Most of its portfolio is classified, but ostensibly complements work underway at the Space Forces more traditional Space and Missile Systems Center and the commercial industry-focused Space Development Agency. 19. Right now, the plan is to continue answering directly to Raymond. 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. "Nuclear modernization is a department priority . 4. The office procures space technologies and manages classified programs for the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command. 1995 Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville 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. A Program Executive Officer may be responsible for a specific program (e.g., the Joint Strike Fighter), or for an entire portfolio of similar programs (e.g., the Air Force PEO for Space, who is responsible for all acquisition programs at the Air Force Space Command Space and . SDA is pursuing a constellation of potentially thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit to handle everything from target tracking to missile warning. 1984 - 1989, Flight Test Engineer, F-16 Combined Test Force, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Director. Walden had also predicted the first article would fly this summer, but Air Force officials have since walked back that prediction. 1992 Master of Business Administration, Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville Oct. 9, 2019 The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency handles similar initiatives that can transition to the Space RCO as well. [Our approach] is a little bit different, Roberts said. More by Sandra Erwin. 13. 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. The office. Air Force Achievement Medal In 2021, Randall Walden, director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, said that a first flight in mid-2022 was a "good bet". Roberts and SDA Director Derek M. Tournear talk at least once a week about their similar efforts. The Space RCO replaced the ORS office at Congress direction. 2013 - 2014, Director, Air Force Test and Evaluation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 13. 14. 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. 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. As the SpRCO's senior acquisition officer, Mr. Roberts is responsible for and oversees Space-based research, development and acquisition . Knausenberger, who became CIO in August 2020, is set to leave in June. WASHINGTON Kelly Hammett, former head of the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate, is now director of the Space 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. Mar 98 - Sep 00, Special Projects Program Manager, 28th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB FL 4. In November 2020, the Air Force tapped the Rapid Capabilities Office to manage ABMS procurement and create the effort's acquisition strategy. The SSC will work directly with the Air Force Research Laboratory and other groups like the Rapid Capabilities Office. Gen. Jeffery Valenzia, who leads the Air Force's ABMS . That is the central question, said Randy Walden, director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. EDUCATION Air Force Commendation Medal 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. 2008 Air Force Legislative Fellow, Air University, Washington, D.C. Defense Superior Service Medal Space RCO is a relatively small office filled with people who love what they do in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 7. . Delivering space capabilities quickly and effectively requires a strong core culture and mindset. 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. "The built-in feature of open systems architecture on the B-21 makes the bomber effective as the . 12. 1. He became head of the RCO in 2014. The Air Force had once projected the first flight of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider would occur in December 2021, . Everybody has their job to do and they do it., Rolls-Royce has started testing the F130 engine that will replace the B-52's aged TF33, the company announced. 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. 4. 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. 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. We dont necessarily have that same construct.. February 2019 present, Director, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. As with past renderings, this rendering is an artist's interpretation of the B-21 design. Michael W. Roberts, Director and Program Executive Officer for The Space Rapid Capabilities Office Video. 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. 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. NAVSEA Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal She also served as the Program Executive Officer Chief Engineer at the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office where her responsibilities included technical . The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (DAF RCO) has accelerated methods for developing, acquiring, and fielding critical combat capabilities. It is a reusable, uncrewed spacecraft that carries experiments to orbit, then returns them to Earth for evaluation. To me, thats the most important piece, Walden said. Society of Flight Test Engineers August 1997March 1998, Special Projects Engineer, 28th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla. June 2014May 2017, Director of Contracting, Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews, Md. 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. 6. As Space RCO's senior acquisition officer, Mr. Roberts is responsible for and oversees space-based research, development and acquisition . 5. 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. 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 . 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. August 2013 March 2015, ZUMWALT Deputy Major Program Manager, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. Northrop Grumman is testing a new multimode, open-architecture RF sensor called "EMRIS" which it hopes will allow for quick, less-costly, and more adaptable sensor upgrades in a variety of systems. The Space RCO appears to have settled on a slate of initiatives that will keep it occupied. August 2011July 2015, Materiel Leader, Strategic Combat Systems, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C. 13. 11. The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (DAF RCO) has accelerated methods for developing, acquiring, and fielding critical combat capabilities. May 2005 June 2009, Software Certification Senior Systems Engineer, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, Tewksbury, Mass. 2009 Masters of Science, Systems Engineering, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif. The office responds to Combat Air and Space Forces and combatant command requirements. Colonel Johnson received her commission from the United States Air Force Officer Training School in March 1996. 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 . Aug 11 Jul 15, Materiel Leader, Strategic Combat Systems, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington DC 12. July 1996July 1997, Assistant Chief, Spacecraft Contracts Branch, Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles, Calif. 