Samuel Greaves

Retired Air Force Lieutenant General Samuel Greaves was the director of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) before retiring on July 1, 2019. On January 21, 2020, Inside Defense reported that Greaves was hired by Boeing as the new vice president and chief architect for space and launch. Prior to leaving the MDA Greaves oversaw the agency’s Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system. While Greaves was director of MDA from 2017 to 2019, the agency awarded Boeing $4.3 billion in contracts, according to government data. From fiscal year 2008 to fiscal year 2019, Boeing has been the top recipient of MDA contract dollars, taking in $26.9 billion, according to the government’s data.

In 2018, under Greaves’s leadership, Boeing was awarded a contract with the MDA to build 20 new ground-based interceptors (missiles designed to shoot other missiles out of the sky) as part of the MDA’s GMD system, a deal worth an estimated $6.6 billion. Prior to announcing his retirement, Greaves oversaw testing of the Boeing-led GMD system. Greaves praised the test as a “critical milestone,” stating, “The system worked exactly as it was designed to do, and the results of this test provide evidence of the practicable use of the salvo doctrine within missile defense.” The Pentagon terminated a contract in August with Boeing worth $5.8 billion citing failures in the development of the contractor’s Redesigned Kill Vehicle (RKV) program which would have replaced existing GMD interceptors. Throughout the later part of his career, Greaves worked closely with the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

"Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 207(c), Mr. Greaves may not represent Boeing or other third parties back to the Department of Defense (DoD) “remainder agency” which includes MDA, on any matter for one year from his retirement date of June 30, 2019," MDA told POGO, when asked about ethical restrictions. "Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 207(1) he is permanently barred from representing Boeing to MDA on any contracts that he participated in personally and substantially while MDA Director or Deputy Director." Greaves is also subject to the FY2018 National Defense Authorization Act provisions banning senior offices from "lobbying activities" for two years.

To read MDA's complete response to POGO's questions, see this document.