Defense contractors can reduce the cost of expensive national security space capabilities by using more commercial and streamlined practices, said Jeff Trauberman, Boeing’s vice president of space, intelligence, and missile defense. Speaking at an Aerospace Industries Association event in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Trauberman, and other panelists from industry and government, noted there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution when it comes to government contracts. “It really depends [on] what it is you’re trying to do,” he added. Rick Skinner, Northrop Grumman’s director of communication systems business development, said there must be more focus on space-related education and innovation, noting there also is a “need to generate [more] engineers.” (See also AIA’s recently released report on “Reducing the Cost of National Security Space Capabilities.”)
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
