Coverage ▾
Defense Base Act (DBA) Aerospace Products & Liability Aircraft Hull & Liability Airport & Control Tower Aviation General Aviation Property Aviation Workers' Drones & UAVs Helicopter Hull & Liability ReflexOS™ Cybersecurity Space & Satellite
Who We Are DBA Insurance ReflexOS™ Cybersecurity FinTech InsurTech Contact LinkedIn Get Quote
U.S. Aerospace Defense Group

Who
We Are.

Two forces united: top-echelon insurance executives and battle-tested military commanders — one mission to protect those who defend the nation.

Purpose & Direction

Vision & Mission

Our Vision
To be the most trusted insurance partner for those who operate at the edge of national security — protecting aerospace, defense, and the people who make America's mission possible.

We envision an insurance marketplace where defense contractors, aerospace operators, and government agencies receive coverage built with the same precision, accountability, and intelligence that goes into the missions they support — powered by innovative technology and led by people who have lived the mission firsthand.

Our Mission
To deliver unparalleled aerospace and defense insurance solutions — combining executive-level insurance expertise with frontline military intelligence to protect every mission, every operator, and every asset.

USADG is committed to providing innovative, custom-tailored insurance programs for the aviation, aerospace, and defense industries. As a Certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, we treat your business interests as our own — conducting ourselves with unwavering integrity, transparency, and dedication to mission success.

Our Company

Where Executive Expertise
Meets Combat-Proven
Leadership.

U.S. Aerospace Defense Group is built on a foundation that no other insurance firm in the nation can replicate: a deliberate fusion of C-suite insurance industry veterans and senior military commanders with actual boots-on-the-ground experience. This isn't a marketing claim — it is our founding architecture.

Our insurance leadership has spent careers at the highest levels of global aviation and aerospace underwriting — building multi-billion-dollar divisions at QBE, Lloyd's of London syndicates, Old Republic Aerospace, and more. They understand policy language, carrier markets, risk towers, and claims dynamics from the inside out. They have managed the portfolios, written the programs, and settled the claims that define this industry.

What sets USADG categorically apart is that seated alongside those insurance executives are generals, colonels, and decorated combat veterans who have deployed to the same theaters, operated the same aircraft, and managed the same contractors that our clients insure. When a defense contractor needs DBA coverage for workers in a hostile-fire zone, our military advisors have operated in that zone. They speak the same language as our clients — because they were our clients.

Together, these two forces deliver something no conventional broker can offer: insurance solutions built from both sides of the risk equation — the technical precision of elite underwriters and the operational insight of battlefield commanders. With over 150 years of combined experience, USADG provides coverage with the confidence that comes from having truly stood in our clients' shoes.

🎖️
Boots-on-the-Ground Military Intelligence Senior military advisors with combat-deployed experience across DoD, aerospace, and defense contracting operations — advising on real-world risk, not theoretical exposure.
🏦
C-Suite Insurance Executive Leadership Former SVPs and division heads from the world's largest aviation and aerospace insurance carriers — Lloyd's of London, QBE, Old Republic, and more.
🛡️
Defense Base Act DBA Specialists Deep expertise in war-hazard compliance, LHWCA administration, and federal contractor coverage — from pre-award compliance to final claims resolution.
🤖
ReflexOS™ AI-Powered InsurTech Proprietary reflexive intelligence platform providing real-time theater risk monitoring, emerging risk intelligence, and proactive coverage gap identification — unique in the market.
🌐
Global Carrier Access, Boutique Service Direct access to top-tier U.S. and international insurers and reinsurers, backed by the personalized accountability of a veteran-owned enterprise.
150+
Years Combined Experience
Aviation, aerospace & defense insurance
$2B+
Liability Capacity
Across all coverage lines
23yr
Founder Military Service
Desert Storm · OIF · OEF
10+
Specialty Coverage Lines
Hull to space to DBA
SDVOSB
Certified
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned
SDVOSB
Service-Disabled
Veteran-Owned
Small Business
Certified & Verified
Federal Certification

Service-Disabled
Veteran-Owned
Small Business

USADG proudly holds Certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) status — a federal designation that reflects not only our legal structure but our deepest organizational values. Our leadership team is composed of individuals who answered the call to serve, and who now channel that same commitment into protecting those who continue to serve.

