WHISKEY PROJECT GROUP EXPANDS US LEADERSHIP WITH APPOINTMENT OF PAUL ARCANGELI, FORMER ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE STAFF DIRECTOR

nona6230
Sep 9
3 min read

Edenton, NC, USA & Sydney, Australia – 9 September 2025: The Whiskey Project Group (TWPG), a leading global manufacturer of next-generation multi-mission reconnaissance and tactical watercraft, today announced the appointment of Paul Arcangeli to the Board of The Whiskey Project Group USA.

This announcement follows TWPG’s continued expansion in the United States, including the US Marine Corps’ (USMC) acceptance of the latest Whiskey Bravo -Multi-Mission Reconnaissance Craft (MMRC-B) and the strategic enhancement of its global leadership team.

Strengthening US Leadership

Arcangeli, a former House Armed Services Committee Staff Director and retired US Army officer, brings over 35 years of combined operational, legislative and national security experience. His profound expertise in defense policy, supply chain resilience and legislative strategy will help guide TWPG’s US growth and industrial integration.

Arcangeli joins an impressive cadre of US leaders:

Major General Paul Kennedy (USMC, Ret.), is a decorated Marine with over three decades of service, commanding combat infantry units across INDO-PACOM and the Middle East during some of the most complex expeditionary operations of the past generation. He later held senior roles shaping Marine Corps strategy and force posture in the Indo-Pacific, bringing deep operational insight into contested maritime environments. Kennedy’s combat credibility and regional expertise make him a vital asset to TWPG as it delivers next-generation allied maritime capabilities.
Colonel John Lowry III (USMC, Ret.), whose distinguished Marine Corps career is matched by senior government service and deep private-sector manufacturing leadership. Before his appointment as Assistant Secretary of Labor overseeing the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), Lowry led major industrial and logistics enterprises in the US manufacturing sector. His hands-on expertise in scaling production, building resilient supply chains and leading advanced fabrication operations is central to TWPG’s mission of strengthening the US maritime industrial base and delivering capability at scale.

“Paul’s operational and legislative expertise, alongside the leadership of Major General Kennedy and Colonel Lowry, strengthens our ability to deliver trusted allied innovation to the US defense industrial base,”

said Darren Schuback, Chief Executive Officer, The Whiskey Project Group.

“This expanded Board reflects TWPG’s commitment to building enduring US partnerships while accelerating next-generation maritime capabilities.”

USMC Accepts Latest Whiskey Bravo Craft

In October 2024, TWPG established its US headquarters and manufacturing hub in Edenton, North Carolina. The 50-acre facility, integrating shipbuilding and warehousing with direct access to inland waterways and the North Atlantic Ocean, is a critical node in expanding US domestic maritime innovation. Strategically located between the US Marine Corps’ II MEF at Camp Lejeune, Fort Liberty in Fayetteville and Norfolk’s naval industrial heartland, the Riverbulk Terminal enhances defense readiness and is set to create more than 50 jobs within its 100,000 square feet of fabrication and industrial space.

Following rigorous pre-delivery trials, TWPG recently delivered five (5) Whiskey Bravo MMRC-B craft to the US Marine Corps in California. Developed to exceed US naval small craft standards, the Whiskey Bravo has been recognised by the USMC as significantly enhancing littoral operations capability.

As one of the first industry-led allied technology-sharing models, the MMRC demonstrates how combat-driven Australian innovation can complement US naval power, leveraging Marine expertise and civilian maritime engineering to strengthen total force capability. Its modular design allows rapid reconfiguration for diverse missions - ranging from reconnaissance and surveillance to direct action and logistical support.

Strengthening the US Maritime Industrial Base

Aligned with the US National Defense Industrial Strategy (NDIS), TWPG’s US investment and Edenton, North Carolina footprint support:

Allied onshoring and collaboration through joint ventures and local production.
Faster injection of innovation, bringing allied combat-proven platforms to fill urgent U.S. capability gaps.
Diversified supply chains across Five Eyes partners, reducing reliance on single-source suppliers.
Regional revitalization, creating subcontracting opportunities and manufacturing jobs in non-traditional shipbuilding regions.

Arcangeli is already actively supporting TWPG’s engagement with the US Marine Corps, including during a recent visit to TWPG’s Edenton facility by Lieutenant General Eric Austin, Commanding General of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command. His involvement underscores TWPG’s growing role as a credible allied partner in strengthening the resilience and innovation of the U.S. maritime industrial base.

“The Whiskey Project Group is exactly the kind of allied partner the United States needs as it strengthens the resilience of its maritime industrial base,” said Paul Arcangeli. “I am honored to join the Group at this exciting time of growth, helping to accelerate capability delivery and support warfighters in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific environment.”

Global Expansion and Allied Partnerships

TWPG continues to experience significant global growth, driven by its deepening partnerships with the US Marine Corps, Marine Forces Reserve, and the Australian Defence Force (ADF). These collaborations reflect the company’s enduring commitment to allied industrial cooperation, sovereign capability, and interoperability.

Through programs like the Maritime Mission Ready Craft (MMRC), TWPG demonstrates how AUKUS and coalition partnerships can be two-way streets for innovation and resilience - combining veteran-led ingenuity, advanced manufacturing, and combat-proven design to deliver next-generation watercraft for allied operations worldwide.