Project Arc team works to make technical Airmen more operationally As Space RCO's senior acquisition officer, Mr. Roberts is responsible for and oversees space-based research, development and acquisition . 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 . 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. 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. 297 followers . Mar 98 - Sep 00, Special Projects Program Manager, 28th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB FL 4. Air Force releases new B-21 Raider artist rendering Board members also include the Secretary of the Air Force, Air Force Chief of Staff, the Chief of Space Operations . 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. 2. 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. Air Force Achievement Medal 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. June 2000June 2001, Commander, Technology/Advisory Services Acquisition Flight, Air Combat Command Contracting Squadron, Langley AFB, Va. 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. Air & Space Forces Magazine is the official publication of the Air & Space Forces Association, 1501 Langston Boulevard, Arlington, Va., 22209-1198. The Army Rapid Capabilities Office was created in August 2016 to expedite the delivery of critical combat materiel capabilities to the Warfighter to meet Combatant Commanders' needs. The office procures space technologies and manages classified programs for the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command. Air Force scientist takes over as director of Space Force rapid June 2014May 2017, Director of Contracting, Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews, Md. Program Manager, AFRL Transformational Capabilities Office Dayton, Ohio, United States. With a new office, Air Force revamps ABMS acquisition again Aug 11 Jul 15, Materiel Leader, Strategic Combat Systems, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington DC 12. 2002 - 2003, Technical Director, Directorate of Special Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C. Mr. Robert D. Eidsmoe is the Deputy Director, Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Space RCO), Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. CFTs look to "bake-in" cyber resiliency into new weapon systems and mitigate vulnerabilities in fielded systems. 8. 2007 Meritorious Senior Professional Presidential Rank Award 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. 4. AFRLs directed energy division has 1,200 employees and an annual budget of $355 million. 13. 2013 - 2014, Director, Air Force Test and Evaluation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 13. June 2006June 2008, Operational Manager, Theater Effects Based Operations Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (TEBOACTD), U.S. Joint Forces Command, Suffolk, Va. The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (DAF RCO) has accelerated methods for developing, acquiring, and fielding critical combat capabilities. The office preserves the strength of U.S. ingenuity and innovation without the rigidity of traditional acquisition. BRIGADIER GENERAL DALE R. WHITE > Air Force Life Cycle Management - AF 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. In his previous position as the Director for Development and Integration, PEO Integrated Warfare Systems, he integrated system requirements and resources for combat systems, associated elements and facilitated the execution of effective systems engineering processes for development, integration and developmental test of Navy Surface Combat System capabilities. August 2011July 2015, Materiel Leader, Strategic Combat Systems, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C. 12. 18. Military aviation and technology are ever-changing, from the prevalence of drones to a shift to jets for special mission surveillance, once the province of propeller aircraft. EDUCATION This military aviation article is a stub. Space RCO is a relatively small office filled with people who love what they do in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 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.. Col Jeffrey R. LaFleur, USAF > The Eisenhower School > FacBio She has served as an aerodynamic propulsion analyst at the National Air Intelligence Center where she developed new modeling tools for missile propulsion assessments. Jan 02 - Jun 03, High Power Microwave Applications Program Manager, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB NM 6. The Air Force plans to field four pods for an early operational capability by the end of FY22 but could acquire up to 10 pods, said Brig. 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. 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. 1998 - 1999, Deputy Chief, Advanced Technology Division, Directorate of Special Programs, Office of the Total Force - Air and Space Lt Gen Richard W. Scobee, Chief of Air Force Reserve Lt Gen Michael A. Loh, Director, Air National Guard Video. 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. There's no more reliable source for news about your Air Force. 9. by Sandra Erwin June 25, 2018 January 23, 2023 Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) 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. Air Force Achievement Medal -- 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. 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 . SDA is pursuing a constellation of potentially thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit to handle everything from target tracking to missile warning. 2004 Bachelors of Science, Engineering Technology, Grantham University, Lenexa, Kan. WASHINGTON Kelly Hammett, former head of the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate, is now director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office. 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. 