Friday, April 19, 2024
Friday, April 19, 2024
This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Small Diameter Bomb II program suffering a Nunn-McCurdy cost breach, the Air Force's NC3 modernization efforts and more.
The Air Force's Small Diameter Bomb II program has suffered a Nunn-McCurdy cost breach:
Small Diameter Bomb II unit cost growth caused 'significant' Nunn-McCurdy breach
The Small Diameter Bomb II's unit cost grew high enough to trigger a Nunn-McCurdy breach in the fall because, according to the Air Force's acquisition chief, the other military services and foreign partners have not bought as many as expected.
Document: Air Force letter on SDB II Nunn-McCurdy breach
Inside Defense recently interviewed Air Force Lt. Gen. Richard Clark, the service's deputy chief of staff for nuclear integration and strategic deterrence:
Air Force's NC3 modernization efforts focus on conventional-nuclear integration
The Defense Department is just getting started on its push for nuclear command, control and communications modernization, and according to one three-star Air Force general, a major focus is integration with conventional battle management.
A new RAND Corp. report released this week reviews the space-related operational, training, acquisition, major headquarters and support activities throughout DOD and considers the benefits of shifting those functions to the Space Force:
RAND report recommends plan to shift most DOD space programs, organizations to Space Force
A new report from RAND Corp. recommends the Defense Department transfer nearly all space-related organizations and acquisition programs from across the services and DOD agencies into the new Space Force to promote the service's independence and fulfill the department's stated goal of integrating space activities under a single service.
The House Armed Services Committee "Future of Defense" Task Force is plodding an uncertain path as the COVID-19 outbreak calls into question the timing of congressional defense legislation this year, task force Co-Chair Seth Moulton (D-MA) told Inside Defense:
Congressional task force eyes controversial recommendations on future of defense
A congressional task force studying how the Defense Department could better adapt for the future is preparing potentially controversial recommendations on issues like Pentagon spending priorities, U.S. efforts in Africa and the military's approach to pandemics like the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Keep an eye out for a big hypersonic flight test taking place in the next few days:
DOD appears poised for major hypersonic flight test this week
The Defense Department appears set this week to conduct a flight experiment of a long-range hypersonic glide vehicle that -- if successful -- will advance Army and Navy plans to mature prototype designs for land- and sea-launched offensive strike weapons as soon as 2023 and 2025, respectively.