T he U.S. Space Force (USSF) faces adversaries that have demonstrated increas- ingly sophisticated capabilities to deny or degrade U.S. space operations. U.S. success in a future conflict will require development and acquisition of agile integrated systems that are resilient to these threats, at speed and at scale.
This requires agile acquisition pro- cesses that are responsive to chang- ing needs and enabled by effective re- sponsive feedback loops. Yet, having such processes in place is necessary but not sufficient; programs must also be positioned to execute and ensure accountability for delivering effective capabilities on time and on budget. Nontraditional contractors are driving advances in space capabilities. And to take advantage of these, the USSF needs to ensure that Warfight- ers and acquisition professionals work side by side to secure the cutting- edge capabilities needed to maintain space superiority. Prior to the stand-up of the USSF and every year since, RAND Project AIR FORCE conducted a series of re- search efforts focused on the unique challenges of space acquisition and opportunities. During the period in which RAND completed this research, the USSF made meaningful changes in the realm of space acquisition. These include appointment of USSF’s first Service Acquisition Executive (SAE), incorporation of the Space Develop- ment Agency into the USSF, release of the first Commercial Space Strategy, and establishment of Integrated Mis- sion Deltas, to name a few. Many of these actions can be di- rectly linked to the findings and rec- ommendations articulated in RAND’s research and presented to USSF se- nior leadership. While the USSF has enhanced its ability to bring in new technologies, more opportunities exist to build on this progress. Acquisition as a Warfighting Capability In 2019, on the eve of the USSF stand-up as the newest military ser- vice and in recognition of the oppor- tunity afforded by this change, lead- ership of the Department of the Air
[T]o be effective, space acquisition processes must be rapid, agile, and threat-informed, which means bringing the acquisition and operational communities closer together. The research team thus proposed a vision of USSF acquisition as a warfighting capability rather than a support function.
Force (DAF) asked RAND to develop an acquisition approach designed around the new Service’s unique mis- sion. The resulting 2021 report, A Clean Sheet Approach to Space Acquisition in Light of the New Space Force , drew on interviews with more than 45 current and retired senior leaders and space acquisition experts and outlined the many chal- lenges facing space acquisition. Acquisition typically is viewed as a support function—providing support to the Warfighter—and is often char- acterized as a risk-averse culture de- tached from the operational commun- ity. However, to be effective, space acquisition processes must be rapid, agile, and threat-informed, which means bringing the acquisition and operational communities closer to- gether. The research team thus pro- posed a vision of USSF acquisition as a warfighting capability rather than a support function.
operationally viable schedule within cost constraints, the vision of acquisi- tion as a warfighting capability should incorporate the activities in Figure 1. When this research was published in 2021, an SAE was not yet in place. In May 2022, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration Frank Calvelli was named SAE for Space Systems and Programs, thus establishing a single acquisition decision-maker to facilitate man- agement of the enterprise, focusing resources on the highest priorities, driving capability synchronization, and delegating to empowered sub- ordinates. In his “Space Acquisition Tenets,” released in October 2022, Calvelli laid out his vision for how to “drive speed” in space acquisition, emphasizing more agile approaches, smaller systems with shorter develop- ment timelines, and contracting ap- proaches and other acquisition strate- gies to align incentives and facilitate accountability in execution. This vision of space acquisition requires participation and commit- ment from both internal and external stakeholders. Strong relationships and mutual trust are needed between the USSF, U.S. Congress, the Executive Branch, DoD, the Intelligence Com- munity, other federal agencies, and
Implementing a New Vision for Space Acquisition
To develop this new vision of ac- quisition, the USSF needs broad lee- way to set up acquisition policies and processes that best serve the space domain. We proposed that, to pro- vide threat-informed capability on an
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