Defense procurement
Military Space Situational Awareness 2020
SMi Group are proud to announce the 15th annual Military Space Situational Awareness Conference and Exhibition will return to London on the 29th and 30th April 2020.
As space becomes more congested, competitive and contested; the need for …
21st Annual Global MilSatCom
SMi Group are proud to announce the 21st annual Global MilSatCom conference and exhibition will return to London on the 5th, 6th and 7th November alongside a Small Satellites and Disruptive Space Technology focus day on the 4th November.
As…
On National Security | New blood wants a real chance to challenge DoD’s big space primes
Big-money satellite procurements remain firmly in the clutch of the big primes. Nowhere is this more apparent than in missile defense satellite programs.
Military Space USA
SMi Group, organizers of Global MilSatcom, are proud to present the Military Space USA conference and exhibition; convening in Los Angeles on June 11th and 12th 2019.
Featuring high level briefings from senior leadership across industry, g…
Not everyone on Capitol Hill disapproves of the Air Force launch strategy
The House Appropriations Committee commended the Air Force’s launch procurement strategy for increasing competition and eliminating U.S. reliance on Russian rocket engines.
Military Space Situational Awareness 2019
Space is becoming more congested, competitive and contested with thousands of small LEO satellites set to be put into orbit over the next decade. These assets offer the opportunity to provide un-dreamt of levels of connectivity – but have also c…
Air Force leaders tout progress in space procurement reforms
A reorganization of the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center and the establishment of a rapid procurement office for space are just the initial steps toward getting “better and faster,” Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Stephen Wilson said last week.
Air Force turns to nontraditional contracting for space technology projects
The Space Enterprise Consortium does not follow the arcane defense acquisition regulations. It requires traditional defense contractors to work with nontraditional vendors.
Mike Griffin’s tough talk to Pentagon contractors: Be a team player, look at your own red tape
Griffin: "The bumper sticker version of my job is that I don’t have anything to do with anything that the Defense Department is currently buying. "
SN Military.Space | Space reforms near decision point • SMC Commander: Procurement slow but not broken • Mattis downplays impact of Trump trade wars
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters the Pentagon appreciates the congressional focus on space issues and is not being passive about space reforms, although he would like to see further debate on the pros and cons of reorganizing the military.
SN Military.Space | Faster acquisitions a ‘daunting task’ for DoD; Satellite comms: What does DoD want?
Air Force Gen. John Hyten has been insistent that U.S. military space programs need to “go faster” as adversaries continue to close in on the United States.
Air Force secretary raises space awareness inside Pentagon; Startups grab spotlight at satellite industry’s annual DC trade show
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson is using regular meetings with her Army and Navy counterparts to keep her colleagues up to date on space issues and on the emerging concept of “multi-domain” military operations that requires broader sharing of information.
Griffin rails at DoD procurement culture: ‘We make things expensive that don’t need to be’
Griffin: In the DoD space business there is a culture of “perfect mission assurance” that leads to overly complex and expensive systems.
Op-ed | As adversaries threaten U.S. space systems, serious changes are needed in defense procurement
Rigidity of the military requirements process means that systems cannot be changed easily after development begins, resulting in systems that are technologically obsolete by the time they reach production.
