Haywood Appointed to Lead Military Space Integration and Command Efforts

Haywood Appointed to Lead Military Space Integration and Command Efforts
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 10, 2025

Brig. Gen. (ret) James E. "Woody" Haywood has been named Senior Advisor to the Service Acquisition Executive (SASAE) at Space Systems Command (SSC), taking on a pivotal role in driving integration and interoperability across the military space enterprise. The appointment by Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration (ASAF(SA&I)), signals a renewed push to align space programs through engineering rigor, technical governance, and accelerated innovation.

In this dual-hatted role, Haywood also becomes the Senior Advisor for Space Command, Control, and Integration (SASC2I), overseeing the Space Systems Integration Office (SSIO) for the U.S. Space Force. His responsibilities will include establishing a robust systems-of-systems engineering framework that facilitates faster transitions from innovation to deployment, while strengthening enterprise-wide collaboration across military, allied, and commercial stakeholders.

"Woody has my utmost confidence and support," said Purdy. "We are at an inflection point where we need to be relentless, focused, and effective in advancing space enterprise capabilities to continue outpacing our adversaries and competitors. Woody brings the background, experience, and most importantly the leadership to make this happen."

Haywood's initial focus areas include reinforcing engineering discipline, shaping systems governance across program executive offices, and clearing technical hurdles that slow innovation uptake. Through the SSIO, he will champion enterprise-level integration by supplying decision-makers with the analytical tools, support systems, and engineering artifacts needed to accelerate delivery of operational capabilities.

"The ability to quickly integrate innovative commercial solutions into a broader architecture is paramount to achieve space warfighting synchronization and maintain space superiority," Haywood stated. "To achieve this aim, the SSIO team will help ensure SSC is laser focused on delivering engineering architectures, combined with the robust technical governance and discipline needed to transition new and emerging technologies into operations on faster timelines to stay ahead of proliferating threats."

Haywood brings more than 30 years of experience in complex space, acquisition, and technology programs. Most recently, he served as the Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence Portfolio Integration Lead at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), where he established governance frameworks and streamlined tech transitions. He also led the AFRL's Center for Rapid Innovation (CRI), fast-tracking prototypes and operational solutions to meet warfighter needs in under two years.

As SASAE, Haywood will advise the Service Acquisition Executive on system-of-systems engineering across the U.S. Space Force and affiliated acquisition enterprises. His oversight spans all ASAF(SA&I) acquisition portfolios and includes continual evaluations of how programs meet Combatant Command priorities. These efforts cover critical capability domains such as space command and control, integration, deployment, and sustainment.