| By Sandra Erwin
Welcome to this week's edition of SpaceNews' Military Space, your source for the latest developments at the intersection of space and national security. In this week's edition: Defense firms stake Golden Dome claims, Stephen Kitay calls for change in space systems procurement, U.S. Space Force's Indo-Pacom unit gets new leader.
If someone forwarded you this edition, sign up to receive it directly in your inbox every Tuesday. And we're eager to hear your feedback and suggestions. You can hit reply to let me know directly. | | | | | | Top defense firms position for lead role in Golden Dome missile shield
With Golden Dome still in its early phases, industry heavyweights Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin are jockeying for position in the homeland missile shield that already received $25 billion from Congress and more is expected to follow. Both contractors see the initiative as a catalyst for growth in space-based defense capabilities.
In a second-quarter earnings call last week, Northrop CEO Kathy Warden revealed the company is preparing to offer a space-based interceptor concept for Golden Dome, a capability intended to neutralize threats during the earliest moments of a missile's flight. -
"These are ground-based tests today, and we are in competition, obviously, so not a lot of detail that I can provide," Warden said. "But it is a capability that we believe can be accelerated and into the timeframe that the administration is looking for." -
Space-based interceptors represent a revival of concepts first explored during Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative — the so-called "Star Wars" program — but shelved due to technological limitations and prohibitive costs. -
Proponents say interceptors in space could neutralize incoming missiles during their boost phase, in their initial ascent through Earth's atmosphere. Warden said Northrop sees itself playing a central role in delivering a system the administration wants operational "within the next few years." That includes tapping into existing missile defense work across domains. The company also is ramping up solid rocket motor production from 13,000 to 25,000 units annually by 2029, she said.
"We expect Golden Dome for America to be a significant driver of increased budget that would be available to our space sector," she added.
Lockheed touts missile defense heritage
Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin CEO James Taiclet used his company's earnings call to spotlight its pedigree in fielding layered missile defense systems — from sea to land to space.
He highlighted the company's existing missile defense portfolio — including Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, THAAD, Patriot Advanced Capability-3 and the Next Generation Interceptor. "We can leverage this experience as well as our expertise in space satellite reconnaissance, tracking and communications, and the next generation interceptor to rapidly deliver homeland defense capabilities for Golden Dome," Taiclet said.
| | | | | | Pentagon acquisition reform: Space industry eyes real change
Amid a flurry of high-profile reform initiatives from Congress and the White House, defense acquisition remains "broken" and struggles to leverage the billions in private space investment, according to Stephen Kitay, former Pentagon official and Microsoft executive who is now senior vice president for space defense at Colorado-based startup True Anomaly.
Speaking on a recent Aerospace Center for Space Policy & Strategy podcast, Kitay said it remains to be seen whether the Pentagon is able to substantially change outdated procurement processes in order to leverage privately funded technologies and innovation from the commercial space sector. -
Kitay, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for space policy, argued that the military procurement system has proven stubbornly resistant to change. The acquisition system remains hampered by layers of process and regulation, often driving up costs and dampening innovation, even as policymakers acknowledge that empowering new entrants and streamlining defense buying is an urgent national security priority. -
Congress has launched a new set of reforms through two major pieces of legislation. The SPEED Act (Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery), led by the House, aims to streamline procurement and cut red tape that slows down the acquisition process. -
Meanwhile, the Senate has proposed sweeping reforms as part of the FORGED Act (Fostering Reform and Government Efficiency in Defense), which would fundamentally restructure how the Pentagon buys weapons and technology. -
President Trump also has signed executive orders demanding the Pentagon reform its buying processes with a focus on greater speed, flexibility and adoption of commercial technology. Venture-funded model
From Kitay's vantage point at True Anomaly — a venture-funded firm focused on space technologies for military applications — America's ability to keep pace with evolving threats and rising competitors depends on leveraging billions of dollars invested annually in the space industry.
Kitay highlights a key obstacle facing companies like True Anomaly: the Pentagon has yet to fully embrace venture-funded firms developing defense-specific products for new customers like the Space Force. This emerging business model relies on private companies investing significant capital and innovation upfront — often without a guaranteed government contract — betting that the military will eventually buy products tailored to urgent operational needs. -
The Department of Defense has been slow to adopt non-traditional procurement, although there are "pockets of innovation" emerging within the Space Force and organizations like the Defense Innovation Unit, Kitay said. -
"We are at this unique moment of significant growth in the commercial space industry. Now the question becomes, how does the government leverage that investment that's happening to address their needs?" It's time to stop doing "endless studies" and start leveraging what's happening in the private sector "and getting capabilities into the hands of the war fighter," Kitay said. "We need a mindset shift on approaching companies like ours to deliver the capabilities in new ways much faster. The challenge is getting beyond those pockets of innovation to really institutionalize change so we can really deliver at scale and speed."
| | | | | | Space Force Indo-Pacific Command changes leadership
The U.S. Space Force's Pacific regional command changed leadership last week in a ceremony that underscored the military's growing emphasis on space-based capabilities to counter China's expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Brig. Gen. Brian Denaro assumed command of U.S. Space Forces – Indo-Pacific from Maj. Gen. Anthony Mastalir during a ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii.
The Space Force established U.S. Space Forces – Indo-Pacific in November 2022 as a component command under Indo-Pacific Command, reflecting the Pentagon's recognition that future conflicts in the region will heavily depend on satellite communications, navigation systems and space-based intelligence gathering. The command is responsible for planning and executing space operations across the Indo-Pacific region. -
Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman delivered remarks emphasizing the critical role of space capabilities in modern military operations, particularly in a region where vast distances and the need for rapid communication make satellite systems indispensable. -
"In many ways, space capabilities, with radically different speed and distance characteristics, are uniquely postured to help ensure the safety and effectiveness of our joint force," Saltzman said. "That's why it was so critical for us to establish Space Forces - Indo-Pacific, bringing space expertise and capabilities into the fight to defend U.S. interests and deter aggression in the region." Mastalir, who led the command since its inception, said "integrated space operations have never been more important to military operations." -
Denaro, the incoming commander, previously served as director of plans and programs in the office of the chief strategy and resource officer at Space Force headquarters. -
The Space Forces – Indo-Pacific command emphasizes collaboration with regional allies including Australia, South Korea and Japan to strengthen collective space capabilities. -
The Indo-Pacific command represents one of several regional Space Force components being established worldwide as the service builds out its global presence to match the other military branches' geographic combatant command structure. | | | | | | SpaceNews' latest national security coverage
| | | | | | | FROM SPACENEWS |  | | Tune in on Thursday, July 31 at 1 p.m. ET as leading experts unpack what is needed to build the technological backbone of the Golden Dome initiative and its implications for the future of national security. This conversation, moderated by SpaceNews' Sandra Erwin, will explore the critical role of data fusion, machine learning and edge AI in enabling the Golden Dome's mission: Building a resilient, intelligent architecture to safeguard U.S. interests. Register now. | | | | Sign up for our other newsletters -
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