Key Issues OCX ACV fielding USAF 'reoptimization' planning
This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Pentagon's annual report on the Chinese military, the continuing resolution released by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and more.
The Defense Department has released its annual assessment of Chinese military capabilities:
DOD estimates actual Chinese military spending between $330B and $450B
China’s military budget is anywhere between 40% and 90% more than the amount publicly disclosed by the government in Beijing, according to the Defense Department's annual assessment of Chinese military capabilities.
Document: DOD's 2024 China military power report
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) unveiled a continuing resolution to fund the government through next March:
House GOP stopgap bill contains $14.6 billion in submarine funds
A massive, 1,547-page stopgap continuing resolution unveiled by the House GOP last night runs through March 14 and would, among a host of other provisions, provide $14.6 billion in funding for the Columbia- and Virginia-class submarine programs.
Document: FY-25 continuing resolution
Don't expect to see a public version of the Government Accountability Office's annual missile defense assessment anytime soon:
Annual MDA audit now classified 'CUI,' loss of transparency in new missile warfare era
Bowing to Defense Department "sensitivity concerns," congressional auditors will not make public the 2024 annual review of the Missile Defense Agency's work -- the first time in more than two decades the Government Accountability Office will cloak its report on MDA's progress in meeting the acquisition goals and objectives of a $246 billion project.
A new, experimental sub-10-inch-diameter solid-rocket motor took four months from concept to successful test:
Ursa Major, Raytheon advanced long-range SRM completes successful Army missile flight test
Solid-rocket motor startup Ursa Major and defense prime Raytheon teamed up to develop an advanced long-range, solid-rocket motor, which has completed a successful missile flight test for the Army, the companies announced Wednesday.
The head of the Space Development Agency spoke this week at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event celebrating the Space Force's fifth anniversary:
Lacking FAA approval, SDA runs costly tests outside of U.S.
The Space Development Agency has resorted to testing its Link 16 connections outside of the U.S. as Federal Aviation Administration approval remains out of reach, leading to extended timelines and higher costs, SDA director Derek Tournear said.
A bipartisan House task force report on artificial intelligence released this week "encapsulates a targeted approach that balances the need to promote vibrant AI innovation while safeguarding Americans from potential harms as we enter an era of widespread adoption of AI":
House task force sees AI as 'critical' for national security
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers released its findings and recommendations on artificial intelligence policy today, largely backing existing Pentagon efforts and warning of the increased use of AI by potential U.S. adversaries.
Document: House report on AI
A new Government Accountability Office report finds that the Navy's cruiser modernization effort "has been plagued with problems like schedule delays, wasted costs and poor-quality work":
Navy mismanaged contractors and 'wasted' nearly $2 billion in botched cruiser modernization plan, GAO finds
The Navy's mismanagement of an effort to modernize seven Ticonderoga-class cruisers has "wasted" nearly $2 billion and failed to deliver the intended service life extensions for most of the ships, according to a new report from government auditors that provides six recommendations to avoid similar pitfalls in future surface ship modernization plans.
Document: GAO report on Navy cruisers