The Air Force’s space enterprise is busy designing, building, and delivering a healthy number of new satellite systems, but the military space enterprise is not immune to the same sorts of industrial base concerns that haunt other USAF mission areas. That was the warning from Air Force Secretary Michael Donley in his Nov. 20 speech at AFA’s Global Warfare Symposium in Beverly Hills, Calif. Donley noted that when you total up procurement, research, and development, and construction funding, space systems account for 21 percent of USAF’s total investment account. Yet the mission area is still experiencing a dwindling workforce, intense competition for talent from the private sector, and a shrinking number of viable contractors. He cautioned that money alone will not cure acquisition problems—good management is essential.
The Space Force is facing a 14 percent cut to its civilian workforce due to the Trump administration’s broad push to shrink the number of civilians working for the defense establishment. Instead of anticipated growth in its workforce, the Space Force’s personnel have now shrunk significantly.