"This is a new effort, as the expanded mission now goes beyond a strict MQ-9 replacement," an AFLCMC spokesperson said. "This endeavor serves to explore concepts that address capability gaps of legacy platforms against increasingly sophisticated threats in denied, contested, and highly contested environments."
"I will tell you right now, the MQ-9 is still a very popular platform with the Combatant Commanders," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown admitted. "So, it's not something we can just walk away from."
Why edge and endpoint security can’t be an afterthought.
"We're doing everything in our power to keep efforts going, because we believe ... it's the right way to help design our future force,"acting Air Force acquisition head Darlene Costello says.
"The whole reason we’re doing this is because the National Defense Strategy talks about the need to do cost effective [counter-terrorism] operations, cost effective irregular warfare,” AFSOC commander Gen. Slife said.
The Air Force intends to get rid of three of its four BACN-equipped EQ-4 Global Hawks, but increase the number of piloted E-11 BACN aircraft through 2026.
The NGAD program "represents a chance to design an airplane that is more sustainable than the F-35, if in fact the F-35 cannot get its cost-per-flying-hour down," said outgoing AF acquisition head Will Roper.
Reducing cognitive overload on warfighters while improving “time to trust” for autonomous systems is a matter of design.
"Not sure if this is a black swan, but I would not be surprised if the next administration kicks off an internal review of the services’ roles and responsibilities, with an eye toward reducing excessive redundancy in force structure and capabilities," Mark Gunzinger says .
The most overlooked story of 2020, including by this publication, is that having a president largely divorced from making military decisions worked pretty well for the US military.
"Given where we are at this point in the administration, it's unlikely that we would see a nominee" for an independent Space Force acquisition head, said Shawn Barnes, Air Force deputy assistant secretary for space acquisition.
President Trump goes after SASC Chairman and Hill ally Jim Inhofe in a tweet, setting up a fight over the defense bill in the waning days of his administration
“Tactical operating system” for warfighters has evolved to provide more situational awareness of the battlefield.
"When you can launch an austere airbase in a space capsule, that's frickin' awesome," says AF acquisition head Will Roper about the idea of suborbital transport spacecraft.
"I don't think we're at the position to know both what the demand is, but also where industry is going, what's the viable way to consider other orbits if we were asked to do," says Col. Robert Bongiovi, director of SMC's Space Vehicles Directorate.
"The business case is a naïve bet on out-year operating cost savings – that’s an act the Hill has seen before, and it never pays off," independent analyst Rebecca Grant says of the Digital Century Series concept.
"The C-130 has been the most plus-upped aircraft in history," says Teal Group's Richard Aboulafia.