air force rapid capabilities office director

The past 15 years, his career focus has been on acquisition, combat and weapon system engineering, design, testing, fielding and sustainment. 8. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIAs National Defense July 1997June 1998, Chief, Spacecraft Contracts Branch, Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles, Calif. Published Aug. 31, 2020. PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS We plan on keeping that. 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. 10. Michael W. Roberts, Director and Program Executive Officer for The Space Rapid Capabilities Office Video. 5. March 2015 January 2017, Surface Ships Weapons Duty Major Program Manager, Arlington, Va. The Board of Directors tasks the office directly to address immediate and near-term operational needs and deliver capabilities that require specialized expertise. In 2021, Randall Walden, director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, said that a first flight in mid-2022 was a "good bet". The Space RCO Board, Roberts explained, includes the Secretary of the Air Force, the Chief of Space Operations, the Chief of Staff . Video: Mitchell Institute on YouTube, That may sound familiar, as the U.S. Space Force thought about what we go after, Roberts said. Unit Commendation Medal with three gold stars 1995 Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville Specifically, the office: Expedites the development and fielding of select Department of Defense combat support and weapon systems, Leverages defense-wide technology development efforts and existing operational capabilities, Provides integration and technical support to other Service or U.S. Government activities, Conducts independent operational and technical assessments of weapon or combat support system capabilities and vulnerabilities, Takes on new challenges to accelerate operationally-focused capabilities. 2007 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence July 2010June 2012, Director, Mission Support Team 1, Joint Contingency Acquisition Support Office, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va. 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. EDUCATION Navy Achievement Medal with two gold stars Secretary of the Navy Acquisition Excellence Award March 1996August 1997, Aerodynamic Propulsion Analyst, National Air Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 6. Board members also include the Secretary of the Air Force, Air Force Chief of Staff, the Chief of Space Operations . 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. 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. He has held various senior Program Manager positions within the Acquisition community. The office procures space technologies and manages classified programs for the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command. 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. Mr. Roberts was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2017. 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. The deployment, which began March 1, is part of an exercise dubbed Agile Reaper 23-1. EDUCATION 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. 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 . Covering the business and politics of space. 1992 Master of Business Administration, Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville 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. The Space Rapid Capabilities Office. The conflict in Ukraine is increasingly emerging as a test bed for new American unmanned aerial systems (UAS). 16. MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Key Operating Principles Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark Esper, visited the B-21 Raider design and development headquarters at Northrop Grumman, to witness the progress being made on the nation's most cutting edge dual-capable stealth bomber. 21. 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. 9. The DAF RCO delivers capabilities at the speed of emerging threats. Your browser is incompatible with this widget. Alongside the Director, he directs contracting activities executing $6 billion a year for selected study, development and fielding activities involving 40 programs tasked directly by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Secretary of the Air Force and the Air Force Chief of Staff. Its not the fault of the commander or anybody else at Space Systems Command, its just because youre adding two to three layers of bureaucracy and decision-making on top of my current organization. 12. In March 2021, the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office presented a brief to GAO that further defined these roles, and established responsibilities of their office. 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 . Background A Program Executive Officer, or PEO, is one of a few key individuals in the United States military acquisition process. MELBOURNE, Fla (AFNS) --. He was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2002, serving on the Air Staff as the Director for Information Dominance Programs, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition) and Director, Air Force Test and Evaluation, prior to his current position. Oct 00 - Jan 02, Engineering Test Director, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB NM 5. Since neither Russia nor Ukraines air force has been able to achieve air superiority, both sides have turned to drones to augment their capabilities. He became head of the RCO in 2014. Copyright 2023. 8. During his tours as a flight test engineer, Mr. Walden participated in the development, ground and flight-testing of numerous aerospace weapon systems. 1 min read. In this position, Mr. Roberts serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force for the development and fielding of classified critical space capabilities. SDA is pursuing a constellation of potentially thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit to handle everything from target tracking to missile warning. 2003 Senior Executive Service Seminar, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. (Current as of March 2023), An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. To me, thats the most important piece, Walden said. The Secretary of the Air Force activated the office on April 28, 2003. 