Friday, April 19, 2024
Friday, April 19, 2024
The first INSIDER Daily Digest of 2018 features news on defense services contractors, the Air Force's B-52 engine replacement effort and more from the last week of 2017.
Inside Defense recently chatted with the chief executives of several defense services contractors:
Chief executives of government services contractors team up on shared issues
The leaders of several government services contractors, including CACI International, CSRA and ManTech International, have started meeting regularly to draw attention to areas of shared concern.
Related story:
Next chief executive plots growth plan for ManTech
Tapped to serve as chief executive of ManTech International beginning this week, Kevin Phillips is pursuing growth that would increase the company's revenues to at least $2.5 billion in 2020.
M&A activity among defense contractors will likely continue this year:
Contractors prepare for acquisitions in 2018
Contractors and industry observers say they expect mergers and acquisitions to continue and even potentially accelerate in 2018.
Keep an eye out in the coming months for a request for proposals for the Air Force's B-52 engine replacement effort:
Air Force could release B-52 engine RFP in FY-18 based on 'notional' schedule
The Air Force could request proposals from industry in the second quarter of fiscal year 2018 for a two-step B-52 engine replacement effort, according to a notional schedule released last month.
Document: B-52 re-engine program industry day presentations
Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, head of the XVIII Airborne Corps, will become the next chief of Army Training and Doctrine Command:
Townsend confirmed for fourth star; will lead TRADOC
Army Training and Doctrine Command is poised to get a new leader.
The Army recently identified which 4th Infantry Division brigades would deploy to Afghanistan, something former service Under Secretary Patrick Murphy caused a stir about earlier this year:
Two 4th Infantry Division brigades deploying to Afghanistan
The Army on Dec. 21 announced a pair of upcoming deployments from Ft. Carson, CO, to Afghanistan.
A new Pentagon report to Congress concludes Afghanistan's Air Force has matured enough to sufficiently complete its own mission sets, but not to meet the Afghan National Army's growing need for air support:
Report: Afghan Air Force makes progress but needs to build air support
Running Afghanistan's Air Force will cost $13.2 billion through fiscal year 2023, largely due to a $10 billion modernization effort that will grow its inventory to more than 300 aircraft, according to the Pentagon's biannual report to Congress on the embattled country's military progress.
Document: DOD report to Congress on Afghanistan
The Office of Naval Research will host an industry day Jan. 9 for the next-generation vehicle that will outfit light armored reconnaissance battalions:
ONR embarks on Light Armored Vehicle replacement project
The Office of Naval Research is embarking on a science and technology effort focused on a fifth-generation Light Armored Vehicle replacement for the Marine Corps and intends to hold an industry day next month.
The Littoral Combat Ship Coronado (LCS-4) was initially slated for maintenance at the end of January, but was later told it would slide a couple of months:
Coronado will begin testing MCM mission package, following maintenance delay
The Littoral Combat Ship Coronado (LCS-4) will begin testing its mine countermeasures mission package this spring, while waiting to enter maintenance in May or June, according to a Navy official.
The Navy initially estimated a request for proposals for the Next Generation Jammer would be released in the third quarter of fiscal year 2017, but later changed that to the second quarter of FY-19:
Navy asks industry to demonstrate existing tech for Next Gen Jammer
The Navy has updated its schedule for developing the second increment of the multibillion-dollar Next Generation Jammer, which focuses on the low-band spectrum, and is looking to industry to demonstrate existing technologies.
Project Maven has met with each of the military services about their respective Distributed Common Ground System programs:
Project Maven aims to introduce artificial intelligence tools into services' intel systems
The team developing and fielding the military's first artificial intelligence algorithms is seeking to incorporate some of its work into the services' Distributed Common Ground Systems, as the group works to establish an "AI-ready culture" across the Defense Department, according to the general leading the project.
Lockheed Martin has a new Sniper advanced targeting pod sustaimnent and modernization contract:
Lockheed to improve, sustain targeting pods under $961M contract
Lockheed Martin has been awarded $961 million to sustain and modernize around 700 Sniper advanced targeting pods for the Air Force over the next five years.
Air Force leadership was recently briefed on the findings of a yearlong enterprise study of multidomain command-and-control technologies:
AFRL asks industry for MDC2 machine learning, planning technologies
Air Force researchers may launch technical studies to further understand current and future multidomain command-and-control technologies, according to a recent request for information.
Document: Air Force RFI for MDC2