The INSIDER daily digest -- Oct. 2, 2024

By John Liang / October 2, 2024 at 2:52 PM

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the SECDEF's annual "heartburn letter" to lawmakers about the defense policy bill, the Navy CNO's efforts to drive down ship maintenance delays and more.

In a recent missive to lawmakers, known as a "heartburn letter," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin highlights "topics of significant concern for the Department" regarding the fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill, which "if left unaddressed . . . will substantially impact the Department's ability to accomplish our strategic goals":

Austin says buying second VA submarine would cut into next-gen fighter program

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the Pentagon is opposed to legislation that would require the Navy to purchase a second Virginia-class submarine in fiscal year 2025, along with numerous other provisions that could become part of the upcoming defense authorization bill.

Document: Austin's FY-25 'heartburn' letter

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti said today that ensuring ships and other platforms can expediently complete maintenance is paramount to this effort and will be a priority in future budgets:

Franchetti: Platform maintenance, readiness are leading budget priorities in Navy push to avoid war in 2027

With the Navy's focus placed squarely on deterring conflict with China in 2027, the service’s top officer will prioritize investments aimed at driving down maintenance delays and improving the readiness of existing ships, submarines and aircraft as she formulates fiscal year 2026 and 2027 budgets.

Lockheed Martin has nabbed a multibillion-dollar missile contract:

Air Force moves ahead with $3.2 billion multiyear award for LRASM and JASSM

The Pentagon last week awarded Lockheed Martin a $3.2 billion multiyear procurement contract to boost production of its Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles and Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles through July 2032 in a bid to replenish the nation's dwindling munitions stockpile.

In a broad agency announcement released this week, the Army's Energetics Basic Research Center "seeks to increase the Army's intellectual capital in energetic materials (EM) and improve its ability to address future challenges":

Army Research Office looking to develop new, synthetic explosives for future fights

The Army is worried it won't keep up its dominance in range and lethality on future battlefields due to inadequate energetics and limitations with current weapon systems and is starting to explore developing synthetic energetics, according to a broad agency announcement posted by the Energetics Basic Research Center (EBRC) Tuesday.

Document: Army energetics BAA

A new Government Accountability Office report on the Columbia-class submarine program recommends "the Navy require the shipbuilder to revise its estimated cost at completion and include thorough analysis in its reporting; and that the program identify information it needs to determine whether investments in the supplier base support Columbia-class construction goals":

GAO: Navy must revise cost estimates, determine true impact of industrial base funding for Columbia class

The Navy needs to revise cost estimates for its Columbia-class submarine construction and develop a consistent method of identifying whether supplier development funding (SDF) is helping the program correct its schedule, the Government Accountability Office reported Monday.

Document: GAO report on the Columbia-class sub program

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