1. He is the principle advisor to the Director and senior staff on matters concerning the welfare, effective utilization, training, career progression and organizational performance for a diverse team of acquisition and support personnel. A space solar power program that fell under the former Operationally Responsive Space office is transitioning to the Air Force Research Laboratory instead. He has an ability to go out and do proliferated things, using straight off-the-shelf things that commercial [industry] is doing, for the most part. Dunlap would continue to oversee on-ramp experiments . The Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO or DAF RCO) is an office in the United States Department of the Air Force tasked with expediting the development of select technological systems. Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal 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 . HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. October 2000January 2002, Engineering Test Director, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 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. June 2012June 2014, Chief, Contracting Operations Division, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition (Contracting), the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. Program Management, Level III, Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP) 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. 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 . August 2013 March 2015, ZUMWALT Deputy Major Program Manager, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. Theres a lot of interest in reusable space vehicles, and right now, weve gained a lot of information in the decade weve been operating that system.. Space RCO is a relatively small office filled with people who love what they do in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 420th FLTS Reactivates to Support B-21 Raider Testing. Key operating principles of the DAF RCO include a short and narrow chain of command, early and prominent war-fighter involvement, and funding stability. 2013 Air War College Non-resident Program, Maxwell AFB, Ala. June 1998May 2000, Chief, National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Contracting Branch, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles, Calif. A blistering, 148-page document by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) found that Afghan. RCO delivers Department of the Air Force capabilities. We dont necessarily have that same construct.. 2004 Bachelors of Science, Engineering Technology, Grantham University, Lenexa, Kan. MakM@gao.gov (202) 512-4841. 8. 2013 - 2014, Director, Air Force Test and Evaluation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 13. In November 2020, the Air Force tapped the Rapid Capabilities Office to manage ABMS procurement and create the effort's acquisition strategy. 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. LaPlante at the time described the choice of putting a major weapon system such as the B-21 under the RCO, rather than in a traditional program office, as a way to use lean management techniques with minimal Pentagon bureaucracy while taking advantage of the RCOs ability to conduct projects in secret. said the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director, . National Defense Service Medal 1992 - 1997, Operations Officer and Flight Test Program Manager, Nellis AFB, Nev. This military aviation article is a stub. The office preserves the strength of U.S. ingenuity and innovation without the rigidity of traditional acquisition. 220812-F-NW306-1020. . The Defense Acquisition Workforce is comprised of nearly 186,000 civilian and military professionals from the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as defense agencies and field activities. 10. PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS 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 . 1. director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, during a recent interview with Air . -- 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. 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.. Brig. 5. This 1,000 member Directorate executes $16 Billion and delivers combat capability to primarily . 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. 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. After spending a record-breaking 780 days on orbit, the Boeing system is receiving the National Aeronautic Associations prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy for furthering aerospace technology. The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (DAF RCO) has accelerated methods for developing, acquiring, and fielding critical combat capabilities. 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. 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. Additionally, Mr. Keller is Director of Contracting, Air Force Special Access Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Hammett will lead the Space Force organization known as the Space RCO, located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. Air Force Achievement Medal 17. 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. 1984 - 1989, Flight Test Engineer, F-16 Combined Test Force, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. 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 Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (DAF RCO) has accelerated methods for developing, acquiring, and fielding critical combat capabilities. Test and Evaluation, Level II APDP 2006 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence Air Force Achievement Medal 12. Air & Space Forces Magazine is the official publication of the Air & Space Forces Association, 1501 Langston Boulevard, Arlington, Va., 22209-1198. July 2017September 2018, Senior Acquisition Consultant, WBB Inc., Reston, Va. The decision to make the fix to. Once you get a feel for the space system you want to go build, then you can start populating with the right folks and get the right contracting officers and program managers.. Mission, Organization Colonel Johnson received her commission from the United States Air Force Officer Training School in March 1996. director and program executive officer for the Department of . 