Friday, May 10, 2024
Friday, May 10, 2024
This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, the JEDI cloud contract decision and more.
We start off with news on the Pentagon's largest weapon system acquisition program in history:
Pentagon to rebaseline F-35 due to 13-month milestone C delay
The Pentagon is updating the F-35's acquisition program baseline, acquisition chief Ellen Lord confirmed today, after announcing earlier this month that milestone C and a full-rate production decision would likely be delayed more than a year due to problems integrating the jet into a new Joint Simulation Environment.
Pentagon finalizes $34 billion F-35 deal for LRIPs 12 to 14
The Pentagon has finalized a $34 billion contract with F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin to buy 478 jets across the next three low-rate initial production lots.
DOD Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy faced questions on Capitol Hill this morning about the Pentagon's decision last week to award the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract to Microsoft over Amazon Web Services:
Top DOD official says Trump, White House did not influence JEDI source-selection team
The Defense Department officials who decided to award a multibillion-dollar cloud contract to Microsoft Azure were not influenced by anyone from the White House, including President Trump, according to DOD's top IT official.
Document: Hershman, Deasy, Sander nomination hearing
Insurance companies could play a key role in helping small businesses get certified against cyberattacks when contracting with the Defense Department:
Defense industry touts insurance to help small firms certify under DOD cybersecurity program
The National Defense Industrial Association has issued a report that emphasizes the important role that insurance companies can play in helping smaller businesses get certified -- and stave off potential supply shortages -- under an emerging Defense Department program that would establish baseline cybersecurity requirements for vendors and service providers.
Navy acquisition executive Hondo Geurts told reporters this week at the Pentagon that the service's newest aircraft carrier has completed about "50%" of its sea trials:
Ford finishing sea trials, starting 18-month testing phase
Having finished its maintenance availability, the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford (CVN-78) will conduct sea trials this week and then begin an 18-month, post-delivery testing phase, according to a senior Navy official.