The Insider

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Defense Department's secretive Replicator program, the Marine Corps' CH-53K heavy lift helicopter, plus coverage from a missile defense hearing and more.

We start off with news on the Pentagon's secretive Replicator program:

Three MARTAC unmanned surface vessels under 'consideration' for Replicator initiative

Maritime Tactical Systems (MARTAC) has submitted three unmanned surface vessels to the Pentagon's secretive Replicator initiative, Inside Defense has learned.

Pentagon cost estimates indicate a proposed block buy would achieve a $135 million savings compared to single-year contracts for the CH-53K program, which will replace the legacy CH-53E aircraft and play an important role in Marine Corps and Navy operations:

Navy looks to enter block buy for CH-53K airframes

The Navy is asking Congress for the authority to enter into a block-buy contract during fiscal years 2025 or 2026 for up to 37 CH-53K helicopter airframes, according to a legislative proposal submitted by the Defense Department on Friday.

Document: DOD's fourth FY-25 legislative proposals package

The House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee recently held a hearing on the fiscal year 2025 budget request for missile defense and missile defeat programs:

MDA to pick winner this month in Lockheed and Northrop NGI competition

The Missile Defense Agency this month will pick a winner between Lockheed Martin and Northrop in the Next Generation Interceptor competition, slicing a year off the original source-selection plan to develop the homeland defense guided missile based on information produced during the first round of the contest.

Document: House hearing on FY-25 BMD budget request

The Army's acquisition office has been putting out multiple requests for information to industry as a way to drive "market entry" and bring down the cost of commercial drones:

As it seeks to field commercial drones, Army wants to bring down the cost

As the Army seeks to invest more in commercial technology to bolster its arsenal of small UAS and counter UAS capabilities, the service is focused on finding ways to reduce the price tag.

There are increasing signs on Capitol Hill that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are thinking about raising the congressionally mandated budget cap on defense spending:

Appropriators send bipartisan signals for possible move against defense budget cap

Senior House and Senate appropriators this week said they believe the congressionally mandated cap on fiscal year 2025 defense spending is too low to address the Pentagon's requirements and signaled that they intend to do something about it.

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on lawmakers inching toward raising the congressionally mandated defense spending budget cap, the Army seeking to reduce the price of commercial drones and more.

There are increasing signs on Capitol Hill that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are thinking about raising the congressionally mandated budget cap on defense spending:

Appropriators send bipartisan signals for possible move against defense budget cap

Senior House and Senate appropriators this week said they believe the congressionally mandated cap on fiscal year 2025 defense spending is too low to address the Pentagon's requirements and signaled that they intend to do something about it.

The Army's acquisition office has been putting out multiple requests for information to industry as a way to drive "market entry" and bring down the cost of commercial drones:

As it seeks to field commercial drones, Army wants to bring down the cost

As the Army seeks to invest more in commercial technology to bolster its arsenal of small UAS and counter UAS capabilities, the service is focused on finding ways to reduce the price tag.

A new Congressional Budget Office report "examines the potential acquisition costs" of the Navy's Landing Ship Medium program:

CBO projects LSMs will cost over $340 million per hull, more than double Navy estimates

Procuring a fleet of 18 Landing Ship Mediums will cost $340 to $430 million per ship in fiscal year 2024 dollars, according to a Congressional Budget Office cost estimate, which indicates acquisition costs will be two to three times greater than the Navy’s own estimates.

Document: CBO report on LSM acquisition costs

U.S. Strategic Command submitted its fiscal year 2025 unfunded priorities list to Congress:

STRATCOM sends empty UPL to Congress

U.S. Strategic Command has sent Congress an unfunded priority list without identifying any unmet needs that could use additional funding, according to a document obtained by Inside Defense.

Document: STRATCOM's FY-25 unfunded priorities list

When releasing its multiyear procurement bid last September for Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System missiles, the Army estimated the savings would be 2.5% or $67.6 million "when compared to four annual awards," according to budget documents from the Defense Department comptroller:

Army to award multiyear contract for GMLRS in Q4 of FY-24 estimated to save $68M

The Army plans to award a four-year multiyear procurement contract in the fourth quarter of this fiscal year to buy 18,000 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System missiles estimated to save $67.6 million, according to a service spokesperson.

