air force rapid capabilities office director

CAREER CHRONOLOGY Key Operating Principles Over time, the Department of Defense plans to turn, Under Col. Robert Smoker, Task Force 99s new commander, the unit will continue to try to cut through red tape and field new systems quickly. GCW: Space Acquisition Forum - GovConWire Events Unit Commendation Medal with three gold stars The RCO was activated by the secretary of the Air Force on April 28, 2003, and is currently overseeing the development of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider in partnership with Northrop Grumman, and the X . The multimode sensor can perform radar, communications, and electronic warfare functions simultaneously. The U.S. created an Afghan air force that was too technologically advanced for its native country to sustain, then pulled the rug out from under it, according to a U.S. government inspector general report. That is the central question, said Randy Walden, director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. WASHINGTON (AFNS) --. She also served as the Program Executive Officer Chief Engineer at the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office where her responsibilities included technical . 3. SecDef visits B-21 facilities in Florida > United States Air Force ABOUT OUR SPEAKER: D. Edward Keller Jr. is Director of Contracting for the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) and a member of the Senior Executive Service. Mr. Walden retired from active duty in 2002 with more than 20 years of military experience as an acquisition and technical professional. Michael W. Roberts, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director and Program Executive Officer (PEO) for the Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Space RCO), Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. Colonel Melissa A. Johnson is the Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Fixed Wing Programs, HQ US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), MacDill AFB, FL. 2. March 2015 January 2017, Surface Ships Weapons Duty Major Program Manager, Arlington, Va. Air Force Commendation Medal He is responsible for oversight and support of the Air Force SAP and Classified Contracting portfolio at Headquarters Air Force level valued at greater than $40 billion and senior level advocacy and training for 1,100 military and civilian acquisition professionals. Staff photo by Mike Tsukamoto. August 2016May 2017, Chief, Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent Integration, Intercontinental Ballistics Systems Division, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Hill AFB, Utah This military aviation article is a stub. Those satellites will join the already-planned 28 satellites in the Tranche 1 Tracking Layer of SDAs Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. Women Achieving Acquisition Excellence It will slow us down. Since neither Russia nor Ukraines air force has been able to achieve air superiority, both sides have turned to drones to augment their capabilities. D. Edward Keller Jr., a member of the Senior Executive Service, is Director of Contracting for the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. 4. Air Staff (United States) - Wikipedia 2. Space Rapid Capabilities Office performs Assumption of Leadership . 1. 3. CROWS looks to expand its partnerships > Eglin Air Force Base > Article Aug 16 May 17, Chief, Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent Integration, Intercontinental Ballistics Systems Division, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Hill AFB UT 14. The Space Rapid Capabilities Office procures commercial and classified technologies for the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command by Sandra Erwin June 14, 2022 January 23, 2023 Click to share on . 1997 - 1998, Classified Flight Test Squadron Commander, Nellis AFB, Nev. The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (DAF RCO) has accelerated methods for developing, acquiring, and fielding critical combat capabilities. Colonel Johnson directed an 800person team to design critical systems, test effectiveness, interoperability, and field COCOM priorities. An artist rendering of a B-21 Raider concept in a hangar at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. Pentagon leaders and cleared members of Congress alike have lauded the B-21 as a well-run program. We dont necessarily have that same construct.. Copyright 2023. Ukraine, China, technology, and drug trafficking emerge as top issues in House Intelligence Committee hearing with think tank leaders. 1999 - 2002, Chief, Special Studies Division, Air Force Red Team, Directorate of Special Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C. Background For the first time the U.S. territory of Tinian, a small island around 100 miles north of the American military hub of Guam, hosted F-22 Raptors. Watch the skies in 2022 for the first B-21 bomber flight - Defense News Key operating principles of the DAF RCO include a short and narrow chain of command, early and prominent war-fighter involvement, and funding stability. June 2005July 2007, Chief, Offensive Capabilities Branch, Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters of the Air Force, Arlington, Va. We're weird, he said. May 1989October 1990, Contract Negotiator, Operational Contracting Division, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. Delivering