What ‘really’ worries the head of the Space Development Agency
Derek Tournear said he's concerned about cybersecurity and supply chain, and especially where they overlap: foreign-written software.
SDA acquisition program faces long-term challenges: Aerospace Corp.
While author Andrew Berglund gives SDA full kudos for its "impressive speed" so far in concluding development contracts and fielding its first satellites, he also warns that those advocating the agency's approach as the way for all DoD acquisitions in the future may want to curb their enthusiasm given the early stage of the agency's work.
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From backlogs to breakthroughs: Why the defense industrial base is turning to agentic AI
Agentic AI helps defense manufacturers speed up production, cut complexity and improve decision-making across global supply chains.
NRO should concentrate on bigger, badder ‘tripwire’ ISR birds, new report urges
Meanwhile, the report says, the Space Force should be in charge of pursuing large networks of small satellites under the Space Development Agency's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) — differentiating its "tactical ISR" job from the "strategic" mission of NRO.
Space Force takes ‘acceptable’ cut to $29.4B in FY25 budget request
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall explained that the "small decrease in the number for the Space Force" isn't itself quite reflective of reality, as there are mitigating circumstances that lessen the blow.
GEOST sensors to detect interference will fly on SDA satellites
The company also is providing a ground system for the sensors that could provide data about interference threats to users across the Defense Department and Intelligence Community, said Josh Hartman of GEOST's parent firm.
Space Development Agency’s FY24 budget request skyrockets to $4.7B
The bulk of SDA's FY24 request, some $4.1 billion, is in research, development, test and evaluation aimed at getting the first iterations of its planned satellites for both data relay, called the Transport Layer, and missile warning and tracking, called the Tracking Layer, into orbit.
How technology, strategy and industry are shaping the next fleet
Discover how unmanned systems and emerging technologies are shaping the future of U.S. naval power in Breaking Defense’s new eBook.
Space Force’s INDOPACOM unit to embed allies to help deter China
China's growing number of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites are "designed to find, fix, track and target US forces and allied forces. They're designed to help kill sailors, airmen, soldiers, and Marines," said Brig. Gen. Anthony Mastalir, head of the Space Force's Indo-Pacific component command.
Space Force chief outlines 3-part ‘competitive endurance’ theory aimed at ‘space superiority’
In a "Commander's Note" dated March 3, obtained by Breaking Defense, Saltzman argues that the need for space superiority in the face of adversary threats is a key reason the Space Force was created.
Space Force envisions ‘freight trains’ to space, ‘Walmarts on orbit’
Stephen "Bucky" Butow, director of space at the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit summed up the end goal for future operations as creating a "blue collar space."
‘Out of control’: DoD reviews use of super-secret SAP classification, for space programs and beyond
John Plumb, DoD assistant secretary for space policy, suggested overuse of SAPs is hindering information sharing across programs and, more importantly, to allies.
Space Force chief sets ‘lines of effort’ for service success
"A capable and resilient weapon system will be operationally ineffective if its personnel, expertise, tactical employment, and sustainment are insufficient for the mission," Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman says in his first commander's note on fielding combat-ready space forces.
Space acquisition office weighs mission priorities in case satellites go down
The Department of the Air Force aims to set up a new program office dedicated solely to "resiliency," a key pillar of America's space strategy.
Ukraine spotlights ‘criticality’ of space in conflict : Saltzman
Learning from Russia's failures in Ukraine, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said a key focus going forward is "making sure that not only do we have the systems to do the mission, but that our operators have the training the experience, and we have validated tactics that actually enable those capabilities."
‘Huge, huge problem’: DoD space policy chief says over-classification harming allied advantage
John Plumb noted that his office now is working directly with the IC "on reducing some of those classification issues to the point where we can share" information with allies and partners to enable collaborative operations.