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- The Navy is consistently delivering heavyweight torpedoes despite there being a "long road" to reach that point, a Navy official told an industry audience at Monday's Sea Air Space conference.

When production lines for the MK 48 Mod 7 stopped in 1996 and began again years later, tackling aged software and hardware was a challenge, said Capt. Christopher Polk, program manager of the Navy’s Undersea Weapons Program Office.

“Everything evolves, everything goes forward, and we were somewhat looking backwards before we can bring it forward in those cases,” Polk said. “So, developing that workforce also meant adding the right type of people that you needed to make the processes go along faster. We've right sized that workforce and attacked obsolescence.”

Over 1,000 changes have been made to the torpedo’s technical data package, Polk added.

“You can imagine some people who made resistors back in ‘96 don't make them today, or it looks like it's the same resistor, but it doesn't operate the same way,” he said. “So, we're constantly going after obsolescence, looking at redesign efforts in order to modernize the Mod 7 torpedo as we try to bring on the next generation of torpedoes which is the Mod 8.”

Capt. David Vehon, senior program manager of the Submarine Combat and Weapons Control Program Office, added that a major step in the modernization process is to decouple hardware from software.

“We need to be able to do a modernization, get our hardware in there that’s going to last us multiple years,” he said. “It can be upgraded with multiple versions of software over the years.”

The establishment of a Naval Air Warfare Rapid Capabilities Office is still under way, after being included in the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.

The RCO will be headed by an executive oversight board made up of the vice chief of naval operations, the Marine Corps assistant commandant, the Navy assistant secretary for research, development and acquisition and the commander of Naval Air Systems Command, according to a Navy spokesperson.

The office has not yet been stood up and pursuant to this taking place, “specific organizational decisions and policies are currently under review by the commander of the Naval Air Systems Command,” the spokesperson added.

According to language in the FY-24 NDAA, the office will fulfill naval and joint military operational requirements by identifying and rapidly developing “a new naval aviation weapons and airborne electronic warfare capabilities, innovative applications for existing naval aviation weapons and airborne electronic warfare capabilities, and other innovative solutions to enhance the effectiveness of naval aviation weapons and airborne electronic warfare capabilities.”

The RCO will also complete “rapid experimentation, development, testing and fielding of unclassified and classified naval aviation weapons and airborne electronic warfare capabilities,” according to the NDAA.

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news from the Sea-Air-Space symposium, senior defense officials lobbying lawmakers to pass the supplemental spending bill and more.

We start off with continuing coverage of this year's Sea-Air-Space conference:

Navy has a plan to tackle shipbuilding delays, SECNAV says, though details remain scant

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- The Navy does indeed have a plan to remedy shipbuilding challenges, the service's top official said today, providing the first public indication that there is a strategy to tamp down widespread delays identified across its most critical ship and submarine programs.

DARPA's 'No Manning Required, Ship' to transfer to Navy in 2025

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- A long-endurance autonomous vessel currently under development with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is slated to transition to the Navy in 2025 following an initial round of testing, according to Capt. Scot Searles, program manager for unmanned maritime systems.

The Pentagon's top civilian told the Senate Armed Services Committee this week that trying to get the supplemental passed is the Defense Department's "most pressing priority":

DOD looks to rally support for supplemental spending amid partisan debate over capped budget

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown told senators Tuesday that the U.S. defense industrial base would benefit to the tune of $50 billion if Congress would pass a supplemental security spending package that would, among other things, provide weapons to Ukraine and replenish U.S. stocks, further surging domestic weapons production.

There's not much support in the Air Force for setting up a Space National Guard:

Kendall, Saltzman oppose standing up Space National Guard

The Air Force is "definitely not interested" in creating a separate Space National Guard, service Secretary Frank Kendall told lawmakers Tuesday. His remarks follow pushback from the National Guard Bureau over the proposed transfer of Air National Guard space units into the Space Force.

The Pony Express 2 demonstration, which consists of four payloads on two satellites launched in early March, are in final check-out before beginning operations that will be able to connect systems and direct communications:

Lockheed Martin launches Pony Express 2 demo satellites

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- Lockheed Martin launched two satellites to demonstrate an autonomous mission testing system intended to fit into the Defense Department's Joint All-Domain Command and Control effort, the company told reporters this week.