space capabilities quickly and effectively requires a strong core culture and mindset. Randall G. Walden, head of the Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office, where he has directed development of the B-21 bomber and the Advanced Battle Management System, is moving to a new job at the Pentagon to advise the DOD's acquisition and sustainment chief, William A. LaPlante. A Program Executive Officer, or PEO, is one of a few key individuals in the United States military acquisition process. Under Col. Robert Smoker, Task Force 99s new commander, the unit will continue to try to cut through red tape and field new systems quickly. Video: Mitchell Institute on YouTube, That may sound familiar, as the U.S. Space Force thought about what we go after, Roberts said. Center for Rapid Innovation Deputy Director at Air Force Research Laboratory 15. August 1997March 1998, Special Projects Engineer, 28th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla. The RCO was activated by the secretary of the Air Force on April 28, 2003, and is currently overseeing the development of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider in partnership with Northrop Grumman, and the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle in partnership with NASA.[1][2]. 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, Think Tank Leaders Recommend Top Focus Areas for House Intelligence Committee, Pratt & Whitneys New Fix for F-35 Engine Issues Will Allow Deliveries to Resume, Cutting-Edge Drones Headed to Ukraine in Latest US Aid, Northrop Grumman Touts New Multimode Sensor As Quicker, Cheaper Upgrade, Air Force CIO Knausenberger Will Depart in June. Aerial Achievement Medal Bronze Star Medal 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. January 2004 May 2005, DDG 1000 IV&V Engineer, Northrup Grumman IT, Dahlgren, Va. . 1. Air Force Achievement Medal Meritorious Service Medal By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs. Mission Read more at National Defense Magazine. Board members also include the Secretary of the Air Force, Air Force Chief of Staff, the Chief of Space Operations, the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition), and the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. July 1995 April 2001, Aegis Fire Controlman First Class, USS Port Royal CG 73, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Kendall looks to accelerate appointment of civilian leader to oversee MICHAEL W. ROBERTS > Air Force > Biography Display - AF 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. LaPlante, formerly the Air Forces acquisition executive, put Walden and the RCO in charge of B-21 development in 2015, when the Air Force selected Northrop Grumman to build what was then called the Long-Range Strike Bomber. She rapidly delivered the first operational asset under extreme security constraints and compressed schedule, ensuring warfighter training remained on schedule to support COCOM and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed early deployment. 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 at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., to bring together acquisition directorate personnel to leverage their developed capabilities for use in the ABMS. Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C. Project Arc team works to make technical Airmen more operationally Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal . 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. CFTs look to "bake-in" cyber resiliency into new weapon systems and mitigate vulnerabilities in fielded systems. Col Jeffrey R. LaFleur, USAF > The Eisenhower School > FacBio (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. Melissa Johnson - Digitell Inc. Lt. Charles Schramka and Sergio Mendoza interact with Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David D. Thompson at the Air Force Research Laboratory's booth during the Air Force Association's Air, Space & Cyber Conference to discuss National Technology Satellite-3 or NTS-3, the DAF Vanguard program pushing the boundary of today's position, navigation and timing technology via an . 5. 7. The Air Force separated 610 Airmen for declining the once-mandated COVID-19 vaccination. 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 . Space RCO is a relatively small office filled with people who love what they do in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The DAF RCO is staffed with a collaborative, multidisciplinary team. 2007 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 1. 6. Space RCO Head: Too Soon For Single Acquisition Shop Ive talked to Gen. Raymond about that multiple times, and the Secretary of the Air Force, Walden said. Mission, Organization Official websites use .mil . 2016 Blue Horizons Fellowship, Maxwell AFB, Ala. Previously, in November 2020, the Air and Space Force's acquisition chief, then Dr. Will Roper, named the RCO as the ABMS Integrating Program Executive Office. The director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, created in 2018 to quickly develop prototypes of satellites and other urgently needed military technology, said the Space Force may not be . PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, Space Vehicles Directorate held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its newest space facility, the Rapid Architecture Prototyping and Integration Development, or RAPID, laboratory, at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, April 12, 2022, with Col. Eric Felt, director, AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate, as the presiding official. 