Randall G. Walden, director and program executive officer for the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, speaks at AFA's Air Warfare Symposium, March 4, 2022. LaPlante, formerly the Air Forces acquisition executive, put Walden and the RCO in charge of B-21 development in 2015, when the Air Force selected Northrop Grumman to build what was then called the Long-Range Strike Bomber. CAREER CHRONOLOGY He holds a master non-rated aircrew badge. Published Aug. 31, 2020. "The built-in feature of open systems architecture on the B-21 makes the bomber effective as the . 3. MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States. 12. 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 Department of Air Force's chief information officer Lauren Knausenberger will soon depart, the Air Force said Feb. 23. July 2015July 2016, Blue Horizons Fellow, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. New Hanscom team developing roadmap for ABMS > Air Force Materiel Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director. 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 . Space RCO Head: Too Soon For Single Acquisition Shop Lt. Charles Schramka and Sergio Mendoza interact with Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David D. Thompson at the Air Force Research Laboratory's booth during the Air Force Association's Air, Space & Cyber Conference to discuss National Technology Satellite-3 or NTS-3, the DAF Vanguard program pushing the boundary of today's position, navigation and timing technology via an . D. Edward Ed Keller, Jr., a member of the Senior Executive Service, is Director of Contracting for the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Unit Commendation Medal with three gold stars She rapidly delivered the first operational asset under extreme security constraints and compressed schedule, ensuring warfighter training remained on schedule to support COCOM and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed early deployment. Since neither Russia nor Ukraines air force has been able to achieve air superiority, both sides have turned to drones to augment their capabilities. October 2000January 2002, Engineering Test Director, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 8. 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. The Secretary of the Air Force activated the office on April 28, 2003. MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS director and program executive officer for the Department of . )or https:// means you've safely connected to the .mil website. 3. July 2010June 2012, Director, Mission Support Team 1, Joint Contingency Acquisition Support Office, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va. 1989 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. OUSD A&S Leadership - Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and 10. Alongside the Director, he directs contracting activities executing $6 billion a year for selected study, development and fielding activities involving 40 programs tasked directly by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Secretary of the Air Force and the Air Force Chief of Staff. After spending a record-breaking 780 days on orbit, the Boeing system is receiving the National Aeronautic Associations prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy for furthering aerospace technology. There's no more reliable source for news about your Air Force. Their work is critical to driving competitive . 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. July 1995 April 2001, Aegis Fire Controlman First Class, USS Port Royal CG 73, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii First order of business for Air Force space innovation office: Decide The director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, created in 2018 to quickly develop prototypes of satellites and other urgently needed military technology, said the Space Force may not be . Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters 2006 Masters of Science, Software Engineering, University of Management and Technology, Arlington, Va. Production is set begin in 2025 and the first E-7A will be operational by 2027. 14. CROWS looks to expand its partnerships > Tinker Air Force Base The deployment, which began March 1, is part of an exercise dubbed Agile Reaper 23-1. That is the central question, said Randy Walden, director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. Center for Rapid Innovation Deputy Director at Air Force Research Laboratory Everybody has their job to do and they do it., Chinas growing capabilities and recent boldness in the air domain represent dangerous and destabilizing behavior patterns, the Pentagons top official on the Indo-Pacific said March 2. (Current as of November 2020), An official website of the United States government, Expedites the development and fielding of select Department of Defense combat support and weapon systems, Leverages defense-wide technology development efforts and existing operational capabilities, Provides integration and technical support to other Service or U.S. Government activities, Conducts independent operational and technical assessments of weapon or combat support system capabilities and vulnerabilities, Takes on new challenges to accelerate operationally-focused capabilities, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. About Us . 6. The Air Force separated 610 Airmen for declining the once-mandated COVID-19 vaccination. Your browser is incompatible with this widget. Pratt & Whitney has developed a fix for F135 engines afflicted with harmonic resonance, which should only take 30 minutes per affected engine to correct, company officials said. Planning for the event began over six months ago with collaboration between the 805th CTS, Secretary of the Air Force's Studies and Analysis team, Headquarters Air Force ABMS Cross-Functional team, Rapid Capabilities Office, Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, 505th Command and Control Wing and industry partners. RANDALL G. WALDEN > Air Force > Biography Display - AF May 2005 June 2009, Software Certification Senior Systems Engineer, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, Tewksbury, Mass. The office preserves the strength of U.S. ingenuity and innovation without the rigidity of traditional acquisition. Other responsibilities include technical integration of Department of Defense classified activities, and the representation of these activities to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Congress and the White House. 