Thursday, April 25, 2024
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Military modernization, a pair of new Defense Science Board studies and more highlight this Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest.
Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan spoke to reporters at a breakfast this morning:
Shanahan: Pentagon seeking 'headroom' for FY-20 modernization strategy
The Pentagon is not planning for another significant funding boost in fiscal year 2020 and is exploring ways to make budgetary "headroom" to support a host of new modernization investments being drawn up by a new innovation team, according to Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan.
Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Mike Griffin has commissioned a pair of new Defense Science Board studies:
Griffin wants new strategies for top-ten technology areas by July
Michael Griffin, the Pentagon's new weapons-technology chief, has commissioned a project to develop by early July a portfolio of strategies to advance research and engineering work on 10 technology domains, a move that could signal a potential recalibration of U.S. military modernization spending in the Defense Department's fiscal year 2020 budget proposal.
Document: DSB terms of reference for technology strategy study
Griffin commissions study to focus on potential for 'strategic surprise' within the decade
The Pentagon's weapons-technology boss has commissioned a new study that aims to head off "strategic surprise" in the coming decade by directing an influential advisory panel to examine U.S. military potential blind spots, weighing information about prospective adversaries' technological capabilities and operational concepts that could lead to "regrets in 2028."
Document: DSB terms of reference for 'strategic surprise' summer study
The Air Force is in the midst of figuring out how to replace the U-28 electronic surveillance plane:
AFSOC plans for next-generation manned aircraft to replace U-28
Air Force Special Operations Command is fleshing out requirements for a next-generation, manned aircraft to fly intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions as the U-28 is phased out.
The Navy is contemplating the best way to replace its current hospital ship fleet:
Merz: Navy begins evaluating hospital ship replacement solutions
The Navy recently commissioned a requirements evaluation team to tackle what the future of maritime medical care will look like and how the platform will be used in distributed operations, according to a service official.
The head of the Army Reserve spoke to reporters recently:
Luckey: Army Reserve adapting to 'fundamentally different' threat
The U.S. Army Reserve is employing a "new organizing construct" focused on "capability, combat readiness and lethality" rather than its prior emphasis on "life-saving, life-sustaining force," according to its chief.
The Army really likes budget continuity:
Army leaders call for continued funding stability to support readiness gains
A quartet of Army officials thanked lawmakers for the two-year budget deal that established higher funding levels for defense in fiscal year 2018 and FY-19, but repeated the familiar call for long-term fiscal stability.