Talent and acquisition reform are key to Space Force dominance, Meink says

Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink used a keynote address at the Space Symposium on April 15 to cast the moment as a turning point for the U.S. Space Force, tying the service’s maturation to accelerated acquisition reform, a sharpened focus on talent, and continued budget growth.

Declaring “this is the moment when our nation’s Space Force comes of age,” Meink said the service is pushing to move faster than adversaries amid rapid advances in microelectronics, manufacturing, autonomy and artificial intelligence. “I truly believe we have a once in a generation opportunity to make the necessary changes for the Department to maintain our advantage, and we will get this right,” he told an audience of Guardians, industry leaders and elected officials.

Meink framed the effort around three pillars—people, empowerment and resources—arguing that organizational charts and processes are insufficient without the right workforce. “To make this happen we need to make sure that we have the right talent, that our teams are empowered, and that they have the right resources,” he said.

He underscored the pace of change reshaping national security space, saying the Department of the Air Force (DAF), and the Space Force in particular, must adapt to meet determined competitors and a wave of disruptive technology. “We are in the middle of one of the biggest periods of technological change in military history. Advances in microelectronics, adaptive manufacturing, capital markets, autonomy, AI and more give the DAF a unique opportunity to drive down costs and drive-up effectiveness against the entire range of threats.”

Budget expectations point upward, he indicated, with the Space Force’s top line projected to continue the robust growth seen in recent years. At the same time, Meink said the department must extract more value from each dollar by changing how it develops and buys systems. “Our challenge is … doing so in what might be the fastest period of technological change ever,” he said. “We, all of us, must take advantage of that disruptive tech faster than our competition, whether for national security or economic security.

“And we’re doing exactly that — right now, both the Air Force and the Space Force are undergoing massive programs of modernization,” Meink said.

Central to that push is a retooled acquisition model that shifts decision-making downward and gives program teams greater latitude to act quickly. “Talent is the single most important ingredient, and we have a lot of it,” he said. “We can have the perfect org structure, but unless we have dedicated professionals putting in the hard work, we will not be successful.”

Meink described a structure that invests more authority—and accountability—in portfolio acquisition executives (PAEs), with most contracting decisions now handled below the headquarters level. “Essentially, what we are doing is giving program teams the authority, support and flexibility to make decisions faster; we are empowering the teams,” he said, calling the change a top priority since he became secretary. “As a rule, we’re delegating nearly every decision authority that we’re legally allowed to down to the PAE level,” he said. “I’ve previously mentioned how we’ve delegated 85% of contracting authorities down to the PAE level. For the space force that is 92%.”

He also called for a cultural shift away from gold-plated, protracted development cycles in favor of delivering minimum viable products that meet operational needs and can be fielded at scale. “It doesn’t matter if we have something that works perfectly under all conditions,” Meink said. “If it is too expensive and we can’t build enough of them to be effective, it’s a failed program.”

Sustaining that model, he argued, hinges on attracting and retaining specialized talent, especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. “If we don’t get kids interested by middle school, they are not likely to go into STEM and that ultimately hurts our national security,” he said, urging corporate partners to step up. “Industry can and should do more to invest in our next generation every bit as much as they invest in stock buybacks and dividends,” he said.

Meink closed by pointing to recent operations and exercises as indicators of readiness. “We are ready to win the fight tonight; just look at Midnight Hammer, Absolute Resolve and Epic Fury,” he said. “I’ve been so impressed watching our team succeed even in the hardest of circumstances. Supporting them is why I’m here, why you’re here, why we’re all here.”

While specific budget figures and timelines for the acquisition reforms were not detailed in the remarks, Meink’s message signaled that the department aims to pair anticipated funding growth with structural changes designed to accelerate delivery and expand capacity, positioning the Space Force to move faster in an era defined by rapid technological change.