2002 - 2003, Technical Director, Directorate of Special Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C. For the first time the U.S. territory of Tinian, a small island around 100 miles north of the American military hub of Guam, hosted F-22 Raptors. Were working at it as a rapid acquisition program to build some algorithms to help with ground processing, Roberts said. 9. Units > Space Rapid Capabilities Office - Kirtland Air Force Base Discover the best publication that space professionals throughout the world turn to first. 8. Air Force releases new B-21 Raider artist rendering Certified Acquisition Professional, Level III, Contracting However, one project will notably stay off the Space RCOs plate: the experimental X-37B spaceplane. Robert D. Eidsmoe > Kirtland Air Force Base > Display Paul Litke - Center for Rapid Innovation Deputy Director - Air Force . The Board of Directors tasks the office directly to address immediate and near-term operational needs and delivers capabilities that require specialized expertise. The Air Force released a new B-21 Raider artist rendering graphic with an accompanying fact sheet today. MELBOURNE, Fla (AFNS) --. Their hard work began to pay off as more people volunteered. 11. Randall G. Walden, head of the Air Forces Rapid Capabilities Office, where he has directed development of the B-21 bomber and the Advanced Battle Management System, is moving to a new job at the Pentagon to advise the DODs acquisition and sustainment chief, William A. LaPlante. 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. Former AFRL program executive Kelly Hammett on June 6, 2022, took over as director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office. MakM@gao.gov (202) 512-4841. Air Force Commendation Medal 2008 Air Force Legislative Fellow, Air University, Washington, D.C. Board members also include the Secretary of the Air Force, Air Force Chief of Staff, the Chief of Space Operations, the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition), and the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. Air Staff (United States) - Wikipedia "Nuclear modernization is a department priority . 2017 Distinguished Executive Presidential Rank Award In this role, she lead 7 distinct manned Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and SOF mobility aircraft programs and developing, procuring, and sustaining intelligence and communication systems for a 91 aircraft fleet. Brown Jr.).The Air Staff is primarily composed of uniformed U.S. Air Force officials who assist the . Pentagon leaders and cleared members of Congress alike have lauded the B-21 as a well-run program. Key operating principles of the DAF RCO include a short and narrow chain of command, early and prominent war-fighter involvement, and funding stability. 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. May 2002September 2002, Theater Head of Contracting, NATO Stabilization Forces, NATO Headquarters, Camp Butmir, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina AWARDS AND HONORS Northrop Grumman Says It's Confident On B-21's Rollout Later This Year 1994 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. March 1996August 1997, Aerodynamic Propulsion Analyst, National Air Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 1987 Flight Test Engineer Course, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. July 1997June 1998, Chief, Spacecraft Contracts Branch, Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles, Calif. CAREER CHRONOLOGY 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. The decision to make the fix to. As the SpRCO's senior acquisition officer, Mr. Roberts is responsible for and oversees Space-based research, development and acquisition . Jan 02 - Jun 03, High Power Microwave Applications Program Manager, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB NM 6. Project Arc team works to make technical Airmen more operationally Ive talked to Gen. Raymond about that multiple times, and the Secretary of the Air Force, Walden said. New Hanscom team developing roadmap for ABMS > Hanscom Air Force Base 1st. Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters 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. 1. 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 multimode sensor can perform radar, communications, and electronic warfare functions simultaneously. By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs. Secretary of the Navy Acquisition Excellence Award 1991 Master of Science, Engineering Management, Florida Institute of Technology, Patuxent River, Md. June 2012June 2014, Chief, Contracting Operations Division, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition (Contracting), the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. Jun 05 Jul 07, Chief, Offensive Capabilities Branch, Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington DC 9. A blistering, 148-page document by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) found that Afghan. The DAF RCO is staffed with a collaborative, multidisciplinary team. D. Edward Keller Jr., a member of the Senior Executive Service, is Director of Contracting for the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Gen. Jeffery Valenzia, who leads the Air Force's ABMS . Colonel Melissa A. Johnson is the Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Fixed Wing Programs, HQ US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), MacDill AFB, FL. 21. The Department of the Air Force's Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapon Systems, or CROWS, is working to expand best practices in the field of cyber security by potentially expanding its Cyber Focus Teams to Space Force Program Executive Offices, as well as updating the DAF System Security Engineering Guidebook. Walden has reported that six B-21s are in construction at Northrop Grummans Palmdale, Calif., plant and that the first one will likely roll out in 2022. The Space RCO Board, Roberts explained, includes the Secretary of the Air Force, the Chief of Space Operations, the Chief of Staff . 9. In March 2021, the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office presented a brief to GAO that further defined these roles, and established responsibilities of their office. Space RCO is a relatively small office filled with people who love what they do in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 1997 - 1998, Classified Flight Test Squadron Commander, Nellis AFB, Nev. Mission Fighters and Advanced Aircraft Directorate - AFLCMC March 1998September 2000, Special Projects Program Manager, 28th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla. After working on Capitol Hill, Colonel Johnson served as the Director, Non-Standard Aircraft Systems at the Program Executive Office for Fixed Wing Aircraft, United States Special Operations Research, Development, and Acquisition Center (SORDAC), Headquarters, United States Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB.