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.
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.