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An Air Force Global Strike Command unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test Oct. 29, 2020, at Vandenberg AFB, Calif. (US Air Force photo by Michael Peterson)<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON \u2014 The Defense Department is considering innovative methods \u2014 such as prize contests and industry cooperation \u2014 for kick starting development of space-based interceptors (SBIs) under the Trump administration\u2019s ambitious Golden Dome<\/a> initiative, according to a senior Space Force official.<\/p>\n Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, acting head of space acquisition for the Department of the Air Force, told the House Armed Services Committee today that \u201cfrom initial discussions\u201d with the Pentagon\u2019s new Golden Dome czar, Gen. Michael Guetlein, and his team, it is clear that the primary goal for SBIs is speed.<\/p>\n \u201cThey plan to intend to be as fast as possible,\u201d he said. \u201c[T]hey\u2019re looking at really additional novel ideas, like prize activities, [and] cooperative work with industry where they\u2019re leveraging industry development.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking at a Space Foundation event on Tuesday, Guetlein acknowledged that SBIs are the long pole in the tent for Golden Dome, which is aimed at creating a comprehensive air and missile defense shield over the US homeland.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the real technical challenge will be building of the space-based interceptor. That technology exists. I believe we have proven every element of the physics that we can make it work. What we have not proven is: First, can I do it economically; and then second, can I do it at scale? Can I build enough satellites to get after the threat? Can I expand the industrial base fast enough to build those satellites? Do I have enough raw materials, etc?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Guetlein further noted that he has 60 days to come up with a notional blueprint for Golden Dome.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been given 60 days to come up with the objective architecture,\u201d he said. \u201cI owe that back to the deputy secretary of defense in 60 days. So, in 60 days I\u2019ll be able to talk in depth about, hey, this is our vision for what we want to get after for Golden Dome.\u201d<\/p>\n As the Space Force moves forward with development of SBIs, Purdy said the service will apply \u201clessons learned\u201d from recent efforts to shorten acquisition timelines for other space systems by using non-traditional contracting vehicles, such as Other Transaction Authority, Middle Tier Acquisition constructs and Commercial Solutions Openings.<\/p>\n Further, he stressed that in order to take advantage of commercial innovation, it is key that SBI development not be bogged down by \u201cgold standard\u201d requirements developed up front \u2014 instead defining necessary capabilities and asking industry how it can provide solutions.<\/p>\n \u201cBroadly speaking, what we are trying to get after [is to] let industry bid to those pieces, and then we have the maturity and flexibility to pick different elements that might have different levels of capability, but each provide their own uniqueness and bring those forward,\u201d Purdy said.<\/p>\n Another key to success that the Space Force has learned in its own acquisition reform efforts is the need to ensure multiple providers, he said.<\/p>\n \u201c[T]he opportunity to have multiple winners in the end game, and not just a one and done, I think, is critical. It allows you to have continued to build that industrial base. It allows you extra resiliency.\u201d<\/p>\n According to a report by Reuters<\/a>, in particular the Pentagon is looking at how to move away from reliance on SpaceX for both launch services and communications satellites for Golden Dome in the wake of the ongoing feud between President Donald Trump and the company\u2019s founder Elon Musk. Citing several government officials, the report noted that DoD is eyeing Amazon\u2019s Project Kuiper to provide data relay services, and has initiated talks with launch providers Stoke Space and Rocket Lab regarding Golden Dome.<\/p>\n Purdy said that Guetlein and his team have \u201calready hit commercial a couple of times\u201d to discuss SBI development.<\/p>\n A number of companies already are advertising their interest, including big defense firms Lockheed Martin, RTX<\/a> and Northrop Grumman<\/a>. Indeed, Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden said Tuesday during an earnings call that the company already is performing ground-based tests on an SBI design that she believes can be accelerated.<\/p>\n \t\tRecommended\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An Air Force Global Strike Command unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test Oct.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":32713,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[27346,27347,27348,27349,79,193,14930,27350,11716],"class_list":{"0":"post-32712","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-space","8":"tag-gen-michael-guetlein","9":"tag-golden-dome","10":"tag-house-armed-services-commitee","11":"tag-maj-gen-stephen-purdy","12":"tag-science","13":"tag-space","14":"tag-space-acquisition","15":"tag-space-based-boost-phase-interceptors-sbi","16":"tag-space-force"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32712"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32712\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}