Former AFRL program executive Kelly Hammett on June 6, 2022, took over as director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office. Walden has reported that six B-21s are in construction at Northrop Grummans Palmdale, Calif., plant and that the first one will likely roll out in 2022. August 1997March 1998, Special Projects Engineer, 28th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla. He was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force the same year and served as a flight test engineer with Air Force Material Command at Edwards Air Force Base, California, Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Maryland, and Nellis AFB, Nevada. 21. If we move under the Space Systems Command, we probably should cease to exist, Roberts said. July 2008July 2009, Commander, Kabul Regional Contracting Center, Joint Contracting Command - Iraq/Afghanistan, Camp Eggers, Kabul, Afghanistan There's no more reliable source for news about your Air Force. Those satellites will join the already-planned 28 satellites in the Tranche 1 Tracking Layer of SDAs Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. Pratt & Whitney has developed a fix for F135 engines afflicted with harmonic resonance, which should only take 30 minutes per affected engine to correct, company officials said. He is responsible for the development, production, fielding, sustainment and modernization of the Air Force fighter portfolio, which includes the A-10, A-29, F-15, F-16, F-22 and special programs . Ms. Johnson graduated from the University of Florida in 1995 and received her commission from the United States Air Force Officer Training School in March 1996. The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, located in Washington, D.C., reports directly to a Board of Directors chaired by the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. 2006 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence Were working at it as a rapid acquisition program to build some algorithms to help with ground processing, Roberts said. PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Mar 98 - Sep 00, Special Projects Program Manager, 28th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB FL 4. The Air Force has disclosed relatively few other products of the RCO, but one noteworthy program was the X-37B mini-space plane, one of which broke its own on-orbit record July 6. February 2019 present, Director, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. The Space RCO sees itself as a fast-moving counterpart to the SMC, which handles more traditional military satellites, radars, and other space-related equipment from design to retirement. Air Force Achievement Medal Critics argue that defeats the purpose of creating an RCO specifically to handle space projects, echoing larger concerns that the fragmented military space enterprise is simply growing instead of consolidating into something more effective. In 2021, Randall Walden, director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, said that a first flight in mid-2022 was a "good bet". . Located in Washington, D.C., the DAF RCO reports directly to a Board of Directors chaired by the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. Current programs under the purview of the organization include the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, a reusable, unmanned space test platform for the U.S. Space Force, and the B-21 Raider, a long-range strike bomber for the U.S. Air Force. 2008 Air Force Legislative Fellow, Air University, Washington, D.C. The SSC will work directly with the Air Force Research Laboratory and other groups like the Rapid Capabilities Office. 2013 - 2014, Director, Air Force Test and Evaluation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 13. SDA Taps Raytheon for Seven More Missile-Tracking Satellites, Photos: F-22s Deploy to Tinian for First Time as Part of ACE Exercise, In Message to Force, Austin Touts Once-in-a-Generation Investments, Heres What USAFs Science Board Is Studying Now, Were Weird: New Commander Details Life Inside Task Force 99, Top Pentagon Official: Chinas Air Actions Are Dangerous and Destabilizing, Entire F-35 Fleet to Get Fix for Engine Vibration Issue, Service Will Remain at Heart of King Aerospace No Matter How Aviation and Technology Change, US Set Up Afghans for Failure, With a Force Too Complex to Maintain, IG Says, Air Force Separated 610 Airmen For Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine, USAF Selects Boeings E-7A Wedgetail as Successor to AWACS. )or https:// means you've safely connected to the .mil website. Kelly Hammett, former head of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate, has assumed the role of director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office . Mr. Roberts was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2017. April 2001 January 2004, SPY Element Test Engineer, Northrup Grumman Information Technology, Dahlgren, Va. The Secretary of the Air Force activated the office on April 28, 2003. 