Friday, April 19, 2024
Friday, April 19, 2024
This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on what senators think about the Pentagon's cost data, plus more from the fiscal year 2020 defense policy bill.
The Senate Armed Services Committee, in the report accompanying its version of the FY-20 defense authorization bill, notes the Defense Department often has difficulty determining whether it is getting the best price possible:
Cost data becomes key acquisition reform area for Senate lawmakers
The Senate Armed Services Committee is urging the Pentagon to find faster alternatives to the way it currently obtains cost and pricing data from defense contractors.
More news from the Senate policy bill:
Senators would restrict funding for IFPC amid strategy change
Senate authorizers would withhold funding for the Army's Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2 program until the service provides a report on the enduring capability's requirements and ongoing selection process.
Senate authorizers to ramp up oversight of Air Force ISR programs, cancel new-starts
The Senate Armed Services Committee is putting increased pressure on the Air Force's plans to modernize its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
Senate, House policymakers disagree on way ahead for space launch competition
House and Senate lawmakers disagree on how the Air Force should proceed with competition for future national security space launches, as shown by newly released Senate policy language.
The third of the three companies vying to develop the Army's Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor program has demonstrated its offering:
Lockheed shows off its LTAMDS offering
Lockheed Martin announced today it had successfully completed a demonstration of its radar solution for the Army's Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor program during a "Sense-Off" at White Sands Missile Range, NM.
Raytheon and Northrop Grumman have teamed up to work on developing hypersonic missile technologies:
Northrop, Raytheon team up for work on hypersonic cruise missiles
Northrop Grumman and Raytheon today announced a teaming agreement to collaborate on technologies critical to U.S. military efforts to produce a hypersonic cruise missile, a pact to adapt scramjet combustors produced by Northrop in Raytheon's air-breathing, ultra-fast missiles.
The Pentagon inspector general has found more issues with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter:
DOD IG says Lockheed should repay incentive fees, labor costs for spare parts quality issues
The Defense Department inspector general found that the F-35 joint program office provided insufficient oversight of prime contractor Lockheed Martin’s spare parts delivery and aircraft availability data and awarded millions of dollars in incentive fees based on "inflated and unverified data," according to a new report.
Here is some Army helicopter development news:
Army may accelerate FVL through acquisition reform authorities
The Army is considering multiple courses of action to accelerate the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft through the use of acquisition reform authorities, according to an Army spokeswoman.
The Army has bigger plans for the Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport vehicle:
Army to field SMET at battalion level
Following an operational user test demonstration this spring, the Army has decided the Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport vehicle -- previously intended only for squads -- is best suited for battalions.