Saturday, November 22, 2025
Saturday, November 22, 2025
This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on a space-based, midcourse defense interceptor, Army Apache helicopter modernization and more.
On Nov. 20, the Space Force's Space Systems Command Program Executive Office for Space Combat Power (SSC/SCP) issued a notice announcing plans to release a request for prototype proposals on Dec. 7 for a kinetic midcourse interceptor, with awards expected in February:
DOD eyes midcourse defense Space-Based Interceptor, reaching for 'low-hanging' fruit
The Defense Department is preparing to solicit industry proposals for a prototype space-based interceptor, taking a concrete step toward what experts say is the most achievable slice of an otherwise costly and technically daunting vision for a space-based missile defense layer: midcourse kinetic intercept.
The Army Transformation Initiative, rolled out in May, calls for the divestiture of the older AH-64D model Apache attack helicopters, along with several other legacy aircraft:
Boeing seeks to pivot Apache operation as Army modernizes
MESA, AZ -- At Boeing's production center for attack helicopters here on the outskirts of Phoenix, company executives are strategizing how they will adapt the Apache helicopter for the Army's future modernization needs, 50 years after the helicopter flew for the first time.
In an effort to meet the needs of warfighters in a time where technology is advancing faster than ever, the Space Force is looking at training an acquisition workforce with a depth of expertise, writing requirements that are as clear and simplistic as possible, formalizing its approach to force design, giving more authority and flexibility to program portfolio managers and streamlining testing structures:
Saltzman lays out acquisition modernization focus
To improve its acquisition process and speed capability fielding, the Space Force needs to look at reshaping the "full lifecycle" of programs, from requirements to delivery to sustainment, according to Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman.
Gallium and scandium are of particular concern for DOD with gallium being one of three minerals with a wide array of military applications:
Pentagon awarding ElementUSA nearly $30M for domestic gallium, scandium supply
The Defense Department announced today it is awarding a Texas-based company $29.9 million in Defense Production Act funds for the development of a Louisiana facility to recover gallium and scandium from industrial waste.
A commercial adoption bootcamp for the acquisition workforce is in the works and an impending announcement on the Navy's relationship with private capital could be a substantial change for the service:
Ex-DOGE employee promises new Navy initiatives to attract private capital and address underperformance
Historically, the Navy has not been a good partner to venture capital and private equity, a Navy official said this week. This could soon change, with the rollout of new initiatives that coincide with the Pentagon's wide-ranging overhaul of its defense acquisition system.