Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20 changed command on March 5 during a ceremony at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., where Cmdr. Robert Beauchamp assumed leadership from Cmdr. Jessica Barrientos.
The ceremony was presided over by Capt. Scott Wastak, the director of the Navy Liaison Office for the House of Representatives and former commodore of the Airborne Command & Control and Logistics Wing.
“Cmdr. Barrientos, your leadership has been nothing short of extraordinary – you've guided VX-20 through complex challenges with grace, precision, and that signature fire we've all come to admire,” said Wastak. “Cmdr. Beauchamp your proven track record in aviation test and leadership makes you the perfect fit to lead VX-20 in its next chapter.”
Beauchamp assumes command after serving as VX-20’s chief test pilot. Barrientos, who led the squadron since October 2024, is set to retire after 21 years of naval service.
“Working with the dedicated professionals of VX-20 is both a privilege and a responsibility that I hold in the highest regard,” said Beauchamp. "The mission of VX-20 is vital to advancing our naval aviation capabilities and ensuring the fleet is equipped and ready with the best our country has to offer.”
Beauchamp, a Phoenix native and 2007 U.S. Naval Academy graduate, has over 1,600 flight hours in 25 aircraft. Commissioned in 2007, Beauchamp earned a Master of Science in systems engineering analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2008. He flew with Airborne Command & Control Squadron 124 during deployments aboard USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77) in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Beauchamp served as project officer at VX-20, class desk engineer at the Navy’s Strike Planning and Execution Systems Program, and again at VX-20 as E-2/C-2 Government flight test director. He held a leadership role at Operational Test and Evaluation Force before returning to VX-20 as chief test pilot in 2024.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to lead this command,” said Barrientos. “I am continually impressed by the passion and professionalism this team brings every day.”
Barrientos, a Chicago native and 2005 U.S. Naval Academy graduate, has accumulated more than 2,800 flight hours in 20 aircraft. Designated as a naval flight officer in 2007, she flew the E-2C Hawkeye 2000 with Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 113 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. She later served as a developmental test flight officer at VX-20, where she led Naval Integrated Fire Control testing. She served as a department head with Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 126 flying the E-2D on a Sixth Fleet deployment. Barrientos’ final tour was with VX-20, where she became chief test pilot before taking command in 2024.
VX-20 is responsible for flight testing and evaluation in all phases of the weapons system life cycle, including aircraft carrier suitability testing, navigation, aerial refueling, strategic airborne communications, airborne surveillance and intelligence collection, airborne early warning systems, carrier onboard delivery, and advanced training aircraft missions.
VX-20 is a component of Naval Test Wing Atlantic, under the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD). With facilities in Patuxent River, Maryland, Lakehurst, New Jersey and Orlando, Florida, NAWCAD advances capability and operational readiness for naval aviation.
For more information about NAWCAD, visit www.navair.navy.mil or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MyNAWCAD/.
| Date Taken: |
03.05.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
03.05.2026 14:52 |
| Story ID: |
559469 |
| Location: |
PATUXENT RIVER, MARYLAND, US |
| Hometown: |
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, US |
| Hometown: |
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: |
540 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
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This work, Beauchamp takes command of Navy test squadron, “The Force”, by NAWCAD Visual Information, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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