1992 - 1997, Operations Officer and Flight Test Program Manager, Nellis AFB, Nev. August 1997March 1998, Special Projects Engineer, 28th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla. 2006 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 12. 1996 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 11. Oct 00 - Jan 02, Engineering Test Director, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB NM 5. The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (DAF RCO) has accelerated methods for developing, acquiring, and fielding critical combat capabilities. He has an ability to go out and do proliferated things, using straight off-the-shelf things that commercial [industry] is doing, for the most part. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office - Wikipedia Kelly Hammett, former head of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate, has assumed the role of director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office . Roberts and SDA Director Derek M. Tournear talk at least once a week about their similar efforts. Air Force Achievement Medal The Air Force released a new B-21 Raider artist rendering graphic with an accompanying fact sheet today. CAREER CHRONOLOGY More by Sandra Erwin. Rapid Capabilities Office Col Jeffrey R. LaFleur, USAF > The Eisenhower School > FacBio Current DAF RCO work includes the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, a reusable, unmanned space test platform for the United States Space Force, and the B-21 Raider, a long-range strike bomber for the United States Air Force. In November 2020, the Air Force tapped the Rapid Capabilities Office to manage ABMS procurement and create the effort's acquisition strategy. 9. Mr. Walden graduated from Christopher Newport College, Newport News, Virginia, in 1982. During her assignment at the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, she served as the Chief of the Offensive Capabilities Branch, where she was responsible for integrating acquisition efforts in support of multiple classified programs valued at over $600M. CROWS looks to expand its partnerships > Tinker Air Force Base Get your daily fix of Air Force news delivered right to your inbox every day. June 2009 October 2010, DDG 1000 Combat Systems TD, NAVSEA05H, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. Military aviation and technology are ever-changing, from the prevalence of drones to a shift to jets for special mission surveillance, once the province of propeller aircraft. 2. As Space RCO's senior acquisition officer, Mr. Roberts is responsible for and oversees space-based research, development and acquisition . The office preserves the strength of U.S. ingenuity and innovation without the rigidity of traditional acquisition. Jul 15 Jul 16, Blue Horizons Fellow, Air University, Maxwell AFB AL 13. 2007 Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va. by Sandra Erwin June 25, 2018 January 23, 2023 Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) 7. 1998 - 1999, Deputy Chief, Advanced Technology Division, Directorate of Special Programs, Office of the June 1998May 2000, Chief, National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Contracting Branch, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles, Calif. 1997 Advanced Program Manager Course, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va. 1994 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Back then, a second B-21 Raider bomber was under . Secretary of the Navy Acquisition Excellence Award The secretive Space Rapid Capabilities Offices workload has taken shape two years after its inception, as the space research and development enterprise changes around it. SecDef visits B-21 facilities in Florida > United States Air Force SOF aviation capabilities include AC-130 and MC-130 variants, MQ-1C, MQ-9, CV-22, U-28, MC-12, C-145, C-146, other remotely piloted vehicles and precision guided munitions. The United States Air Force ( USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. The past 15 years, his career focus has been on acquisition, combat and weapon system engineering, design, testing, fielding and sustainment. Inherent in the DAF RCOs mission is intent to experiment, within the bounds of statute, to discover and recommend new methods, processes, and techniques for the Air Force, the Space Force, and the Department of Defense to acquire and field capabilities efficiently. The Directorate directs the modernization and sustainment of the Air Force's 150+ aircraft bomber fleet (B-1, B-2, B-52) and organizes, trains and equips the B-21 program in support of Air Force Global Strike Command and the United States Air Force. In his previous position as the Director for Development and Integration, PEO Integrated Warfare Systems, he integrated system requirements and resources for combat systems, associated elements and facilitated the execution of effective systems engineering processes for development, integration and developmental test of Navy Surface Combat System capabilities. June 2005July 2007, Chief, Offensive Capabilities Branch, Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters of the Air Force, Arlington, Va. [Our approach] is a little bit different, Roberts said. MICHAEL W. ROBERTS > Air Force > Biography Display - AF During more than two decades at AFRL, Hammett worked on programs like high-power lasers and high power microwave developments, and oversaw the the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing site known as AMOS. July 1995 April 2001, Aegis Fire Controlman First Class, USS Port Royal CG 73, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii As the SpRCO's senior acquisition officer, Mr. Roberts is responsible for and oversees Space-based research, development and acquisition . Rapid Capabilities Office Additionally, Mr. Keller is Director of Contracting, Air Force Special Access Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Inherent in the DAF RCOs mission is intent to experiment, within the bounds of statute, to discover and