Monday, May 13, 2024
Monday, May 13, 2024
This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has a new look at what the fiscal year 2024 defense budget topline will be, plus more coverage of the Government Accountability Office's annual missile defense report along with U.S., British and Australian military cooperation and more.
The Memorial Day weekend saw agreement on a possible bipartisan debt limit deal:
Defense toplines emerge from debt deal talks
Lawmakers reached a bipartisan deal over the weekend that would raise the debt limit and fund total defense spending in fiscal year 2024 at President Biden's request of $886 billion, with a 1% increase in FY-25, potentially ending a political standoff that could have brought the nation to the brink of economic catastrophe, but also throwing a wrench into future Pentagon spending plans.
The Government Accountability Office, in its annual report on the Missile Defense Agency, provides the most complete explanation of components the U.S. military is working to integrate to bolster defense of the U.S. Western Pacific territory against advanced Chinese air and missile threats:
GAO pulls the curtain back, reveals new details about DOD's plans for Guam Defense System
Congressional auditors have provided a first-ever public accounting of key systems that will be part of a new Defense of Guam capability -- details the Pentagon has kept under wraps since providing lawmakers a September 2021 classified report on the matter -- revealing previously unreported elements of the planned 360-degree air and missile defense system.
Document: GAO report on missile defense deliveries and testing
A recent demonstration is the first time jointly developed Australian, U.K. and U.S. artificial intelligence capabilities have been deployed on coalition autonomous systems for an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission:
AUKUS nations demonstrate AI swarming in 'advanced capabilities trial'
The Pentagon says the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia successfully demonstrated the use of artificial intelligence and autonomous swarming technologies in an "advanced capabilities trial" held in the U.K. last month.
In related AUKUS news, Jessica Lewis, assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, testified at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing last week:
State Department charts AUKUS roadmap with new mechanism to streamline defense trade
The State Department supplied House lawmakers with a plan for enabling AUKUS this week, endorsing legislative changes and unveiling a new "trade authorization mechanism" intended to streamline defense trade between the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.
Document: House hearing on U.S. arms exports and AUKUS
A new draft request for proposals is focused on engineering and manufacturing development efforts within the E-XX TACAMO program:
EXX-TACAMO weapon system has tentative contract date
A contract for the Navy's future aircraft system that allows the president to communicate with ballistic missile submarines during times of crisis will be awarded in September 2024, according to a draft request for proposals.
Document: Navy draft RFP for EXX-TACAMO