Friday, April 19, 2024
Friday, April 19, 2024
Fifth-generation telecommunications technologies, the Army's Future Vertical Lift effort and the Cobra Dane radar are among the highlights in this Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest.
The Pentagon's top civilian was on Capitol Hill this morning, where fifth-generation communications technologies was one of the discussion topics:
Esper: Pentagon needs to share mid-band spectrum for 5G
Defense Secretary Mark Esper has endorsed the Defense Department sharing portions of the "mid-band" electromagnetic spectrum with the commercial wireless industry in order to better compete with China on fifth-generation telecommunications technology.
More on 5G:
CRS report frames congressional debate on 5G risks for the Pentagon
A Congressional Research Service report lays out specific questions for lawmakers to consider in developing policies to manage the risks to the Pentagon and military operations from next-generation 5G networks, particularly amid heightened concerns about threats from China.
Document: CRS 'in focus' report on national security implications of 5G mobile tech
The Army's Program Executive Office for Aviation held an industry day earlier this month in Huntsville, AL, with the Future Vertical Lift cross-functional team and Army leaders from Ft. Rucker, AL, seeking out solutions to address challenges within the PEO's portfolio:
Army Aviation office seeking MDO capabilities for future force modernization
The Army's Program Executive Office for Aviation is looking for capabilities to support multidomain operations for future force modernization, including the future vertical lift modernization priority.
More on vertical flight from an Air Force perspective:
Air Force creates new opening to grow engagement with transformative vertical flight industry
The Air Force has established an "innovative capabilities opening" to assess the transformative vertical flight market with the goal of accelerating certification and evaluating the potential for early adoption and fielding.
The Cobra Dane early warning radar's service life extension could be accelerated:
Air Force, MDA eye accelerating Cobra Dane improvements after Hawaii, Pacific radar delays
The Air Force and Missile Defense Agency could accelerate the planned service life extension of the Cobra Dane radar in Alaska -- used to track and classify missile threats, as well as to provide space surveillance and intelligence-gathering -- in the wake of recent delays to new ground radar projects, including the new homeland defense sensor slated for Hawaii and the so-called Pacific Radar.
The Defense Department's budget request includes eight "software and digital technology pilot programs" spread across the military services and defense-wide agencies:
DOD proposes new pilot programs to fund software through single budget activity
The Pentagon is seeking $696 million in fiscal year 2021 for a series of pilot programs designed to fund software through a single budget activity, as the Defense Department hopes to win congressional support for a new category of appropriations dedicated to "software and digital technology."
The military's surge sealift force could face serious reductions in the coming years:
Lyons says sealift fleet will start to lose 1M to 2M square feet of capacity per year
Army Gen. Stephen Lyons, chief of U.S. Transportation Command, today quantified the surge sealift crisis he is facing, stating the fleet will lose between 1 million and 2 million square feet of capacity each year starting around 2025.