ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) -- In alignment with the Department of War-driven transition to the ‘Warfighting Acquisition System,’ the Air Force has designated Portfolio Acquisition Executives for all 17 of its acquisition portfolios. The transition from Program Executive Officers to PAEs, decentralizes authorities and resources by mission to ensure accountability and accelerate the delivery of urgently needed capabilities to warfighters.
“As we transition to a Warfighting Acquisition System, it felt absolutely essential for us to accelerate getting these authorities out to the field,” said Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics William Bailey.
“Our initial group of PAEs allowed us to examine what a PAE could do and what barriers in our organization needed to be knocked down. Aligning authority and accountability at the point of execution is essential to winning the fight.”
In January, the service transitioned the first five PEOs to PAEs — Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management; Fighters and Advanced Aircraft; Nuclear Command, Control and Communications; Propulsion; and Weapons. That initial tranche of PAEs served as pathfinders, guiding what transformation would look like for other portfolios, which followed suit by applying lessons learned. As of July 4, the Air Force PAEs are:
| Portfolio |
Portfolio Acquisition Executive |
Headquarters |
| Fighters & Advanced Aircraft |
Col. Tim Helfrich |
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio |
| Propulsion |
Mr. John Sneden, SES |
Tinker AFB, Okla. |
| Weapons |
Brig. Gen. Robert Lyons |
Eglin AFB, Fla. |
| NC3 |
Mr. Scott Hardiman, SES |
Hanscom AFB, Mass. |
| C3BM |
Brig. Gen. Josh Williams (Announced) |
The Pentagon, Va. |
| ISR & SOF |
Col. John Dayton |
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio |
| Cyber & Networks |
Mr. Jeremy Thiele (Announced) |
Hanscom AFB, Mass. |
| Bombers |
Col. Tim Spaulding |
Wright-Patterson AFB, Oio |
| ICBM |
Brig. Gen. Buck Rogers |
Kirtland AFB, N.M. |
| Mobility |
Brig. Gen. Leigh Ottati |
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio |
| Combat Readiness |
Brig. Gen. Jason Voorheis (Announced) |
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio |
| Business & Enterprise Systems |
Mr. Al Burse, SES |
Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala. |
| Training |
Mr. Rodney Stevens, SES |
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio |
| Electronic Systems |
Ms. Lea Kirkwood, SES |
Hanscom AFB, Mass. |
| Services |
Ms. MaryKate Robinson, SES |
Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, D.C. |
| Presidential & Executive Airpower |
Col. Jennifer Mapp |
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio |
| Nuclear Air Delivered |
Col. Summer Clovis (Acting) |
Kirtland AFB, N.M. |
While this redesignation is a key milestone in transforming the DAF’s process, Bailey emphasized the acquisition community will continue to refine how it delivers capabilities.
“This is a monumental step forward but our work is not done. Pushing these critical decisions down to the PAE level demands a heightened commitment to delivering results and holding ourselves accountable. We [the acquisition community] must continue to be bold, to learn, and to adapt, ensuring we provide our warfighters with the decisive edge they need when they need it.”
This redesignation is one example of the DAF’s commitment to placing acquisition on a wartime footing, putting the warfighter at the center of its processes to ensure the voice of the operator informs the capabilities acquirers deliver.