The INSIDER daily digest -- April 23, 2019

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Redesigned Kill Vehicle, the Section 809 panel, a recently completed Defense Science Board study and much more.

We start off with some missile defense news:

MDA finalized $1B contract to accelerate RKV; schedule unraveled months later

The Missile Defense Agency last spring finalized a contract to accelerate development of a new Ground-based Midcourse Defense warhead that locked in costs 55% above estimates for the pre-acceleration plan -- a bid to speed development that unraveled within months when design challenges surfaced saddling the project with an estimated two-year delay.

Inside Defense obtained the Pentagon's first detailed response to the Section 809 panel's recommendations:

Pentagon mostly backs Section 809 panel's reform ideas, but says more research required

The Defense Department supports the majority of reforms recommended by a congressionally mandated panel, but says many of the group's proposals require further research or lawmaker intervention, according to a report signed by Pentagon acquisition chief Ellen Lord.

A Defense Science Board task force has completed a study on potential U.S. military applications of 5G network technology:

DSB task force completes military applications of 5G networks study

An influential Pentagon advisory panel has completed a classified assessment of potential U.S. military applications of 5G network technology to aide defense policymakers contemplating the ramifications of the looming adoption of fifth-generation wireless technology networks -- being shaped in part by China -- that promise step-change improvements in data speed, volume and latency.

Here is some defense business news:

LMI Ventures forms first partnership

LMI Ventures has established a partnership with Immuta, which focuses on data management, in its first deal since being established several months ago.

Inside Defense recently chatted with Damon Feltman, chief of Air Force Space Command's global effects division:

AFSPC eyeing new joint SATCOM environment as part of enterprise strategy

The Air Force wants to establish a joint information operations center to help the space community better manage satellite communications resources as part of a broader enterprise SATCOM strategy that is set to be released later this year.

We have more details on what happened to the JASON contract:

DOD tech chief killed JASON contract, questioning its value and leaving other agencies scrambling

Pentagon technology chief Mike Griffin ended the Defense Department's long-standing contract with a group of high-level scientists known as JASON because he felt the group wasn’t worth funding anymore, arguing DOD would be better off using other avenues for independent technical analysis, according to government officials.

Howard Berkof, deputy program manager for the unmanned maritime systems program office, spoke with Inside Defense this week:

Snakehead UUV development acceleration enabled by work on Orca

The five-year acceleration of a large unmanned undersea vehicle was made possible in part by the work the Navy has been doing with a similar vessel that is further along in the acquisition process, according to a service official.

The Defense Information Systems Agency is now in charge of the "Sharkseer" cybersecurity program:

Pentagon reprograms funding for DISA to take over 'Sharkseer' cybersecurity program

The Pentagon has realigned funding so the Defense Information Systems Agency can take over management of the "Sharkseer" cybersecurity program from the National Security Agency, in line with a congressional mandate.