Friday, December 13, 2024
Friday, December 13, 2024
This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Pentagon's secretive Replicator program, the Naval Strike Missile and more.
We start off with news on the Pentagon's secretive Replicator program:
After months of secrecy, Pentagon reveals new Replicator systems
The Defense Department has released new information about the classified Replicator drone program, naming systems and companies fielding weapons in the latest tranche of units.
The Navy plans to ask Congress for multiyear authority to buy as many as 516 Naval Strike Missiles between FY-24 and FY-28:
Navy initiates multiyear NSM buy with $960 million award to Kongsberg
The Navy has awarded Norwegian contractor Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace a five-year, $960 million contract for the Naval Strike Missile after Congress provided multiyear authority and funding in its fiscal year 2024 defense legislation.
The Defense Department has outlined the initial scope of the T-AGOS 25 project in a Selected Acquisition Report (SAR), noting that the original plan to procure seven ships for $3.9 billion has been expanded to 10 vessels following a decision made earlier this year:
New $3.9B T-AGOS 25 faces delays as Austal works to deliver new SWATH design
The Navy plans to spend more than $3.9 billion on a new fleet of T-AGOS 25-class Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance ships, crucial for detecting and tracking submarine activity in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and for strengthening anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
Document: DOD modernized SAR on the Navy's T-AGOS program
An Air Force tanker is on track to get an autonomous pilot soon:
Test flight for AI-enabled KC-135 planned for next year
The Air Force today accepted Merlin’s airworthiness plan to add its autonomous pilot to an operational KC-135 Stratotanker, putting the project on track for ground testing, flight testing and other demonstrations in 2025, according to a company news release.
The Defense Department is mulling over changes to CMMC compliance:
Lawyers argue for allowing plan of action and milestones to address security lapses in CMMC compliance
The American Bar Association’s Public Contract Law section is urging the Defense Department to consider allowing a plan of action and milestones for contractors to address ongoing compliance issues with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, as the Pentagon works to finalize a rulemaking to change its acquisition regulations.