Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on Virginia-class submarine funding, more details on the Pentagon's secretive Replicator program and more.
Draft marks of the FY-25 defense policy bill -- expected to appear in the coming weeks -- are likely to authorize the purchase of a second Virginia-class submarine and outline a strategy for funding the multibillion-dollar vessel:
Plans to fund two Virginia subs take shape in Congress, with or without defense spending cap
The push to procure two Virginia-class submarines in fiscal year 2025 is gaining momentum in Congress, where some lawmakers are preparing to fund a second boat regardless of whether the Pentagon's topline budget stays within Fiscal Responsibility Act spending limits or breaks its $895 billion cap.
On May 6, DIU released a brief overview of Replicator, which is the first time the unit has released a public document about the program due to the secrecy surrounding the initiative:
DIU releases Replicator overview targeted at industry involvement
The Defense Innovation Unit released an overview of the Replicator initiative this week, answering frequently asked questions and focusing on increasing industry's involvement amid the private voicing of frustrations from some companies.
The Defense Department issued a 50-page report in April that tallies 484 aircraft slated for retirement across the U.S. military in FY-25 to save $3 billion and 19 ships slated to be pulled from service for a savings of $224 million:
Air Force eyes $18B for new investment by retiring 938 'legacy' aircraft through 2029
The Air Force wants to harvest $18 billion for new modernization priorities by divesting 938 aircraft -- including fighters, bombers, cargo planes, trainers, rotorcraft and more -- according to a DOD report that reveals for the first time the scope of plans between fiscal years 2025 and 2029 to finance new capabilities -- such as uncrewed fighters -- out-of-hide.
A new Defense Innovation Unit solicitation is seeking sensors designed at the atomic level for better accuracy, responsiveness and less degradation of Global Positioning System signal:
DIU seeks quantum sensing and hypersonics for new emerging tech portfolio
The Defense Innovation Unit launched the first solicitation under its new emerging technology portfolio today, focusing the first lines of effort on quantum sensing and hypersonics.
News on the Army's Maneuver Short Range Air Defense system:
Army issues RFI for M-SHORAD increment 4
The Army released a request for information for the fourth increment of the Maneuver Short Range Air Defense system Wednesday, stating that this capability will focus on delivering “air defense capability to support dismounted maneuver.”