The INSIDER daily digest -- Oct. 7, 2022

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on an ongoing Defense Science Board task force looking at the relationship between furthering academic study and safeguarding U.S. interests, an upcoming Army doctrine release and more.

A new Defense Science Board study is underway:

New DSB task force to assess openness, security considerations for critical research areas

The Pentagon's technology chief has stood up a task force charged with finding "the right balance of openness and security" for each of the areas she's named as critical for research and engineering -- the latest in a long line of reviews centering on the relationship between furthering academic study and safeguarding U.S. interests.

Document: DSB terms or reference memo for academic research enterprise study

The Army's top uniformed official spoke this week at a virtual event hosted by Defense News:

McConville: New Army doctrine will bring 'fundamental' change

Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said new service doctrine that will inform multidomain operations will present a "fundamental change in how we look at things."

A new Space Development Agency firm, fixed-price contract totaling approximately $200 million for 12 space vehicles will test critical capabilities for the agency's forthcoming low-earth orbit data transport constellation:

SDA picks York Space Systems for T1DES satellites

The Space Development Agency has tapped York Space Systems to deliver Tranche 1 Demonstration and Experimentation System satellites, SDA Director Derek Tournear told reporters during a virtual roundtable.

The Air Force Nuclear Weapon Center has approved a certification for the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter to carry the B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bomb:

Air Force greenlights initial design for F-35A nuclear payload

The Air Force has certified an initial design for the F-35A to carry nuclear bombs, Inside Defense has learned, putting the service months ahead of its January 2023 goal.

Last but by no means least, we have coverage of the Pentagon's Selected Acquisition report on the Air Force's B-52 bomber fleet:

New engines for B-52 fleet could cost around $11.7B, Air Force tells Congress

The Air Force, in a rough estimate, believes the cost to re-engine the B-52 bomber fleet is about $11.7 billion, including $3.7 billion to develop and $8 billion to procure -- a figure not previously reported that will likely be refined next summer when the service formally launches the program.