A report by McAleese & Associates says Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, is set to host Friday, April 26, an “open door†with industry on new contractor business models.
Jim McAleese, founder and principal at McAleese & Associates and a 2019 Wash100 winner, wrote in the report that Roper is looking for new business models to incentivize vendors to focus on initial development and production.
Roper, a 2019 Wash100 recipient, also appeared at an AFA Mitchell Institute event held April 12 and spoke about the service’s need to speed up the acquisition process by providing “top cover†for program managers when it comes to procurement decisions.
He mentioned the military branch’s plan to deploy this month the newly updated F-35 Autonomic Logistics Information System to help each fighter aircraft maintainer save 10 to 15 work hours per week, McAleese wrote.
Roper also discussed digital engineering, which he said will facilitate Next-Generation Air Dominance “Century Series†development.
Other topics Roper cited at the event include the service’s need to partner with technology startups, operationalize artificial intelligence and reduce sustainment costs, according to the report.
