Global Strike hosts acquisitions summit at Barksdale AFB to drive modernization Capt. Sydney Sedlak BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- Air Force Global Strike Command hosted a Technology, Acquisition and Sustainment Review from June 23-25 at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The three-day summit brought together senior leaders from across the enterprise to align strategic capabilities with the warfighter’s evolving needs and ensure the long-range strike mission is postured for the future. The event was organized by AFGSC/A5/8, Strategic Plans, Programs and Requirements Directorate. They worked with AFGSC/A4, Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection Directorate, to coordinate briefings and subject matter experts. They also worked closely with the Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisitions team, and Air Force Materiel Command. The event carries out vital acquisition programs and staff insight for all three organizations. The tri-chair summit was presided over by Lt Gen Luke Cropsey, military deputy, the Office of the Assistant SAF/AQ, Technology & Logistics; Gen. S.L. Davis, commander of AFGSC; and Lt. Gen. Linda Hurry, AFMC commander. “The TASR summit ensures we are directly aligning our resources with our most urgent acquisition needs,” said Cropsey. “We are making the hard decisions today to guarantee our Airmen maintain a decisive advantage tomorrow.” Historically, TASRs serve as a vital bridge between the operational force and the acquisition enterprise. The meticulously planned agendas allow senior leaders to examine enterprise-level concerns, often resulting in complex issues being solved on the spot. “Our acquisition strategies must be aligned with and support our Airmen who execute the mission,” said Davis. “By sitting down face-to-face with the acquisition and sustainment experts, we can cut through the red tape and accelerate the fielding and sustainment of Global Strike systems.” While the AFMC enterprise delivers research, development, testing, and sustainment capabilities to the entire Air Force, each operational command has unique challenges. Summits like TASR offer a strategically tailored opportunity for AFMC and SAF/AQ experts to understand the specific, real-time needs of AFGSC operators. “AFMC’s priority is to deliver integrated, enterprise-wide solutions that keep our warfighters lethal and ready,” said Hurry. “Working directly with Global Strike leadership at the TASR allows us to hear their exact needs, remove roadblocks on the spot, and accelerate the readiness and modernization efforts that keep our strategic platforms in the fight.” This year’s broad areas of review focused heavily on major modernization directly impacting Global Strike readiness. Key agenda items included:
Platform Modernization: Advancing legacy weapon sustainment Maintenance and Sustainment: Tackling maintainer workload, sustainment funding and surge planning, and the modernization of maintenance systems Cyber Communications: Driving proactive cybersecurity programs and upgrades Base and Training Infrastructure: advancing Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, modernizing pilot simulators, and planning critical facility upgrades
While the agenda prioritized immediate sustainment and cyber upgrades, broader modernization efforts to include strategic SATCOM, NC3, nuclear certification, future weapons, and various aircraft such as the E-4B and helicopter lifecycle programs remained integrated within this group’s long-term strategic planning. By bringing the strengths of SAF/AQ, AFGSC, and AFMC to the same table, the 2026 TASR worked to ensure that the Air Force's most critical research, development, and sustainment efforts are directly answering the toughest challenges faced by Global Strike Airmen.