Saturday, May 24, 2025
Saturday, May 24, 2025
This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance effort, the Navy's nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missile program, the Sentinel nuclear missile program and more.
We start off with a deep dive on the Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance effort:
Are CCA and the sixth-generation fighter in a perfect marriage? Time will tell
Like families often do, the Next Generation Air Dominance family of systems has recently found itself in turmoil, with the Air Force now reconsidering its original vision for the sixth-generation fighter to ensure it is well-suited against evolving threats in the Indo-Pacific.
Coverage of the Navy's nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missile:
Navy aims to reach critical SLCM-N milestone by FY-26
The Navy has a goal of reaching milestone A for its nuclear-armed sea-launched missile program by fiscal year 2026, according to a recent contract announcement.
Northrop Grumman's CEO spoke on his company's quarterly earnings this morning:
Northrop CEO: Sentinel cost growth not related to company's performance
As the Sentinel nuclear missile program faces ballooning total costs, Northrop Grumman executives stressed during their second-quarter earnings call today that those increases won’t be realized yet for several years, past the current contract.
In April, Ursa Major signed a contract with the Naval Energetics Systems and Technologies Program in which it agreed to develop and hot-fire test a solid-rocket motor prototype for the service's Standard Missile program:
Ursa Major's Draper moved onto duration testing phase
Ursa Major's developmental liquid hypersonic engine known as "Draper" has made it out of the startup period and is currently in duration testing to ensure engine survivability through stress tests, a senior company official told Inside Defense.
The Senate Armed Services Committee, in the report accompanying its fiscal year 2025 defense policy bill, directs senior Pentagon acquisition officials to prepare a report on maximizing the use of rapid prototyping and non-traditional acquisition authorities to speed the Guam missile defense project as well as action to improve integration efforts:
Guam air and missile defense project suffering 'apparent lack of progress,' lawmakers say
Pentagon efforts to rapidly field a 360-degree, air-and-missile defense system to Guam are hampered by an "apparent lack of progress . . . to effectively integrate" nearly two-dozen components that comprise a hybrid architecture of new and existing technologies, according to lawmakers who want a more nimble acquisition effort for the project.
Some counter-drone news:
DOD officials: Counter UAS swarm demonstration last month presented necessary 'challenge'
A demonstration conducted by the Pentagon's Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office that focused on defeating large swarms of up to 50 drones was challenging but necessary in order to keep pace with global threats, officials from the office and the Army said this week.
News on the next-generation AWACS aircraft:
Air Force, Boeing reach 'affordable cost agreement' on E-7A Wedgetail
While still waiting to finalize the contract for the E-7A Wedgetail, the Air Force and Boeing have agreed on an "affordable price" for the warning and control contract, service officials said this week.