2009 - 2013, Director, Information Dominance Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C. She has served as an aerodynamic propulsion analyst at the National Air Intelligence Center where she developed new modeling tools for missile propulsion assessments. Michael W. Roberts, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director and Program Executive Officer for The Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. Rapid Capabilities Office. Jun 03 - Jun 04, Chief, Asymmetric Capabilities Development Branch, Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington DC 7. Colonel LaFleur has served in a variety of acquisition, flight test and staff assignments. A U.S. Air Force X-37B space plane, encapsulated ahead of a planned May 16, 2020, launch, the sixth mission for the X-37B program. Mr. Keller graduated from East Carolina University in 1989 and was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force the same year. Gen. Dale R. White is the Program Executive Officer for Fighters and Advanced Aircraft, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Published Aug. 31, 2020. Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C. The deputy or technical director to a SCO may exercise any SCO authority unless restricted in the FAR, as supplemented (e.g., individual authorized to execute a specific authority must be of a certain minimum grade/rank), or as specifically limited by the SCO. 10. Military Instructor. This 1,000 member Directorate executes $16 Billion and delivers combat capability to primarily . 1982 - 1984, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Parks College of St. Louis University, Cahokia, Ill. 3. 10. (Current as of November 2020), An official website of the United States government, Air Force Distributed Common Ground System, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Northrop Grumman is testing a new multimode, open-architecture RF sensor called "EMRIS" which it hopes will allow for quick, less-costly, and more adaptable sensor upgrades in a variety of systems. director and program executive officer for the Department of . 1992 - 1997, Operations Officer and Flight Test Program Manager, Nellis AFB, Nev. The Space Rapid Capabilities Office procures commercial and classified technologies for the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Clipboard (Opens in new window). Located in Washington, D.C., the DAF RCO reports directly to a Board . The RCO also says it developed the integrated air defense system installed around the National Capital Region after the 9/11 attacks. Prior to her current assignment at MacDill AFB, Colonel Johnson was the Chief of Integration for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program at Hill AFB, where she was responsible for all programmatic integration of the $85B recapitalization of the land-based portion of the nuclear triad. Colonel Johnson also served at the Air Force Research Laboratorys Directed Energy Directorate as the Engineering Test Director and High Power Microwave (HPM) Applications Program Manager. The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office delivers capabilities at the speed of emerging threats for combat Air and Space Forces and combatant command requirements leveraging streamlined acquisition methods for developing, acquiring and fielding critical capabilities. Get your daily fix of Air Force news delivered right to your inbox every day. . Welcome. To me, thats the most important piece, Walden said. 11. He has held various senior Program Manager positions within the Acquisition community. The Space RCO replaced the ORS office at Congress direction. 1. Covering the business and politics of space. Colonel Jeffrey R. LaFleur is an instructor at The Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. Secretary of the Navy Acquisition Excellence Award Oct. 9, 2019 Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster Air & Space Forces Magazine is the official publication of the Air & Space Forces Association, 1501 Langston Boulevard, Arlington, Va., 22209-1198. A blistering, 148-page document by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) found that Afghan. Your browser is incompatible with this widget. 2001 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 10. Randall G. Walden, director and program executive officer for the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, speaks at AFA's Air Warfare Symposium, March 4, 2022. Jan 02 - Jun 03, High Power Microwave Applications Program Manager, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB NM 6. The project found a "place to call home" under Dr. Victoria Coleman, Air Force chief scientist, and Col. Mario Serna Jr., deputy director of innovation and technology integration, Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office-Field Support Unit. 2014 - present, Director and Program Executive Officer, Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C. The office responds to Combat Air and Space Forces and combatant command requirements. Video: Mitchell Institute on YouTube, That may sound familiar, as the U.S. Space Force thought about what we go after, Roberts said. United States Department of the Air Force, "VCSAF Wilson visits B-21, X-37B facilities in Florida", Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office fact sheet, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Air_Force_Rapid_Capabilities_Office&oldid=1063033243, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 31 December 2021, at 21:16. Other responsibilities include technical integration of Department of Defense classified activities, and the representation of these activities to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Congress and the White House. Director. Pentagon leaders and cleared members of Congress alike have lauded the B-21 as a well-run program. We were pleased to have U.S. Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David D. Thompson preside over the assumption of leadership . Current DAF RCO work includes the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, a reusable, unmanned space test platform for the United States Space Force, and the B-21 Raider, a long-range strike bomber for the United States Air Force. Two F130s housed in a twin-engine nacelle are mounted on a test stand at Stennis Space Center, Miss., where they will perform crosswind and engine control tests, Rolls program director Scott Ames said.. We're weird, he said. Everybody has their job to do and they do it., Rolls-Royce has started testing the F130 engine that will replace the B-52's aged TF33, the company announced. Dunlap would continue to oversee on-ramp experiments . June 2004June 2005, Executive Officer, Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters of the Air Force, Arlington, Va. 17. January 1995June 1996, Assistant Chief, Operations Group, Defense Contract Management Command, Orlando, Fla. He firmly opposes the prospect of moving under the Space Forces new Space Systems Command, the organization meant to encompass all space research, development, and acquisition under the Department of the Air Force. 1984 Bachelor of Science, Aerospace Engineering, Parks College of St. Louis University, Cahokia, Ill. 1991 Master of Science, Engineering Management, Florida Institute of Technology, Patuxent River, Md. As a. Background August 2013 March 2015, ZUMWALT Deputy Major Program Manager, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. The Pentagon has named Chris Shank, a former NASA official, as director of the Strategic Capabilities Office, according to a biography posted to the Defense Department's website. March 1996August 1997, Aerodynamic Propulsion Analyst, National Air Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio Right now, the plan is to continue answering directly to Raymond. 1. June 2017July 2020, Program Executive Officer, Fixed Wing, Special Operations Forces, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Headquarters, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla. Clockwise from left, Randall G. Walden, director and program executive officer at the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Michael W. Roberts, director and PEO at the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, and retired USAF Maj. Gen. Larry Stutzriem, director of research at AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, appear in conversation during a Space Power Forum hosted by the think tank on Aug. 13, 2020. "The built-in feature of open systems architecture on the B-21 makes the bomber effective as the . Their work is critical to driving competitive . It is also supposed to mirror certain efforts at the SDA, which now reports to the Pentagons research and engineering boss but will transfer to the Space Force in the next few years. Colonel Melissa A. Johnson is the Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Fixed Wing Programs, HQ US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), MacDill AFB, FL. The Secretary of the Air Force activated the office on April 28, 2003. Inherent in the DAF RCOs mission is intent to experiment, within the bounds of statute, to discover and recommend new methods, processes, and techniques for the Air Force, the Space Force, and the Department of Defense to acquire and field capabilities efficiently. Previously, Mr. Keller served as Associate Executive Director for Procurement Policy, Systems and Oversight at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Director of Contracting at the Air Force District of Washington, and as Chief, Contracting Operations Division for the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition (Contracting), the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Ms. Johnson is the lead for all government program office efforts with Industry and is responsible for program/Air Staff interactions with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff and Congress. CROWS looks to expand its partnerships. He served in acquisition command as the . The office preserves the strength of U.S. ingenuity and innovation without the rigidity of traditional acquisition. Mr. Robertss career spans 24 years in support of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force as both a veteran and acquisition professional. Jan 09 Aug 11, Director, Non-Standard Aircraft Systems, Program Executive Office for Fixed Wing Aircraft, Center for Special Operations Acquisitions and Logistics, Headquarters, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB FL 11. CAREER CHRONOLOGY You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. She is responsible for developing, producing, testing, modifying, fielding, and supporting Special Operations Forces (SOF)-unique fixed wing aircraft and sub-systems, equating to over 100 programs and projects worth $1.7 billion in 2017. He became head of the RCO in 2014. October 2010 August 2013, Aegis System Engineering / Baseline Development / Strategic Planning Principle Assistant Program Manager, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. The DAF RCO delivers capabilities at the speed of emerging threats. 