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: the Space Force chief says "We can go faster;" the Front Door portal is opened wider; and acquisition executive Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy highlights the role of private investments in space
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Saltzman seeks speed over perfection in space acquisitions
How to buy military space systems faster dominated discussions at last week's Air, Space & Cyber Conference as senior leaders stressed the need to innovate to stay ahead of adversaries.
Saltzman's evolution: Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman's keynote address focused on the need to accelerate modernization and streamline processes that slow things down.
Just two years ago at an industry event, Saltzman cautioned that Congress shouldn't expect the Space Force to mimic the pace of the private sector, noting that the government machinery shifts slowly by design, not by fault. "I've been in the Pentagon long enough to know this," he said at the time. "You think, 'Hey, we've got a good idea, let's just turn on a dime and make this happen,' but it's just not the way the U.S. government works."
Practical optimism: Saltzman now sounds less skeptical. During a meeting with reporters last week, Saltzman said he's well aware of "what the constraints are" when it comes to reforms in the acquisition system. "But I'm very optimistic that there are still places we can do better," he insisted. "I'm still convinced there are ways to make enhancements."
Rather than make broad statements about the system being slow, he said it's important to "set expectations of what 'fixed' looks like." For each specific program, that means setting targets for how much faster it should be than previous efforts. In some cases it's realistic to shrink cycles by months or years. "It's about setting expectations and doing everything we can to evaluate every element of the process."
Saltzman stressed that his approach is pragmatic — not overly positive or negative.
"We can go a little faster," he said. "I think that we recognize government acquisition is a pretty complicated business. We're using taxpayer dollars that have a lot of oversight. We have to pay attention to that. But there are always opportunities to do better."
Where to start: Saltzman highlighted an area "worth really digging into," which is how long it takes to go "from a good idea to something that looks like a program." Getting programs started seems to sometimes take a long time, he said.
"We keep throwing RFPs over the fence, and we give good ideas back, we evaluate, and then we go back … we do an industry day." That just seems inefficient, he said. "Why don't we just get together? Why don't we collaborate? Why don't we change the way we exchange ideas so that I understand what [contractors'] their business strategies are, so I can see what technologies they're advancing."
Another area worthy of re-examination is testing, he said. "Sometimes I think we're so rigorous. We have these exacting standards, and we just need to think about a different risk profile," he said. "It doesn't mean we're going to be risk free. It means we're going to have to manage the risk differently." That means perhaps taking more chances "when we can bring things into operations faster."
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Space Force expands 'Front Door'
As part of an effort to increase engagement with the private sector, Saltzman announced that the three-year-old Space Systems Command's Front Door initiative has been renamed the Space Force Front Door. "Your concepts are now vetted against the needs of organizations beyond just SSC, including all Space Force equities, broader Department needs, other government agencies and allies," Saltzman told the audience at Air Space & Cyber. "Every bit of new technology that gives us an advantage is a win for the Space Force and the nation."
Users who visit the Front Door online portal now find a section where Space Force and other government agencies can post their desired capabilities or requests for information from vendors. "This section will grow more robust with time in order to assist vendors who are looking for opportunities to do business with the government. Front Door will provide options for vendors to acquire deeper insight to Space Force and government needs," read a Space Force news release.
| | | 15-year roadmap coming
Saltzman also unveiled a new initiative on "future force planning" to produce a 15-year force design roadmap, which is intended to guide internal budgeting and external industry investments.
The Space Force is developing a "Future Operating Environment" document outlining mission requirements, threat assessments and technology needs projected out to 15 years. The roadmap will be refreshed every five years, said Saltzman.
Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, commander of the Space Systems Command, said the Future Operating Environment initiative is "an opportunity for industry" because Saltzman is urging a "very collaborative approach, less transactional," he said.
"One of the benefits is we want to bring industry into these war games and exercises," Garrant said. "We want industry sitting next to us as we figure out these requirements … Because if we get that part right up front, the delivery part will happen a lot faster."
| | | Don't forget the acquisition workforce
Another topic heard from speakers at Air Space & Cyber is the challenge of building an acquisition workforce for space systems. Saltzman highlighted a new training program requiring incoming Space Force officers to learn operations, intelligence, cyber security and acquisition basics.
"Space acquisition is one of the most intricate professions, and it can take years to master," he said. He noted the Space Force needs a robust cadre of acquisition professionals. The service is also launching a 10-week qualification training course for new acquisition officers focusing on program management, contracting and testing new hardware and software.
These initiatives follow criticism from the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) about the Space Force placing disproportionate focus on operations and not enough on acquisition.
"I agree that growing and building space operators is critically important," Rogers said in remarks last November. "But the development of acquisition and other professionals is just as important. After all, what are those operators going to operate if acquirers aren't acquiring?"
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Purdy to space industry investors: 'Keep at it'
Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, acting assistant secretary for space acquisition and integration, commented on the Space Force's growing interactions with industry investors as the service seeks to leverage more technology from the private sector.
"You see more and more venture capital and investment organizations going after defense tech, which I'm really happy to hear, because that helps the commercial industry continue to thrive and grow," Purdy said.
"As an acquirer, I'm always impatient and I want more," he said. "Every dollar that the venture capital investment community spends in that area is one dollar I don't have to spend from the Space Force," Purdy added. "So we spent a lot of time this year seeking out all of those investments and understanding them. I'm really happy with all the progress so far, and I encourage the investment community to keep at it."
Purdy said "there are quite a bit of acquisition reform coming down the pike," referencing new legislation from defense committees. "There are a lot of good ideas that have been around the table for many years, so I'm excited to take advantage of those."
Purdy also addressed his own future as head of Space Force acquisitions. The job he holds, acting assistant secretary for space acquisition and integration, was previously filled by Frank Calvelli, a Biden administration appointee who left in January. Purdy was Calvelli's military deputy, and he can only serve in the acting role for one year, per congressional language.
The Department of the Air Force said a civilian deputy position is being advertised, and whenever that person is hired, they would become the acting assistant secretary, replacing Purdy. It's unclear when the Trump administration will nominate someone for the permanent position.
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