The INSIDER daily digest -- Feb. 1, 2024

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on Boeing's quarterly earnings, the Marine Corps' Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle competition, the Air Force's Advanced Battle Management System and more.

Quarterly earnings news from Boeing:

Boeing defense unit still bleeding money, but 'poised to improve'

A senior Boeing executive today said the company's defense business is "poised to improve" after recording huge losses, yet fell short of announcing a blueprint for 2024 during the company's year-end earnings call.

Contractors General Dynamics Land Systems and Textron Systems each delivered an ARV prototype to the Marine Corps in early fiscal year 2023 and spent the remainder of the year running a gauntlet of government-directed tests to assess the vehicles' survivability, land and water mobility as well as command, control, communications and computer/uncrewed aerial systems (C4UAS) capabilities. Here's the story, now available to all:

Two contractors remain as ARV competition moves toward EMD phase

As the Marine Corps moves its Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle program toward the engineering and manufacturing development phase and narrows in on requirements for a family of six vehicle variants, two companies remain standing in the prototyping competition that will decide the maker of this next-generation family of vehicles.

Inside Defense recently interviewed C3BM Integrating Program Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Luke Cropsey:

Exclusive: ABMS IDIQ awardees now competing for follow-on work

The Air Force awarded the last of its indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts for the Advanced Battle Management System last year, and the awardees are now competing to bring their capabilities to fruition as the service seeks to rapidly field technology for its contribution to the Joint All Domain Command and Control effort.

Heidi Shyu, under secretary of defense for research and engineering, spoke this week at the 10th annual Defense R&D Summit in Alexandria, VA:

DOD official wants to focus on bridging 'valley of death' to counter China

The Pentagon's technology chief emphasized the importance of bridging the "valley of death" by creating pathways for innovation through the government's labyrinthine acquisition system, especially during a time of increased military challenge from China.

The goal of China's military-civil fusion strategy, according to DOD, is to support weapons modernization by ensuring Beijing can "acquire advanced technologies and expertise developed by PRC companies, universities and research programs that appear to be civilian entities":

DOD releases new list of 'Chinese military companies' connected to U.S.

The Defense Department has released an updated list of "Chinese military companies" operating directly or indirectly in the United States.

News on the latest happenings at the Defense Innovation Unit:

Upcoming DIU summit aims to scale commercial tech for INDOPACOM

A senior Defense Innovation Unit official said an upcoming industry summit will be an opportunity to focus on scaling commercial technologies for use by the Defense Department, specifically focusing on U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

DIU seeks autonomous surface vehicle prototype in line with Replicator

The Defense Innovation Unit is looking for submissions from industry that can produce small, unmanned, autonomous surface vehicle interceptors for the Navy, according to a new solicitation in line with the Defense Department's Replicator initiative.

The Missile Defense Agency completed a preliminary design review of Northrop Grumman's Next Generation Interceptor proposal last week:

MDA completes major review of Northrop's NGI design; fate of competition TBD in PB-25

The Defense Department last week completed the second of two major technical reviews for the Next Generation Interceptor, wrapping up an assessment of Northrop Grumman's design and select components for a homeland defense guided-missile prototype -- an event that potentially could form the basis of a source selection if funding for the project is curtailed.