5. Rolls-Royce has started testing the F130 engine that will replace the B-52's aged TF33, the company announced. He also served on multiple headquarters staffs, including Headquarters Air Force. In summer 2021, the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, headquartered in Washington D.C., stood up the ABMS Program Executive Office Integration Team here. Most of its portfolio is classified, but ostensibly complements work underway at the Space Forces more traditional Space and Missile Systems Center and the commercial industry-focused Space Development Agency. Key Operating Principles 1989 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. Mr. Robert D. Eidsmoe is the Deputy Director, Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Space RCO), Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. In November 2020, the Air Force tapped the Rapid Capabilities Office to manage ABMS procurement and create the effort's acquisition strategy. Center for Rapid Innovation Deputy Director at Air Force Research Laboratory Michael W. Roberts, Director and Program Executive Officer for The Space Rapid Capabilities Office Video. ElyRatner, assistant secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, discussed how China continues to prod the U.S. and challenge stability in region, even as, The entire F-35 fleet is slated to get the retrofit engine maker Pratt & Whitney has identified to mitigate the problem that led to suspended deliveries and flight restrictions for some aircraft for nearly two monthsa move that will affect hundreds of fighters globally. January 2004 May 2005, DDG 1000 IV&V Engineer, Northrup Grumman IT, Dahlgren, Va. WASHINGTON Kelly Hammett, former head of the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate, is now director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office. . Specifically, the office: Organization 2009 Masters of Science, Systems Engineering, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif. Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster Robertss team could ask the Air Force RCO to test payloads on the spaceplane that would eventually fly on satellites or other spacecraft. September 2018June 2019, Associate Executive Director, Procurement Policy, Systems and Oversight, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, D.C. 1987 Flight Test Engineer Course, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. 7. Marie A. Mak. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office Director Randy Walden said the ABMS would connect weapons systems, platforms and command systems in a centralized network and enhance the service's enterprise . As Space RCO's senior acquisition officer, Mr. Roberts is responsible for and oversees space-based research, development and acquisition . Melissa A. Johnson, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Deputy Director of the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Washington, D.C. Alongside the Director, she directs selected study, development and fielding activities tasked directly by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the Secretary of the Air Force, Air Force Chief of Staff, the Chief of Space Operations, the Assistant Secretary for the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, and the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration. The service could not immediately say whether a successor at the RCO had been determined. She also served as the Program Executive Officer Chief Engineer at the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office where her responsibilities included technical . Shank "brings many years of military, government, and commercial industry experience to SCO," the bio states. The DAF RCO delivers capabilities at the speed of emerging threats. Alongside the director, he directs contracting activities executing $4 billion a year for selected study, development, and fielding activities involving 40 programs tasked directly by the Under Secretary of Defense . Of them, 40 Airmen voluntarily left the service and 14 officers retired, according to Undersecretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones at a House Armed Services Committee hearing Feb. 28. 2009 - 2009, Deputy and Technical Director, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C. Program Management, Level III, Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP) July 1997June 1998, Chief, Spacecraft Contracts Branch, Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles, Calif. Defense Meritorious Service Medal 4. Jun 05 Jul 07, Chief, Offensive Capabilities Branch, Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington DC 9. As the SpRCO's senior acquisition officer, Mr. Roberts is responsible for and oversees Space-based research, development and acquisition . (Current as of March 2023), An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. 1994 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. SOF aviation capabilities include AC-130 and MC-130 variants, MQ-1C, MQ-9, CV-22, U-28, MC-12, C-145, C-146, other remotely piloted vehicles and precision guided munitions. 2014 - present, Director and Program Executive Officer, Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C.