AFMC Command News

ESC executive director calls for speed with discipline

  • Published
  • By Chuck Paone
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  In today's environment, where technology advances enable operators to act and decide quicker than ever, acquisition efforts should be as nimble as possible.

The Electronic Systems Center's new executive director, Rich Lombardi, shared that message Nov. 19 during a luncheon sponsored by the Lexington-Concord Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association.

Mr. Lombardi added that acquirers need to balance competing demands.

"We need to go fast - that's really important - but we also need to maintain discipline," he said, cautioning against the reckless pursuit of acquisition objectives.

He said that cyber challenges also drive the need for enhanced acquisition speed.

"In cyber warfare, everything that makes us powerful also makes us vulnerable," Mr. Lombardi said. It's easier for adversaries to attack in the cyber domain, and they could potentially do great damage "in nanoseconds."

Mr. Lombardi, who prior to assuming his current position In October, had served as the Air Force's budget investment director, also offered several monetary insights. He noted that when people refer to discretionary funding, dollars available for cutting or re-direction, it tends to be program investment money they're speaking about.

Many of the Air Force's other costs, such as personnel, entitlements and even jet fuel, are must-pay bills, he said. As a result, research, development and acquisition programs get stretched out, fewer planes get built each year, needs get deferred.

He also pointed out that the Air Force, like other services, has come to depend on Global War on Terror supplemental budget requests to offset program shortfalls, noting that those dollars "will probably start to decline."

The good news is that organizations like ESC, which now take an enterprise-wide approach to capability provision, are increasing efficiency. At the same time, the center is providing better, more comprehensive information delivery solutions for war fighters, Mr. Lombardi said.

"By transforming the enterprise, we're fundamentally changing the way we think about building and delivering capability," he said.