Former AFRL Official Kelly Hammett Takes Over as Space RCO Director 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. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. The Space RCO replaced the ORS office at Congress direction. 20. 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. 1 min read. 10. 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 . CROWS looks to expand its partnerships. 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 18. June 2004June 2005, Executive Officer, Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters of the Air Force, Arlington, Va. Read more at National Defense Magazine. Second B-21 Raider Under Construction As The First One Approaches Roll Mike Roberts, Director Space Rapid Capabilities Office (DOD) . CFTs look to "bake-in" cyber resiliency into new weapon systems and mitigate vulnerabilities in fielded systems. 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. More by Sandra Erwin. . 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 . He served in acquisition command as the . Alongside the director, he directs contracting activities executing $4 billion a year for . RANDALL G. WALDEN > Air Force > Biography Display - AF She also served as the Program Executive Officer Chief Engineer at the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office where her responsibilities included technical . 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. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS Program Manager, AFRL Transformational Capabilities Office Dayton, Ohio, United States. First order of business for Air Force space innovation office: Decide Your browser is incompatible with this widget. Key Operating Principles 2008 Air Force Legislative Fellow, Air University, Washington, D.C. One program that looks to augment existing spacecraft ground control systems isnt quite as under wraps. 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. Mission 3. Their hard work began to pay off as more people volunteered. 10 things we know about the secret X-37B space plane 2. October 2000January 2002, Engineering Test Director, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. )or https:// means you've safely connected to the .mil website. With a new office, Air Force revamps ABMS acquisition again Tanya M. Skeen - Our People - Purdue Engineering As the SpRCO's senior acquisition officer, Mr. Roberts is responsible for and oversees Space-based research, development and acquisition . Mar 98 - Sep 00, Special Projects Program Manager, 28th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB FL 4. EDUCATION Jun 04 - Jun 05, Executive Officer, Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington DC 8. (U.S. Air Force graphic) (Current as of June 2020), An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Colonel LaFleur has served in a variety of acquisition, flight test and staff assignments. Mr. Keller graduated from East Carolina University in 1989 and was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force the same year. June 1998May 2000, Chief, National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Contracting Branch, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles, Calif. Here's What We Know The Shadowy X-37B Was Up To During Its Record 780 Their work is critical to driving competitive . 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. New Hanscom team developing roadmap for ABMS > Air Force Materiel Ukraine, China, technology, and drug trafficking emerge as top issues in House Intelligence Committee hearing with think tank leaders. Your browser is incompatible with this widget. CROWS looks to expand its partnerships > Eglin Air Force Base > Article New Hanscom team developing roadmap for ABMS > Hanscom Air Force Base 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 . 2007 Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va. Former AFRL program executive Kelly Hammett on June 6, 2022, took over as director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office. 11. Walden has reported that six B-21s are in construction at Northrop Grummans Palmdale, Calif., plant and that the first one will likely roll out in 2022. The office responds to Combat Air and Space Forces and combatant command requirements. the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command. 8. 8. 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. AWARDS AND HONORS Aerial Achievement Medal The Directorate directs the modernization and sustainment of the Air Force's 150+ aircraft bomber fleet (B-1, B-2, B-52) and organizes, trains and equips the B-21 program in support of Air Force Global Strike Command and the United States Air Force. 1997 - 1998, Classified Flight Test Squadron Commander, Nellis AFB, Nev. Covering the business and politics of space. June 2018 - October 2019, Program Executive Officer for Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Special Operations Forces, Air Force Life Cycle Management . 2009 - 2009, Deputy and Technical Director, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C. 2022 National Defense Strategy to Prioritize Gray Zone & Hybrid Warfare . It is a reusable, uncrewed spacecraft that carries experiments to orbit, then returns them to Earth for evaluation. 6. The Board of Directors tasks the office directly to address immediate and near-term operational needs and delivers capabilities that require specialized expertise. Board members also include the Secretary of the Air Force, Air Force Chief of Staff, the Chief of Space Operations . Iraq Campaign Medal Air Force scientist takes over as director of Space Force rapid The multimode sensor can perform radar, communications, and electronic warfare functions simultaneously. February 2019 present, Director, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. Lt. Col. Joseph Fritschen, the X-37B Program Director at the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, confirmed that "the addition of the service module on OTV-6 allowed us to host . Is Space Force moving fast enough for its Rapid Capabilities Office? 