How Kessel Run was able to survive the bureaucracy’s attempts to squash it
Here’s just one segment from an excellent interview with Will Roper on the Defense Unicorns podcast with Rob Slaughter, who worked on software factory efforts […]
Will Roper
Progress in Skyborg and what’s holding back hardware
Mike Atwood (General Atomics): We’re really excited to see the formation of the Vanguard programs and realize his vision. The challenge we’ve had is though […]
Podcast: Digital acquisition with Bryon Kroger and Matt Nelson
Bryon Kroger and Matt Nelson joined me on the Acquisition Talk podcast to talk about digital transformation in the Department of Defense. They are the […]
The Air Force ‘Internet of Things’ program gets reorganized
According to a memo sent from Roper to the Air Force’s acquisition workforce Tuesday, the chief architect will remain responsible for codifying ABMS [Advanced Battle […]
Roper on opportunity- vs. requirements-based contracting
Here’s Air Force acquisition chief Will Roper making a very nice distinction between a “requirements” and an “opportunity” approach to defense programs. At the Strategic […]
Will Roper wants to end the “trickle down” economics of defense contracting
Let me quickly break some things down. When we entered into the late Cold War and systems for the military especially the Air Force became […]
Can Roper break the link between R&D and production? The case of NGAD
“NGAD could take the form of a single aircraft and/or a number of complementary systems – manned, unmanned, optionally manned, cyber, electronic forms that would […]
Notes from Will Roper’s talk to students: Tons of great insights!
Here are some notes of mine from watching Air Force acquisition chief Will Roper’s talk given to Steve Blank, Joe Felter, and Raj Shah’s class […]
There is no spoon: A look into Will Roper’s new digital acquisition reality
As background, we’re all aware U.S. military aviation has been collapsing for nearly 40 years. In the 1950s, over a dozen companies built spiraling supersonic […]
Podcast: An aviator’s perspective on AlphaDogfight, NGAD, and beyond with Ryan Fishel
Ryan “Stinger” Fishel joined me on the Acquisition Talk podcast to discuss the future of the fighter aircraft community. Ryan is an F-15E pilot for […]
Roper’s vision for digital acquisition: The tech stack, the edge, and digital engineering
Getting a lot of play is Air Force acquisition executive Will Roper’s article, “Take the Red Pill: The New Digital Acquisition Reality.” Some of that […]
Deconstructing major programs through adherence to standards
The thing we’re going to have to show is that we can deconstruct a major effort like this — not run it like a major […]
Air Force partners with commercial industry to accelerate “flying cars”
Another example of smarter acquisition is Agility Prime, a non-traditional program seeking to operationalize commercial electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles (i.e., “flying cars”) […]
Proof that government is an unattractive customer
Even sticker-shock prices don’t always motivate companies. According to our estimates, more than 10,000 parts requests are delayed or unfilled each year despite our reluctant […]
Agile, modular, and digital engineering — Roper’s tenants for the fighter-building business
But how we build aircraft, that doesn’t make sense. Approaching NGAD [next-generation air dominance] the way we did the F-35 would put us at great […]