SPA Fellows
Len Zentz
Fellow, Hypersonics Systems
Len Zentz is SPA’s Hypersonics Systems Fellow, and divides his time as a Senior Technical Advisor for both the Navy Conventional Prompt Strike program and the Office of Secretary of Defense Joint Hypersonic Transition Office.
Len Zentz
Fellow, Hypersonics Systems
Len Zentz is SPA’s Hypersonics Systems Fellow, and divides his time as a Senior Technical Advisor for both the Navy Conventional Prompt Strike program and the Office of Secretary of Defense Joint Hypersonic Transition Office.
Prior to his employment with SPA, Mr. Zentz served in the same role as Senior Technical Advisor from 2019-2021 for the joint Army/Navy programs Long Range Hypersonic Weapon & Conventional Prompt Strike.
From 2013-2018, Len Zentz managed and led a diverse group of partnering organizations (including SNL, APL, CSDL, Crane and others) on the Navy’s Hypersonic Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) effort for VADM Benedict at Strategic Systems Programs. This effort resulted in a very successful demonstration of the first US miniaturized common Hypersonic Boost Glide Flight. This work was funded under Office of Secretary of Defense Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics organization.
In 1985, Mr. Zentz commenced working at Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) White Oak in the Reentry Systems Branch performing high temperature thermal structural assessments and was integral in coupling aero and thermal codes together in an automated, non-linear analysis for large deforming systems. He was later promoted to Head of the Structures Group.
Mr. Zentz joined the SSP Advanced Reentry Systems section in 1998, where he was integral in working and managing several key developments including the Tactical Missile System-Penetrator, the re-entry body inertial measurement unit, the follow on SRIMU, and the Mk4/W76-1 re-entry body refurbishment effort. After several years, Len was promoted to Advanced Reentry Systems Section Lead where he managed the very successful 2005 Life Extension Test Bed experiment, demonstrating an advanced hypersonic error correcting re-entry vehicle.
