A sweeping Space Force acquisition review geared toward finding avenues for more commercial integration appears to have given the service a head start in aligning with several Trump administration directives aimed at reforming defense acquisition and pulling more private sector capabilities into the federal government.
Late last year, former space acquisition executive Frank Calvelli and Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein directed the service’s acquisition offices to scour their programs for opportunities to bring in more commercial capabilities.
One objective of the exercise was to understand where the service was relying too heavily on bespoke, military-tailored systems rather than engaging the private sector to find off-the-shelf options that could meet requirements in full or in part. Another goal was to save money.
Gen. Stephen Purdy, who assumed the acquisition executive role in an acting capacity after Calvelli left, has continued that work. A final report on its findings is expected in the next few months. Purdy has also directed the Space Force’s primary acquisition arm, Space Systems Command, to start conducting market research for some of the more promising opportunities.
The acquisition review predates a White House executive order issued April 9 calling for the Defense Department to reform its acquisition practices to be more commercial-forward. It also precedes a separate order, which President Donald Trump issued Wednesday, calling on all federal agencies to review pending contracts for noncommercial products and seek waivers to justify them.
Speaking with reporters April 9, the day after the first order dropped, Col. Richard Kniseley — who leads the service’s commercial space office — said the Trump administration’s push for a commercial-first mindset in government contracting validates not only the intent of the Space Force’s internal acquisition review, but a broader, multiyear push in that direction.
“Even before President Trump’s executive order came out last night, there’s been a lot of work going on behind the scenes,” Kniseley said.
The service, in large part through Kniseley’s office, has made strides over the last two years to create avenues for more commercial firms to work with the Space Force and establish structures for the service to pull in their capabilities and services. The Commercial Space Office leads a slew of initiatives, including efforts to improve commercial satellite communications procurement, develop a mechanism for the service to contract with private sector companies for increased capacity in times of conflict and integrate commercial tracking and surveillance capabilities.
The Space Force also released its first commercial integration strategy last year and had some success establishing a distinct budget line for commercial procurement.
But to fully implement the spirit of the White House orders, Kniseley said, the service needs more funding for commercial products and services and more personnel to manage its commercial portfolio. It also needs more flexibility and authority from Congress when it comes to budgeting and spending that funding.
“I would say that we need to take a look at or do a full assessment of our full authorities and then as we are working out some of the mission area requirements and the moves and especially dealing with industry, I think that’s probably going to be an ongoing dialogue that we’re going to have to have with Congress,” he said.
Kniseley said he’s had good conversations with congressional staffers, particularly on the House Armed Services Committee, who have been supportive of the service’s efforts.
“They are very forward-leaning with commercial, and they’ve been very receptive to a lot of the things that we have asked them for or at least the dialogue to see where some of our flexibility should be,” he said.
‘Nobody got a pass’
Meanwhile, as the Space Force wades deeper into its acquisition portfolio review, it’s considering what changes it can make to programs today with its existing acquisition authorities.
And according to Lt. Gen. Phillip Garrant, who leads Space Systems Command, everything is on the table.
“Nobody got a pass,” he told reporters April 8 at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado. “Everybody has to do this excursion of: Could I start over and meet my requirements commercial?”
A prime example is the requirement for a ground-based space observation system, the Deep-Space Advanced Radar Capability, or DARC.
DARC is part of a trilateral defense pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S., known as AUKUS. Through that agreement, the three nations are collaborating to develop and operate a radar network that provides all-weather, 24/7 coverage of geosynchronous orbit from locations around the globe. The Space Force is leading development, but the agreement will allow the U.K. and Australia to host and operate radars in their countries and conduct joint space domain awareness operations with the U.S.
Northrop Grumman is already on contract to build the first two radars — one in Western Australia and the second in Wales — and a third site is planned for the U.S., likely in Texas.
Col. Bryon McClain, program executive officer for space domain awareness and combat power, said the service is considering a number of changes to the program as part of the required acquisition review — from simply augmenting DARC radars with private sector products to scrapping plans for a third site and looking to commercial companies to fill that gap.
And while a signed agreement with two key allies might have, in the past, made the prospect of changing course daunting, McClain said there are ways to work with Australia and the U.K. to adjust their plans if they find a capability that can meet the need on a faster timeline.
“Where there are military-unique needs in order to enhance the lethality of our force, we have to go after those,” McClain told reporters April 10 at the symposium. “Sometimes, however, bureaucracies like to think, ‘I need something new. I need this thing. I need to paint it Army green’ … and we just kind of get locked into traditional thinking.”
Garrant noted that while program strategies may change because of this review, there won’t be a complete “pendulum swing” toward commercial. But he does think the process is part of a larger culture shift toward designing acquisition plans with an eye toward what capabilities are already available in the private sector.
“It’s a change in our culture, a change in our thinking,” he said. “We’re finally putting our money where our mouth is.”
Courtney Albon is C4ISRNET’s space and emerging technology reporter. She has covered the U.S. military since 2012, with a focus on the Air Force and Space Force. She has reported on some of the Defense Department’s most significant acquisition, budget and policy challenges.
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