U.S. Africa Command recently submitted its latest unfunded priorities list to Congress:

AFRICOM sends Congress $500M unfunded list seeking more counter-drone systems

U.S. Africa Command has sent Congress an unfunded priorities list totaling more than $500 million, highlighting the need to counter armed drones in the region as -- according to a document obtained by Inside Defense -- it is “only a matter of time before U.S. forces in East Africa are attacked” by enemy drones or missiles.

Document: AFRICOM's FY-25 unfunded priorities list

The Defense Writers Group hosted an event this week with officials from the Energy Department's Center for AI Security Research:

AI experts' main security goals are stopping data poisoning and targeting existing vulnerabilities

Leading experts from the Energy Department's artificial intelligence research center believe the most pressing risk areas revolving around AI today are possible data poisoning of Large Language Models and the possibility of adversaries exploiting existing vulnerabilities in systems.

To be held over a four-month period starting this summer at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, a scheduled demonstration follows an April 3 industry day that provided an overview of the self-propelled howitzer performance demonstration:

Army to host howitzer demonstrations this summer following ERCA cancellation

The Army is inviting industry manufacturers to demonstrate the capabilities of existing 155mm howitzer systems, pivoting in its acquisition approach after the cancellation of the Extended Range Cannon Artillery program.

The Army will host a planning briefing later this month at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland to discuss contracting opportunities on future capabilities, according to a public notice.

“The APG [Advance Planning Briefing to Industry] will identify potential contracting opportunities that are aligned with the roadmaps of each respective organization, specifically focusing on Fiscal Years 2025–2026,” the April 8 notice reads.

Focusing on four areas -- command and control, research, testing and chemical and biological defense -- the briefing intends to help industry better understand future Army capabilities and help inform “internal development efforts.”

Scheduled for April 23-25, speakers will be from the Army Development Command, the program executive office for integrated electronic warfare and Defense Logistics Agency and other service and Defense Department agencies.

The Army is developing Project Convergence, the service’s contribution to the Pentagon's Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control initiative, which aims to integrate all the services into a combined operating force in combat environments.

Army projects include the Integrated Battle Command System, designed to connect the service’s missile defense system into one command-and-control system and efforts to improve the mobility of battlefield command posts.

The service is also implementing open architecture approaches in vehicles and fire control systems to allow for easier and quicker software upgrades.

The Defense Innovation Unit and the Naval Postgraduate School announced a partnership at the Sea-Air-Space Conference today aimed at speeding up commercial, dual-use technology solutions adoption and education.

DIU Director Doug Beck and retired Navy Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau, NPS president, unveiled a memorandum of understanding which attempts to strengthen innovation efforts, while educating defense leaders to maintain a leading edge.

“The MOU will build upon past successes and existing relationships between DIU and NPS to expand complementary efforts and future opportunities targeting education, research, and innovation through student fellowships at DIU, personnel exchanges, collaborative experimentation, and projects with the Naval Innovation Center (NIC) at NPS,” DIU said today.

The NIC was established at NPS in December 2022 by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro.

“I look forward to witnessing the vision for the Naval Innovation Center coming to life at NPS,” Del Toro said. “The NIC will provide an educational opportunity and venue unavailable anywhere else in the world, where industry and academic partners will work side-by-side with our NPS students to research and discover advanced warfighting solutions.”

The partnership also attempts to bolster relationships with industry and academia that are leading the innovation game.

“DIU partners with many Silicon Valley organizations, from tech icons to start-ups as well as universities, and NPS is a natural fit given its defense focus,” Beck said. “Through this partnership we will connect companies with NPS talent and technology leaders, providing a catalyst for their learning and applied research to deliver innovative solutions for the joint force.”

The 2023 Naval Education Strategy calls for naval education to include innovative methods in line with national security priorities.

“Our students are warrior-scholars, and they come to NPS to learn and make a difference,” Rondeau said. “NPS provides a venue to challenge assumptions, try new ideas, and with our industry partners, we serve as an innovation hub to rapidly adapt research concepts into prototype applications and capabilities. This new partnership with DIU will greatly enhance the impact our students can have on the fleet and force through expanded collaborations and greater access to emerging technologies.”