Friday, April 19, 2024
Friday, April 19, 2024
This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on missile defense, open-source software, Navy shipyard contracts and more.
The Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, according to a Sept. 10 summary of the panel's mark of the FY-20 spending bill, includes $222 million for a competitive clean-sheet design for a follow-on Ground-based Interceptor:
MDA wins support, financing from key Senate panel for immediate pivot from RKV to NGI
The Missile Defense Agency has secured a de facto authorization from a key Senate panel for an eleventh-hour launch of the Next-Generation Interceptor, winning $222 million in fiscal year 2020 for a major new-start program to follow the recently terminated Redesigned Kill Vehicle program.
A new Government Accountability Office report finds that the Defense Department "has not fully implemented an open-source software pilot program and related Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requirements as mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018":
DOD drags feet with open-source software program due to security, implementation concerns
The Defense Department has been slow to meet a government-wide mandate to release more open-source software code, as DOD officials have concerns about cybersecurity risks and are struggling to implement such a program across the department, according to a new audit.
Document: GAO report on open-source software
GAO also this week released the reasoning behind its denial of a protest by Austal USA of a shipyard planning contract award to Huntington Ingalls Industries:
GAO: Austal's bid protest hinged on Navy's risk assessment, service acted reasonably
Austal USA's bid protest for a shipyard planning contract was denied because, according to a government watchdog, the Navy acted reasonably when it deemed using a wholly owned subsidiary less risky than using an independent subcontractor.
Document: GAO decision on Austal USA shipyard planning contract protest
Proposed language in the FY-20 defense authorization bill could undermine current hypersonics prototyping and analysis efforts being led by both the Missile Defense Agency and the new Space Development Agency, according to the White House:
OMB pushes back on Senate plan to give MDA oversight of space sensor architecture
The White House objects to a provision in the Senate Armed Services Committee's fiscal year 2020 defense policy bill that would give the Missile Defense Agency responsibility for a new hypersonic and ballistic space-based sensor constellation, saying the move could "restrict DOD's ability to design the most cost-effective solution."
Inside Defense this week spoke with Greg Hames, Combat Rescue Helicopter program director at Sikorsky:
Sikorsky gears up for combat rescue helicopter production decision this month
Once marred by technical deficiencies that led to a schedule adjustment, the Air Force's multibillion-dollar Combat Rescue Helicopter program is on track for a decision to approve low-rate initial production during a meeting at the end of the month.