1992 - 1997, Operations Officer and Flight Test Program Manager, Nellis AFB, Nev. 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. OUSD A&S Office News 2021 After working on Capitol Hill, Colonel Johnson served as the Director, Non-Standard Aircraft Systems at the Program Executive Office for Fixed Wing Aircraft, United States Special Operations Research, Development, and Acquisition Center (SORDAC), Headquarters, United States Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB. 5. Key operating principles of the DAF RCO include a short and narrow chain of command, early and prominent war-fighter involvement, and funding stability. Defense Meritorious Service Medal MELISSA A. JOHNSON > Air Force > Biography Display - AF Mr. Roberts was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2017. 2004 Bachelors of Science, Engineering Technology, Grantham University, Lenexa, Kan. MELBOURNE, Fla (AFNS) --. September 2018June 2019, Associate Executive Director, Procurement Policy, Systems and Oversight, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, D.C. 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. Women Achieving Acquisition Excellence June 1993January 1995, Assistant Chief, Program and Technical Support Division, Defense Contract Management Command, Orlando, Fla. 1984 Bachelor of Science, Aerospace Engineering, Parks College of St. Louis University, Cahokia, Ill. 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. July 1997June 1998, Chief, Spacecraft Contracts Branch, Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles, Calif. 2017 Distinguished Executive Presidential Rank Award 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. April 2001 January 2004, SPY Element Test Engineer, Northrup Grumman Information Technology, Dahlgren, Va. Theres a lot of different capabilities that were working right now, and in the future, I see that staying about the same number.. Knausenberger, who became CIO in August 2020, is set to leave in June. June 2006June 2008, Operational Manager, Theater Effects Based Operations Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (TEBOACTD), U.S. Joint Forces Command, Suffolk, Va. 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. He holds a master non-rated aircrew badge. 21. Right now, the plan is to continue answering directly to Raymond. Unit Commendation Medal with three gold stars The Space RCO appears to have settled on a slate of initiatives that will keep it occupied. 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. 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. 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 . We plan on keeping that. Oct. 9, 2019 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. 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 . Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the . 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. 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. About | The Army RCCTO Key Operating Principles Get your daily fix of Air Force news delivered right to your inbox every day. Gen. Jeffery Valenzia, who leads the Air Force's ABMS . During his tours as a flight test engineer, Mr. Walden participated in the development, ground and flight-testing of numerous aerospace weapon systems. Joint Service Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters Your browser is incompatible with this widget. "AFRCO" means the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. The United States Air Force ( USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Oct 00 - Jan 02, Engineering Test Director, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB . 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. 9. Mr. Walden graduated from Christopher Newport College, Newport News, Virginia, in 1982. Melissa Johnson - Digitell Inc. 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. Randall G. Walden, head of the Air Forces 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 DODs acquisition and sustainment chief, William A. LaPlante. 13. The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (DAF RCO) has accelerated methods for developing, acquiring and fielding critical combat capabilities. EDUCATION 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. B-21 Director Walden Leaving RCO to Advise LaPlante at Pentagon RCO delivers Department of the Air Force capabilities. Technology Acquisition Series #1: Air Force 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. 1998 Master of Science in Engineering Management, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio Space RCO Presses Forward Amid Reorganization 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. 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. 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. Roberts and SDA Director Derek M. Tournear talk at least once a week about their similar efforts. 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. If we move under the Space Systems Command, we probably should cease to exist, Roberts said. 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. May 2005 June 2009, Software Certification Senior Systems Engineer, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, Tewksbury, Mass. Pentagon leaders and cleared members of Congress alike have lauded the B-21 as a well-run program. Published Aug. 31, 2020. director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, during a recent interview with Air . Full Report. Test and Evaluation, Level II APDP 4. Hammett will lead the Space Force organization known as the Space RCO, located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. We dont necessarily have that same construct.. The Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office . 