The INSIDER daily digest -- March 13, 2020

By John Liang / March 13, 2020 at 1:50 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on missile defense, sealift ships and Defense Department science and technology spending.

Missile Defense Agency Director Vice Adm. Jon Hill was on Capitol Hill this week, discussing the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor program:

Pentagon gambit to shift HBTSS funding from MDA to SDA challenged again

The Defense Department's proposal to shift funding for the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor from the Missile Defense Agency to the Space Development Agency encountered continued headwinds in Congress this week, raising questions about the viability of this fiscal year 2021 request.

Hill also answered lawmakers' questions about an Aegis Ashore site in Poland:

DOD reviewing 'all options' on path forward for delayed missile defense site in Poland

The Missile Defense Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers are determining how to proceed with delayed Aegis Ashore site in Poland, according to MDA's director, as they attempt a "carrot and stick approach" to get the contractor on track to complete construction by 2022, four years later than initially planned.

Mike Griffin, under secretary of defense for research and engineering, this week revealed plans for the Standard Missile-6 interceptor to become a candidate for a proposed counter-hypersonic weapon:

DOD eyes SM-6 for counter-hypersonic mission, test against glide-vehicle target in FY-23

The Defense Department is eyeing Raytheon's Standard Missile-6 as a counter-hypersonic interceptor, a weapon already effective against "advanced maneuvering threats" and now slated for a flight test against a hypersonic boost-glide target in fiscal year 2023.

Navy Vice Adm. Ricky Williamson, deputy chief of naval operations for fleet readiness and logistics, recently told lawmakers about a legislative proposal concerning sealift ships:

Navy sent legislative proposal to buy used sealift ships without new construction contingencies

The Navy submitted a legislative proposal to lawmakers that would decouple authorities to buy used sealift ships contingent upon making progress towards designing and constructing a new class of auxiliary vessels, according to a senior Navy officer.

Air Force acquisition chief Will Roper testified on Capitol Hill this week about science and technology funding:

Air Force consolidates S&T funding accounts to improve flexibility

The Air Force's fiscal year 2021 budget proposal reorganizes the service's science and technology accounts -- a "significant reform" that will allow researchers to be more agile moving forward, according to service acquisition chief Will Roper.

206823