August 28, 2020 | International, Aerospace
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center will host a Space Force Pitch Day in spring 2021. While the current plan is to host the event in person in Los Angeles, California, SMC noted that it may move to a virtual environment due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The Air Force first introduced its pitch days in March 2019, and has since held several to find “defense unicorns” — nontraditional companies with innovative solutions that lack the resources and know-how to secure Department of Defense contracts. Inspired by the popular television series “Shark Tank,” select companies are given the unique opportunity to present their solutions to acquisition leaders, who are then able to award Small Business Innovation Research grants.
“Space Force is committed to procuring things differently. We continue to recognize the need for faster and smarter methods to quickly identify, procure and develop military space solutions. Space Pitch Day is one way SMC is bridging the gap between small businesses and the military,” said Maj. Ryan Pennington, project lead of SMC's deputy space ventures.
A major draw of the events is the responsiveness, giving smaller companies the chance to forgo the traditional, lengthy DoD contracting process. The Air Force boasts that on its first pitch day, the service awarded a contract within three minutes of seeing the presentation. During the first Space Force Pitch Day in November 2019, the Air Force issued $9 million to 12 companies.
“The inaugural Air Force Space Pitch Day last year was very successful. Although SMC is hosting its second pitch day event, it really is the first under the USSF. We are excited to host another event that enables us to grow and leverage small-business innovation into thriving ecosystems,” said Roberta Ewart, SMC's chief scientist. “The next SMC Space Force Pitch Day event will have the same focus and that is to open doors for innovative technologies and ideas and then create transition on-ramps into the USSF enterprise and architecture. We are fielding tomorrow's Space Force faster and smarter and we do this by changing the way we buy things.”
SMC has laid out 11 focus areas for the upcoming Space Force Pitch Day:
Interested companies can register and submit their proposals at www.spaceforcepitchday.com.
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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is asking Congress for an 8.7 percent increase in the military's research and development budget next year, in what would be a major boost for crucial enabling technologies in communications, surveillance, computers, electronic warfare (EW), electro-optics, and related electronics technologies. By John Keller WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is asking Congress for an 8.7 percent increase in the military research and development budget next year, in what would be a major boost for crucial enabling technologies in communications, surveillance, computers, electronic warfare (EW), electro-optics, and related electronics technologies. DOD officials are asking for $104.29 billion for electronics-rich research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) projects in the department's fiscal 2020 budget request, which was released this week. That's up 8.7 percent from the $95.96 billion DOD researchers received this year. Federal fiscal year 2020 begins next Oct. 1. The research budget typically is heavy in technology development, and is where the Pentagon pays for electronics technologies considered to be critical for tomorrow's weapon systems. Of this RDT&E request, the U.S. Air Force is asking for $46.07 billion; defense agencies for $25.17 billion; the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps for $20.43 billion; and the U.S. Army for $12.4 billion. This represents a plus-up for each service branch over this year: 11 percent for the Air Force; 4.6 percent for defense agencies; 9.5 percent for the Navy and Marine Corps; and 9 percent for the Army. The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), one of the Pentagon's premiere research organizations, would receive a 3.8 percent increase in 2020, increasing from $3.43 billion to $3.56 billion. In applied research in 2020, DARPA is asking for $512.4 million for network-centric warfare technologies -- an 18.1 percent increase; $232.1 million for command, control, and communications systems -- a 24.8 percent increase; $163.9 million for sensor technologies -- an 11.7 percent reduction; and $128.6 million for advanced electronics technologies -- a 15.8 percent increase. In basic research DARPA is asking for $442.6 million for information and communications technologies -- a 9.3 percent increase; $337.6 million for tactical technology -- a 9.1 percent increase; and $332.2 million for electronics technology -- a 5 percent reduction. In other defense agencies, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) in 2020 is asking for $7.25 billion -- a 1.7 percent increase. In advanced technology development, MDA is asking for $1.16 billion for the ballistic missile defense midcourse defense segment -- a 44 percent increase; $727.5 million for Aegis shipboard ballistic missile defense -- an 18.7 percent reduction; $571.5 million for ballistic missile defense enabling programs -- an 8.6 percent reduction; and $564.2 million for ballistic missile defense command and control -- an 11.1 percent increase. The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) is asking for $5.29 billion for research and development in 2020 -- a 10.2 percent reduction; the Chemical and Biological Defense program is asking for $1.05 billion -- a 5.4 percent increase; the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is asking for $820.3 million -- a 34 percent increase; and the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is asking for $542.9 million -- a 92.4 percent increase. In Special Operations Command advanced technology development programs, SOCOM is asking for $245.8 million for aviation systems -- a 39.8 percent increase; $167.6 million for operational enhancements -- a 62.8 percent increase; $72.6 million for maritime systems -- a 71 percent increase; $68.3 million for warrior systems -- a 9.1 percent reduction; $42.4 million for unmanned intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) -- a 6.1 percent reduction; and $20.7 million for the MQ-9 Reaper surveillance and attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) -- a 12.5 percent increase. https://www.militaryaerospace.com/computers/article/16721966/pentagon-seeks-10429-billion-military-research-budget-for-2020-an-increase-of-87-percent