Welcome to today's Defense Business Briefing, your weekly roundup of the latest defense industry news.

Navy's second frigate yard competition could shore up industrial base, increase production

As Fincantieri Marinette Marine prepares to start construction on the first Constellation-class frigate next spring, analysts and lawmakers say the Navy's planned second frigate yard could both expedite the production of frigates and bolster the nation's shipbuilding industrial base.

Lockheed opens new hypersonic strike production facility

Lockheed Martin announced it has opened a new facility in Courtland, AL dedicated to hypersonic strike missile production.

CMMC accreditation body approves first content for official assessor training

The accreditation body behind the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program has approved the first content created by a third-party partner publisher that will be used to teach assessors as part of the CMMC official assessor training program.

CMMC industry council plans to evaluate effectiveness of maturity model controls, small business impacts

A new industry advisory council for the Pentagon’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program is determining "rules of the road" for its work and "scope" of operations, according to council chair Yong-Gon Chon, who says early efforts have focused on evaluating "practice effectiveness" for controls in the CMMC model and examining small business issues.

NDIA elects 16 new board members

The National Defense Industrial Association has elected 16 new board members.

The week ahead

Lawmakers this week will consider nominees for several senior Pentagon positions.

DOD reprograms $400M in spending

The Defense Department is reprograming nearly $400 million in spending to cover shortfalls in several areas, including the operation of Air Force and Space Force installations and mobility aircraft, according to a new notice from the Pentagon comptroller.

Pentagon increasing use of MTA pathways to streamline acquisition efforts

Defense Department acquisition personnel effectively leveraged and increased the use of middle tier acquisition pathways to execute more agile acquisition efforts, a new report from the Pentagon's inspector general found.

Congress wants commission to review, reform Kennedy-era PPBE system

Lawmakers want an independent critique of the Defense Department's system for creating annual budgets and future years spending plans, seeking an assessment of the efficacy and efficiency of processes introduced during the Kennedy administration to meet the needs of today's rapid technology acquisition in formulating and executing U.S. military expenditures.

Pentagon's CTO pursuing new legislation to bridge 'valley of death'

The Pentagon's chief technology officer is proposing multiple tranches of Small Business Innovation Research funding to bridge the dreaded "valley of death."