The Department of Defense is making progress in developing its operationally responsive space concept, but still has a ways to go to ensure that ORS is clearly understood by all stakeholders across the national security space community, the Government Accountability Office reported in a study issued earlier this month. Indeed, GAO said its examination identified a “disparity in stakeholder understanding” because DOD “has not clearly defined” and “not effectively communicated” the concept. For example, ORS planning documents are “broad and lack the specificity” necessary to guide the concept. Further, there has been a perceived lack of consultation and communication by DOD with the intelligence community among members of the latter group, GAO said. “Without having a well-defined and commonly understood concept, DOD’s ability to fully meet warfighter needs may be hampered,” GAO said. DOD stood up the joint ORS office in May 2007.
Boeing received a $2.47 billion Air Force contract Nov. 25 for 15 more KC-46s, bringing to 183 the number of Pegasus tankers on contract to all customers, foreign and domestic. The new contract—for Lot 12 of the initially planned KC-46 buy—is to be completed by 2029.
