National Engineer Week Spotlight

As we celebrate National Engineers Week, we shine a spotlight on the engineers who play a vital role in safeguarding our nation's defense and propelling missions forward. Their dedication to developing reliable systems is indispensable, especially during critical moments. Although we are highlighting two remarkable engineers, we honor all our engineers for their unwavering commitment to our customers and their mission-focused support of our warfighters. It is through their relentless efforts that we bring these systems to life.

Meet Rob Compton and Corinne Green, who will share their insights and engineering journeys. Thank you to all our engineers for your incredible contributions!

What’s a breakthrough you’ve pursued at SFS, either big or small, that changed the way you think about what’s possible in engineering?

I have a background in quantum sensing, which is a field that until recently has been dominated by Ph.D physicists working on table-top laboratory prototypes that are impractical and unfieldable.  What has impressed me at Safran is how quickly we’ve been developing a robust, fieldable design for a quantum inertial sensor by leveraging decades of cumulative experience in mechanical, electrical, RF, optical, and systems engineering.  In some ways, the quantum mechanics turns out to be the easy part, and it’s the traditional engineering disciplines where fresh innovation, hard work, and skilled engineering talent is very quickly bearing fruit for future game-changing products.

When a system evolves or unexpected challenges arise, what helps you stay adaptable and guide the team toward a smart solution?

When systems evolve or challenges come up, I stay adaptable by focusing on the fundamentals and maintaining a steady mindset. I’ve worked in environments where direction evolved mid-stream, timelines shifted, or priorities were reshuffled. In those moments, progress depended on moving forward where we could, pausing where it made sense, and staying comfortable with the idea that some work might change as plans matured. Navigating that kind of change required flexibility, communication, and the ability to separate personal attachment from technical direction. To me, adaptability means staying analytical, collaborative, and open to change so that evolving requirements become part of the engineering process rather than a disruption to it.