BURLINGTON, Mass. -- Lt. Gen. Donna D. Shipton, commander of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, emphasized mission readiness during the annual “State of the Center” event Feb. 13 at the Burlington Marriot Hotel.
Shipton highlighted Hanscom AFB’s role in the Greater Boston innovation ecosystem, noting the $3 billion obligated to small businesses in Massachusetts.
“Program executive officers are leaning forward to incorporate nontraditional small businesses to accelerate emerging technologies for our nation to retain its defensive and economic advantage,” she said.
The annual event, hosted by the AFCEA Lexington-Concord Chapter in Burlington, Massachusetts, provides industry, academia, and other partners with updates on recent accomplishments across the center.
Shipton also discussed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s priorities, which align with the center’s interoperable portfolio of capabilities supporting national security and directly impacting the Hanscom community.
“The Department of the Air Force must change to effectively deter and win in conflicts in the future should deterrence fail,” said Shipton. “We are going to be focusing on mission readiness by eliminating stovepipes, delivering cross functional and lethal combat capabilities with speed and agility.”
Shipton concluded her keynote by highlighting the recently announced partnership intermediary agreement between Hanscom AFB and the University of Massachusetts Lowell Applied Research Center. The new agreement is a unique contracting mechanism that facilitates technology transfer to nonfederal entities and the transition of essential technologies back to the federal government.
The general also shared information about the AFCEA New Horizons event scheduled for March 10-12 in Newton, Mass., featuring Hanscom AFB business opportunities.
Shipton oversees a $300 billion budget and more than 26,000 mission-focused personnel across nine locations, including Hanscom Air Force Base.
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is responsible for total life cycle management for aircraft, engines, munitions, electronic, computer, network, cyber and agile combat support systems.