AFRL leader tapped for Space Force key acquisition position

Jeanne Dailey, Air Force Research Laboratory Published Jan 18, 2022

KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFRL) -The Air Force Research Laboratory recently announced the assignment of its Space Vehicles Directorate director, Col. Eric J. Felt, to a position with the U.S. Space Force as Deputy Executive Director for the Space Architecture, Science and Technology Directorate at the Pentagon, with an effective date in July.

Felt has led the AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate, located at Kirtland AFB, since July 2018, and serves in a dual-hatted role as commander of the Phillips Research Site, which encompasses military command authority for AFRL’s Space Vehicles and Directed Energy Directorates.

As director, Felt leads a team of more than 1,080 military, civilian and on-site contractors who comprise the nation’s center of excellence for military space science and technology. The directorate focuses on enduring Space Force space missions: communications; position navigation and timing; missile warning; space domain awareness; and space control.

Felt’s upcoming job will involve the standup of the Space Force’s acquisition function, SAF/SQ, positioned under the Space Service Acquisition Executive. The Secretary of the Air Force office will support the more than 6,500 Space Force Guardians and about an equal number of civilians responsible for operating and protecting the nation’s military satellites and systems. As a deputy executive director, Felt will support the development of space architecture and associated technology, working with the service’s field units and communicating the Space Force’s acquisition needs to Congress. Felt became a member of the U.S. Space Force in July 2021.

A change of command ceremony will be held at Kirtland AFB, July 13 when Felt relinquishes command to Col. Jeremy Raley, now assigned to the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, located on Kirtland AFB.

Col. Eric J. Felt is the Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate director and commander of the Phillips Research Site, located at Kirtland AFB, N.M. (U.S. Air Force photo)