Trump taps Raytheon executive for top military space acquisition post

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on April 21 nominated Raytheon executive Erich Hernandez-Baquero to serve as assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration, a position that oversees how the U.S. military buys and fields space systems.

If confirmed by the Senate, Hernandez-Baquero would become only the second official to hold the job, which was created to centralize oversight of military space procurement as the Pentagon expands investment in satellites and supporting infrastructure.

The role sits within the Department of the Air Force but is closely aligned with the U.S. Space Force. It carries responsibility for acquisition strategy, budgeting and program execution across a portfolio that includes satellites, ground systems and data networks.

Hernandez-Baquero is currently vice president for space intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance at Raytheon, an RTX company. He oversees programs focused on space-based ISR, including command-and-control, communications and data-processing systems used by the U.S. intelligence community and the Defense Department.

A retired U.S. Air Force colonel, Hernandez-Baquero previously held senior roles at the National Reconnaissance Office, where he led the Integrated Ground Enterprise, an acquisition organization responsible for command-and-control and data systems supporting classified missions. Earlier in his military career, he worked on test and evaluation, advanced space programs and intelligence collection systems, including roles tied to electro-optical imaging.

The assistant secretary position was established in the 2020 defense authorization act to give the Pentagon a dedicated civilian authority over space acquisition, separate from traditional Air Force procurement channels. Frank Calvelli became the first Senate-confirmed official in 2022 and set the framework for consolidating oversight across space programs.

Calvelli served from May 2022 until the end of the Biden administration in January 2025. His departure left the position without a Senate-confirmed successor. For the next year, the role was held in an acting capacity by Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, a Space Force officer who was already serving as the office’s military deputy. In 2026 the job has been performed on a temporary basis by Thomas Ainsworth, a senior civilian acquisition executive within the Department of the Air Force.

The nomination comes as the Pentagon prepares for a surge in space spending, placing renewed focus on whether acquisition structures can translate funding into operational capability.