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 1998May 2000, Chief, National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Contracting Branch, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles, Calif. July 2008July 2009, Commander, Kabul Regional Contracting Center, Joint Contracting Command - Iraq/Afghanistan, Camp Eggers, Kabul, Afghanistan 9. February 2019 present, Director, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. Walden had also predicted the first article would fly this summer, but Air Force officials have since walked back that prediction. Unit Commendation Medal with three gold stars CAREER CHRONOLOGY We're weird, he said. Right now, the plan is to continue answering directly to Raymond. Bronze Star Medal The secretive Space Rapid Capabilities Offices workload has taken shape two years after its inception, as the space research and development enterprise changes around it. Marie A. Mak. 12. Rapid Capabilities Office Throughout her time on active duty, Ms. Johnson served in a variety of assignments and leadership roles ranging from an aerodynamic propulsion analyst to a materiel leader for a highly classified strategic combat system directed by the Deputy Secretary of Defense. Mr. Keller graduated from East Carolina University in 1989 and was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force the same year. 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. Read more at National Defense Magazine. Director of Contracting, DAF Rapid Capabilities Office and Air Force Special Access Programs (SES) United States Air Force Jun 2019 - Present 3 years 9 months 10. The office preserves the strength of U.S. ingenuity and innovation without the rigidity of traditional acquisition. Specifically, the office: Organization 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. 5. 13. More by Sandra Erwin. 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. Oct. 9, 2019 5mo. 17. During a recent Air Force Association breakfast, the Director and Program Executive Officer for the U.S. Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office touted the progress made on the B-21 Raider program. Copyright 2023. Colonel Johnson directed an 800person team to design critical systems, test effectiveness, interoperability, and field COCOM priorities. The office. As with past renderings, this rendering is an artist's interpretation of the B-21 design. Former AFRL program executive Kelly Hammett on June 6, 2022, took over as director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office. October 1990June 1993, Contracting Officer, F-15 System Program Office, Robins AFB, Ga. 2003 - 2009, Technical Director, Special Programs, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C. Women Achieving Acquisition Excellence Colonel LaFleur has served in a variety of acquisition, flight test and staff assignments. 1995 Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville Rolls-Royce has started testing the F130 engine that will replace the B-52's aged TF33, the company announced. She also served as the Program Executive Officer Chief Engineer at the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office where her responsibilities included technical . OUSD A&S Office News 2021 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. Boeing will build a prototype E-7A Wedgetail air battle management aircraft for the U.S. Air Force under a $1.2 billion contract awarded Feb. 28, the service announced. This 1,000 member Directorate executes $16 Billion and delivers combat capability to primarily . Military Instructor. Here's What We Know The Shadowy X-37B Was Up To During Its Record 780 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. The Board of Directors tasks the office directly to address immediate and near-term operational needs and deliver capabilities that require specialized expertise. Mr. Keller retired from active duty as a colonel in 2017. 3. United States Space Force > About Us > Fact Sheets 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. 1 min read. 13. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director. 6. 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. The CROWS team, who already have CFTs . To me, thats the most important piece, Walden said. 2. 6. 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 . Northrop Grumman Says It's Confident On B-21's Rollout Later This Year 2022 National Defense Strategy to Prioritize Gray Zone & Hybrid Warfare PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS CAREER CHRONOLOGY Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) 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. director and program executive officer for the Department of . The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (DAF RCO) has accelerated methods for developing, acquiring, and fielding critical combat capabilities. 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. 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 . May 1989October 1990, Contract Negotiator, Operational Contracting Division, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. The office responds to Combat Air and Space Forces and combatant command requirements. The Air Force had once projected the first flight of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider would occur in December 2021, . 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. Air Force Commendation Medal CROWS looks to expand its partnerships > Eglin Air Force Base > Article Where is the rapid capabilities office? - fasareie.youramys.com The DAF RCO delivers capabilities at the speed of emerging threats. 1989 Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C. 1989 - 1992, Lead Avionics Flight Test Engineer, V-22 Multi-Service Test Team, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. The office responds to Combat Air and Space Forces and combatant command requirements. 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. 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. 