recommend new methods, processes and techniques for the Air Force, the Space Force and the Department of Defense to acquire and field capabilities efficiently. Women Achieving Acquisition Excellence It will slow us down. RCO delivers Department of the Air Force capabilities. Former AFRL Official Kelly Hammett Takes Over as Space RCO Director The overall goal of the organization is to acquire and launch space systems more quickly. BRIGADIER GENERAL DALE R. WHITE > Air Force Life Cycle Management - AF Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Ms. Johnson is the lead for all government program office efforts with Industry and is responsible for program/Air Staff interactions with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff and Congress. -- In January, the Department of the Air Force's Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapon Systems, or CROWS, worked to expand its existing use of Cyber Focus Teams. (Current as of March 2023), An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. One of its first projects was to deploy significant upgrades to the Integrated Air Defense System, now operational around the National Capital Region, to meet critical counter-terrorism objectives before the January 2005 Presidential Inauguration Day. The Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO or DAF RCO) is an office in the United States Department of the Air Force tasked with expediting the development of select technological systems. He also served on multiple headquarters staffs, including Headquarters Air Force. Key operating principles of the DAF RCO include a short and narrow chain of command, early and prominent war-fighter involvement, and funding stability. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIAs National Defense 9. Air Force Commendation Medal Director. (Current as of September 2019), An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. SDA Taps Raytheon for Seven More Missile-Tracking Satellites, Photos: F-22s Deploy to Tinian for First Time as Part of ACE Exercise, In Message to Force, Austin Touts Once-in-a-Generation Investments, Heres What USAFs Science Board Is Studying Now, Were Weird: New Commander Details Life Inside Task Force 99, Top Pentagon Official: Chinas Air Actions Are Dangerous and Destabilizing, Entire F-35 Fleet to Get Fix for Engine Vibration Issue, Service Will Remain at Heart of King Aerospace No Matter How Aviation and Technology Change, US Set Up Afghans for Failure, With a Force Too Complex to Maintain, IG Says, Air Force Separated 610 Airmen For Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine, USAF Selects Boeings E-7A Wedgetail as Successor to AWACS. Lt. Col. Joseph Fritschen, the X-37B Program Director at the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, confirmed that "the addition of the service module on OTV-6 allowed us to host . June 2015 - June 2018, Senior Materiel Leader/System Program Director, B-21 Raider Program, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 16. He insisted on an open architecture for the B-21, and while USAF secured a fixed-price contract for the initial aircraft, the development program was a cost-plus arrangement that rewarded Northrop Grumman for hitting milestones early. Marie A. Mak. Air Force scientist takes over as director of Space Force rapid 10. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS The Space Development Agency has added another batch of missile-tracking satellites to its expansive constellation, awarding Raytheon a $250 million contract March 2 to build seven spacecraft. The Space RCO Board, Roberts explained, includes the Secretary of the Air Force, the Chief of Space Operations, the Chief of Staff . Located in Washington, D.C., the DAF RCO reports directly to a Board . Michael W. Roberts, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director and Program Executive Officer for The Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. January 2002June 2003, High Power Microwave Applications Program Manager, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. A U.S. Air Force X-37B space plane, encapsulated ahead of a planned May 16, 2020, launch, the sixth mission for the X-37B program. Military Instructor. June 2001May 2003, Acquisition Staff Officer, Contracting Division, Directorate of Logistics and Maintenance, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va. MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS 9. 1992 Master of Business Administration, Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville In summer 2021, the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, headquartered in Washington D.C., stood up the ABMS Program Executive Office Integration Team here. 8. 8. The Air Force has disclosed relatively few other products of the RCO, but one noteworthy program was the X-37B mini-space plane, one of which broke its own on-orbit record July 6. Theres a lot of interest in reusable space vehicles, and right now, weve gained a lot of information in the decade weve been operating that system.. Aerial Achievement Medal Rapid Capabilities Office > Air Force > Fact Sheet Display Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters 12. EDUCATION Key Operating Principles USSF Unveils Space Systems Command's Structure We dont necessarily have that same construct.. "We have to go fast," Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. "Jay" Raymond said during an April 8 press conference. Project Arc team works to make technical Airmen more operationally The office preserves the strength of U.S. ingenuity and innovation without the rigidity of traditional acquisition. Space RCO Presses Forward Amid Reorganization Read more at National Defense Magazine. CFTs look to "bake-in" cyber resiliency into new weapon systems and mitigate vulnerabilities in fielded systems. Under Col. Robert Smoker, Task Force 99s new commander, the unit will continue to try to cut through red tape and field new systems quickly. Systems Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering, Level