Robert Bell to Lead Panel Reporting to NATO's Conference of National Armaments Directors

19:05 GMT, October 29, 2009 MCLEAN, Va. and SAN DIEGO | At its Fall Plenary Conference in Rome, the NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG) today elected Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) Senior Vice President Robert G. Bell as its Chairman for 2010-2011.

Bell will be the first U.S. executive to chair the NIAG since 1998. He succeeds Dr. Raffaele Esposito (Italy) of Finmeccanica's Selex Communications company.

The NIAG, first established in 1968, is a high-level consultative and advisory body of senior industrialists from NATO member countries reporting directly to NATO's Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD). Its responsibilities include providing a forum for the free exchange of views on industrial, technical, economic and managerial aspects of defense research and development and procurement; providing the CNAD with industry advice on how to better foster government-to-industry and industry-to-industry cooperation concerning defense equipment and services; and assisting NATO's Main Armaments Groups in exploring opportunities for international collaboration.

Based with SAIC in Brussels, Belgium for the past five years, Bell serves as SAIC Account Manager for NATO and the U.S. European Command, and as Chairman of SAIC's European Executive Committee. Prior to joining SAIC, Bell worked at NATO Headquarters as Assistant Secretary General for Defense Investment from 1999-2003 and at the White House as the National Security Council Senior Director for Defense Policy and Arms Control from 1993-1999. His career also includes eighteen years working in staff positions on Capitol Hill and ten years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force. Bell is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy (BS) and the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy (MA).

"I am very pleased that Bob has been elected as chairman of NATO's Industrial Advisory Group," said Beverly Seay, SAIC senior vice president and business unit general manager. "It is a testament to the contributions he has made during his career to furthering NATO's mission and to his capabilities as an effective leader and collaborator. We look forward to supporting him in this new role."