The Pentagon issued a “Plan for Operationally Responsive Space” with no fanfare in April, in response to Congressional direction. We have a copy now. The focus of the plan is on the establishment of the ORS office, which it has placed at Kirtland AFB, N.M., “to enable a quick stand up and to maximize synergy with on-going Air Force efforts in small satellites, launches, and ranges.” The plan confirms that the DOD Executive Agent for Space—a position filled by the Undersecretary of the Air Force—will oversee the new office and serve as acquisition executive. The ORS office will comprise 10 to 20 military and civilian positions and will be a joint duty assignment for military personnel. DOD expects to staff the ORS office with “small integrated teams of experienced and diverse backgrounds consisting of warfighters, operators, scientists, engineers, and acquisition specialists.”
A new Air Force plan for how many fighters it needs in the next decade marks a sharp upturn from what it thought it needed just seven years ago. But analysts worry that the aspirational plan now in Congress' hands doesn’t make a tight enough connection to national strategy.
