devices. Its wireless power transfer technology (WPT) uses radio frequency (RF) energy to power numerous, moving, and hard-to-reach devices such as unattended ground sensors (UGS), small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), ground robots and other electronic equipment. This technology reduces dependency on foreign-made batteries and the need for manual battery management.
“As the Navy and Joint Forces continue to expand their use of unmanned systems and attritable technologies, the demand for more flexible and resilient operational energy is increasing,” said Rear Adm. Kirk. “I am eager to help Reach explore new opportunities to make wireless power more accessible to increase warfighting capabilities and reduce logistics burdens in contested environments.”
“Rear Admiral Kirk is an exceptional naval leader with more than 30 years of distinguished service, including extensive experience in both strategic and operational roles,” said Chris Davlantes, Founder and CEO of Reach. “We are confident that his deep understanding of defense operations and his commitment to innovation will greatly contribute to Reach’s mission as we continue to drive forward in supporting both the government and commercial sectors.”
Rear Adm. Kirk, a native of Hershey, Pennsylvania, is a 1990 U.S. Naval Academy graduate with a master’s degree in National Security Studies from both the U.S. Naval War College and U.S. Army War College.
A Surface Warfare officer, he has served on destroyers, cruisers, and frigates, including command of USS De Wert (FFG 45) and USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000). His shore assignments include executive assistant to the Chief of Legislative Affairs and roles on the Joint Staff and Surface Warfare Directorate.
As a flag officer, he has served as deputy commander at NATO Supreme Allied Command Transformation’s Joint Warfare Centre in Norway, Commander, Carrier Strike Groups Eleven and Fifteen, and most recently as Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 3.
His awards include the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and various other unit and service awards.
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By meshing four transmitters together, the system delivered 50 Watts to the drone to charge its battery. The team also demonstrated fault tolerant networking that enabled the graceful failover of individual power sources. Even as the power reduced, the remaining power sources were still able to deliver power to the drone.
The successful demonstration by Reach represents a significant step forward in the use of wireless power technology to keep UAVs, robots, and other electronic devices powered and charging while operational. This technology revolutionizes operations for government, military, and commercial customers, providing them with a safe, efficient, and dependable source of persistent power to optimize their activities and extend their missions.
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