Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics

Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics
U.S. Air Force Heraldry · Public domain · source
Name	Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics
Department	Department of the Air Force
Reports to	Secretary of the Air Force
Seat	The Pentagon
Appointer	President of the United States
Formation	1987

Contents

Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics is a senior official within the Department of the Air Force responsible for procurement, research, development, and sustainment of United States Air Force and United States Space Force capabilities. The office interfaces with the Secretary of the Air Force, Under Secretary of the Air Force, Secretary of Defense, and congressional committees including the United States House Committee on Armed Services and the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services. The role shapes programs such as the F-35 Lightning II, KC-46 Pegasus, and Space Development Agency initiatives while coordinating with prime contractors like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman.

History

The office traces roots to acquisition reforms following the Goldwater–Nichols Act and the Packard Commission recommendations that reshaped the Department of Defense acquisition workforce and oversight. In the late 20th century, changes in procurement after the Gulf War and the end of the Cold War prompted consolidation of acquisition authorities into a single Assistant Secretary post in the Reorganization Plan era. High-profile programs such as the Stealth aircraft programs and the GPS modernization drove early office priorities, intersecting with initiatives from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Air Force Research Laboratory. Congressional investigations by the Government Accountability Office and hearings before the Congressional Budget Office influenced statutory changes embodied in successive editions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation and the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009.

The Assistant Secretary acts as the Service Acquisition Executive for the United States Air Force and oversees materiel readiness for the United States Space Force under delegated authority from the Secretary of Defense. Responsibilities include managing acquisition programs for aircraft such as the B-21 Raider, rotorcraft like the V-22 Osprey when applicable, unmanned systems exemplified by the MQ-9 Reaper, and space systems related to the SpaceX and Blue Origin provider base. The office provides direction on science and technology investments with links to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Sandia National Laboratories, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and engages with international partners through the NATO cooperative programs, foreign military sales overseen by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, and export controls under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

The office is organized into program executive portfolios, including Acquisition Program Management, Science and Technology, Test and Evaluation, and Contracting, interfacing with the Air Force Materiel Command and the Space Systems Command. Historically, officeholders have included Senate-confirmed appointees from the Reagan administration through the Biden administration, often drawn from industry leaders at Raytheon Technologies, General Dynamics, and academic scholars from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. The office works with the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Secretary of the Navy counterparts in joint procurements, and with oversight by the Inspector General of the Department of Defense.

Programs overseen by the office have included next-generation platforms such as the F-22 Raptor follow-on efforts, the Next Generation Air Dominance initiative, tanker recapitalization with the KC-X program and KC-46 Pegasus, and strategic lift programs involving the C-17 Globemaster III. Space-focused initiatives include satellite constellations referenced by the National Reconnaissance Office and collaboration with the Space Development Agency on proliferated low Earth orbit architecture. Technology modernization efforts have addressed cyber and electronic warfare tied to U.S. Cyber Command priorities, hypersonics engagements linked to the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor concepts, and logistics innovations influenced by the Defense Logistics Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration partnerships.

Budget authority is coordinated through the Office of Management and Budget and executed in Program Objective Memoranda submitted to the Secretary of Defense and Congress via the President's annual budget. The office applies policies derived from the Federal Acquisition Regulation, Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, and statutes such as the Clinger–Cohen Act to manage cost, schedule, and performance baselines for Major Defense Acquisition Programs. Oversight metrics reference reports to the Congressional Budget Office and the Government Accountability Office, and acquisition reforms have incorporated initiatives from the Better Buying Power series and policy guidance from the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.

The office has been subject to scrutiny over cost growth and schedule slips in programs like the F-35 Lightning II and KC-46 Pegasus, prompting investigations by the House Armed Services Committee, Senate Armed Services Committee, and audits by the Government Accountability Office. Controversies have included contractor disputes involving Boeing and Lockheed Martin, export and technology transfer debates involving China and Russia, and ethical reviews by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General. Congressional hearings have produced reforms and mandated reporting requirements, while collaboration with entities such as the Defense Innovation Unit and the Office of Naval Research has been used to accelerate prototyping under authorities like Other Transaction Agreements.