In August, the Department of the Air Force (DAF) held the annual Department of the Air Force IT Conference (DAFITC) in Montgomery, Alabama. They brought together leading voices from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, industry and academia centered on the theme “Lethality, Readiness and Efficiency.” The event spotlighted how modern IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, data and workforce development are all coming together to shape a more agile, secure and mission-ready force.

Federal officials have released a first of its kind Strategy focused on the security of the government’s space-based platforms and infrastructure, and the impact commercial solutions may have on supporting the continued need in this space; pun intended. According to the document, the 2024 Department of Defense (DoD) Commercial Space Integration Strategy is a first for the Department of Defense, and “provides a vision for prioritizing and aligning efforts to integrate commercial solutions into our national security space architecture.”

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The United States spent $554 billion in discretionary contracts for goods and services during FY18, covering the gamut from janitorial services to hand grenades. This number ranks higher than Sweden’s gross domestic product, as well as 165 other countries’ GDP.