HUNTSVILLE – Paul Pittman has been promoted to Torch Technologies vice president and lead of the System Analysis & Simulation Group, the company announced.

In this role, Pittman will lead a team of employee-owners across four business units and one division focused on Air and Missile Defense, Innovation Through Integration, Strategic  Defense, Tactical Systems, and Emerging Capabilities, spanning multiple locations, Torch, a Huntsville-based defense contractor, said in a news release.

“Paul’s deep technical expertise and proven leadership have been instrumental to the  success and growth of our System Analysis & Simulation Group,” said Torch Technologies President Brad Walker. “His commitment to excellence and to our employee-ownership  culture makes him an ideal leader to guide this talented team into the future.”

Pittman brings more than 40 years of experience in the defense industry. He is widely  recognized as a technical expert in all aspects of Air and Missile Defense — from system  requirements and conceptual design through development, modeling and simulation, testing, fielding, and data analysis.

Since joining Torch in 2011, he served as the lead and, later, the chief scientist of the Air and Missile Defense Business Unit, guiding the organization’s growth from a small directorate into the largest business unit within the SAS Group. 

Pittman holds a bachelor of science in computer science from the University of Alabama in  Huntsville. He has been honored with the Defense Technical Award from the Tennessee  Valley Chapter of the National Defense Industrial Association and the Order of St. Barbara from the Air Defense Artillery Association for his significant contributions to the field of air and missile defense.