Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center boss Lt. Gen. John Thompson appeared optimistic about the future of acquisition under the Space Force, despite industry's concerns about changes foreshadowed in the draft fiscal 2020 defense policy bill. Bipartisan, bicameral language would create a space acquisition ...
Two Air Force intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft escaped the chopping block in the joint, draft fiscal 2020 defense policy bill, but the aircraft are still under congressional scrutiny. At issue are the RC-135, a small fleet with multiple varieties of planes used to gather ...
Lawmakers have slowly gotten on board with the Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System concept, which is intended to replace the E-8C Joint STARS aircraft, but they still want more information. ABMS will piece together airborne and ground sensors with space systems to better understand ...
Congressional authorizers have agreed to reform how the Pentagon develops and buys space systems, including adding a counterpart to Air Force acquisition boss Will Roper.
Congressional authorizers are offering the Air Force less money in most areas than the service asked for in fiscal 2020, but want to put nearly $19 billion toward aircraft procurement, according to the bipartisan, bicameral defense policy bill, which passed the House on Dec. 11.
Many factors combined to slow the creation of an independent armed force for space before it took off this year: politics, higher legislative priorities, military officials trying to protect the piece of the pie they already had. But none proved more challenging than the Air ...
The NDAA funded 60 F-35As for the Air Force—12 more than the service originally requested. However, it also the Air Force to provide an aviation force structure acquisition plan by March 1 of 2020.
Lawmakers backed the Air Force’s plan to begin buying the F-15EX fighter jet from Boeing but want to restrict funding until the service provides more information about the model.
The Air Force has a “war room” of space experts that have been preparing for the go ahead from lawmakers, which could come as early as Dec. 11, to create the new Space Force.
The architects and initial leaders of the prospective Space Force need to ensure it is immediately ready to be an equal among established military branches, while the formation of the new service should be used as a way to shake up established acquisition processes, top ...
The chairmen of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees are still hashing out differences between their chambers’ versions of the fiscal 2020 defense policy bill, offering conflicting opinions on when that work may end as their days in session dwindle.
Lawmakers could wrap up negotiations over the fiscal 2020 defense policy bill by Nov. 22, signaling that the legislation may soon begin moving forward, about two months after the start of the fiscal year. Monica Matoush, communications director for the House Armed Services Committee, told ...