Tuesday, October 3, 2023
Key Issues SAR on SM-6 SAR on MPF SAR on F-15EX
Tony Bertuca is chief editor of Inside the Pentagon, the flagship publication of InsideDefense, where he focuses on defense budget and acquisition policy. He previously worked for the Sun-Times News Group in his hometown of Chicago, IL, and at the New Hampshire Union Leader in Manchester, NH. Tony has also served as managing editor of Inside the Army. He has a master's degree in journalism from Boston University.
The Defense Department has approved the two-channel Manpack radio made by General Dynamics C4 Systems for low-rate initial production after validating that previously identified flaws have been fixed, according to an internal Pentagon memo signed by the DOD's acquisition chief.
The Army announced last week that the Joint Tactical Radio System program had been officially closed and that the new Joint Tactical Networking Center was open for business.
As Vice President Joe Biden and a host of Defense Department acquisition officials gathered at the Pentagon this week to celebrate the official end of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle production, questions continued to swirl around whether the $45 billion spent on the vehicles was truly worth it.
The Army has formally resurrected the survivability research and development portion of the humvee recapitalization effort once known as the Medium Expanded Capacity Vehicle, according to recent notices to industry.
The Army will assume management of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle program from the Marine Corps on Oct. 1, though the program will remain under the jurisdiction of the Navy secretary until a formal stand-down takes place at the end of fiscal year 2013, according to a service spokesman.
The Army last week began re-testing the manpack variant of the Joint Tactical Radio System in response to findings from the Pentagon's chief weapons tester that pegged the product as "not operationally effective."
The Senate approved Heidi Shyu's nomination to the Army's top acquisition post during a late-night weekend session on Capitol Hill, according to a service spokesman.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has lifted a hold on Heidi Shyu's nomination to lead the Army's top acquisition office after Defense Department officials agreed to his request to investigate a controversial sole-source helicopter contract with a Russian arms dealer and try to hold a competition for a new helicopter contract, according to government officials and documents.
BAE Systems has decided to forgo filing a protest with the Government Accountability Office over the Army's recent Joint Light Tactical Vehicle contract decision, according to a company spokeswoman.
Navistar Defense plans to withdraw its Government Accountability Office protest of the Army's recent Joint Light Tactical Vehicle contract decision, according to a company spokeswoman.
The Army and Marines may have awarded three contracts for the next phase of development for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, but that doesn't mean the losing bidders are left out in the cold just yet, according to terms set by the government.
The Army and Marine Corps are expected to award up to three $65 million contracts Friday for the next developmental phase of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, though the award date is subject to change, according to government and industry sources.
BAE Systems has been awarded a $646 million contract modification by the Army to upgrade 353 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, according to a recent company announcement.
The Army has scheduled an industry day to discuss its new non-developmental strategy for a Small Airborne Networking Radio to replace the phased-out Airborne Maritime Fixed radio program that was part of the Joint Tactical Radio System, according to a service announcement.
The Pentagon recently announced a $90 million funding shift from the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle Fund to pay for the transportation, upgrade and maintenance of the vehicles in Afghanistan.
After months of preparation, the Army plans to release a request for proposals tomorrow that will set up awards to multiple contractors willing to spend up to $7 billion total to build renewable energy power plants on various service installations around the United States, according to the official overseeing the initiative.
The Defense Department's chief weapons tester has found that the Joint Tactical Radio System's two-channel Manpack radio is "not operationally effective," according to an internal Pentagon memo obtained by InsideDefense.com.
After months of delays and jockeying for approval on Capitol Hill, the Army has set a tentative date of August 28 for the release of a formal Mid-Tier Networking Vehicular Radio solicitation, according to a government notice.
The Pentagon's acquisition chief has approved a move to disband the Joint Tactical Radio System program office and transition oversight of all radio hardware to the services, according to an internal Defense Department memo obtained by InsideDefense.com.
The Army plans to issue a formal request for proposals for the vehicle-mounted, Soldier Radio Waveform Appliqué radio "on or about" Aug. 24, according to a recent government notice.