Friday, April 19, 2024
Friday, April 19, 2024
Air Force small launch services, the Joint Strike Fighter and more highlight this Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest.
The Air Force's budget request includes $192 million across the future years defense program to buy small launch services through the Rocket Systems Launch Program:
New small launch procurement effort shows USAF response to growing market
A new small launch procurement line in the Air Force's fiscal year 2019 budget request may indicate the service is positioning itself to respond to anticipated growth in the small satellite market.
The F-35 joint program office and Lockheed have been negotiating the 11th low-rate initial production lot for about six months and the government is aiming to reduce the jet's unit cost:
F-35 PEO: Lack of collaboration from Lockheed slowing Lot 11 negotiations
The head of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program told reporters this week that while negotiations with prime contractor Lockheed Martin for the next lot of low-rate initial production jets is progressing, he has been disappointed with a lack of collaboration from the company to significantly lower the aircraft's unit cost.
The nominee tapped to lead U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency testified before Congress this morning:
Nominee to lead CYBERCOM cites private-sector vulnerabilities as top threat
Cyber vulnerabilities among contractors in the defense industrial base pose a top threat to U.S. national security and require a new, "comprehensive" approach, according to the nominee tapped to lead U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency.
Document: Senate CYBERCOM, NNSA nomination hearing
Eric DeMarco, Kratos' chief executive, says the divestiture of part of the company is intended to focus the contractor on high-tech defense products and systems, including drones, satellite communications and missile defense:
Kratos to sell public safety and security system integration business
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions said Wednesday it has agreed to sell its public safety and security system integration business for $69 million to Securitas Electronic Security.
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DARPA Director Steven Walker says while the Defense Department got a big boost for hypersonics technology development in its fiscal year 2019 budget, most of the dollars are going toward flight tests and developing operational prototypes:
DARPA director calls for national infrastructure plan for hypersonic technology
The head of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency wants a national infrastructure plan for hypersonic weapon testing, as he says China has nearly twice the number of facilities as the United States.
The Missile Defense Agency's FY-19 budget request notes that details about ballistic missile defense tests -- previously included as part of budget justification material provided to Congress -- are now only available in a classified document: the Integrated Master Test Plan:
DOD now treating missile defense flight test plans -- once public -- as classified
The Pentagon -- citing a need to "safeguard critical defense information" -- will no longer provide advance information about Ballistic Missile Defense System tests, a policy change that departs with a long-standing practice of routinely publishing both test schedules and test objectives.
Lawmakers will have to engage in some horsetrading if they want to increase funding for certain DOD programs:
Thornberry: Congress set to make 'adjustments' to Trump's FY-19 defense budget
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) said yesterday he is confident Congress will honor a bipartisan budget commitment to spend $716 billion on defense in fiscal year 2019, but added that lawmakers will likely grapple over a variety of "adjustments" in funding to specific programs, like shipbuilding.
F-35 Program Executive Officer Vice Adm. Mat Winter said this week the Joint Strike Fighter's Block 3F deficiency database contains roughly 200 deficiencies:
Winter: JPO, Lockheed Martin will meet this spring to discuss F-35 software deficiencies
The F-35 joint program office and Lockheed Martin will hold a "Consideration Summit" in a few months to discuss software deficiencies and make sure the government does not pay for the same product twice.
The head of STRATCOM says MDA has a concept to develop a space-based sensor layer for tracking ballistic missiles in the midcourse phase of flight, but "we're struggling to get started with it":
Hyten: DOD taking 'way too long' to develop space-based sensor for missile defense
The Pentagon is moving too slowly in its pursuit of a space-based sensor system for missile defense, the head of U.S. Strategic Command argued today, as the Missile Defense Agency's latest budget forecasts plans to spend billions more on ground-based radars instead.
It's not clear whether the Air Force's Space Rapid Capabilities Office will be able to maintain the level of funding it's been receiving:
Budget boost for new space RCO not sustained across FYDP
The Air Force's Space Rapid Capabilities Office received a nearly $300 million increase in the service's fiscal year 2019 budget request, but, as one analyst pointed out this week, it's unclear whether that funding will be sustained in the coming years.