The INSIDER daily digest -- Oct. 22, 2024

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Army scrapping plans to base the Mid-Range Capability on Guam, the Indirect Fires Protection Capability (IFPC) Increment 2 project, the developmental Launched Effects initiative, the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle program and F-35 operations and maintenance problems.

On Sept. 11, Pentagon Comptroller Mike McCord finalized a budget action to reprogram funds appropriated in fiscal years 2023 and 2024 from lower- to higher-priority projects, identifying $34.7 million previously allocated for the Strategic Mid-Range Capability now available to finance other pressing needs:

Army scraps plans for MRC on Guam; 'adversaries took notice' of inaugural deployment

The Army is scrapping plans to base its new Chinese ship-killing unit on Guam, removing the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) from the planned architecture for the Western Pacific U.S. territory -- an aspect of Defense Department designs for the region not previously made public.

Document: DOD's September 2024 reprogramming request

More coverage from last week's AUSA conference:

IFPC Inc. 2 notches 'very successful' developmental test, begins operational testing

The Indirect Fires Protection Capability (IFPC) Increment 2 project -- the Army effort to develop a new cruise missile defense system -- is pivoting to operational testing this fall after knocking down a trio of targets in a "very successful" live-fire event, a milestone that keeps the project on track for a production review in early 2025.

With FARA cancelled, Army charts way forward on Launched Effects

With the Army's decision to end its Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft program earlier this year, officials touted the developmental Launched Effects initiative last week at the Association of the United States Army's annual trade show in Washington.

BAE Systems set to speed up AMPV pace with new production line and 'Virtual Proving Ground'

As the Army prepares a pivot to full-rate production for the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, the prime contractor, BAE Systems, announced it will open a second production line, and, going forward, take advantage of its advanced digital modeling system, dubbed the Virtual Proving Ground.

Read our full AUSA coverage.

A new Government Accountability Office report "provides information on how the Air Force and Navy (which includes the Marine Corps) develop their [operations and maintenance] funding requirements for active-duty tactical aircraft; the amount of O&M funds used during fiscal years 2018 through 2023; and any association of trends in O&M funding with mission capable rates":

GAO: All F-35 variants fall short of minimum readiness goals for sixth consecutive year

The Pentagon's costliest weapon system has yet again fallen below Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps mission-capable rate goals, due partly to ongoing challenges with depot and organizational maintenance, according to the government's top watchdog.

Document: GAO report on tactical aircraft O&M