Personnel

Brett Hill is the visionary founder of Praetorian Aeronautics, with over 20 years of international experience across Europe, the United States, and Australia. A high-achieving scholar and recipient of multiple academic scholarships, Brett has built a career at the intersection of advanced aerospace engineering and strategic defence innovation. His background spans both global defence Primes and agile startups, giving him a rare blend of technical depth, leadership capability, and commercial insight. Known for his relentless drive and commitment to excellence, Brett brings a unique capability to lead high-impact, mission-focused teams. His deep understanding of the defence market, combined with a lifelong ambition to build a world-class aerospace company, drives Praetorian’s mission. Under his leadership, Praetorian is redefining the standards of innovation, delivering next-generation defence capabilities with global relevance and strategic edge—shaping the future of autonomous aerial dominance.

Dr Khusro Saleem is a Senior RF and Communications Engineer with over 30 years of experience in radar systems, wireless communications, and signal processing, spanning defence, telecommunications, and industrial automation. At Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group, he developed radar tracking algorithms and combat system software for missile defence. In industry, he has contributed to ADSL/VDSL and 3G modem development at Bandspeed and NEC. As a researcher at the University of Melbourne, he has led projects on millimetre-wave RF chipsets and wireless sensing for industrial applications. He has also advanced multifunction radar systems for the Department of Defence and developed X-ray and sensing technologies for security screening and mineral processing. Khusro holds a BSEE from Northwestern University and a PhD from the University of Melbourne. He is a co-recipient of the 2008 Eckerman-TJA Prize for broadband sustainability research.

Dr Jia Ming Kok is a leading expert in UAS swarm technologies and kinetic effectors, with extensive experience in designing autonomous aerial systems for modern defence operations. As Chief of Effectors at Praetorian Aeronautics, he leads the development of the Dagger program, advancing next-generation UAS capabilities for coordinated strikes and counter-UAS missions. Previously at Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group, he led the Kinetic Effects Swarming team, developing UAS swarms capable of complex ingress manoeuvres and synchronised attacks. His broader work includes micro air vehicle design, biologically inspired UAS design, and swarm-based CBR threat detection systems. Jia has demonstrated these technologies at major trilateral defence exercises in Australia and abroad. He holds a PhD from the University of South Australia and a Bachelor’s in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Adelaide. His expertise shapes the future of autonomous warfare systems.

Richard is a senior software and systems engineer with over 30 years of experience leading R&D in software products and complex system integration across defence, consumer tech, and communications. His work spans electronic warfare, sonar tracking, C4ISR systems, and embedded consumer electronics. At the forefront of software-defined radio, he developed embedded Linux systems for electronic warfare, enhancing threat detection and signal processing. He has engineered microcontroller-driven solutions for metal detectors and led mission data and C4ISR system design for defence platforms. Richard has also contributed to active and passive sonar tracking and conducted postgraduate research in next-gen broadband wireless networks. Early in his career, he served as a Weapons Electrical Branch officer in the Royal Australian Navy, gaining critical Defence and leadership experience. His expertise bridges embedded systems with large-scale software architecture in mission-critical environments.

Nicky Sigamonie is an experienced Project Manager and Aerospace Engineer with deep expertise in aerospace systems, energy storage, and advanced manufacturing. At Praetorian Aeronautics, he oversees the delivery of next-generation aerospace technologies, integrating hardware, software, and regulatory compliance within tight performance, cost, and schedule constraints. He brings a strong background in systems engineering, certification, and program management across complex technical domains. At Kite Magnetics, Nicky led certification efforts for electric propulsion systems, collaborating with CASA, FAA, and EASA to shape future regulatory pathways. He has also managed the development of flow battery systems for sustainable energy storage and contributed to automotive and industrial tooling innovations using additive manufacturing. Nicky’s leadership in risk management, engineering strategy, and stakeholder engagement ensures successful outcomes. He holds a Master of Engineering from RMIT University and is committed to driving innovation through disciplined execution.

Dr Massi Nardini is a Senior Flight Sciences Engineer with a decade of experience in Computational Fluid Dynamics, Fluid-Structure Interaction, and High-Performance Computing. He has developed advanced numerical methods and led simulations supporting frontier aerospace and propulsion technologies. At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Massi ran GPU-accelerated CFD simulations for turbomachinery on Frontier—the world’s first exascale supercomputer. He also contributed to the aerodynamic analysis of IDINTOS, an amphibious PrandtlPlane prototype, pushing the boundaries of novel aircraft design. At the University of Cambridge, he developed analytical tools for the Aviation Impact Accelerator, promoting evidence-based strategies for sustainable aviation. Massi earned his PhD from the University of Melbourne, focusing on reduced-order modelling and membrane wing control. He now applies this expertise at Praetorian Aeronautics, where he contributes to the development of next-generation, high-performance autonomous aerial systems and next-generation flight capabilities.