Marlan Macklin

Deputy Principal Director for FutureG

U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)

Mr. Marlan Macklin is the Deputy Principal Director for FutureG within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)). The FutureG Office guides U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) research, funding, and execution of programs that develop capabilities leveraging 5G and future generation wireless technologies. In his current position, Mr. Macklin is responsible for ensuring the office’s strategic alignment, providing program execution oversight, and overseeing budget execution.
Prior to joining OUSD(R&E), Mr. Macklin served in the U.S. Mission to NATO as Chief of the Communications & Electronics Division and Deputy to the Director for Armaments, Communications & Electronics. The directorate provided technical and political-military advice to the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, the Secretary of Defense Representative in Europe, and DoD leadership for equities including acquisition, C3, innovation, and emerging technologies. Mr. Macklin served as a Country Programs Manager in the International Cooperation Directorate of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSD(A&S)) and former Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics. He worked closely with DoD, interagency, defense industry, and foreign governments to advance complex cooperative acquisition programs, negotiate international research and development agreements, and address Congressional reporting requirements for activities with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East. During the pandemic, Mr. Macklin served as the OUSD(A&S) representative on the Secretary of Defense’s COVID-19 Task Force supporting DoD’s contributions to domestic and international COVID-19 response activities.
During his time in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports & Cooperation, Mr. Macklin oversaw and advised on international security cooperation activities including Foreign Military Sales, security assistance policy, armaments cooperation, and defense technology transfers. Throughout his career, he held positions in other U.S. Army acquisition organizations including the Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications-Tactical; the Communications-Electronics Command Life Cycle Management Command; and the Army Materiel Command.

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