"GP brings a wealth of experience to this position and is already jumping into his new program acquisition executive responsibilities," Thomas Ainsworth said in the Space Force release announcing the change.
Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo: permanent SDA director and head of the new PAE
The Space Force announced that Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo has been named head of its newly created Missile Warning and Tracking Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) office. According to the service's press release, Sandhoo will remain in his role leading the Space Development Agency (SDA) while being elevated from acting director to permanent director. The release states Sandhoo "took on the dual-hated roles May 11."
Missile Warning and Tracking PAE: structure and stated purpose
The Missile Warning and Tracking PAE itself was created by the Space Force on March 17 and — per the announcement — will consolidate missile warning and tracking acquisition responsibilities. The PAE will encompass SDA’s Tracking Layer of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and will oversee two flagship efforts being advanced by Space Systems Command. Thomas Ainsworth, who is performing the duties of Air Force assistant secretary for space acquisition and integration, framed the move as a "renewed focus on aligning authorities with accountability" and "a strategic commitment to accomplish the global missile warning and tracking mission."
Two flagship efforts: Next‑Gen OPIR and Resilient MWT MEO
The Space Systems Command efforts placed under the new PAE are described in the release as the Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next‑Gen OPIR) constellation and the Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking (MWT) Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) program. Next‑Gen OPIR will be comprised of two satellites in geosynchronous Earth orbit and two in polar orbit, and is being developed to replace the six operational Space‑Based Infrared System (SBIRS) satellites. The Resilient MWT MEO program is identified as a separate effort, optimized for tracking hypersonic missiles.
Michael Eppolito named SDA deputy director
Also announced in the release was a leadership change at SDA: Michael Eppolito, who has been SDA’s acting deputy director and chief program officer, will become the SDA deputy director. The release presents this as a follow-on alignment of personnel concurrent with the PAE’s creation and Sandhoo’s elevation.
What this means for the Space Development Agency, Space Systems Command, and procurement leaders
- Space Development Agency (SDA): SDA will continue under Sandhoo’s leadership, now permanently, with Michael Eppolito elevated from acting deputy director and chief program officer to deputy director — a continuity in senior leadership tied to the PAE realignment.
- Space Systems Command: Its two flagship missile‑warning efforts — Next‑Gen OPIR and the Resilient MWT MEO program — will fall under the new Missile Warning and Tracking PAE, concentrating responsibility for those development tracks within the PAE construct.
- Procurement and acquisition leadership: The Space Force release frames the PAE’s creation and the personnel moves as part of "aligning authorities with accountability," a structural change procurement leaders will need to manage as the Next‑Gen OPIR and MWT MEO programs advance.
The formal naming of Sandhoo to lead the Missile Warning and Tracking PAE while staying at SDA, the placement of Next‑Gen OPIR and the Resilient MWT MEO program under that office, and the appointment of Michael Eppolito as SDA deputy director together mark a single organizational push: centralize oversight of the Tracking Layer and its associated programs under a defined PAE structure. The next concrete markers to watch will be program decisions and milestones for the two flagship efforts now assigned to that office.
Original reporting: https://breakingdefense.com/2026/05/space-force-names-sandhoo-as-head-of-new-missile-warning-tracking-pae/
