Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy walked through activities to flesh out former space acquisition czar Frank Calvelli's "nine space acquisition tenets" that showcased how the Space Force is positioned to meet expected guidance from new Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for accelerating weapons system development.
According to several sources involved, Tournear allegedly stepped afoul of DoD contracting procedures when awarding two prototype agreements worth approximately $424 million.
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"The issues that bother me more are not just Space Force-related. It's just the experience base across the whole Department of Defense," Frank Calvelli, Air Force space acquisition czar, told Breaking Defense in an exclusive exit interview on Tuesday.
Outgoing DoD space acquisition czar Frank Calvelli told Breaking Defense in an exclusive interview that he is confident the troubled OCX software will be up and running by year-end.
"I'm not criticizing ATLAS, but on the record, if it doesn't get there on time, I'm gonna find an alternative, because that's why I exist," Space RCO Director Kelly Hammett told Breaking Defense.
Calvelli's decision comes after a five-month delay necessary to hash out a reliable cost estimate for the NRO-Space Force development program.
Answering the Pentagon’s call to bolster defense industrial base.
The new office, led by Claire Leon, will work to integrate acquisition programs across Space Systems Command, the Space Development Agency and the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Breaking Defense has learned.
The NDAA instructed Air Force space acquisition czar Frank Calvelli to detail a UDL integration plan, following criticism from the Government Accountability Office, as well as to explain the Space Force's process "to regularly identify and evaluate commercial space situational awareness capabilities."
ULA CEO Tory Bruno explained that Air Force space acquisition czar Frank Calvelli asked Lockheed Martin and Boeing to create an independent review team to "help" Vulcan production rates and launch site readiness remain on track.
The $883.7 billion bill makes several major changes to President Joe Biden's FY25 budget request, including a more narrow approach to transferring Air National Guard units into the Space Force. But budgetary matters will ultimately be decided by congressional appropriators.
The delay in the review, however, is not expected to impact the planned delivery schedule, an Air Force spokesperson said. That said, neither the Pentagon nor the NRO has revealed the hoped-for schedule.
The Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared constellation's first satellite may see its launch pushed back by a year to 2026.
With apparent frustration with another program, Space Force acquisition chief Frank Calvelli asked, “What I don't get… [is] why would somebody want to have this sort of reputation-ruining stain in the papers all the time?”
"We are clearly moving away from airborne ISR assets and moving into space. It's the absolute right thing to do from a resiliency and sustainability perspective," Air Force space acquisition czar Frank Calvelli said.