2013 DAWIA Program Management and System Planning, Research, Development and Engineering Level III Certifications On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. June 2015 - June 2018, Senior Materiel Leader/System Program Director, B-21 Raider Program, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 16. The service could not immediately say whether a successor at the RCO had been determined. Ms. Johnson graduated from the University of Florida in 1995 and received her commission from the United States Air Force Officer Training School in March 1996. 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. 2006 Masters of Science, Software Engineering, University of Management and Technology, Arlington, Va. (Current as of September 2019), An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. 1991 Master of Science, Engineering Management, Florida Institute of Technology, Patuxent River, Md. Colonel Johnson directed an 800person team to design critical systems, test effectiveness, interoperability, and field COCOM priorities. 12. 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 . Iraq Campaign Medal "AFRCO" means the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. Defense Meritorious Service Medal 17. ElyRatner, assistant secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, discussed how China continues to prod the U.S. and challenge stability in region, even as, The entire F-35 fleet is slated to get the retrofit engine maker Pratt & Whitney has identified to mitigate the problem that led to suspended deliveries and flight restrictions for some aircraft for nearly two monthsa move that will affect hundreds of fighters globally. 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. Pentagon leaders and cleared members of Congress alike have lauded the B-21 as a well-run program. April 2001 January 2004, SPY Element Test Engineer, Northrup Grumman Information Technology, Dahlgren, Va. January 2002June 2003, High Power Microwave Applications Program Manager, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. Walden, who is the director and program executive officer for the RCO, has been named senior executive advisor in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, according to a July 11 announcement from the Air Force. He served in acquisition command as the . June 1993January 1995, Assistant Chief, Program and Technical Support Division, Defense Contract Management Command, Orlando, Fla. 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. The Air Force released a new B-21 Raider artist rendering graphic with an accompanying fact sheet today. 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. Get top stories, military space news and more delivered to your inbox. The deployment, which began March 1, is part of an exercise dubbed Agile Reaper 23-1. Mr. Walden graduated from Christopher Newport College, Newport News, Virginia, in 1982. Specifically, the office: Organization CAREER CHRONOLOGY After leaving MacDill AFB, Colonel Johnson was the Materiel Leader and System Program Director for a highly classified $8B+ DEPSECDEF-directed strategic combat system development, production, and operations and sustainment. CAREER CHRONOLOGY In a statement June 13, Hammett said: Im really excited about the new opportunity and the trust being placed in me to lead the Space RCO team as they deliver new capabilities to the U.S. Space Force that are desperately needed to fill important warfighter gaps., Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. 4. 1989 - 1992, Lead Avionics Flight Test Engineer, V-22 Multi-Service Test Team, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. 2003 Senior Executive Service Seminar, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 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. The Office is . The 2022 National Defense Strategy and Future Force Structure 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. 2013 - 2014, Director, Air Force Test and Evaluation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 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. Defense Acquisition Corps 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. Video: Mitchell Institute on YouTube, That may sound familiar, as the U.S. Space Force thought about what we go after, Roberts said. 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. 1996 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence Get your daily fix of Air Force news delivered right to your inbox every day. 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. 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. director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, during a recent interview with Air . 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. 3. Key Operating Principles Colonel Melissa A. Johnson is the Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Fixed Wing Programs, HQ US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), MacDill AFB, FL. October 2000January 2002, Engineering Test Director, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 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 . . Jul 15 Jul 16, Blue Horizons Fellow, Air University, Maxwell AFB AL 13. 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. Rolls-Royce has started testing the F130 engine that will replace the B-52's aged TF33, the company announced. 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. We're weird, he said. Ukraine, China, technology, and drug trafficking emerge as top issues in House Intelligence Committee hearing with think tank leaders. 3. 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. September 2018June 2019, Associate Executive Director, Procurement Policy, Systems and Oversight, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, D.C. He holds a master non-rated aircrew badge. Marie A. Mak. October 1990June 1993, Contracting Officer, F-15 System Program Office, Robins AFB, Ga. 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. January 2004 May 2005, DDG 1000 IV&V Engineer, Northrup Grumman IT, Dahlgren, Va. 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. 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. Robertss team could ask the Air Force RCO to test payloads on the spaceplane that would eventually fly on satellites or other spacecraft. Brown Jr.).The Air Staff is primarily composed of uniformed U.S. Air Force officials who assist the . Colonel Johnson was an Air Force Legislative Fellow for Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and served as an advisor on defense, foreign policy, and military construction issues. Oct 00 - Jan 02, Engineering Test Director, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB . Your browser is incompatible with this widget. Rapid Capabilities Office May 2002September 2002, Theater Head of Contracting, NATO Stabilization Forces, NATO Headquarters, Camp Butmir, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina RCO delivers Department of the Air Force capabilities. 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 . 8. 2006 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 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.