The Insider

The Senate Armed Services Committee is slated to hold a hearing next week to consider nominees for several top Pentagon jobs.

The committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday to consider the nominations of Troy Meink to be Air Force secretary, Michael Duffey to be under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, Emil Michael to be under secretary of defense for research and engineering, and Keith Bass to be assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has big news on the Air Force's multibillion-dollar Next Generation Air Dominance effort, plus coverage of the nascent Golden Dome missile defense program and more.

Lockheed Martin has lost its bid to build the Air Force's multibillion-dollar next-generation fighter aircraft:

Boeing wins multibillion-dollar bid for the Air Force's next-generation fighter

The Trump administration today announced Boeing has been selected to produce the Air Force's multibillion-dollar Next Generation Air Dominance penetrating platform, beating out Lockheed Martin in the contest after months of uncertainty.

Michael Griffin, former under secretary of defense for research and engineering, and Lisa Porter, former deputy under secretary of defense for research and engineering, contend the Missile Defense Agency, while technically proficient, is not structured to lead the Golden Dome program:

Former Trump DOD officials: Don't put MDA in charge of Golden Dome

As the Pentagon readies to present a proposal next week to President Trump for a new national missile defense system, two former top defense officials are warning against handing the job to the Missile Defense Agency, arguing the effort requires a fresh, integrated approach that transcends existing bureaucracies.

The venerable KC-135 Stratotanker may wind up being in service for more than a century:

AMC: KC-135 Stratotankers may be giving gas well past 2050

As Air Mobility Command gradually recapitalizes its fleet of 60-year-old KC-135 Stratotankers, it "may need to look at a service life extension" to keep the refuelers in the air beyond their stated 2050 retirement date and fill in capability gaps, AMC Commander Gen. John Lamontagne said recently.

Funding tables sent by House Appropriations Committee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Mitch McConnell (R-KY) express congressional "intent" only as Congress did not pass an FY-25 defense appropriations bill:

Appropriators look to guide DOD spending during uncharted yearlong CR

Republican chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations committees have sent a blueprint to the Defense Department for how they would like to see funding spent in fiscal year 2025, though the Pentagon, which is operating under a yearlong continuing resolution, is in uncharted territory, according to documents obtained by Inside Defense.

Document: Appropriators' FY-25 DOD funding tables

Inside Defense recently interviewed the provisional head of the Air Force's nascent Integrated Capabilities Command:

ICC building trust with Air Force major commands while working on POM

The Air Force's major command chiefs are still hesitant about handing over their requirements-writing duties to the service's nascent Integrated Capabilities Command, a senior Air Force official told Inside Defense.

CHARLESTON, SC -- On a spring day in South Carolina, shipyard workers at HII's newly acquired facility here were laying the groundwork for submarine modules and putting the finishing touches on an initial aircraft carrier "structural unit" that will soon become part of future Ford-class aircraft carrier Doris Miller (CVN-81).

Fewer than 60 days have passed since HII took over this 480,000 square foot metal fabrication facility from previous owner W International, and the team has just finished building this first carrier unit, which was loaded onto a truck on Friday and driven some 400 miles to HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia for installation on CVN-81.

Read the full story, now available to all.

The Space Force on Wednesday published its Data & Artificial Intelligence Fiscal Year 2025 Strategic Action Plan that aims to give the young, digitally focused service a roadmap for integrating existing and new technologies.

The service needs to “emphasize AI literacy” to effectively use such capabilities as a deterrent against Chinese or Russian aggression, acting Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Cyber and Data Col. Nathan Iven wrote in the strategy’s introduction.

“In this contested and congested domain,” he wrote, “superiority will be defined by our capability to integrate with interagency, allies and commercial partners to advance data capabilities, real-time analytics and emerging AI technology to outpace adversaries and maintain operational superiority.”

The strategy consists of four lines of effort:

• Mature enterprise-wide data and AI governance.
• Advance a data-driven and AI-enabled culture.
• Rapidly adopt data, advanced analytics and AI technologies.
• Strengthen government, industry and international partnerships.

The first line of effort will primarily work to create the bureaucracy to manage data and AI capabilities, uses and investments.

The second stresses the need to boost awareness and understanding among Space Force guardians of the data and AI available as well as how to use it. The effort also orders a framework for collaboration and competition for data and AI technologies and uses.

The third focuses on acquisition, evaluation and management of data and the technologies that exploit data.

Advancing the Unified Data Library -- the data-repository intended to consolidate a variety of information streams -- is a key component of this effort. The strategy calls for the Space Force to transition UDL into a program of record and identify new data sets and collection sensors to integrate.

The fourth line of effort sets up plans for working with partners -- including other services, the intelligence community and allies -- on addressing common needs, integrating data and sharing AI capabilities.

All of the activities laid out in the strategy are set to be completed by the end of the fiscal year.

The bulk of this Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest consists of coverage from the McAleese Defense Programs Conference.

The Space Force's No. 2 uniformed officer wants more money from Congress, given China's recent advancements:

Guetlein calls for more Space Force funding as China practices 'dogfighting in space'

Maintaining the military advantage in space is reliant on the United States' commitment to resourcing the Space Force, Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein warned yesterday, and that commitment is even more pressing as China continues to demonstrate advances in space technology.

