Sunday, April 28, 2024
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Courtney Albon was senior editor for aviation and space at Inside Defense until December 2021. She covered the Air Force since 2012, reporting largely on space programs and fighter aircraft acquisition, development and budget from inside Capitol Hill, the Pentagon, and from military installations around the United States. Courtney previously worked as a general assignment reporter at The Ashland Times-Gazette in Ashland, OH, covering education and local government. She graduated from American University in 2008, where she studied journalism and sociology.
The Air Force is beginning to see its vision for a government-owned, synthetic modeling and simulation environment take shape and, while challenges remain, the head of the service's test center said he's encouraged by the development progress he's seen on the technical backbone that will connect fourth- and fifth-generation simulators for high-fidelity testing and training.
The Space Force today was officially designated the 18th member of the intelligence community.
SpaceX and L3Harris have resumed work on the Space Development Agency's Tracking Layer Tranche 0 satellite development contracts after a series of protests put the companies' contracts on hold and led the agency to reevaluate bids.
Welcome to today's Space Briefing -- a biweekly roundup of the latest national security space news.
The Space and Missile Systems Center anticipates delays to new Space Enterprise Consortium solicitations as the Space Force continues its review of the incoming consortium manager, the National Security Technology Accelerator, in light of a recent Texas court decision involving the company.
The Space Development Agency has awarded SpaceX $150 million to launch up to 28 satellites in support of the agency's tracking and transport layers.
The Defense Department last week awarded Lockheed Martin a nearly $904 million contract modification to buy long-lead parts for 133 Lot 16 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.
The Space Force announced last week it expects to issue a draft request for proposals in early January for two responsive launch missions.
The Government Accountability Office this week dismissed Raytheon's most recent protest of a Space Development Agency contract for wide-field-of-view satellites.
A new report on the Defense Department's overhead persistent infrared architecture offers insight into the Pentagon's plans for future space-based missile tracking and warning capabilities -- a response to lawmakers' calls for a clear strategy that addresses concerns about duplication and oversight across the enterprise.
The final version of the fiscal year 2021 defense appropriations bill includes a $140 million cut to the Air Force's Next-Generation Air Dominance program -- a sign Congress may not yet be sold on the service's Digital Century Series pitch.
United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno told reporters this week he expects future Space Force Launch Services Procurement strategies will call for more national security-unique requirements, potentially shifting the investment burden more toward the government and away from industry.
Welcome to today's Space Briefing -- a biweekly roundup of the latest national security space news.
After a successful demonstration this fall, the F-35 Joint Program Office is negotiating an installation plan to integrate the new Operational Data Integration Network at operational sites, beginning in late 2021.
After spending most of 2020 defining its structure, leadership and warfighting doctrine, the head of the Space Force said this week the new service's second year will focus more on integration -- with the joint community, industry, international partners and within the broader space acquisition enterprise.
The Space Force has finalized its plan for a new Space Systems Command and expects to start building the organization early next year.
The Air Force's Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar program office expects to award at least one integration contract for the program's new rapid prototyping effort in February, after three companies demonstrated production-ready systems this summer.
The Space and Missile Systems Center has selected National Security Technology Accelerator to manage its "reloaded" Space Enterprise Consortium under a new 10-year agreement with a $12 billion ceiling.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown today released a list of action orders guiding the implementation of his "accelerate change or lose" mandate, including the creation of new force presentation plans that could drive changes to fiscal year 2021 and 2022 program execution and planning.
The official performing the duties of assistant Air Force secretary for space acquisition and integration said today he expects the Biden administration may nominate someone by this spring to take over the role in a formal capacity.