Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on missile defense, the Air Force's B-1 bomber program, several recent Defense Department legislative proposals and more.
A new Government Accountability Office report issued today "addresses the extent to which [the Missile Defense Agency] (1) achieved its fiscal year 2022 baseline delivery goals and (2) completed its testing planned for fiscal year 2022":
MDA, in response to audit, raises technical bar in NGI contest; aims to promote design stability
The Missile Defense Agency has raised the bar in the $17 billion Next Generation Interceptor competition, requiring Lockheed Martin and a Northrop Grumman-Raytheon team to demonstrate critical technologies in their respective guided-missile designs at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 or higher, a change from the initial requirement of TRL 5 or higher.
Document: GAO report on missile defense deliveries and testing
Boeing flew members of the media out to its bomber engineering facility in Oklahoma City:
Air Force testing Boeing-developed pylons for B-1
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -- The Air Force is conducting tests through the summer on pylons developed by Boeing to add payload capacity to the B-1 Lancer, a Boeing executive said Wednesday.
The Pentagon has submitted a legislative proposal to Congress regarding allowing U.S. investment in British and Australian military suppliers:
DOD wants to include UK, Australia in new Defense Production Act investments
The Pentagon is asking Congress to expand its authority under the Defense Production Act to include investments in military suppliers based in the United Kingdom and Australia, according to a new legislative proposal.
More U.K.-Australia-U.S. news:
DOD asks Congress for AUKUS provisions in FY-24 defense authorization bill
The Defense Department is asking Congress to include legislative language supporting AUKUS in its upcoming defense authorization bill, including provisions that would enable the transfer of Virginia-class submarines to Australia and allow the United States to expand its submarine industrial base using Australian funding.
Another recent legislative proposal focused on joint warfighting operations:
Pilot program would improve funding access in joint operations
A legislative proposal in the fiscal year 2024 budget would jumpstart a mission management pilot program for selective joint warfighting operations established in FY-22 without funding.
Inside Defense recently interviewed the chairman of the House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee:
Lamborn cites 'strong suspicions' Trump played favorites with SPACECOM choice
Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) says he would like the debate over where to station U.S. Space Command to be kept separate from politics, but he acknowledges that just isn't the reality of the current situation, which has pitted Republicans from Alabama against those from his home state of Colorado based off a decision former President Trump announced during his final days in office.
Working hand-in-hand with industry partners, Space Systems Command will collect and integrate MEO data into the existing missile warning architecture:
SSC awards Parsons MEO MW/MT contract
Space Systems Command awarded an operations and integration contract to Parsons Corp., the command announced on May 16. The contract is worth $55 million and is for resilient missile warning, missile tracking and missile defense mission set.