Thursday, May 9, 2024
Thursday, May 9, 2024
A major Marine Corps exercise, Navy strike fighters, the Air Force's U-2 aircraft and more highlight this Friday INSIDER Daily Digest.
Some of the cutting-edge technology used in a recent Marine Corps exercise included a waterproof dune buggy that can operate underwater; lightweight helmets; counter-unmanned aerial system equipment; and unmanned ground vehicles:
Marines use different model to conduct exercise focused on operating in urban environment
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, CA -- The Marine Corps is taking a more hands-on approach when conducting its latest advanced technology exercise focused on a rifle company operating in an urban environment, according to a senior official.
Congress is directing the Navy secretary to provide a report about the status of the service's strike fighter inventory shortfall:
Congress mandates reports on strike fighter inventory, DDG-51
The omnibus appropriations bill passed by the House and Senate calls for reports to be delivered later this year about two major Navy programs.
The U-2 program office and Lockheed will partner on a "loads and environment spectral survey," which is planned to start this year and finish in fiscal year 2024:
Air Force studying whether U-2 can keep flying until 2100
The Air Force is studying whether Lockheed Martin's U-2 can fly until 2100, about five decades longer than its current expected service life, according to Susan Thornton, director for information dominance programs in the service's acquisition branch.
A new full-rate production decision for the Air Force's KC-46 tanker program could be pushed back:
Air Force eyes risk to future KC-46 FRPD; Boeing focused on first deliveries
As the Air Force and Boeing work toward the first KC-46 tanker deliveries later this year, the service expects a full-rate production decision will slip past the current estimate of May 2020.
A congressional funding boost to the Distributed Common Ground System program is about $23 million less than Senate appropriators previously planned to offer the effort:
Lawmakers add money to DCGS in FY-18 omnibus, press Air Force on plan
Congress is slated to appropriate $248.2 million for the Air Force's Distributed Common Ground System in the fiscal year 2018 omnibus spending bill released this week, nearly $70 million more than the service requested in the base budget.
The Air Force secretary said her service hasn't yet "dug into the law" or defined where congressional help might be most beneficial:
SECAF: Air Force may seek congressional help negotiating for data rights
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said this week the service may need Congress' assistance in negotiating with industry for intellectual property rights for new programs and for older systems with obsolete or obscure parts replacement needs.
A classified request for information regarding the Air Force's Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent program is out:
Air Force announces GBSD request for information to shape EMD
The Air Force this week released a classified request for information that will shape the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the Air Force's Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent program.
The Air Force could be getting more C-130 aircraft:
FY-18 omnibus would add six C-130Js, five MC-130Js above USAF request
Congress is proposing several Air Force aircraft quantity increases in the fiscal year 2018 omnibus spending bill it released this week, including close to $1.2 billion to buy 11 new C-130J, MC-130J and HC-130J aircraft.
The Joint Strike Fighter could get a new mission:
Pentagon eyeing new mission for F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: ballistic missile defense
The Defense Department is exploring a potential new mission for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: ballistic missile defense, according to a senior DOD official. The move could leverage sensors on the planned fleet of 2,456 new stealthy aircraft the U.S. military plans to buy in the coming decades to help detect and track enemy launches.
More missile defense news:
DOD lags on missile defense review as officials weigh 'competing approaches'
The Defense Department expects to wrap up an assessment of U.S. missile defenses this spring, but a top official would not put a time frame on its completion as DOD weighs "competing approaches" to future threats.
MDA delays EPAA Phase 3 plans from 2018 to 2020 due to construction setbacks
The Defense Department is delaying the planned deployment of the European Phased Adaptive Approach Phase 3 until sometime in 2020, a setback of at least a year to the plan to add a second Aegis Ashore system in Europe due to slow progress with construction at the new ballistic missile defense site in Poland, according to DOD.