During his appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 27, President Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of the Air Force, Troy Meink, made a compelling case for accelerating U.S. space capabilities. Currently the deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Meink's confirmation would place him at the helm of both the Air Force and the Space Force amidst escalating competition with China and Russia. His extensive experience in national security space programs and defense acquisition generated significant interest among lawmakers.
Lawmakers questioned Meink on how he would ensure the Space Force maintains its technological edge. He emphasized the urgent need for investment, characterizing space as a contested domain. “Space is critical,” Meink stated. “This is actually one of the areas that we’re most challenged, I believe, from the rapidly evolving threat from China and others, both the direct threat to our systems as well as the threat those systems pose to our operations across the department in general.”
Meink underscored the necessity of a highly skilled workforce, particularly in acquisition and operations. “These are some of the most complicated systems, and if the U.S. is going to maintain our advantage, which we need to do in space, we need to make sure we have the right workforce.” He advocated for increased resources, stating, “We need the right number of guardians, but we also need the skills training, support, and focus to deliver and operate those systems.”
He issued a stark warning about the potential for the U.S. to fall behind if innovation isn't accelerated. “Near-peer competitors such as China are evolving faster than we are in some cases, which will eventually result in the U.S. losing our technological advantage,” he warned. “Some competitors, such as Russia, are fielding highly escalatory asymmetric capabilities.”
Meink championed innovation, highlighting his work at the NRO in utilizing commercial technologies to streamline acquisitions and reduce costs. “I spent the last decade increasing competition and expanding the industry base, which has significantly accelerated delivery of capability and at a lower cost,” he explained. “I intend to bring that same drive for innovation to the Department.”
He proposed a shift in space acquisitions, moving away from “legacy practices of bespoke, siloed systems” towards integration with commercial solutions. “Top-level requirements need to be written in broad mission areas, which allows the acquisition community to decompose them in ways that allow for rapid technological insertion, increased adaptation of commercial capabilities, and the flexibility to trade performance for speed in certain circumstances.” His testimony was largely well-received by the committee, with senators praising his space expertise and experience.