Saturday, May 24, 2025
Saturday, May 24, 2025
This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the deputy defense secretary conducting a major organizational shakeup of the department, plus Navy acquisition reform, the second Ford-class aircraft carrier delivery being delayed and more.
In a memo released this week, Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg says he will lead a new effort to "rebalance and optimize" the department's civilian workforce:
Feinberg launches major Pentagon shake up
Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg is moving to reorganize the Defense Department's entire organizational structure and civilian workforce in ways that could permanently alter the way the Pentagon operates, according to a new memo released yesterday.
Document: DOD memos on workforce acceleration and recapitalization
The Navy's newly confirmed secretary gave his first public remarks this week:
New SECNAV promises acquisition reform, says review of all Navy contracts is underway
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- The Navy is in the early stages of reviewing all its existing contracts, according to new Navy Secretary John Phelan, who today outlined his intent to draw upon his non-defense, private-sector experience to improve shipbuilding performance, reform defense acquisitions and run the service more like a business.
The Senate Armed Services seapower subcommittee held a hearing on the state of nuclear shipbuilding:
CVN-79 delivery pushed back, Navy official tells lawmakers
The delivery date of the John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) aircraft carrier to the Navy has been pushed back, an official told lawmakers Tuesday.
Document: Senate hearing on nuclear shipbuilding
More coverage from this week's Sea-Air-Space symposium:
New IDIQ contract in works to help shipyards outsource labor, Gaucher says
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- Rather than have individual shipyards draft contracts for outsourced labor, there will soon be one main contract the Navy will be able to draw from for the purpose of expanding outsourced labor for ship and submarine repair, a Navy official said on Tuesday.
Ultra Maritime partners with Anduril for new, autonomous submarine sensing capability
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- Ultra Maritime and Anduril have partnered to further low-cost and low-risk submarine detection capabilities by bridging their respective sensing and autonomous technologies, according to a news release issued Monday.
Navy taps Dutch shipbuilder Damen for landing ship design amid reevaluation of LSM requirements
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- The Navy plans to procure the technical data package for a landing ship design from Dutch shipbuilding conglomerate Damen Naval, according to a Tuesday announcement that comes as the sea service recalibrates its requirements and procurement plans for the Landing Ship Medium program.
Several analysts spoke with Inside Defense this week regarding how to get new defense contractors past the "valley of death":
New DOD officials increasingly focused on drawing private capital investments
Senior defense officials are pushing for new increases in private capital investment, which key analysts say has the potential to expand the defense industrial base and drive greater innovation into U.S. weapon systems.
STRATCOM chief raises quiet alarm over Air Force bomber reorganization
The head of U.S. Strategic Command is signaling quiet but pointed concern over an Air Force proposal to shift operational control of its heavy bombers -- a move he suggests could blur accountability for nearly 70% of the nation's nuclear command, control and communications infrastructure.