Spectra Defense Technologies CEO Ray Munoz explains how his Alpharetta-based team builds mission-critical tech that must work every time—from submarines to space.
At Spectra Defense Technologies, there is just no margin for error.
"Our products have to work the first time, every time," said CEO Ray Munoz.
Spectra's technologies and products operate aboard the International Space Station, deep underwater on naval submarines, and alongside military personnel in some of the harshest environments on Earth. If those systems fail, the consequences could be catastrophic.
And its mission-critical technology is being built in Alpharetta, Georgia, where Spectra is now based.
Drawing on decades of technology and work in the defense and national security world, Spectra has become a key player in Metro Atlanta’s defense and aerospace innovation, developing the hardware and systems that power modern military operations across air, land, sea, and space.
From Submarines to Space
Spectra specializes in mission-critical technologies for the U.S. military and its allied forces. Its products and systems are designed to capture, process, store, and display high volumes of sensitive data in real time.
Its work spans high-speed data acquisition, high-density storage, onboard computing, and ruggedized display systems that ensure information is accessible when and where it matters most.
What ultimately sets Spectra apart is its survivability.
The company engineers products built to withstand extreme conditions, from intense desert sunlight to the confined, high-pressure environments of submarines and armored vehicles.
Everything that Spectra produces has to be able to “withstand a tremendous amount of shock, adverse temperatures, salt, fog, and water intrusion." Munoz told Hypepotamus. "And it has to keep working."
At the same time, the company is tasked with delivering that durability without sacrificing performance or efficiency.
“We take a lot of pride in our ability to have the same product work on the International Space Station and on a nuclear submarine,” Munoz added.
Get To Know The CEO
Munoz was tapped to take on the CEO in 2024.
He stepped into the role and brought decades of experience across the defense industry. Prior to Spectra, he led Safran Data Systems, and began his career as a commissioned lieutenant in the U.S. Navy.
He wasn’t actively seeking a new role when the opportunity at Spectra arose. But Spectra’s unique position, both technologically and strategically, stood out, he told Hypepotamus.
The company itself is the result of a private equity-backed integration. Vance Street Capital brought together the brands Argon (which has had a presence in the Atlanta area since 2010), Calculex (a data company focused on national security needs), and Galleon (an embedded computer company).
Unifying those organizations was no small task.
“You had different cultures, different locations, with different ways of doing things,” Munoz said.
Today, Spectra employs over 50 people in the Atlanta metro area, a spot which serves as a growing hub for its engineering and development work.
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