until the eve of flight test to tackle Stage 3 certification exposed FTUAS to regulatory surprises and threw a high-profile modernization effort off its glide slope. Had coexistence modeling started alongside hardware design, NTIA’s requirements would have been routine and soldiers would already be evaluating next-generation eyes in the sky. Early spectrum engi- neering, not after-the-fact policy ap- peals, proved the only reliable path back to schedule. Spectrum as a Performance Parameter Senior leaders can break the cycle by embedding spectrum language in every contract, by refusing to let pro- grams clear major milestones without certified bands, and by resourcing the workforce to keep pace with demand. When DoW approaches NTIA early with clean data and realistic timelines, certifications accelerate. When it ar- rives late, waving “urgent” flags, even the most helpful regulator must slow the entire queue. The consistent top-
down message must be that spectrum planning is as fundamental as airwor- thiness or cybersecurity—and it will be treated that way from Day 1. Recommended top-level action. DoW leadership should begin by publicly reaffirming spectrum plan- ning as a mandatory key performance parameter, ensuring that no program skirts it under the guise of speed. Ser- vices should create visibility and ac- countability by reporting quarterly on how many major programs complete Stage 2 certification before Milestone B. Concurrently, NTIA could establish “fast-track” lanes for gold-standard data packages, but those lanes will matter only if DoW first puts its own house in order. Finally, DoW and Ser- vice acquisition boards should evalu- ate SSRAs alongside cyber and intel- ligence risks, guaranteeing that RF issues share equal footing in every trade-space decision. Own the Air Before Flying Streamlined acquisition manuals never altered the physics of radio
waves or the sovereignty of host na- tions. Every watt must reside lawfully on someone’s spectrum chart. Lead- ers have two choices: Plan for that fact early or pay a severe tax in lost readiness later. Spectrum managers are not roadblocks; they are sentries guarding a finite resource. The fastest path to fielding is not to storm their gate but to hand them the right cre- dentials from the start. By driving a “spectrum first” culture from the top down, DoW leadership can transform last-minute surprises into the rare anomalies they should be—freeing Warfighters to focus on lethality in- stead of paperwork. ORTEGA is the director of the Navy and Ma- rine Corps Spectrum Center (NMSC), where he oversees global spectrum-management operations for the Department of the Navy. A retired U.S. Army first sergeant with more than 30 years’ combined military and civilian experience in communications and spectrum policy, he previously was NMSC’s deputy di- rector and a senior engineer at Raytheon Technologies. Ortega holds a B.S. and an MBA
from the University of Phoenix. The author can be contacted at james.e.ortega.civ@us.navy.mil .
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the Department of War. Reproduction or reposting of articles from Defense Acquisition magazine should credit the authors and the magazine.
Related Resources • CLE 080 SCRM for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) (Course) • Early Consideration of Spectrum Supportability in Spectrum Dependent System Acquisitions (Study) • Key Electromagnetic Spectrum Considerations for Acquisition Professionals (Video) • Spectrum Dashboard (Spectrum LicenseSearch Tool) • Spectrum Management (Community of Practice)
November-December 2025 | DEFENSE ACQUISITION | 37
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