The Air Force needs a quicker, more flexible acquisition system combined with personnel capable of writing requirements tailored to the cyber domain, said Michael Papay, Northrop Grumman’s cyber initiatives vice president. “Our typical contract types aren’t exactly a very good fit to building cyber security systems,” said Papay while speaking on an industry panel Thursday at AFA’s CyberFutures Conference in National Harbor, Md. “If we see a new threat come in a week from now, we have to be able to look over there and say, ‘Cover that one, too,’” explained Papay. The industry workforce also must be trained to provide solid feedback to help acquisition officials craft requirements that allow industry to meet the Air Force’s mission needs, he said. “That means agility in your technology, agility in your workforce, and agility in your acquisition environment is the only way we’re going to defeat this threat,” stressed Papay.
Dozens of former Airmen are running for Congress in the 2026 midterms, with Election Day fast approaching on Nov. 3. But the potential impact of the election for the Air Force and Space Force goes beyond just the number of former service members on Capitol Hill—the results will also decide…