II, APDP June 2019present, Director of Contracting, Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office / Special Access Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. Throughout her time on active duty, Ms. Johnson served in a variety of assignments and leadership roles ranging from an aerodynamic propulsion analyst to a materiel leader for a highly classified strategic combat system directed by the Deputy Secretary of Defense. In a statement June 13, Hammett said: Im really excited about the new opportunity and the trust being placed in me to lead the Space RCO team as they deliver new capabilities to the U.S. Space Force that are desperately needed to fill important warfighter gaps., Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. . Covering the business and politics of space. The CROWS team, who already have CFTs . One program that looks to augment existing spacecraft ground control systems isnt quite as under wraps. Their work is critical to driving competitive . Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster He firmly opposes the prospect of moving under the Space Forces new Space Systems Command, the organization meant to encompass all space research, development, and acquisition under the Department of the Air Force. PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS The U.S. created an Afghan air force that was too technologically advanced for its native country to sustain, then pulled the rug out from under it, according to a U.S. government inspector general report. July 2015July 2016, Blue Horizons Fellow, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. February 2019 present, Director, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. will lead the Space Force organization known as the Space RCO, located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. Key Operating Principles . Dr. Kelly Hammett, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director and Program Executive Officer (PEO) for the Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Space RCO), Kirtland Air Force Base, New . Ed Keller - Director of Contracting, DAF Rapid Capabilities Office and MELISSA A. JOHNSON > Air Force > Biography Display - AF Paul Litke - Center for Rapid Innovation Deputy Director - Air Force ABOUT OUR SPEAKER: D. Edward Keller Jr. is Director of Contracting for the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) and a member of the Senior Executive Service. Alongside the director, he directs contracting activities executing $4 billion a year for selected study, development, and fielding activities involving 40 programs tasked directly by the Under Secretary of Defense . Air Force Achievement Medal 1982 Bachelor of Science, Mathematics, Christopher Newport College, Newport News, Va. Alongside the director, he directs contracting activities executing $4 billion a year for . 6. Office of Public Affairs . AWARDS AND HONORS Pentagon leaders and cleared members of Congress alike have lauded the B-21 as a well-run program. The RCO also says it developed the integrated air defense system installed around the National Capital Region after the 9/11 attacks. The DAF RCO is staffed with a collaborative, multidisciplinary team. The Air Force released a new B-21 Raider artist rendering graphic with an accompanying fact sheet today. 2004 Bachelors of Science, Engineering Technology, Grantham University, Lenexa, Kan. 15. The deployment, which began March 1, is part of an exercise dubbed Agile Reaper 23-1. 17. Total Force - Air and Space Lt Gen Richard W. Scobee, Chief of Air Force Reserve Lt Gen Michael A. Loh, Director, Air National Guard Video. MICHAEL W. ROBERTS. I dont see that changing. Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award . He served in a variety of roles, leading contracting operations in support of space and aircraft systems acquisition, installation and specialized support, and contingency operations in three different theaters. Northrop Grumman Says It's Confident On B-21's Rollout Later This Year Full Report. If we move under the Space Systems Command, we probably should cease to exist, Roberts said. HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. Watch the skies in 2022 for the first B-21 bomber flight - Defense News Responsible for the strategy, management and delivery of Team Tempest, a collaborative programme between Government, UK and international industry to develop technology and skills for the defence aerospace sector. A Program Executive Officer may be responsible for a specific program (e.g., the Joint Strike Fighter), or for an entire portfolio of similar programs (e.g., the Air Force PEO for Space, who is responsible for all acquisition programs at the Air Force Space Command Space and . Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Copyright 2023. 2002 - 2003, Technical Director, Directorate of Special Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C. National Defense Service Medal New Hanscom team developing roadmap for ABMS > Hanscom Air Force Base June 2003June 2004, Chief, Asymmetric Capabilities Development Branch, Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters of the Air Force, Arlington, Va. We plan on keeping that. Colonel LaFleur has served in a variety of acquisition, flight test and staff assignments. Oct 00 - Jan 02, Engineering Test Director, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB . Less than 200 personnel assigned to the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office rapidly develop capabilities to outpace and counter the increasing threats of adversaries. 