The Senate NDAA would break up the office of the top Air Force acquisition executive and create a new position of principal assistant to the secretary of the Air Force for acquisition and integration. The space post also would be subject to Senate confirmation.
Donovan pointed out that the Air Force never proposed a reorganization of its acquisition office but understands why lawmakers support it. If the Space Corps follows the Marine Corps model, the Marines don’t have a separate service acquisition executive, he said.
That was from SpaceNews article, “As acting Air Force secretary, Donovan takes lead role advocating for independent space force.” Here is some clarification on the Air Force’s proposed second acquisition executive:
The addition of “acquisition and integration” to the Air Force space adviser’s duties reflects the committee’s concerns about space procurements being managed in isolation and not coordinated across multiple agencies. The official in this new position would oversee all acquisition and integration of Air Force for space systems and support the commander of the U.S. Space Force. This official also would serve as the senior acquisition executive for the Air Force for space systems and all major space acquisitions.
The committee directs the secretary of the Air Force to transfer to the principal assistant for space acquisition and integration the responsibility for oversight of acquisition projects for space systems that currently are overseen by Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition Will Roper.
The House version of the FY 2020 NDAA does not provide for a Space Force with a new service acquisition executive, and all the power that entails. Instead, the House recommends a Space Corps reporting to the Air Force’s single acquisition executive, ASAF(AT&L).
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