Overview
- Secretary Troy Meink said roughly 27 PAEs will be appointed—18 for the Air Force and nine for the Space Force—with the first five Air Force and first two Space Force executives already in place.
- PAEs will have a holistic remit beyond today’s PEOs, spanning requirements, contracting, development, sustainment, and support functions such as airworthiness, personnel, foreign military sales, security, and facilities.
- About 85% of contracting authority has been delegated to PAE chiefs of contracts, and Meink plans to seek additional congressional authorities to enable more flexible fund shifts within portfolios.
- The construct draws on the Direct Reporting Program/Portfolio Manager model, with current DRPMs Gen. Michael Guetlein and Gen. Dale White providing the template for elevated oversight of major programs.
- Requirements prioritization will run through A5/7 Next with a planned Chief Modernization Officer for the Air Force and through an expanded Space Warfighting Analysis Center for the Space Force, as Meink presses industry for higher-rate production and designs optimized for producibility.