Space Force's rapid acquisition office director moves to Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center

An unarmed Minuteman 3 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile launches during an operational test May 20, 2026 Credit: U.S. Space Force

WASHINGTON — Kelly Hammett, the former head of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, has been named executive director of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center.

The appointment, announced June 18, comes as the Albuquerque-based Space Rapid Capabilities Office appears close to being shuttered as a standalone organization under the Space Force’s acquisition overhaul.

Both the House and Senate versions of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act would eliminate the office’s separate statutory status as part of a larger effort to reorganize the Space Force acquisition enterprise.

Hammett led the Space RCO since 2022. He departs as the Space Force implements a new acquisition structure centered on Portfolio Acquisition Executives, senior officials responsible for broad mission areas rather than individual programs.