This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on Air Force depots' surge capacity in the event of a war in the Indo-Pacific, the Marine Corps' Long-Range Unmanned Surface Vessel program as well as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program and more.
We start off with a deep dive into Air Force depots' surge capacity in the event of a war in the Indo-Pacific:
Air Force depots can support surge capacity in the Indo-Pacific for 30 days before things get 'interesting'
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, OK -- Should a conflict between the U.S. and China break out, the Air Force Sustainment Center here could support a roughly 30-day surge before operations of the service's logistics arm get "really, really interesting," the commander said.
Lockheed Martin Chief Financial Officer Jay Malave spoke about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program during TD Cowen's 46th Annual Aerospace & Defense Conference this week:
Lockheed Martin expects Pentagon to withhold some F-35 payments into 2026
Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Joint Program Office are still aiming to declare the Technology Refresh-3 software upgrade as combat-capable in this calendar year, but cash may continue to be withheld into 2026 as the company struggles to meet stated requirements.
The Pentagon's latest operational test and evaluation report looks at the Marine Corps' Long-Range Unmanned Surface Vessel program:
LRUSV transitioning to major capability acquisition pathway in FY-27 after pivot from rapid prototyping
The Marine Corps will transition its Long-Range Unmanned Surface Vessel program to the major capability acquisition pathway in fiscal year 2027 following a decision to terminate a middle tier acquisition rapid prototyping effort, according to the latest annual report from the Pentagon's director of operational test and evaluation.
The Army this week executed two PrSM Increment 1 engagements during a flight test at White Sands Missile Range, NM, demonstrating the system's effectiveness as part of ongoing efforts to enhance the service's long-range precision strike capability:
PrSM Increment 1 notches another success in production qualification test
The Army successfully completed a key production qualification test for its next-generation, long-range strike missile, marking an important advance in the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 1 effort, the first part of a planned $8.4 billion acquisition.
Soldiers from the Army's 3rd Light Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division drove around in GM Defense's ISV and its Next Generation Tactical Vehicle prototype during a recent exercise in Germany:
Joint exercise in Germany yields potential ISV refinements for Army
The Army gleaned a few new ideas for its Infantry Squad Vehicle at a joint military exercise this past month, like mounting a winch, reconfiguring the windshield and perhaps adding doors, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George told reporters at a roundtable at the Pentagon Wednesday.