Vista Site Selection Touches Down at AFA Air, Space & Cyber Conference

Vista Site Selection was proud to showcase our new Weighted Site Matrix Tool at the 2025 edition of the AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. This event — hosted annually by the Air & Space Forces Association — attracted more than 20,000 industry professionals, as well as leadership from both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.

The Weighted Site Matrix Tool is a dashboard that visualizes how site selection factors — including workforce, real estate costs, incentive packages and even natural disaster risk — can be layered to identify optimal locations for major projects. Our custom-built tableau dashboard helped decision-makers see exactly what “data-driven site selection” looks like in practice. It’s one of several proprietary tools, developed by Vista, which are ideal for boosting aerospace and defense site selection.

Vista didn’t come just to preach, however; we also took the time to learn where else the industry is headed. Everyone knows AI is the future but even we were surprised to see just how heavily new defense tech products sold their AI capabilities, emphasizing speed through data. Fortunately, Vista’s application of AI to site selection sat comfortably within the wider trend.

There are few industries outside of aerospace and defense where Vista’s combination of data-based site selection capabilities, proprietary software such as the Weighted Site Matrix Tool, and incentives negotiation can make such a profound impact. Our experience was well displayed in our pamphlet materials at the conference. We included “just” 36 projects where Vista contributed, including development programs such as:

• Orion space program
• Titan IVB-30 Prometheus
• C-130 Hercules
• C-5M Super Galaxy
• P-3 Orion
• F-35 Lightning II
• F-22 Raptor
• F-16 Fighting Falcon
• F-16 Viper
• TARS Aerostat

Vista’s successes in the aerospace and defense industries are thanks in no small part to two members of the Vista team, who were eager to answer questions and network with fellow industry experts at the conference.

Jeff Troan, our senior managing director, spent more than 30 years working for Lockheed Martin Corporation, including leading site selection processes and managing more than $2 billion in development incentives. The breadth of his project technical experience ranges from Submarine Wide Aperture Arrays to the Orion Spacecraft.

Andrea Dishler, Vista’s senior vice president of project management, has previously held roles with Lockheed Martin, the Defense Intelligence Agency and L3Harris — Coleman Aerospace. Most recently, she led cross-functional teams supporting the Missile Defense Agency, spearheading operational transformations to enhance reliability, reduce costs and strengthen compliance.

Vista is ready to support your next mission, combining our defense insights and data-driven efficiency to help your aerospace or defense projects find its optimal site. Reach out today and tell us a bit more about your project!