The INSIDER daily digest -- Oct. 15, 2024

By John Liang / October 15, 2024 at 1:29 PM

The bulk of this post-holiday INSIDER Daily Digest involves coverage of the big AUSA conference.

Here's our AUSA coverage so far:

Wormuth says CR is slowing down more than $8 billion in projects and programs

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said a stopgap funding measure passed by Congress last month is delaying more than $8 billion in projects and programs.

Modernization plans squeezed by rising personnel costs; Army faces 'really hard choices'

The Army's current modernization plan is being squeezed by rising personnel costs and will force "really hard choices" -- possibly foiling a once-in-a-generation blueprint to retool the force for modern combat -- if the service doesn't receive an increased budget topline that reflects real growth above inflation, according to the Army secretary.

Bush says Army is 'not starting from scratch' when it comes to its role in Replicator 2

With the focus of Replicator 2 being on counter small unmanned systems, Army acquisition chief Doug Bush says the service will try to expand on buying systems that already work well as part of the push.

GM Defense prototype reflects Army's posture toward light vehicles

GM Defense's new prototype, the Next Gen Tactical Vehicle, is "quiet as a mouse," said John 'JD' Johnson, vice president of business and development at the company. It's an attribute the Army has a vested interest in.

Army awards five contracts for self-propelled howitzer demonstrations

The Army announced it has given out five contracts to vendors for an upcoming series of self-propelled howitzer performance demonstrations the Army will put on, starting next month. The total award is about $4 million split between American Rheinmetall Vehicles, BAE BOFORS, Hanwha Defense USA, General Dynamics Land Systems and Elbit Systems USA.

Army wants to get rockets lower into its formations, says AFC commanding general

The Army is "aggressively pursuing rockets" with the goal of increasing the lethality of the service’s light formations, Army Futures Command Commanding Gen. James Rainey says.

A new airborne jamming capability was unveiled this week:

Airborne jamming tech designed to be expendable and degrade enemy air defenses

European arms builder Leonardo has unveiled a new airborne jamming capability -- called BriteStorm -- designed to be carried by uncrewed aircraft, including on systems deemed disposable, to thwart advanced integrated air defense systems and support operations deep within adversary territory.

We now have the list of semiconductor technology projects the Microelectronics Commons initiative is working on:

Microelectronics Commons projects begin receiving inaugural funds

The Microelectronics Commons initiative has released a comprehensive list of the 33 semiconductor technology projects that have been chosen to receive the program's first round of funding.

A pair of senators are seeking a look into DOD's quantum sensing efforts:

Bipartisan Senate duo probing DOD quantum sensing efforts amid growing global interest

Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) have sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin seeking insight into the Pentagon's use of quantum sensing technology to maintain a strategic advantage over the nation's adversaries.

Military Sealift Command vessel Washington Chambers (T-AKE-11) recently aided in the simulated re-arming of Ticonderoga-class cruiser Chosin (CG-65) off the coast of San Diego, with sailors using the hydraulic TRAM system to load an empty missile canister into Chosin’s MK 41 vertical launch system:

Navy completes first at sea re-arming demonstration

The Navy successfully completed an at-sea re-arming demonstration today, using its developing Transferrable Reload At-sea Method (TRAM) to replenish an underway warship in the open ocean for the first time, according to a Friday announcement.

222395