The Air Force still plans to start formal operations of its new Cyber Command on Oct. 1, but may not have determined by then the location of the command’s permanent headquarters, service spokesman Ed Gulick confirmed to the Daily Report yesterday. Instead the announcement of the winning site likely will come closer to the end of the calendar year, he said. Originally, USAF had hoped to announce the winning site from among the list of candidates this spring. However, under the revised schedule, the Air Force will not announce the short list of three to four finalist sites until sometime later this year, he said. Thereafter, it will conduct the environmental impact assessments at each location and carefully factor the pros and cons of each site before determining the winner. USAF’s provisional Cyber Command is operating from Barksdale AFB, La. Gulick said it is possible that the command will continue to operate out of Barksdale after Oct. 1 until the permanent headquarters is established. Conversely, he said, an interim site besides Barksdale may host the command until the new headquarters is in place.
A legislative standoff has led to a lapse in a $4.26 billion small business innovation contracting program widely used by the Air Force and could spell the end of it entirely, industry sources warned Air & Space Forces Magazine.
