Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink highlighted major changes in the Department of the Air Force’s acquisition process during his keynote speech Thursday at the Spacepower 2025 Conference, the U.S. Space Force reported.
Table of Contents
What Are Troy Meink’s Thoughts on Portfolio Acquisition Executives?
One of the structural changes Meink cited is the shift from program executive officers to portfolio acquisition executives, or PAEs, to speed up the decision-making process and provide leaders with clearer authority.
“We’re moving from the old program executive officer model to portfolio acquisition executives, and the whole focus is making sure our people are empowered to do their jobs,” Meink said. “For too long, we’ve had responsibility without the authority to match. We’re fixing that by streamlining oversight and giving PAEs the ability to make decisions quickly — and we’ll have their backs when things don’t go right.”
“PAEs must have authorities, resources and talent to execute some of the most technical programs,” he added.
Meink urged the Space Force “to innovate faster and deliver capability at the pace the mission demands,” noting that automation will continue to play a critical role in satellite operations and data processing.
What Key Space Force Developments Did Gen. Saltzman Highlight at Spacepower 2025?
At the Space Force Association-hosted conference, Gen. Chance Saltzman, Space Force chief of space operations and a three-time Wash100 awardee, announced the naming of two Space Force weapon systems—Ursa Major and Bifrost—as part of a Guardian-driven initiative to enhance operational identity.
He highlighted the increasing role of allies and partners in the service branch’s force design, operational planning and exercises, citing Resolute Space 25 as a demonstration of combined readiness.
Saltzman also noted that the Space Force is accelerating the delivery of capabilities through modernized and streamlined acquisition processes to support warfighters and counter threats.
Related Articles
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the attorney general to establish an artificial intelligence litigation task force to challenge state AI laws deemed “unconstitutional, preempted, or otherwise unlawful,” which could potentially hinder innovation. Explore innovative AI use cases and connect with GovCon leaders at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 19. Reserve your seat today to be part of this transformative conversation. What Are the Key Provisions of Trump’s New Executive Order on AI? Under the new EO, the secretary of commerce will evaluate state AI laws for conflicts with national policy priorities
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has released version 2.0 of its Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals, or CPGs, an updated guidance for integrating cybersecurity within an organization’s daily operations. The Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Cyber Summit on May 21 will bring together cybersecurity experts from across government and industry to discuss some of the most pressing cyber issues and opportunities today. Get your tickets here. CISA said Thursday that the document reflects three years of operational insights and contains best practices collected from industry and government leaders and cybersecurity experts. “Over the past year, CISA has engaged extensively with hundreds
The National Security Agency has issued a Cybersecurity Information Sheet detailing how organizations can address configuration challenges associated with Unified Extensible Firmware Interface—a.k.a. UEFI—Secure Boot. The agency said Thursday that the guidance provides system owners with instructions on how to verify Secure Boot settings and detect or recover from misconfigurations. Cyber has become a principal battlefield in global conflict and American systems are being targeted. Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Cyber Summit on May 21 to gain a better understanding of cyber from global adversaries and near-peer nations and get updates to ongoing and future cyber initiatives across the