This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on space-launch rockets, a Defense Science Board report on critical infrastructure, analysts' takes on the Pentagon's Replicator 2 initiative and more.
A Vulcan heavy-lift rocket is scheduled to launch its Cert-2 flight tomorrow at 6 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL:
ULA 'supremely confident' in upcoming Vulcan certification launch
The United Launch Alliance is "supremely confident" that the second certification flight for the Vulcan rocket will be successful and earn the approval needed for certain National Security Space Launch missions, CEO Tory Bruno said.
Some solid-rocket motor news:
Anduril announces new rocket motor mixer expected to boost speed and scale of SRM production
Anduril Industries is launching a new partnership with machinery-maker FlackTek to develop and build a new mixing machine intended to increase the speed and scale of solid-rocket motor production.
A recently released executive summary of a Defense Science Board report on Defense Department dependencies on critical infrastructure "focused on dependencies of DOD installations on outside-the-fence critical civilian infrastructure and the concomitant implications for force projection and continuous sustainment":
DSB sees urgent need for civilian critical infrastructure resiliency
The Pentagon has not treated its responsibility to ensure the resiliency of critical civilian infrastructure with the urgency it deserves, a Defense Science Board task force said in a new report.
Document: DSB executive summary of critical infrastructure report
Inside Defense spoke with a number of analysts to get their takes on the Pentagon's Replicator 2 initiative:
Replicator 2 focus on counter-drone tech could signal shift to large buys
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's memo announcing Replicator 2 would focus on countering small drones signals that procuring counter-drone technology at scale has been elevated to the highest level, analysts told Inside Defense this week.
Lockheed Martin has nabbed a multibillion-dollar missile contract:
Air Force moves ahead with $3.2 billion multiyear award for LRASM and JASSM
The Pentagon last week awarded Lockheed Martin a $3.2 billion multiyear procurement contract to boost production of its Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles and Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles through July 2032 in a bid to replenish the nation's dwindling munitions stockpile.