The INSIDER daily digest -- Sept. 16, 2022

By John Liang / September 16, 2022 at 1:45 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on efforts to renew the Small Business Innovation Research program, Navy Littoral Combat Ships, Marine Corps unmanned systems and more.

We start off with a deep dive into the government's effort to renew the Small Business Innovation Research program and its effects on the defense industry:

SBIR faces down-to-the-wire program reauthorization

With two weeks remaining until the Small Business Innovation Research effort is set to expire, congressional negotiations surrounding a potential standalone reauthorization plan -- characterized by a keen interest in front-end changes to the decades-old program -- are getting down to the wire.

Navy and Marine Corps news:

Navy: LCS mission package funding not 'hull-specific'

Despite the Navy's proposed early retirement of nine Littoral Combat Ships, the program's mission packages, aimed to provide modularity and flexibility for the ship class, are not dependent on the number of LCS in the fleet.

Berger: Marine Corps pressing forward with unmanned systems

The Marine Corps is rapidly pressing forward with the development of unmanned systems for use in the air, on the ground and both above and below the water's surface, according to the service's commandant.

Pointing to how the war in Ukraine has demonstrated the vital role of commercial platforms, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said during an Intelligence & National Security Summit event this week that DOD is exploring ways to shield companies from threats as the line between private and government systems blurs:

DOD considering indemnification for commercial space vendors, officials say

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- As the United States increasingly leverages commercial space capabilities to support national security objectives, the Defense Department is considering steps to indemnify private space vendors due to risks to their systems, according to top officials.

Defense Department acquisition chief Bill LaPlante spoke at a Defense Scoop conference this week:

LaPlante: DOD has budgeted for 'tens' of production-level hypersonic weapons

Pentagon acquisition chief Bill LaPlante said today the Defense Department's future-years budget plan has a "wedge" to purchase production-level hypersonic weapons.

Air Force Deputy Chief Information Officer Winston Beauchamp outlined a timeline this week for integrating the Advanced Battle Management System:

Air Force poised to release ABMS model to industry next week

Air Force officials are planning to release a model next week to help guide industry involvement in the service's push to connect its sensors and shooters through the Advanced Battle Management System program.

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