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. Photo: U.S. Air Force/Released. June 1993January 1995, Assistant Chief, Program and Technical Support Division, Defense Contract Management Command, Orlando, Fla. National Defense Service Medal OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS Robertss team could ask the Air Force RCO to test payloads on the spaceplane that would eventually fly on satellites or other spacecraft. "AFRCO" means the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. Brig. . Certified Acquisition Professional, Level III, Contracting Space RCO Presses Forward Amid Reorganization 1984 Bachelor of Science, Aerospace Engineering, Parks College of St. Louis University, Cahokia, Ill. The Air Force's new ABMS strategy: Buy new capability, now - Defense News 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. October 2010 August 2013, Aegis System Engineering / Baseline Development / Strategic Planning Principle Assistant Program Manager, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. 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. Those satellites will join the already-planned 28 satellites in the Tranche 1 Tracking Layer of SDAs Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. Key Operating Principles A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States. Michael W. Roberts, Director and Program Executive Officer for The Space Rapid Capabilities Office Video. . She assisted the Director in overseeing a $4 billion Air Force test infrastructure and the programming and execution of the Air Force test portfolio with an annual budget of $1.9 billion. January 2009August 2011, 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, Fla. 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. 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. 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. Tanya M. Skeen - Our People - Purdue Engineering With a successful landing today, the X-37B completed its longest flight to date and successfully completed all mission objectives," Randy Walden, the director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities . Part 5302 - Definitions of Words and Terms | Acquisition.GOV The Air Force separated 610 Airmen for declining the once-mandated COVID-19 vaccination. Watch the skies in 2022 for the first B-21 bomber flight - Defense News Welcome. September 2005January 2006, Chief, Theater Contracts Division, Principal Assistant Responsible for ContractingForces, Joint Contracting Command - Iraq/Afghanistan, Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq 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. 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. Oct 00 - Jan 02, Engineering Test Director, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB . Less than 200 personnel assigned to the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office rapidly develop capabilities to outpace and counter the increasing threats of adversaries. During Waldens 20-year Air Force career as a flight test engineer, he worked at times on classified projects. July 2009July 2010, Project Lead, Integrated Financial Operations, Joint Concept Development and Experimentation Directorate, U.S. Joint Forces Command, Suffolk Va. June 2003June 2004, Chief, Asymmetric Capabilities Development Branch, Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters of the Air Force, Arlington, Va. 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. March 1998September 2000, Special Projects Program Manager, 28th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla. Ed Keller - Director of Contracting, DAF Rapid Capabilities Office and 1984 - 1989, Flight Test Engineer, F-16 Combined Test Force, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. 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. director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, during a recent interview with Air . July 1995 April 2001, Aegis Fire Controlman First Class, USS Port Royal CG 73, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS She assisted the Director in overseeing a $4 billion Air Force test infrastructure and the programming and execution of the Air Force test portfolio with an annual budget of $1.9 billion. Oct 00 - Jan 02, Engineering Test Director, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB NM 5. Second B-21 Raider Under Construction As The First One Approaches Roll Technology Acquisition Series #1: Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office 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. 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. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director. 2001 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. During more than two decades at AFRL, Hammett worked on programs like high-power lasers and high power microwave developments, and oversaw the the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing site known as AMOS. Space RCO Head: Too Soon For Single Acquisition Shop Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office - Wikipedia . Units > Space Rapid Capabilities Office - Kirtland Air Force Base June 2004June 2005, Executive Officer, Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters of the Air Force, Arlington, Va. 10 things we know about the secret X-37B space plane 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. "Nuclear modernization is a department priority . September 2018June 2019, Associate Executive Director, Procurement Policy, Systems and Oversight, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, D.C. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS The Space RCO appears to have settled on a slate of initiatives that will keep it occupied. One program that looks to augment existing spacecraft ground control systems isnt quite as under wraps. Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters 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 .