Welcome to today's Defense Business Briefing, your weekly roundup of the latest defense industry news.
DIU releases Replicator overview targeted at industry involvement
The Defense Innovation Unit has released an overview of the Replicator initiative, answering frequently asked questions and focusing on increasing industry's involvement amid the private voicing of frustrations from some companies.
DIU seeks quantum sensing and hypersonics for new emerging tech portfolio
The Defense Innovation Unit has launched the first solicitation under its new emerging technology portfolio, focusing the first lines of effort on quantum sensing and hypersonics.
Hunter: Air Force 'closing gap' on E-7A Wedgetail cost negotiations with Boeing
Despite an initial proposal that was about twice the anticipated cost, the Air Force is nearing an agreement with Boeing for the E-7A Wedgetail prototypes, according to service acquisition chief Andrew Hunter.
Marine Corps will award I-CsUAS contract before year's end, advancing effort to defend bases from drones
The Marine Corps is evaluating counter-drone technology proposals and plans to select a vendor in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024 to produce a system to defend buildings, bases and other assets from small, unmanned aircraft systems.
DOD working with industry on bio manufacturing program
The Pentagon's technology chief said the Defense Department is working on a "bio industrial manufacturing" program, highlighting recent awards that small businesses have received to provide the U.S. military with new technologies in that area.
The week ahead
Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak at several events around Washington this week.
House authorizers cut F-35 procurement to reinvest $1B in mitigating production issues
The House Armed Services Committee's draft of the fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill would cut 10 of the Pentagon's 68 requested F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and reinvest about $1 billion in the production of the Lockheed Martin-made aircraft, which continues to see performance and cost challenges.
Air Force depots in line for robust, brand-new IT makeover
The Air Force in September will release a dramatic, three-phased plan to overhaul its depots to be better equipped for a potential fight with a near-peer adversary, formally dubbed "The Air Force Depot Infrastructure Optimization Plan," an service spokesperson told Inside Defense.