Friday, April 19, 2024
Friday, April 19, 2024
A slew of Air Force news dominates this Friday INSIDER Daily Digest.
A deep dive into what should follow the Air Force's legacy E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System:
Analysts: New leaders with fresh strategy, budget ideas drive JSTARS debate
Defense analysts say the Air Force's reconsideration of what should follow the legacy E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System is driven by the strategy and budget concerns of a new slate of Pentagon leaders, who worry key command-and-control aircraft could be shot down by advanced foreign adversaries.
Future GPS III procurement and next-generation launch vehicle development are likely candidates for a new Air Force acquisition effort:
Air Force identifying initial programs to pilot rapid acquisition
As the Air Force looks to speed up its acquisition process by expanding its use of certain authorities, the service's space community is working to identify some "exemplar" programs to pilot those concepts.
The Air Force plans to launch a new commercial space internet program:
Air Force to launch MILSATCOM experiments using commercial space internet
The Air Force wants to leverage commercial industry's anticipated development of space internet satellite constellations to experiment with and establish a seamless communication and data-sharing capability.
Document: Air Force DEUCSI advanced research announcement, SOW
Mission growth has caused the Air Force to reorganize the way it manages remotely piloted aircraft units:
Creech AFB stands up new ops center to manage RPA mission growth
The Air Force is restructuring how it manages remotely piloted aircraft forces to reflect the needs of an MQ-9 Reaper fleet that has nearly quadrupled in size and spread to support multiple geographic combatant commands over more than two decades.
The Government Accountability Office recently issued a new report on F-35 sustainment:
GAO: F-35 sustainment faces two major hurdles
Parts reliability and data rights are creating significant obstacles to Joint Strike Fighter sustainment, the Government Accountability Office writes in a new report.
Document: GAO report on F-35 aircraft sustainment
An update on the activities of the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental:
DIUx transitions pilot project to production contract with $750M ceiling
The Defense Innovation Unit Experimental transitioned its first pilot projects to production using unique contracting authority last month, including one information technology contract with a ceiling of $750 million, according to the organization's latest report.
More news from this week's Inside the Air Force:
Air Force posts RFI for GBSD re-entry vehicle to carry interoperable warhead
The Air Force is in the early stages of an acquisition program to add the Mark 21A re-entry vehicle to the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent, according to a recently released request for information.
Document: Air Force RFI for GBSD re-entry vehicle
Future SBIRS strategy 'embroiled' in FY-19 POM process
The Air Force is still refining its Space-Based Infrared System follow-on strategy, and is putting "intense focus" on ensuring the program is structured to meet emerging requirements and resiliency concerns.
Sikorsky completes critical design review of CRH training systems
Sikorsky passed a critical design review for its Combat Rescue Helicopter's training systems last month, allowing the program to progress to assembly, test and evaluation, the company announced this week.