The INSIDER daily digest -- Jan. 19, 2021

By John Liang / January 19, 2021 at 12:52 PM

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the effects of the pandemic on Huntington Ingalls Industries plus military test ranges and more.

Inside Defense recently interviewed Huntington Ingalls Industries CEO Mike Petters:

HII CEO says company likely won't be able to make up all delays, cover all costs related to COVID-19

The chief executive of Huntington Ingalls Industries says the company has returned to its pre-pandemic production rate -- but the company lost time and money it will likely not fully recover.

In his fiscal year 2020 report to Congress, Director of Operational Test and Evaluation Robert Behler flagged "5G and Radio Frequency Spectrum for T&E" among his areas of concern:

DOD officials say military test ranges could be impaired by 5G spectrum sharing push

Pentagon officials raised new concerns this week about plans to shift electromagnetic spectrum control from the Defense Department to the private sector, arguing it could jeopardize test ranges and the development of next-generation weapon systems.

Document: Pentagon's 2020 DOT&E report

The Hudson Institute hosted a virtual panel discussion last week in the wake of the Defense Department's release of its congressionally mandated assessment of the defense industrial base:

Panel debates 'overemphasis' on 'Buy American' initiatives amid supply chain worries

A bipartisan panel of current and former government officials, including Pentagon acquisition chief Ellen Lord and Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), spoke Thursday about threats to the U.S. defense industrial base, specifically addressing the tension between on-shoring to protect supply chains and competing with China around the globe.

Document: DOD's FY-20 industrial capabilities report

Inside Defense recently interviewed Gregory Sanders, a fellow and deputy director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies:

Open architectures could increase subsystem competition, CSIS expert says

The adoption of open and modular architectures on the Army's ground vehicles could increase the number of subsystems that make up a vehicle, according to a defense industry expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The Army is holding a communications exercise at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, the first of a "multitude" of exercises, ahead of some joint demonstrations planned with other services later this year:

Army holds comms exercise with 'key stakeholders' ahead of Project Convergence 21, plans formal radio program of record test for modernization effort

The Army's team in charge of the integrated tactical network is conducting a communications exercise with key stakeholders ahead of Project Convergence 2021, while simultaneously planning to complete a formal program of record test with radios this month for its first capability set.

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