Friday, January 24, 2020
Key Issues Surface combatant AOA F-35 ALIS ABMS
Setbacks in the Air Force's program to ready the B-2 bomber to fight in contested environments triggered a new Selected Acquisition Report for the project, generating a previously unreported October assessment on the consequences of an 18-month, key software delivery delay that is forecast to push initial operations of the modernized bomber from 2022 to 2024.
The Air Force's effort to help allies modernize their militaries is facing a new set of challenges -- higher demand for fourth-generation fighter jets and segregated air and missile defense systems.
The Air Force could expand its recent $442 million contract to Raytheon to develop force element terminals for the Family of Beyond-Line-of-Sight Terminals program if the service secures funding for a validated objective requirement to install the systems on its tanker fleet.
The Army's "soldier-centered design" approach is aiding in the development of next generation technologies and capabilities, including the new Integrated Visual Augmentation System, by putting the needs of the soldier first.
The Navy needs to send clear signals to the hypersonics industrial base in anticipation of the coming transition from developing prototypes to producing the weapon systems at scale, according to the service's acting chief civilian.
The Defense Department is required at the beginning of next month to produce a framework for improved cybersecurity of the nation's defense industrial base, including regulations and metrics for measuring the security of contractors with implications for software development and cloud computing.
The Navy plans to work with the Army and Air Force to expand the use of its developmental common system for controlling various unmanned vehicles, according to an officer overseeing the effort.
Setbacks in the Air Force's program to ready the B-2 bomber to fight in contested environments triggered a new Selected Acquisition Report for the project, generating a previously unreported October assessment on the consequences of an 18-month, key software delivery delay that is forecast to push initial operations of the modernized bomber from 2022 to 2024.
Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said this week the Army gets a smaller slice of the spending pie than the other services, contributing to a public discussion by service leaders about who deserves more funding.
AeroVironment said today it has named Kevin McDonnell chief financial officer, effective Feb. 10.
The Navy expects to receive several Ship to Shore Connectors this year, but residual issues revealed in last year's budget request remain, according to a service official overseeing the program.
VT MAK announced today it successfully completed a technical assessment on the Army’s Common Synthetic Environment, a crucial part of the Synthetic Training Environment modernization priority.
The Government Accountability Office has noticed the Defense Department's increased emphasis on accelerating its notoriously slow acquisition system, but the watchdog agency is concerned weapon system reliability might be sacrificed at the expense of speed.
The Navy is expected to finalize next month a major new analysis of its future surface combatant fleet that recommends how many medium- and large-displacement unmanned surface vehicles to fold into fighting formations with destroyers, cruisers, Littoral Combat Ships and frigates.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper provided a brief budget preview yesterday, telling reporters the Pentagon intends to invest new money in weapon system modernization.
