The INSIDER daily digest -- April 14, 2023

By John Liang / April 14, 2023 at 2:04 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has more details on the Government Accountability Office's dismissal of Sikorsky's protest of a multibillion-dollar helicopter contract, plus the Pentagon's latest legislative proposals package and more.

The Government Accountability Office released more details on the reasoning for its dismissal of Sikorsky's protest of a multibillion-dollar helicopter replacement contract:

GAO: Army found engineering design and development of Sikorsky FLRAA bid 'unacceptable'

A newly released Government Accountability Office ruling denying a bid protest by Sikorsky of the Army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft states the government found the engineering design and development "unacceptable," due to a lack of detail in the proposal.

Document: GAO decision on Sikorsky's FLRAA protest

The Defense Department released its third legislative proposal package this week. Here's our coverage so far:

DOD seeks greater rapid prototyping authority from Congress

The Pentagon, citing the need to maintain technology overmatch with China, wants to empower military service secretaries to initiate their own weapons development programs without wading through the traditional budget and acquisition oversight process, according to a new legislative proposal sent to Congress.

Legislative proposal details renewed divestment hopes for F-22, A-10

The Air Force is yet again seeking to divest A-10 and F-22 aircraft it says are unsuitable for future fights, despite past congressional opposition, according to a recent bundle of legislative proposals from the Defense Department.

Document: DOD's third FY-24 legislative proposal package

The Space Development Agency's NExT program will demonstrate warfighter utility of emerging mission partner payloads prior to potential incorporation in future tranches:

Ball Aerospace, Microsoft and Loft Federal team up for SDA's NExT program

Ball Aerospace announced its collaboration with Loft Federal and Microsoft on Tuesday to work on the Space Development Agency's experimental testbed program, called NExT, that will carry 10 satellites with experimental payloads into orbit.

Senior Defense Department leaders offered their strategic visions for advancing critical technologies this week:

Navy research chief emphasizes accelerating warfighting capabilities

The Navy seeks to bring more urgency to moving innovative technologies in the lab to warfighting capabilities in the field, Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Lorin Selby said Thursday at a National Defense Industrial Association conference.

Prime contractor Northrop Grumman this week announced the Defense Department has approved a recommendation to transition the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) from low- to full-rate production:

DOD approves IBCS full-rate production; clears path for $3 billion, six-year run

The Pentagon's acquisition executive has approved the Army Integrated Air and Missile Defense (AIAMD) program, the penultimate milestone in the program's bumpy 14-year development that unlocks a planned $3 billion production run through 2028 and paves the way for both fielding to U.S. forces as well as potential foreign sales.

The Pentagon comptroller's office, in a new memo, states DOD’s support to DHS at the border is estimated to cost about $500.4 million in fiscal year 2023, which will be "sourced equally among the military departments":

DOD taxing military services for continued southwest border support to DHS

The Defense Department is directing the military services to each identify $166.8 million in funding that can be reprogrammed to help pay for DOD’s continued support to the Department of Homeland Security at the southwest border, according to a new Pentagon document.

Document: DOD memo on omnibus reprogramming for border support

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