Welcome to today's Defense Business Briefing, your weekly roundup of the latest defense industry news.
Pentagon nominee for acquisition chief to consider CMMC impact on businesses if confirmed
Michael Duffey, nominee for under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, weighed in on the future of the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program ahead of his recent Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing.
DOD acquisition nominee prioritizes speed, incentives for risk-taking
Michael Duffey, nominated to be under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that he believes wars of the future will be “won on the factory floor” just as much as on the battlefield.
Industry warns of 'cold' production lines for aircraft carriers, asks for more AP funding
Aircraft carrier industrial base members prepared today to plead their case on Capitol Hill, asking for $600 million in advanced procurement funding for the fifth Gerald R. Ford-class carrier (CVN-82) in fiscal year 2026, and for contract awards to be granted no later than FY-29.
Space Force reworking requirements-writing process to harness industry innovation
The Space Force is refining its requirements-writing process to be more flexible and allow greater industry innovation while still ensuring new programs will meet mission needs, according to Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman.
Reliable Robotics to continue KC-135 autonomy work despite funding uncertainty
An ongoing Air Mobility Command effort to add autonomous flight capabilities from Reliable Robotics to its aging KC-135 Stratotanker fleet will continue in some form whether it receives money through the yearlong continuing resolution or not, according to the service and a company official.
The week ahead
Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak at several events this week.
Army readying NGC2 for division-level experiment next year
The Army is gearing up to inform industry on how to compete in next steps of its Next Generation Command and Control program as it pivots toward scaling to the division level at next year's Project Convergence Capstone 6, just weeks after it finished this year's experiment, service officials said during a roundtable at the Pentagon Monday.
After suffering a bruising critique, MDA publicly lobbies for role to lead Golden Dome
A senior Missile Defense Agency official today pushed back against recent criticism that the organization lacks the agility and structure to lead the Trump administration's ambitious "Golden Dome" missile defense initiative, casting MDA as uniquely equipped to integrate and deliver a homeland shield against modern missile threats.