This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on missile defense early warning radars, what the newly confirmed Navy under secretary's priorities will be and more.
A new Missile Defense Agency effort, dubbed Advanced Object Classification (AOC) 1.1, aims to extend improvements already underway with the current AOC 1.0 baseline and reinforce the role of the early warning radars as the backbone of U.S. homeland defense:
Pentagon seeks new radar AOC 1.1 upgrade to bolster missile defense
The Pentagon has a new plan to improve its family of Upgraded Early Warning Radars, asking industry for help advancing software that sharpens the ability to classify objects in flight.
The Navy's new No. 2 civilian has his work cut out for him:
SECNAV outlines personnel-focused duties for new under secretary as chief of staff exits
Navy Secretary John Phelan has outlined a series of responsibilities for newly confirmed Navy Under Secretary Hung Cao, who is tasked with a portfolio of predominantly personnel-focused initiatives as well as overseeing audit improvements and efforts to utilize Guam as a "power projection platform."
Sikorsky's vision includes scaling a new family of drones to various sizes, which could eventually be used to fill capability gaps on the battlefield in surveillance and reconnaissance:
Sikorsky developing family of 'Nomad' rotor-blown wing drones
Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky is developing a future family of rotor-blown wing vertical-takeoff-and-landing drones the company has named Nomad, which previously was known as the rotor-blown wing.
Under a Phase 3 Lane 2 contract, SpaceX will conduct five launches for $714 million, and ULA will conduct two for $428 million, according to Space Systems Command:
Space Force awards $1.14B for FY-26 launches
The Space Force has assigned SpaceX and United Launch Alliance seven National Security Space Launch missions in fiscal year 2026 for a total cost of $1.14 billion, the service announced late last week.
The Air Force recently released a request for information regarding the Advanced Propulsion Acquisition Contract (APAC) Multiple Award Contract (MAC) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract:
Air Force seeks vendor pool to develop advanced engines
The Air Force is looking to strengthen its capability to rapidly develop, produce and eventually mature novel advanced aircraft engine options, according to a recently released request for information.
Document: Air Force AFAC RFI