14. She has served as an aerodynamic propulsion analyst at the National Air Intelligence Center where she developed new modeling tools for missile propulsion assessments. June 2000June 2001, Commander, Technology/Advisory Services Acquisition Flight, Air Combat Command Contracting Squadron, Langley AFB, Va. EDUCATION 7. 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. 1997 Advanced Program Manager Course, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va. [Our approach] is a little bit different, Roberts said. 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. Jez Holmes OBE - Head of the Royal Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office 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. He 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, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Chief of Space Operations and the Assistant Secretary for the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. 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. That is the central question, said Randy Walden, director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. March 1998September 2000, Special Projects Program Manager, 28th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla. Jun 17 - present, Program Executive Officer, Fixed-Wing, Special Operations Forces, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Headquarters, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB FL MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Defense Meritorious Service Medal with Two Oak Leaf Cluster Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster Air Force Commendation Medal Air Force Achievement Medal DATES OF PROMOTIONS Second Lieutenant Mar 1996 First Lieutenant Mar 1998 Captain Mar 2000 Major Mar 2006 Lieutenant Colonel Apr 2011 Colonel Apr 2017 PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS Program Management, Level III, Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP) Test and Evaluation, Level II APDP Systems Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering, Level II, APDP. 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. Society of Flight Test Engineers 1. 7. The deployment, which began March 1, is part of an exercise dubbed Agile Reaper 23-1. Planning for the event began over six months ago with collaboration between the 805th CTS, Secretary of the Air Force's Studies and Analysis team, Headquarters Air Force ABMS Cross-Functional team, Rapid Capabilities Office, Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, 505th Command and Control Wing and industry partners. Chinas Shenzhou-15 astronauts conduct secretive second spacewalk, Raytheon wins $250 million contract for missile-tracking satellites, Nozzle erosion blamed for Vega C launch failure, Rocket Lab reconsidering mid-air recovery of Electron boosters, Astra identifies cause of last failed Rocket 3.3 launch. WASHINGTON (AFNS) --. He has held various senior Program Manager positions within the Acquisition community. 12. 5. . Specifically, the office: Organization 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. SecDef visits B-21 facilities in Florida > United States Air Force Air Force Achievement Medal Systems Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering, Level II, APDP 1. 9. Part 5302 - Definitions of Words and Terms | Acquisition.GOV 1998 - 1999, Deputy Chief, Advanced Technology Division, Directorate of Special Programs, Office of the director and program executive officer for the Department of . 3. The RCO also says it developed the integrated air defense system installed around the National Capital Region after the 9/11 attacks. 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. 1992 Master of Business Administration, Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency handles similar initiatives that can transition to the Space RCO as well. January 2002June 2003, High Power Microwave Applications Program Manager, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 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. 2001 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 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. Office of Public Affairs . August 2007January 2009, Air Force Legislative Fellow, Air University, Washington, D.C. Kendall looks to accelerate appointment of civilian leader to oversee 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. Certified Acquisition Professional, Level III, Contracting 17. The conflict in Ukraine is increasingly emerging as a test bed for new American unmanned aerial systems (UAS). 7. In 2021, Randall Walden, director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, said that a first flight in mid-2022 was a "good bet". As with past renderings, this rendering is an artist's interpretation of the B-21 design. 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. The Air Force released a new B-21 Raider artist rendering graphic with an accompanying fact sheet today. "The built-in feature of open systems architecture on the B-21 makes the bomber effective as the . Delivering space capabilities quickly and effectively requires a strong core culture and mindset. CROWS looks to expand its partnerships > Tinker Air Force Base The CROWS team, who already have CFTs . However, one project will notably stay off the Space RCOs plate: the experimental X-37B spaceplane. 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. The Air Force's new ABMS strategy: Buy new capability, now - Defense News January 1995June 1996, Assistant Chief, Operations Group, Defense Contract Management Command, Orlando, Fla. AWARDS AND HONORS This military aviation article is a stub. The Space Rapid Capabilities Office, a direct reporting unit of the U.S. Space Force, has a specialized, restricted and unique mission. We're weird, he said. October 1990June 1993, Contracting Officer, F-15 System Program Office, Robins AFB, Ga. Organizations - AF 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 . 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.