Col. Peter B. Trainer, USAF (Ret.)

Vice President, Strategic Growth, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions

Pete Trainer is Vice President of Strategic Growth at Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions. In this role, he leads the company’s space market strategy, focusing on identifying, pursuing, and shaping high-impact opportunities across the defense and intelligence community. He drives long-term growth by aligning strategic priorities with emerging mission needs, strengthening customer relationships, and fostering partnerships across the national security space ecosystem.

Pete brings more than 40 years of experience in aerospace, defense, and intelligence. Before joining CW-DS, he served as Managing Director at Elara Nova, a strategic advisory firm supporting national security space initiatives. He previously held senior executive roles at BAE Systems, where he was Vice President and General Manager of the Air & Space Force Solutions business, overseeing strategy and execution of a $500M portfolio. Before that, Pete served as Vice President at SAIC, leading its $220M Air Force Operations unit, and at Scitor Corporation, where he was Vice President and Sector Director for the Defense Services Sector.

Pete’s career began in the U.S. Air Force, serving on active duty and in the reserves for over three decades. His military experience includes key leadership roles in satellite command and control, space control, and strategic policy advocacy. He held assignments at U.S. Space Command and the Air Force Legislative Liaison Office. He played a critical role following 9/11, operationalizing the nation’s Space Based Blue Force Tracking capability to enhance situational awareness and combat identification of U.S. forces. He retired in the grade of Colonel, serving as the Senior Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Director of the National Reconnaissance Office.