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. The Department of the Air Force's Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapon Systems, or CROWS, is working to expand best practices in the field of cyber security by potentially expanding its Cyber Focus Teams to Space Force Program Executive Offices, as well as updating the DAF System Security Engineering Guidebook. Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Walden said the Air Force RCO will keep the Orbital Test Vehicle in its own portfolio but will continue to collaborate with the Space RCO. Systems Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering, Level II, APDP 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. August 2013 March 2015, ZUMWALT Deputy Major Program Manager, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. 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. June 1998May 2000, Chief, National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Contracting Branch, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles, Calif. 2022 National Defense Strategy to Prioritize Gray Zone & Hybrid Warfare 14. The Air Staff is one of the Department of the Air Force's two statutorily designated headquarters staffs: the other staff is the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, also known as the Secretariat.The Air Staff is headed by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force (currently General Charles Q. 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. Here's What We Know The Shadowy X-37B Was Up To During Its Record 780 October 2000January 2002, Engineering Test Director, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. (Current as of January 2023), An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. 6. 1989 - 1992, Lead Avionics Flight Test Engineer, V-22 Multi-Service Test Team, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. 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. Jan 02 - Jun 03, High Power Microwave Applications Program Manager, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB NM 6. One of its first projects was to deploy significant upgrades to the Integrated Air Defense System, now operational around the National Capital Region, to meet critical counter-terrorism objectives before the January 2005 Presidential Inauguration Day. The office. 10. 20. The Space RCO, which speedily develops cutting-edge technologies at the request of Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. Jay Raymond, handles capabilities that go in, from, and to space, with less bureaucracy and more flexibility than typical research programs, Space RCO Director Michael W. Roberts said during a virtual Aug. 13 Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies event. The office preserves the strength of U.S. ingenuity and innovation without the rigidity of traditional acquisition. 7. D. EDWARD KELLER JR. > Air Force > Biography Display - AF Paul Litke - Center for Rapid Innovation Deputy Director - Air Force Maj. Scott Drerup (left), Space Rapid Capabilities Office program manager, Dr. Kelly Hammett (middle), Space Rapid Capabilities Office director and program and executive officer, and Col. Jason Vattioni (right), 377th Air Base Wing and installation commander, render salutes during the arrival of U.S. Space Force Gen. David T. Thompson, Vice Chief of Space Operations, at . 420th FLTS Reactivates to Support B-21 Raider Testing. director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, during a recent interview with Air . The office preserves the strength of U.S. ingenuity and innovation without the rigidity of traditional acquisition. Tanya M. Skeen - Our People - Purdue Engineering In this role, she lead 7 distinct manned Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and SOF mobility aircraft programs and developing, procuring, and sustaining intelligence and communication systems for a 91 aircraft fleet. Located in Washington, D.C., the DAF RCO reports directly to a Board . The Space Rapid Capabilities Office | LinkedIn Aug 11 Jul 15, Materiel Leader, Strategic Combat Systems, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington DC 12. "The built-in feature of open systems architecture on the B-21 makes the bomber effective as the . July 2017September 2018, Senior Acquisition Consultant, WBB Inc., Reston, Va. Full Report. 12. Michael W. Roberts > Kirtland Air Force Base > Display June 2017July 2020, Program Executive Officer, Fixed Wing, Special Operations Forces, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Headquarters, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla. Oct 00 - Jan 02, Engineering Test Director, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB . . The Air Force Scientific Advisory Boarda group of experts and researchers the department taps for independent advice on key science and technology effortsis undertaking four studies in 2023, including two that will likely inform the services approach to Secretary Frank Kendalls operational imperatives. Program Management, Level III, Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP) June 2015 - June 2018, Senior Materiel Leader/System Program Director, B-21 Raider