Friday, April 26, 2024
Friday, April 26, 2024
Key Issues Optical clocks Prototype funding SPAFORGEN
This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has a scoop on the programs the Pentagon plans to raid to pay for the president's proposed southern border wall, plus the House Armed Services Committee's senior Republican's "heartburn" over the FY-21 budget, along with the Army's "Top 10" programs it plans to eliminate and much more.
We start off with big news on which programs the Pentagon plans to raid to fund the president's proposed southern border wall:
DOD will take $3.8B from procurement programs to fund Trump's wall
The Defense Department is transferring $3.8 billion from various procurement programs to fund construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a document obtained by Inside Defense.
Document: DOD's border wall reprogramming action
House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Mac Thornberry (R-TX) this week spoke to reporters about the defense budget:
Thornberry details 'heartburn' issues with DOD budget, especially over shipbuilding cuts
The top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee said this week his first look at the Pentagon's fiscal year 2021 budget left him with "heartburn" over several issues, but stressed he supports the overall request.
We also take a look at the Army's "Top 10" programs it plans to eliminate, along with a separate list of "Top 10" programs where it will cut spending:
Mobile Medium Range Missile among programs Army wants to cancel
The Army has released a list of the "Top 10" programs eliminated and "Top 10" reduced to fund modernization priorities in its fiscal year 2021 request.
Document: Army's 'top 10' canceled and reduced programs list
The Army is big on data standardization:
Army vice chief focusing on standardizing data
The Army's vice chief of staff says data standardization is one of his top priorities and that the Army is "all in" on the joint all-domain command and control effort led by the Air Force.
Some space news:
National Guard Bureau hopeful DOD will establish Space Force reserve component
The National Guard Bureau's space operations directorate expects that a report due in late March will lay out a plan to stand up a Space National Guard within the Space Force.
Pentagon eyes initial operation of HBTSS in 2022, shifts funding to SDA
The U.S. military plans to have an initial space sensor layer operational as soon as fiscal year 2022 -- a new capability that will begin to close a blind spot in today's sensor network by giving commanders the ability to continuously track hypersonic boost glide weapons as well as long-range ballistic missiles from launch to impact.
News on Navy shipbuilding plans, current and future:
Lawmakers want Navy shipbuilding plan by Feb. 27
Members of the House Armed Services Committee are calling on the Navy to deliver its 30-year shipbuilding plan by the end of the month.
Huntington Ingalls agrees to transfer San Diego shipyard to Titan
Huntington Ingalls Industries said this week its technical solutions unit has agreed to contribute its San Diego shipyard to Titan Acquisition Holdings, which is controlled by private-equity firms the Carlyle Group and Stellex Capital Management.
Navy plans to buy first Columbia-class sub for $14.3B over three years
After years of discussions with lawmakers and repeated stumping by Navy leadership about its No. 1 acquisition priority, the service this week unveiled its budget request seeking to buy the first Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine.
Shift in procurement profile driving cost changes for FFG(X)
A change in the procurement profile for the Navy's next-generation frigate has slightly increased the overall price per vessel, according to the service's fiscal year 2021 budget justification documents.
More Air Force budget coverage:
Air Force budget realigned $21 billion across FYDP
The Air Force has confirmed that its $168.9 billion fiscal year 2021 budget request reallocated $21 billion in legacy investment across the future years defense program to fund "future force capabilities."
E-4B NAOC replacement program eyeing multicontract award for pre-EMD work in FY-21
The Air Force is considering awarding multiple contracts in fiscal year 2021 for risk-reduction work supporting the effort to build and purchase the president's next emergency command-and-control aircraft.
Last but certainly not least, a counter-UAS project named "Rogue Squadron" is now being run by the Defense Digital Service:
Defense Digital Service touts rapid response capability in taking on counter-drone program
The Defense Digital Service is taking over "Rogue Squadron," a counter-unmanned aerial system project initiated by the Defense Innovation Unit, to give the Defense Department a "same day" capability to begin responding to emerging small drone threats, according to DDS Director Brett Goldstein.