This certification carries real, tangible benefits for government contractors and federal agencies that work with USADG. Federal acquisition regulations provide set-aside contracting authority for SDVOSBs, meaning defense agencies and prime contractors can count USADG insurance premiums toward their small business subcontracting goals — including in Individual Subcontract Reports (ISR) filed through the Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System (eSRS).

Beyond the procurement advantages, SDVOSB status is a signal of accountability. It means every dollar you spend with USADG supports a veteran-led enterprise staffed by people who understand — personally and professionally — what it means to put lives and assets at risk in defense of the nation.

✓ Federal set-aside contracting eligibility
✓ ISR/eSRS subcontracting credit qualified
✓ SBA-registered and VA-verified status
✓ Counts toward small business spend goals
✓ Veteran-led leadership at every level
✓ Combat-deployed military advisor network
Leadership

The USADG Team

Two forces. One mission. USADG's leadership uniquely combines top-tier aerospace and defense insurance executives — veterans of Lloyd's of London, QBE, Old Republic, and the nation's largest aviation underwriting portfolios — with senior military commanders and combat-deployed advisors who have operated in the exact environments our clients insure. No other firm brings this depth of experience to the table from both sides of the risk equation.

Joel L. Smith, President and CEO, Founder of U.S. Aerospace Defense Group USADG
Founder & Executive Leadership
Joel L. Smith
President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Joel Smith is co-developer of our technology  and the President and Founder of U.S. Aerospace Defense Group, leading the company's mission to deliver unparalleled support to space, aerospace, and DoD industry partners. With extensive experience across the aerospace and defense sectors, Joel has a proven track record of guiding major programs for both public and private entities.


Joel has played an instrumental role in high-profile programs including the Raytheon Aerospace C-12 Tri-Service Contract, C-21, U.S. Customs and Drug Interdiction Program, C-9, KC-10, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, COSMIC-2, Lockheed Martin Space Systems' Satellite Redesign, and NASA Space Station Programs. With over 23 years of experience in program management, procurement, and contract management, he has managed more than $550 million in annual sales.


Joel holds an MBA from Belhaven University and a Bachelor of Commercial Aviation from Delta State University. A certified Lean Six Sigma Expert and C.A.S.E. auditor, he is also a commercial multi-engine pilot and a 23-year U.S. Military veteran, having served in Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom.

