Thomas Lockhart -- ANS / Conferences / Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS 2026)

Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS 2026)

Thomas Lockhart

Director of the Capability and Resource Integration Directorate (J8)

United States Space Command Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado

Thomas A. Lockhart is a member of the Senior Executive Service and the Director of the Capability and Resource Integration Directorate (J8), United States Space Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. He is responsible for establishing the command's requirements and advocating for the assigned missions of deterring aggression and conflict, protecting and defending U.S. interests in the space domain, delivering space combat power for joint and combined forces, and developing ready and lethal joint warfighters. Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Lockhart was the Director of Engineering and Technical Management, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Hill AFB, Utah. Mr. Lockhart has also worked at the Air Force Research Laboratory as the Director for both its Plans and Programs Directorate and its Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation Directorate.Mr. Lockhart has had two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In his last tour as the NATO Resolute Support Essential Function for Sustainment, Kabul, Afghanistan, he exercised oversight of Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces sustainment for 385,000 Ministry of Defense and Interior military and police forces yearly budgets of over $3.2 billion. Mr. Lockhart began his career in 1987 working as a journeyman engineer in training and simulation at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. He has served as an engineer, chief engineer, acquisition program manager, group director, combatant command financial manager, Deputy Program Executive Officer (PEO) and Security Cooperation Director.

EDUCATION

1987 Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie

1992 Air Command and Staff College, Seminar, Air University, Montgomery, Ala.

1997 Air War College, Seminar, Air University, Montgomery, Ala.

2004 Master of Business Aviation Administration, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University

2005 Graduate Certification for System Engineers, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

2009 Graduate Certification for Homeland Defense, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colo.

CAREER CHRONOLOGY

1987 - 1995, Design Engineer, Hill AFB, Utah

1995 - 1998, System Engineer, Training and Simulation Product Group, Hill AFB, Utah

1998 - 1999, Acquisition Support Specialist, Training and Simulation Product Group, Hill AFB, Utah

1999 - 2000, Chief Engineer, Training and Simulation Product Group, Hill AFB, Utah

2000 - 2001, Chief Engineer, Telecommunications Product Group Manager, Hill AFB, Utah

2001 - 2003, Chief Engineer, Space, Command, Control and Communication Directorate, Hill AFB, Utah 2003 - 2004, System Engineer Practitioner, Air Force Institute of Technology, Center for System Engineering, WPAFB, Ohio

2004 - 2005, Deputy Director, Advanced Computational Analysis Directorate, Wright- Patterson AFB, Ohio

2005 - 2005, Transformation Advisory Group, Air Force Material Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

2005 - 2008, Director and Deputy Director, 526th Intercontinental Ballistic Missile System Group, Hill AFB, Utah

2008 - 2010, Assistant Director, Programs and Evaluation, NORAD-NORTHCOM, Peterson AFB, Colo.

2010 - 2011, Deputy Director, USF-I, Iraq Security Assistance Mission, Baghdad, Iraq

2011 - 2011, Deputy Director, USF-I, Office of Security Cooperation Iraq Transition Team, Baghdad, Iraq

2011 - 20 Deputy PEO for Tankers, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command, WPAFB, Ohio

2014 - 2017, Director, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

2017 - 2019, Director of the Plans and Programs Directorate and Director of the Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

2019 - 2022, Director of Engineering and Technical Management, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Hill AFB, Utah

2022 - Present, Director, Capabilities and Resource Integration Directorate, United States Space Command, Colorado Springs, CO

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

2003 Exemplary Civilian Service Award

2010, 2011 Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award

2011 Meritorious Civilian Service Award

2011 Iraq Campaign Medals

2017 Afghanistan/NATO Campaign Medals

2018 Meritorious Civilian Service Award

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

Cybersecurity: The Intersection of Policy and Technology, Harvard Kennedy School

Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management Certification, Baghdad, Iraq

Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Senior Manager Course in National Security, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

Strategic Persuasion, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Program for Executives in Logistics and Technology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Acquisition Certification Level III, Program Management, System Engineering, Defense Acquisition University

Acquisition Certification Level I, Logistic Management, Test and Evaluation, Defense Acquisition University

Sessions

Keynote Speaker
Tuesday, April 28|4:00–5:00PM EDT