2014 - present, Director and Program Executive Officer, Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C. A space solar power program that fell under the former Operationally Responsive Space office is transitioning to the Air Force Research Laboratory instead. Critics argue that defeats the purpose of creating an RCO specifically to handle space projects, echoing larger concerns that the fragmented military space enterprise is simply growing instead of consolidating into something more effective. Center for Rapid Innovation Deputy Director at Air Force Research Laboratory Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office Director Randy Walden said the ABMS would connect weapons systems, platforms and command systems in a centralized network and enhance the service's enterprise . An artist rendering of a B-21 Raider concept in a hangar at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. She also served as the Program Executive Officer Chief Engineer at the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office where her responsibilities included technical . 12. Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs. 10. The Space Rapid Capabilities Office procures commercial and classified technologies for the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Clipboard (Opens in new window). A blistering, 148-page document by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) found that Afghan. SDA is pursuing a constellation of potentially thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit to handle everything from target tracking to missile warning. 4. 1. October 2010 August 2013, Aegis System Engineering / Baseline Development / Strategic Planning Principle Assistant Program Manager, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. 2013 Air War College Non-resident Program, Maxwell AFB, Ala. The SSC will work directly with the Air Force Research Laboratory and other groups like the Rapid Capabilities Office. While assigned to the 28th Test Squadron, she was a special projects engineer and program manager for classified electronic warfare and command and control test activities. During her assignment at the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, she served as the Chief of the Offensive Capabilities Branch, where she was responsible for integrating acquisition efforts in support of multiple classified programs valued at over $600M. . June 2017July 2020, Program Executive Officer, Fixed Wing, Special Operations Forces, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Headquarters, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla. The office preserves the strength of U.S. ingenuity and innovation without the rigidity of traditional acquisition. Mar 98 - Sep 00, Special Projects Program Manager, 28th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB FL 4. Two F130s housed in a twin-engine nacelle are mounted on a test stand at Stennis Space Center, Miss., where they will perform crosswind and engine control tests, Rolls program director Scott Ames said.. OUSD A&S Leadership - Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Chinas Shenzhou-15 astronauts conduct secretive second spacewalk, Raytheon wins $250 million contract for missile-tracking satellites, Nozzle erosion blamed for Vega C launch failure, Rocket Lab reconsidering mid-air recovery of Electron boosters, Astra identifies cause of last failed Rocket 3.3 launch. The office responds to Combat Air and Space Forces and combatant command requirements. The Board of Directors tasks the office directly to address immediate and near-term operational needs and deliver capabilities that require specialized expertise. Robertss team could ask the Air Force RCO to test payloads on the spaceplane that would eventually fly on satellites or other spacecraft. Were working at it as a rapid acquisition program to build some algorithms to help with ground processing, Roberts said. The Air Forces current service acquisition executive (SAE), Andrew Hunter, revealed in June that the B-21 is actually under budget. EDUCATION Where is the rapid capabilities office? - fasareie.youramys.com In 2021, Randall Walden, director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, said that a first flight in mid-2022 was a "good bet". Kendall looks to accelerate appointment of civilian leader to oversee July 2008July 2009, Commander, Kabul Regional Contracting Center, Joint Contracting Command - Iraq/Afghanistan, Camp Eggers, Kabul, Afghanistan Colonel Johnson directed an 800person team to design critical systems, test effectiveness, interoperability, and field COCOM priorities. The project found a "place to call home" under Dr. Victoria Coleman, Air Force chief scientist, and Col. Mario Serna Jr., deputy director of innovation and technology integration, Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office-Field Support Unit. The conflict in Ukraine is increasingly emerging as a test bed for new American unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The Board of Directors tasks the office directly to address immediate and near-term operational needs and delivers capabilities that require specialized expertise. Your browser is incompatible with this widget. 21. The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (DAF RCO) has accelerated methods for developing, acquiring, and fielding critical combat capabilities. March 1998September 2000, Special Projects Program Manager, 28th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla. The Space Rapid Capabilities Office. Kendall's spokesman said the SAF/SQ office will focus on "the acquisition of space systems and technical capabilities." The Air Force previously had a space policy office led by Shawn Barnes . 20. 18. 9. Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling 13. Welcome. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Get your daily fix of Air Force news delivered right to your inbox every day. Current DAF RCO work includes the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, a reusable, unmanned space test platform for the United States Space Force, and the B-21 Raider, a long-range strike bomber for the United States Air Force. 3. Michael W. Roberts, Director and Program Executive Officer for The Space Rapid Capabilities Office Video. He retired in 2002 and was appointed to the Senior Executive Service that same year, subsequently working on special access programs, in the RCO, and as the director of test and evaluation for USAF.