CEO & Founder 23-Year Military Veteran Desert Storm · OIF · OEF $550M+ Managed Commercial Pilot Lean Six Sigma
Raymond Caldas, Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Aerospace Defense Group USADG
Technology Leadership
Raymond Caldas
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Raymond Caldas is the co-developer of our technology and serves as Chief Technology Officer, driving USADG's technology vision and the development of the proprietary ReflexOS™ platform. Raymond brings deep expertise in AI system architecture, defense-grade technology infrastructure, and the application of advanced analytical frameworks to complex risk environments. He leads the integration of the ReflexOS™ AI Resonance framework into USADG's insurance and fintech operations — positioning the firm at the forefront of insurtech, fintech, and securtech innovation in the aerospace and defense sectors and beyond.
CTO ReflexOS™ Architect AI & InsurTech
Kim Ferguson, Chief Marketing Officer, U.S. Aerospace Defense Group USADG
Marketing Leadership
Kim Ferguson
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
Kim Ferguson serves as Chief Marketing Officer, leading brand strategy, market positioning, and growth initiatives for U.S. Aerospace Defense Group. With a distinguished career spanning executive marketing roles across complex B2B and government-facing industries, Kim brings deep expertise in strategic communications, digital transformation, and building high-impact marketing programs that resonate with defense, aerospace, and government contracting audiences. She is a driving force behind USADG's market expansion and the positioning of ReflexOS™ as a revolutionary insurtech and fintech platform.
CMO Brand Strategy Market Growth
General Stan Budraitis, Executive Vice President EVP, Brigadier General U.S. Army Retired, USADG
Senior Military Advisory
Gen. Stan Budraitis
Executive Vice President (EVP) — BG USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Stan Budraitis (BG USA, Ret.) serves as Executive Vice President of Strategy, bringing an unmatched depth of operational military command and strategic leadership to USADG. As a retired U.S. Army Brigadier General, he has commanded forces and managed large-scale defense operations across multiple theaters — giving USADG direct insight into the environments, operational risks, and command structures that define our clients' insurance exposures. His presence ensures USADG's solutions are built from the inside of the mission, not from outside it.
BG USA (Ret.) Combat Commander EVP Strategy
Michael J. Clark, Senior Vice President Brokerage, U.S. Aerospace Defense Group USADG
Brokerage Leadership
Michael J. Clark
SVP, Head of Brokerage
Michael Clark brings over 20 years of senior executive experience in aviation and aerospace insurance. He served as Head of the Aviation and Aerospace Business Unit at QBE, where he co-founded the Aviation Division in 2011 — a 50/50 Joint Venture with QBE's Aerospace Syndicate at Lloyd's of London — building it into one of the largest and most profitable underwriters in the global aviation insurance marketplace. Prior to QBE, he served 10 years as SVP at Old Republic Aerospace, leading the Special Risk Division with a portfolio exceeding $50 million in annual revenue. He is also a former U.S. Marine.
SVP Brokerage Lloyd's of London QBE · Old Republic U.S. Marine (Ret.)
Philip Wagoner, Senior Vice President, U.S. Aerospace Defense Group USADG
Senior Leadership
Philip Wagoner
Senior Vice President (SVP)
Philip Wagoner serves as Senior Vice President at USADG, contributing senior-level expertise in aviation and aerospace insurance program management and client services. Philip brings extensive experience in specialty risk underwriting, client relationship management, and the development of customized insurance solutions for complex aerospace and defense operations. His industry depth and client-first approach make him a cornerstone of USADG's brokerage and program operations.
SVP Program Management Aerospace Specialty Risk
James Wells, Senior Vice President, U.S. Army Retired, U.S. Aerospace Defense Group USADG
Senior Military Advisory
James Wells
Senior Vice President — U.S. Army (Ret.)
James Wells, U.S. Army (Retired) serves as Senior Vice President, providing USADG with irreplaceable operational military perspective on Army aviation, defense contracting, and overseas operations. James's career as an Army officer gives him firsthand knowledge of the logistical, operational, and risk environments in which USADG's DBA and aerospace clients operate globally. He bridges the gap between military operational reality and insurance risk management — an advisory capability that is core to USADG's competitive differentiation.
U.S. Army (Ret.) Combat Operations DBA Risk Advisor
Work With Us

Ready to Work with a Team
That Knows Your Mission?

Our insurance executives and military advisors are standing by — ready to deliver tailored coverage and real-world intelligence for your aerospace and defense operations.

Get a Quote Back to Home
Stay Ahead of the Threat

USADG Intelligence
Brief

Defense contractors, aerospace operators, and government program managers rely on the USADG Intelligence Brief for real-world risk intelligence, DBA compliance updates, and ReflexOS™ threat advisories.

No noise. No filler. Just the intelligence your mission depends on.

DBA Compliance Theater Risk ReflexOS™ Alerts Aerospace Coverage SDVOSB Updates
* indicates required
🇺🇸
US Aerospace Defense Group — By providing your phone number and checking the box, you agree to receive promotional and marketing messages. Message and data rates may apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel. See Privacy Policy