Thursday, April 25, 2024
Thursday, April 25, 2024
This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has continuing coverage of the House Armed Services subcommittee mark-ups of the fiscal year 2021 defense policy bill.
Missile defense:
Lawmakers want NGI program on short leash after RKV failure
Lawmakers are proposing new reporting requirements for the Next Generation Interceptor development program that could -- if enacted -- impose additional congressional oversight on the new counter-intercontinental ballistic missile weapon system.
House wants DOD to draft plan for improving, expanding current GBI fleet
A key House panel wants the Defense Department to draw up options for improving currently fielded Ground-based Interceptors, forging a potential new program to both upgrade and expand the existing homeland ballistic missile defense fleet that could compete with the Pentagon's new plan for a "layered" homeland defense architecture.
Joint Strike Fighter:
Lawmakers propose new F-35 oversight requirements, NGAD review
House lawmakers are calling on the Defense Department to provide new details on the status of F-35 software development and modernization plans and directing Pentagon cost estimators to conduct a "non-advocate review" of the Air Force and Navy's Next-Generation Air Dominance programs.
Air Force:
House panel moves to slow Air Force tanker retirements
The House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee wants to block the Air Force from making its planned KC-135 retirements until after a key upgrade to the KC-46 remote visual system is completed.
House authorizers threaten to limit ABMS funds pending Global Hawk divestment review
A House panel is threatening to withhold funding from the military's flagship program to achieve joint all-domain command and control until the Air Force shares information on its Global Hawk divestment plans.
Navy:
House authorizers seek to fence SECDEF travel budget until Congress gets Navy shipbuilding blueprint
Lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee are seeking to limit a portion of the Defense secretary's travel budget until the Pentagon presents Congress with the Navy's long-term shipbuilding blueprint.
Army:
House lawmakers seek report on future vertical lift sensor payloads
The House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee wants the Army secretary to deliver a report on future vertical lift sensor payloads amid concerns about the service’s FVL acquisition strategy.
House lawmakers show support for OMFV reboot
The House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee is showing support for the Army's Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle program restart in its mark of the fiscal year 2021 defense policy bill.
Last but certainly not least, some news on a big Navy contract for the Columbia-class submarine:
Navy awards Electric Boat $869 million Columbia contract mod; $9.5B in options for FY-21
The Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat an $869 million contract modification for the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine program.