Friday, April 19, 2024
Friday, April 19, 2024
This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, the military's use of artificial intelligence, a multibillion-dollar hypersonic engine contract and more.
A new Government Accountability Office report on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program issued today finds the Defense Department "needs better accountability for global spare parts and reporting of losses worth millions":
GAO: F-35 JPO needs more control over spare parts management
The Defense Department doesn't oversee or account for spare parts for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program and doesn't know the total value or quantity of spares held on non-prime contractor facilities, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Tuesday.
Document: GAO report on F-35 spare parts
The Navy's top uniformed officer spoke this week at the Council on Foreign Relations:
Gilday: AI needs 'more governance' for assuming risks, applying capabilities
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday cautioned Monday that more governance is needed for deploying artificial intelligence to manage risk, guide capabilities and inform decision-making.
Under a new 12-month, "eight-figure" contract, Ursa Major says it will build and test a prototype of its new 4,000-pound "Draper" engine for hypersonics and further develop its 200,000-pound thrust "Arroway" engine for space launch:
Ursa Major wins hypersonics engine prototype contract
The Air Force Research Lab has awarded Ursa Major a contract to build a prototype storable engine for hypersonic and space launch missions.
Lockheed Martin is self-funding an effort to adapt the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement as a lower-tier, hit-to-kill capability for Navy surface combatants:
Navy ships lack 'capability and capacity' to defeat complex raids; Lockheed offering PAC-3 MSE
Lockheed Martin is offering the most advanced variant of the Patriot interceptor -- the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement -- to bolster ship defense in the wake of a newly revealed lack of "capability and capacity" to defeat complex raids of hypersonic and cruise missiles.
A Government Accountability Office report issue late last week finds that the Air Force "has yet to resolve significant issues with the Advanced Pilot Trainer, including with its escape system and other components critical to achieving requirements":
Advanced Trainer Jet 10 years behind its initial plans, GAO reports
The Air Force is working toward creating a new system of modern training jets and simulators but is nearly a decade behind initial plans, according to a May 18 Government Accountability Office report.
Document: GAO report on advanced trainer jet