Space programs will top the Air Force’s wishlist as it prepares for future conflicts that may not follow the same script as today’s battles, said Air Force Secretary Michael Donley Friday. Half of the service’s top 10 acquisition investment programs are space related. Donley did not discuss them in detail during his address at AFA’s Global Warfare Symposium in Los Angeles, but said the “good news is that there is a joint demand for what we are building.” However, no program is exempt from the pending fiscal challenges. As a result, Donley said, the Air Force has made achieving acquisition excellence a top priority. “This will become even more critical in the months and years ahead as we fight to maintain the technological advantage, adapt to rapid changes, and do this acquisition work within [a] strategically relevant time frame and tight budgets,” he said.
The Department of the Air Force has identified 50 programs that will make up the core of its contribution to the Pentagon’s joint all-domain command and control effort, branding them part of the “DAF Battle Network,” according to newly-released budget documents. The DAF Battle Network programs span multiple offices and agencies…