Vice Adm. Carl Chebi, Commander of NAVAIR, delivered remarks during the ceremony, commending Guerre’s four-year leadership. “Josh, you and your team delivered outcomes,” said Chebi. “You’ve shaped the future of unmanned maritime operations, and your leadership has made a lasting difference for the mission, the fleet and the nation.”
During his tenure, Capt. Guerre led the team in delivering the MQ-4C Triton to three operational orbits within the Navy’s 5th, 6th and 7th Fleets. These deployments provided critical real-time capability to maritime operations across the globe.
Additionally, Guerre oversaw the delivery of the first MQ-4C Triton aircraft to Australia, advancing international cooperation in unmanned aviation. Reflecting on his time in command, he stated: “We got aircraft in the air. We got capability to the fleet. We didn’t just check boxes—we delivered operational impact.”
Capt. Murphy, originally from New Baltimore, Michigan, brings extensive operational and engineering experience to the role. A 1999 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a qualified naval aviator since 2001, he has logged over 2,000 flight hours in 15 aircraft types.
His career includes key roles at NAVAIR, such as project officer for organic mine countermeasures and leadership posts within the H-53 Heavy Lift Helicopters programme office. Most recently, he served as executive assistant to the NAVAIR commander.
“My goal is to deliver a premier airborne ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] platform to our warfighter,” Murphy said. He now leads a team responsible for the development, production, deployment and sustainment of the MQ-4C Triton system.
Acknowledging the work of the team he now commands, Murphy added: “Over the last several months, I’ve seen this team tested every day, and they meet every challenge head on. It’s truly impressive to watch them, and it will be an honour to lead them.”
