The INSIDER daily digest -- Oct. 11, 2024

By John Liang / October 11, 2024 at 12:00 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, an early look at next week's AUSA conference and more.

We start off with some long-anticipated news on the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program:

Pentagon finalizes CMMC program rulemaking to formally launch certification initiative

The Defense Department has released the final rule to formally establish the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, marking a major step forward in the Pentagon's work to launch version 2.0 of the initiative nearly three years after an internal review.

Related CMMC news:

Tech group urges DOD to harmonize incident reporting requirements as part of CMMC acquisition rulemaking

The Information Technology Industry Council identifies concerns over the Pentagon's plans on cyber incident reporting from contractors in the context of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, in response to a proposed rulemaking focused on acquisition requirements.

Here's an early look at our coverage of next week's big AUSA conference:

General Dynamics debuts three vehicles to put mission command on wheels

General Dynamics Land Systems will debut what it calls the Stryker MCOTM, or Mission Command on the Move, flanked by two different robotic vehicles at the Association of the United States Army's annual trade show next week.

Read our coverage.

Unmanned systems news:

Air Force trialing autonomous mobility options, starting with legacy tankers

The Air Force Research Laboratory is beginning to chart a path toward unpiloted aerial refuelers and transport aircraft, Lt. Col. Jonathan Gilbert, AFWERX Prime division chief, said last week, creating potential future options the service can use to quickly automate its fleet.

Missile defense news:

MDA seeking 'low-cost interceptor' proposals for 2-year tech 'sprints' beginning in 2025

The Missile Defense Agency is seeking ideas on a "low-cost interceptor" to "dramatically decrease" the investment required to defeat an adversary threat, seeking proposals on potential technologies, concepts and concepts of operations to deal with enemy ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missiles that could kick off in 2025.

Some AUKUS news:

Australia to transfer initial $2 billion to U.S. by end of 2025 for AUKUS

Australia plans to transfer $2 billion to the United States before the end of 2025 to bolster the U.S. submarine industrial base as part of the AUKUS partnership and fund long-lead items for the Virginia-class submarine program, according to a senior Navy official.

The Defense Department's acquisition chief was in Hawaii this week:

LaPlante chairs new Indo-Pacific armaments forum

Pentagon acquisition chief Bill LaPlante chaired a meeting in Honolulu, HI, this week with national armaments directors from key U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific in the hopes of establishing a new forum capable of bolstering defense industrial capacity in the region.

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