Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
In addition to a big scoop on OCO funding, this Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has plenty of Air Force news.
We start off with a big scoop on OCO funding:
Pentagon planning a mammoth FY-20 war budget to avoid spending cap
The Defense Department is preparing to ask Congress for an increase of more than $100 billion in its controversial warfighting account to skirt a mandatory budget cap, but some government officials are worried it will only further the account's appearance as a slush fund.
Air Force acquisition executive Will Roper told reporters this week he's been talking with Air Force Space Command chief Gen. Jay Raymond about how to add cybersecurity to its proposal evaluation criteria for space systems:
Air Force considering cybersecurity as source-selection criteria for space systems
The Air Force is considering measuring cybersecurity in its source-selection process for space programs, in the same way it might assess performance, cost or schedule, according to the service's acquisition executive.
More from Roper:
Air Force acquisition chief acknowledges slow start to ABMS
The Air Force's acquisition chief acknowledged the new Advanced Battle Management System has had a slow start and pledged to speed up the process once the new architect joins next month.
More coverage of the latest DOT&E report:
DOT&E: KC-46 receiver certifications could impact IOT&E schedule
The Pentagon's top weapons tester said in his annual report that a timely start and finish of KC-46 operational testing could hinge on the program's ability to certify the required jets to be refueled by the new tanker.
The Air Force is in the early stages of developing a retention strategy for aircraft maintainers:
GAO: Air Force has experienced maintainer deficit, recommends creating retention strategy
Although the Air Force has made significant progress reducing a gap in aircraft maintainers, a new report from the Government Accountability Office found the service continues to face a shortage of experienced personnel and lacks a strategy to retain its current workforce.
Document: GAO report on Air Force maintainer retention
A second ICBM flight test went off without a hitch:
Air Force notches second consecutive ICBM test success after last summer's failure
The U.S. military's nuclear strategic deterrence fleet executed a "reliable" operational flight test last night over the Pacific Ocean when an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA, and flew its intended course, a second consecutive developmental test-launch success since a failure last summer.