As global defence priorities shift toward speed, flexibility and deployable capability, SiNAB is strengthening its leadership bench to meet accelerating international demand.
The company has announced the appointment of Nick Mair as Head of Strategy & Partnerships and a member of the SiNAB Advisory Board, alongside the appointment of Brigadier Mark Smethurst DSC, AM (Retd) as an Independent Advisory Board Member. Together, the appointments mark a decisive step in SiNAB’s evolution from technology innovator to scaled global capability provider.
Scaling for Real-World Demand
SiNAB is expanding rapidly across priority markets in Asia, Western and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, where defence customers are seeking deployable airborne ISR, live threat representation and emerging Counter-UAS capability—without the cost, risk or timelines associated with new platform acquisition.
This demand environment plays directly to SiNAB’s strengths: mission systems that can be fielded quickly, integrated onto aircraft already in service, and delivered through trusted global partners.
Strategy Meets Execution
Nick Mair steps into a newly created executive role, bringing more than 30 years of aviation and aerospace leadership across complex, regulated and asset-intensive environments. Most recently, he served as Managing Director of QinetiQ Air Affairs, where he led the delivery of live crewed and uncrewed airborne capability and contributed to global threat representation programs.
At SiNAB, Mair will shape strategic direction, accelerate international market entry and build scalable global partnerships—bridging strategy and execution to translate operational need into fielded capability.
“SiNAB delivers credible mission effects without the cost, complexity or timelines of traditional integration programs,” Mair said. “As customers seek more flexible ISR and training solutions, the opportunity to combine SiNAB’s technology with live services and strong partners globally is significant.”
Independent Insight, Operational Credibility
Brigadier Mark Smethurst brings more than 35 years of senior military leadership, spanning command, strategy and operational planning roles across the Australian Army, NATO and U.S. Special Operations environments. Since retiring from active service, he has continued to advise organisations on governance, strategy and national security alignment.
His appointment strengthens SiNAB’s independent advisory capability, ensuring close alignment between capability development and real-world operational requirements.
“SiNAB is addressing a genuine capability gap by enabling realistic training and operational effects using aircraft already in service,” Smethurst said.
Built for the Way Defence Is Going
SiNAB’s growth is underpinned by its Phoenix range of deployable airborne mission systems, delivering intelligence, surveillance, targeting and communications effects without aircraft modification or lengthy integration programs.
As defence customers move toward distributed, platform-agnostic architectures, SiNAB combines proprietary technology with live operational services and a growing international partner network—including collaboration with RAVN Aerospace—to accelerate access to capability across global markets.
“Nick and Mark join SiNAB at a critical point in our growth,” said Tony Landers, CEO of SiNAB. “Their combined experience strengthens our alignment with defence and national security priorities and reinforces our ambition to become a trusted global partner for airborne ISR and mission effects.”
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