The INSIDER daily digest -- Jan. 10, 2019

By John Liang / January 10, 2019 at 2:18 PM

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the competitors for the Army's Stryker combat vehicle active protection system, Boeing beginning deliveries of the KC-46 airborne refueling tanker, F-35 affordability and more.

Two companies are competing to build an active protection system for the Army's Stryker combat vehicle:

Rheinmetall, Rafael competing in Stryker APS 'rodeo' next month

The Army is deciding between Rheinmetall's Active Defense System and a lighter version of Rafael's Trophy for integration on the Stryker combat vehicle.

The head of Textron Systems spoke with the media this morning:

Seeking expansion, Textron Systems chief pushes more focused research approach

Textron Systems is looking to its purchase of ground robotics company Howe and Howe as well as more focused independent research and development spending to help it grow, Lisa Atherton, the unit's president, told reporters today.

Boeing can now begin delivering KC-46 airborne refueling tankers to the Air Force:

Air Force approves KC-46 for delivery despite continued concerns with RVS and boom performance

The Air Force announced today it has accepted delivery of the Boeing-made KC-46 tanker, but says it has "mechanisms in place" -- including an option to withhold up to $1.5 billion from the company's contract -- to ensure Boeing completes fixes to the remote vision system that were identified during developmental testing.

It's unclear whether the Air Force's Joint Space Operations Center Mission System program has been canceled, absorbed by other modernization efforts or simply delayed:

Air Force restructures JMS after delays, will feed Space Fence data to legacy system

The Air Force has "restructured" a key upgrade effort for the Joint Space Operations Center Mission System, but is providing little detail on how the program has been reshaped.

A new DOD report to Congress, crafted by Pentagon acquisition chief Ellen Lord, updates the department's F-35 affordability "constraints," using a cost-per-tail-per-year metric to track long-term sustainment cost targets:

Pentagon aims to cut cost to sustain F-35A by 43 percent

The Pentagon needs to cut about 43 percent of the annual cost to sustain the F-35A by 2036 in order to meet sustainment affordability goals, according to a new report to Congress.

The Army has selected the Israeli-developed Iron Dome system to provide ground units with a cruise missile defense capability:

Army picks Iron Dome for interim CMD, eyes long-term adoption of Israeli system

The Army will acquire two Iron Dome batteries to provide ground forces an interim capability by 2020 against unmanned air vehicles, mortars, rockets, artillery and cruise missiles as well as explore full adoption of the Israeli-developed system for the Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2-Intercept program and incorporation with the Integrated Battle Command System by 2023.

The Defense Department has taken a step toward protecting its cyber supply chain:

Pentagon hands lawmakers a list of critical technologies to protect from cyber adversaries

The Defense Department has submitted a list of technologies that must be protected from cyber and foreign adversaries such as Russia and China, according to a spokesman for the House Armed Services Committee, a move that is intended to guide efforts to secure the military's cyber supply chain and reform the acquisitions process.

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