Army Lt. Gen. Karl Gingrich, deputy chief of staff G-8, spoke about his service's budget at the McAleese conference this week:

'Replenishment' funds can plug yearlong CR holes, senior Army official says

Army pains from the yearlong continuing resolution may be assuaged by "replenishment funds" from Congress, according to a senior service official.

The Defense Department is seeking to quash a rumor that foreign-owned F-35 Joint Strike Fighters can be disabled with a "kill switch":

Pentagon denies F-35 'kill switch' rumors

The Pentagon this week countered speculation that the U.S. government can remotely disable other nations' F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets, stating in a notice to reporters, "There is no kill switch."

U.S. Strategic Command could use more bombers:

Cotton wants more B-21s than currently planned

Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton, the head of U.S. Strategic Command, said he wants more next-generation bombers than the Pentagon already has on order.

The second-highest-ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee discussed propellant and explosive materials at the McAleese conference:

DOD 'finally on track' toward modernized energetics, but still behind, Wittman says

The Defense Department has taken steps toward upgrading its propellant and explosive materials after some congressional prodding, but it's still outmatched, according to Rep. Robert Wittman (R-VA), vice chair of the House Armed Services Committee.

The Air Force's top uniformed officer talked about the challenges of maintaining infrastructure the service doesn't need:

'More tooth, less tail': Air Force wants to ditch excess infrastructure to meet Trump administration objectives

At the top of the Air Force's list of solutions to ensure deterrence and protect the homeland -- concepts Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has laid out as central to building lethality and military readiness -- is acknowledging an "unkept secret" about the toll of caring for the service's excess infrastructure, according to Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin.

Because of recent litigation, the Defense Department has had to pause its effort to terminate around 5,400 probationary civilian employees, but senior officials said today the Pentagon still plans to cut between 5% and 8% of its total civilian workforce one way or another.

A senior defense official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity said DOD is -- for now -- mostly focused on cutting jobs via its deferred resignation program and an ongoing hiring freeze.

Civilians that have been approved for the DRP, the official said, amount to nearly 21,000 jobs that will likely be shed before the end of the year.

The official said more than 21,000 people applied for the DRP, though most have been accepted.

The hiring freeze, meanwhile, means DOD is forgoing the hiring of approximately 6,000 civilians per month, roughly 70,000 annually.

The official said the military services and under secretary of defense for personnel have the authority to grant exemptions to the hiring freeze if needed.

Because of ongoing litigation, the official said DOD is unable to comment on its plans to shed 5,400 probationary employees this month but noted the employees who were part of those planned reductions were considered because of performance-related issues.

“The department is committed to fully complying with every applicable court order regarding the process,” the official said.

A federal judge in Maryland has temporarily ruled against the termination of probationary employees at several federal agencies, ordering they be put on paid administrative leave. A second federal judge in California has ruled the employees must be reinstated. The Trump administration is appealing both decisions.

Still, if DOD is to cut 5% to 8% of its nearly 800,000-strong civilian workforce, the department will need to eliminate between 40,000 and 64,000 jobs. Veterans account for approximately 46% of DOD’s total civilian workforce.

“We do understand some veterans will be a part of the removal,” the official said.

The official noted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has ordered the cuts in response to a White House directive, has other options open to him to achieve the Trump administration’s desired level of downsizing, like offering incentives for separation or ordering a reduction in force (RIF).

“It will be the secretary’s prerogative to designate how and when he might use any of the other tools that would be available to him to achieve the stated reduction targets,” the official said.

Work is also being done, according to the official, to ensure the elimination of civilian employees doesn't increase the burden on military personnel, though the process remains a “very active, very live process.”

“The 5% to 8% reduction is not a drastic one,” the official said. “It is one the secretary is confident can be done without negatively impacting readiness.”

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on civilian personnel reductions within the Space Force, plus a Defense Innovation Unit contract for long-range, one-way drones and more.

About 5,400 of the Space Force's 14,700 guardians are civilians as of the beginning of the month, but that number is already shrinking as they choose to apply for the administration's deferred resignation program:

Space Force bracing for upcoming civilian personnel reductions

Top officials within the country's smallest military service are bracing for major disruptions as the Trump administration promises to cut civilian personnel across the federal government.

The Defense Innovation Unit is looking to develop long-range, one-way drones:

DIU awards contracts for long-range, one-way drones; Ukrainian companies involved

The Pentagon's innovation arm has selected four companies, two of which are partnered with Ukrainian firms, to receive contracts under its project to operationally evaluate long-range, one-way drones, the Defense Innovation Unit announced late last week.

More coverage of a recent Defense Department inspector general's report on the Army's Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor program:

LTAMDS estimated to be a $13 billion program to acquire 94 air and missile defense radars

The Army estimates the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor program, designed to replace the aging Patriot radar, is on track to become one of the service's largest air defense modernization efforts with a total estimated cost of $13 billion, a sum not previously reported.

Document: DOD IG report on LTAMDS

The 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force was activated in September 2022 to support U.S. Army Pacific as a component of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command:

Army's 3rd MDTF will stand up long-range fires battalion over next 12-18 months

The Army's 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force will stand up its long-range fires battalion over the next 12 to 18 months, as part of a "sizeable amount of growth" for the task force, according to its commander.

We conclude with news on the Defense Department's Office of Net Assessment, which was created by President Richard Nixon in 1973 to serve as an internal think tank for the Pentagon:

Hegseth to restructure Office of Net Assessment

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the disestablishment of the Pentagon's storied Office of Net Assessment with the intent to "rebuild it."