EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Integrating the space enterprise enhances lethality and resilience with an open technical architecture that enables and strengthens innovation pipelines to ensure U.S. space superiority. To carry out this priority, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration (ASAF(SA&I), Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, has appointed a new senior advisor to effect integration and interoperability across the military space enterprise.
James E. “Woody” Haywood, a retired Air Force Brig. Gen., has joined Space Systems Command as the Senior Advisor to the Service Acquisition Executive (SASAE) and the Senior Advisor for Space Command, Control, and Integration (SASC2I). This includes directing Space Systems Command’s Space Systems Integration Office (SSIO) for the U.S. Space Force.
He will focus on driving more effectiveness and acceleration of military space systems integration, built on strong system of systems engineering (SoSE) principles, technical governance, and engineering artifacts that drive enterprise capability as well as expand opportunities for innovation.
SSC’s SSIO will ensure that program executive offices, program managers, mission partners, industry, and allies will be empowered with the analysis, tools, and support needed to drive enterprise integration and interoperability. These efforts will also emphasize cultivating an industrial base that supply continuous pipelines of innovation to ensure U.S. military advantage.
“Woody has my utmost confidence and support,” said Purdy. “We are at an inflection point where we need to be relentless, focused, and effective in advancing space enterprise capabilities to continue outpacing our adversaries and competitors. Woody brings the background, experience, and most importantly the leadership to make this happen.”
Haywood assumes the role with a career spanning more than three decades of solving complex space, acquisition, and technology challenges while delivering capabilities on accelerated timelines. Prior to this appointment, he served as the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Portfolio Integration Lead. There, he was responsible for developing AFRL-wide governance constructs and identifying opportunities internal and external to AFRL for more rapid delivery and transition of autonomy and AI-related technology into warfighter operations. Additionally, he served as the Director of the Center for Rapid Innovation (CRI) at AFRL. In that role, he led efforts to develop innovative solutions to operational warfighter priorities through the rapid infusion, integration, and transition of technology into demonstrations and prototypes within two years or less.
“The ability to quickly integrate innovative commercial solutions into a broader architecture is paramount to achieve space warfighting synchronization and maintain space superiority,” said Haywood. “To achieve this aim, the SSIO team will help ensure SSC is laser focused on delivering engineering artifacts, combined with the robust technical governance and discipline needed to transition new and emerging technologies into operations on faster timelines to stay ahead of proliferating threats.
As the SASAE, Mr. Haywood is the Senior Advisor to the SAE for space enterprise system-of-systems engineering across the USSF and space acquisition enterprise. This includes all acquisition efforts under the authority of the ASAF(SA&I) portfolios, and applicable mission partner organizations. As the SASC2I, Mr. Haywood is also responsible for providing a continual space enterprise assessment of all acquisition efforts within the same authority with respect to development, upgrade, deployment, sustainment, and integration. This includes activities that support and enable meeting Combatant Command requirements in capability areas including but not limited to space command and control, and enterprise system of systems integration.