Program, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 16. The U.S. Air Force's top secret spaceplane, the Boeing X-37B, landed in Florida early Sunday after 780 daysover 2 years and one monthin orbit around the . There's no more reliable source for news about your Air Force. The DAF RCO delivers capabilities at the speed of emerging threats. The Space RCO replaced the ORS office at Congress direction. The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (DAF RCO) has accelerated methods for developing, acquiring and fielding critical combat capabilities. Executive Director, F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, U.S. Department of Defense: 2017-2018: Director and Program Executive Officer, Army Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics: 2014-2017: Deputy Director, Test and Evaluation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force: 2009-2014 The office responds to Combat Air and Space Forces and combatant command requirements. Bombers Directorate - AF The Air Force and Space RCOs will work together as the X-37B offers more insight into new technologies that could shape future space systems. He is the senior adviser to the Service Acquisition Executive on acquisition strategy, execution and policy and procedures for classified and SAP contracting. . (Current as of June 2020), An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Part 5302 - Definitions of Words and Terms | Acquisition.GOV . OUSD A&S Office News 2021 February 2019 present, Director, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. 2013 - 2014, Director, Air Force Test and Evaluation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 13. May 2002September 2002, Theater Head of Contracting, NATO Stabilization Forces, NATO Headquarters, Camp Butmir, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Mr. Keller retired from active duty as a colonel in 2017. 10. AWARDS AND HONORS 220812-F-NW306-1020. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director. 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. Alongside the director, he directs contracting activities executing $4 billion a year for . Get top stories, military space news and more delivered to your inbox. 1987 Flight Test Engineer Course, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) While assigned to the 28th Test Squadron, she was a special projects engineer and program manager for classified electronic warfare and command and control test activities. Defense Acquisition Corps Defense Superior Service Medal The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (DAF RCO) has accelerated methods for developing, acquiring, and fielding critical combat capabilities. 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 . 12. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 8. Dr. Kelly Hammett, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director and Program Executive Officer (PEO) for the Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Space RCO), Kirtland Air Force Base, New . MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS -- In January, the Department of the Air Force's Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapon Systems, or CROWS, worked to expand its existing use of Cyber Focus Teams. (Current as of September 2019), An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. As the SpRCOs senior acquisition officer, Mr. Roberts is responsible for and oversees Space-based research, development and acquisition activities totaling an annual budget in excess of $5 billion for classified space acquisition programs. 11. ASC21 Video Presentations | Air & Space Forces Association The conflict in Ukraine is increasingly emerging as a test bed for new American unmanned aerial systems (UAS). She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIAs National Defense He insisted on an open architecture for the B-21, and while USAF secured a fixed-price contract for the initial aircraft, the development program was a cost-plus arrangement that rewarded Northrop Grumman for hitting milestones early. The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (DAF RCO) has accelerated methods for developing, acquiring and fielding critical combat capabilities. About | The Army RCCTO D. Edward Ed Keller, Jr., a member of the Senior Executive Service, is Director of Contracting for the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling "We have to go fast," Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. "Jay" Raymond said during an April 8 press conference. 1984 Bachelor of Science, Aerospace Engineering, Parks College of St. Louis University, Cahokia, Ill. January 2002June 2003, High Power Microwave Applications Program Manager, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 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. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency handles similar initiatives that can transition to the Space RCO as well. Mar 98 - Sep 00, Special Projects Program Manager, 28th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB FL 4. Back then, a second B-21 Raider bomber was under . 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.. 13. The Space Rapid Capabilities Office. Board members also include the Secretary of the Air Force, Air Force Chief of Staff, the Chief of Space Operations, the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition), and the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.