Thursday, April 25, 2024
Thursday, April 25, 2024
This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has a bunch of reprogramming news, plus Turkey's looming departure from the Joint Strike Fighter program and much more.
The Pentagon will now be able to use $34 million for a new-start program, "Defense Next Generation Information Communications Technology (5G)," in the defense-wide research, development, test and evaluation budget:
Congress allows DOD to shift $34 million to jump-start 5G tech development
Lawmakers have allowed the Defense Department to move $34 million in its fiscal year 2019 budget to begin a new program aimed at accelerating fifth-generation wireless technology development.
In a July 3 letter to the Pentagon comptroller, Reps. Adam Smith (D-WA) and Mac Thornberry (R-TX), chairman and ranking member respectively of the House Armed Services Committee, rejected the Pentagon's request to reprogram $15 million in fiscal year 2019 funds into a new account and effectively authorize initial funding for the nascent Space Development Agency:
Lawmakers reject DOD request for early launch of new Space Development Agency
Lawmakers have turned down a Pentagon gambit to accelerate the Space Development Agency's launch, citing concern about the sudden resignation last month of the agency's director and shifting plans for the new entity. The move signals Congress' flagging confidence in Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Mike Griffin's project to rapidly develop, acquire and field next-generation space capabilities.
Turkey's looming departure from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program has left the Pentagon searching for suppliers that would take that country's place:
DOD requests $206M reprogramming to mitigate fallout from Turkey's F-35 departure
The Pentagon is asking for approval from Congress to reprogram $206 million to support alternate sourcing for foreign-made F-35 parts -- a move that appears to be driven by Turkey's likely departure from the program.
In a July 2 letter to the congressional defense committees, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Mike Griffin touts the National Security Innovation Capital (NSIC) program and encloses a June report on the new project:
Pentagon rallies lawmaker support for $75M program to boost key hardware companies
The Defense Department's chief technology officer is rallying lawmakers' support for a new program aimed at shoring up investments in dual-use hardware technologies, which DOD argues have been underfunded by U.S. venture capitalists and are at risk of being captured by Chinese investments.
The Air Force is seeking clearance to buy in-scope software capabilities for the Global Strike and Product Support project from February 2020 through January 2022:
STRATCOM to extend Lockheed global strike software contract, raise ceiling value
The Air Force intends to add two years and $20 million to the ceiling value of a Lockheed Martin contract for global strike software, in support of U.S. Strategic Command’s mission planning and operations system.
The Air Force's FY-20 Next-Generation Air Dominance funding request could face a 50% cut:
OMB: House's proposed NGAD cut would delay program by three years
As part of a scathing review of the House's proposed fiscal year 2020 defense policy bill, the White House Office of Management and Budget told House lawmakers this week a proposed $500 million cut to the Next-Generation Air Dominance program would delay the program by three years.
Inside Defense this week chatted with Army Col. Kurt Thompson, deputy director of the soldier lethality cross-functional team, about the Integrated Visual Augmentation System:
Army completes first capability set of Integrated Visual Augmentation System
The Army has completed the first capability set of its new battlefield heads-up display and is on track to start production in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020.