LOS ANGELES, June 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Space Systems Command nominated the Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution Command and Control (FORGE C2) team for the John J. Welch, Jr. Excellence in Acquisition Leadership Award at the Department of the Air Force level. This prestigious award recognizes an Air Force team that has made significant improvements and impacts in acquisition leadership over the past year. The FORGE C2 team, with contributors based in El Segundo, CA; Colorado Springs and Boulder, CO; Washington, D.C.; Chantilly and Reston, VA; and North Logan, UT, was recognized for its exceptional innovation, acquisition excellence, and transformative collaboration with industry partners through the Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC) Other Transaction Authority (OTA), managed by National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL).
Tasked with modernizing the command-and-control capabilities for the $20 billion Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) space enterprise, the FORGE C2 team reimagined the strategic direction of a $5.5 billion C2 weapons system program. Through close integration with more than 54 government and industry stakeholders, the team delivered four rapid prototype solutions that enhanced cybersecurity, automation, and operational responsiveness across two Combatant Commands, achieving a 30% increase in resiliency and automation.
“This recognition of the FORGE C2 team is a powerful testament to what’s possible when government and industry come together to tackle a shared mission,” said Doug Crowe, Senior Vice President of Program Management at NSTXL. “The SpEC OTA empowered the team to move beyond traditional acquisition constraints and drive real innovation with non-traditional defense companies. This award validates how OTAs enable leaders across government and industry to collaborate boldly, think strategically, and—most importantly—deliver faster for the mission.”
A cornerstone of this success was the strategic use of the SpEC OTA, which allowed the team to bypass traditional Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) constraints. By leveraging SpEC, the team reduced procurement timelines by more than a year and onboarded 15 non-traditional defense contractors—opening competition after a decade of single-vendor reliance. This agile model opened doors to cutting-edge commercial solutions and shortened C2 application delivery timelines by more than two years.
Additionally, the team’s streamlined evaluation process cut source selection timelines by two months and has since been adopted as a “gold standard” by the National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL), benefiting more than 600 companies and 10 U.S. Space Force Agreements Officers.
NSTXL, which manages SpEC, played a pivotal role in the FORGE C2 team’s success by providing agile acquisition support, industry engagement expertise, and streamlined contracting processes on behalf of SSC. This close partnership enabled the team to rapidly access innovative, non-traditional defense companies and execute an accelerated prototyping strategy that delivered results years ahead of schedule.
This award underscores how innovative acquisition strategies and strong collaboration—enabled by mechanisms like the SpEC OTA—are not only modernizing space defense systems but also redefining how government and industry work together to maintain strategic advantage.
About SpEC
The Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC) was created in 2017 through the Air Force Space Systems Command to bridge the gap between military buyers, commercial space startups, and small businesses through OTAs. Companies interested in joining the Space Enterprise Consortium can find more information about the organization, including how to join at https://www.space-enterprise.org/.
For media inquiries contact:
press@nstxl.org
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