“We’re at a point in our history where both non-state and state actors challenge the United States at the same time,” he said in an interview.
Larkin, 44, a Glen Burnie, Md., native, replaces Col. Lean G. Lauderback. Laudberback, 44, grew up in the Dayton region and will take a high-level Air Force intelligence job at the Pentagon. For Larkin, it marks his third tour of duty at NASIC.
At a change of command ceremony Thursday, more than 500 employees gathered inside NASIC to see Larkin take over the intelligence agency pressed to provide more air, space and cyberspace intelligence data as the threats have escalated.
“There’s certainly a demand for NASIC’s product,” Larkin said. “… We have to be very agile because as we’ve all seen events in the world can very quickly outpace our understanding of what we expected to happen and that’s why it is important for the entire Department of Defense, the Air Force and NASIC to be agile.”
Lt. Gen. Robert F. Otto, Air Force deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, said at the ceremony NASIC intelligence findings from the Middle East to the South China Sea shape the nation’s military priorities.
“Your role in baselining threats is becoming even more critical,” he said. With the return of “great power” competitors, he added, “the stakes simply couldn’t be higher.”
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