We must ensure the next war is won, not lost, in space. That starts with acquisition.
In his first op-ed since leaving service, Jim Slife, the former Air Force No. 2 officer, lays out how space procurement has been stymied in the past.
A former senior Air Force official is articulating critical lessons from past space acquisition failures, coinciding with renewed emphasis on space as a warfighting domain.
This op-ed highlights ongoing challenges within the defense acquisition system regarding strategic assets like space, which are vital for national security and future conflicts.
The explicit public critique from a high-level former official underscores the urgency for accelerated reform in defense space procurement, potentially leading to more agile acquisition strategies.
- · Agile defense contractors
- · Space technology innovators
- · US national security
- · Traditional defense contractors (if slow to adapt)
- · Bureaucratic acquisition processes
- · Adversary nations (if US space capabilities improve)
Increased scrutiny and potential acceleration of reforms within US defense space acquisition.
Greater investment and faster adoption of commercially developed space technologies by the military.
A competitive advantage for the US in future geopolitical contests, underpinned by superior and resilient space-based capabilities.
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Read at Breaking Defense