Erich Hernandez-Baquero, currently a vice president at Raytheon, has been selected by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Pentagon’s space acquisition efforts. The move places a seasoned industry hand at the helm of a critical and increasingly complex procurement pipeline as the U.S. military seeks to modernize its presence in orbit.
At Raytheon, Hernandez-Baquero oversaw space intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance—a portfolio that aligns closely with the Department of Defense’s current priorities. His transition from the private sector to a top policy-making role suggests an administration intent on bridging the gap between established defense contractors and the evolving requirements of the Space Force.
The appointment comes at a pivotal moment for military space operations. As the orbital environment becomes more contested and crowded, the speed of acquisition has become as vital as the technology itself. Hernandez-Baquero will be tasked with streamlining how the military buys and deploys the next generation of satellite systems and ground infrastructure.
With reporting from SpaceNews.
Source · SpaceNews