2016 Blue Horizons Fellowship, Maxwell AFB, Ala. The Air Force released a new B-21 Raider artist rendering graphic with an accompanying fact sheet today. 1989 - 1992, Lead Avionics Flight Test Engineer, V-22 Multi-Service Test Team, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. The Space RCO replaced the ORS office at Congress direction. Their hard work began to pay off as more people volunteered. Colonel LaFleur has served in a variety of acquisition, flight test and staff assignments. 7. 2002 - 2003, Technical Director, Directorate of Special Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C. Mike Roberts, Director Space Rapid Capabilities Office (DOD) . The CROWS team, who already have CFTs . October 2020present, Deputy Director, 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. Back then, a second B-21 Raider bomber was under . Colonel Johnson was one of five Lieutenant Colonels chosen from Air War College to be in the inaugural class of Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CSAF) sponsored Blue Horizons Fellowship, conducting research for the CSAF on competitive strategies, capacities, technology investment, and integrating concepts the Air Force should pursue to prevail across key components of the highly contested environments in 2040. Air Force Commendation 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 2017 February 2019, Director, Development and Integration PEO Integrated Warfare Systems, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. The SSC will work directly with the Air Force Research Laboratory and other groups like the Rapid Capabilities Office. As a. Office of Public Affairs . LaPlante was determined to write a good contract for the B-21 that could adapt to a changing threat, and the fact that the award handily survived a protest from the losing Lockheed Martin-Boeing team could be called one of LaPlantes signature achievements while he was the Air Force SAE. Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C. 14. Rapid Capabilities Office 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 preserves the strength of U.S. ingenuity and innovation without the rigidity of traditional acquisition. June 2019present, Director of Contracting, Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office / Special Access Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 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. 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. January 1995June 1996, Assistant Chief, Operations Group, Defense Contract Management Command, Orlando, Fla. The office preserves the strength of U.S. ingenuity and innovation without the rigidity of traditional acquisition. (Current as of June 2020), An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. The 2022 National Defense Strategy and Future Force Structure 3. The Department of Air Force's chief information officer Lauren Knausenberger will soon depart, the Air Force said Feb. 23. Kendall's spokesman said the SAF/SQ office will focus on "the acquisition of space systems and technical capabilities." The Air Force previously had a space policy office led by Shawn Barnes . CROWS looks to expand its partnerships. Responsible for the strategy, management and delivery of Team Tempest, a collaborative programme between Government, UK and international industry to develop technology and skills for the defence aerospace sector. Pentagon leaders and cleared members of Congress alike have lauded the B-21 as a well-run program. 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. OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS EDUCATION 1995 Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 1998 Master of Science in Engineering Management, University of Dayton, Dayton OH 2001 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB AL 2007 Air Command and Staff College Non-resident Program 2008 Air Force Legislative Fellow, Air University, Washington DC 2013 Air War College Non-resident Program 2016 Blue Horizons Fellowship, Maxwell AFB AL ASSIGNMENTS 1. Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) 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. 13. 2. During her assignment at the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, she served as the Chief of the Offensive Capabilities Branch, where she was responsible for integrating acquisition efforts in support of multiple classified programs valued at over $600M. 1982 Bachelor of Science, Mathematics, Christopher Newport College, Newport News, Va. 11. May 1989October 1990, Contract Negotiator, Operational Contracting Division, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. 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. Rapid Capabilities Office 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 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 . Brown Jr.).The Air Staff is primarily composed of uniformed U.S. Air Force officials who assist the . 7. An artist rendering of a B-21 Raider concept in a hangar at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. We were pleased to have U.S. Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David D. Thompson preside over the assumption of leadership . 2007 Meritorious Senior Professional Presidential Rank Award However, one project will notably stay off the Space RCOs plate: the experimental X-37B spaceplane. Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster Read more at National Defense Magazine. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Jul 15 Jul 16, Blue Horizons Fellow, Air University, Maxwell AFB AL 13. Colonel Melissa A. Johnson is the Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Fixed Wing Programs, HQ US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), MacDill AFB, FL. 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 . Director. Air & Space Forces Magazine is the official publication of the Air & Space Forces Association, 1501 Langston Boulevard, Arlington, Va., 22209-1198. January 2002June 2003, High Power Microwave Applications Program Manager, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 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]. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Aug 97 - Mar 98, Special Projects Engineer, 28th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB FL 3. 1987 Flight Test Engineer Course, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.