COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.–The Air Force is rethinking the way it acquires critical “survival of the nation” space capabilities with a plan called the Space Enterprise Vision.
Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) chief Gen. John Hyten said Thursday the Space Enterprise Vision is a joint effort with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) to determine how to better acquire critical capabilities like strategic missile warning and nuclear command and control (C2) communications. He said other capabilities like these, which he called warfighter essential requirements, that can’t be performed by industry will be part of the Space Enterprise Vision.
The goal, Hyten said, is to design better and more affordable systems. Defense budgets are looking stagnant over the next few years with another round of sequestration budget looming on the horizon. Hyten said the Space Enterprise Vision will specifically focus on, and prioritize, these critical capabilities, then apply lessons learned, and leftover funding, to other acquisition programs.
“If there’s any additional money that we can use, we can put them against additional requirements, but we have to meet the warfighter essential requirements across the enterprise,” Hyten told reporters here at the 32nd Space Symposium.
Hyten gave the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) as an example of a program that would benefit from the Space Enterprise Vision. It performs missile warning, he said, but it also performs other functions that benefit the joint mission. Hyten believes the Space Enterprise Vision will produce answers to acquisition problems that will be financially attractive.
Hyten said the ultimate goal of the Space Enterprise Vision is to reduce stovepipes and to view space as a holistic entity.
“Until you look at space as an enterprise, as long as you continue to look at space as singular stovepipes, you won’t build the right things that we need for the future,” Hyten said. “So we fundamentally have to figure out how to do business a different way.”