Friday, December 1, 2023
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 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.
A cadre of Army leaders today introduced "Capability Set 13," the service's newest suite of network gear and the first systems to be purchased based on their performance at the Network Integration Evaluation.
Two Ohio lawmakers announced last week that the Marine Corps plans to keep vital vehicle machinery stationed at the Joint Services Manufacturing Center in Lima, OH, thereby abandoning plans to move the gear to a service-run facility and protecting the combat vehicle industrial base.
Morocco intends to spend more than $1 billion refurbishing 200 of its M1A1 Abrams tanks, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which notified Congress last week about the potential foreign military sale.
The Army's chief weapons tester said today the service's vaunted Network Integration Evaluation construct could be leveraged as a tool to demonstrate the relevance of the ground force as the nation shifts its defense strategy to the Asia-Pacific region.
The Defense Department recently sent congressional defense committees a $47 million Army reprogramming request that would start the service's Mid-Tier Networking Vehicular Radio program, which is intended to replace the terminated Ground Mobile Radio.
Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has again waded into the tempestuous debate surrounding the Army's Abrams tank industrial base, saying today that lawmakers on his committee sought to strike a balance between funding what the service wants and what industry needs.
A second Senate hold surfaced today on Heidi Shyu's nomination to become the Army's next acquisition executive, according to a published report.
The Army's new tentative date to pick up to three contractors to proceed in the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle competition the service is pursuing with the Marine Corps is Aug. 24, although the schedule is still subject to change, according to several industry teams anxiously awaiting a decision.
The Army is eying plans to reprogram nearly half of its budget for the on-the-move network backbone system known as Warfighter Information Network Tactical Increment 2, a move that might signal a larger shift in the service's equipping strategy, according to officials.
The Army's plans to downsize its number of heavy brigade combat teams, coupled with the Defense Department's new Asia-Pacific strategy, could weaken the service's case for a new Ground Combat Vehicle or at least lower the required quantity, according to the Congressional Research Service.