The INSIDER daily digest -- Sept. 17, 2021

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on Marine Corps organic fires munitions, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Army's Common Tactical Truck program and more.

The Marine Corps is looking to industry to provide expertise on how to conduct swarming and Automatic Target Recognition and Tracking and integrate these capabilities into loitering munitions:

Marine Corps searching for more autonomy out of its organic fires capability

The Marine Corps is looking to give more autonomy to its organic fires munitions, a technical approach that may allow the service to "swarm" a target.

The House Armed Services Committee’s version of the fiscal year 2022 defense authorization bill included a number of provisions aimed at reducing the cost to operate and maintain the F-35:

F-35 JPO, DOD creating options for more organic sustainment

As House lawmakers push the Defense Department to drive down the F-35's long-term sustainment costs, the head of the joint program office said this week the Defense Department is taking steps to secure more of the technical data rights that could create future options to shift toward a more government-managed, competitive approach to sustaining the Joint Strike Fighter enterprise.

Keep an eye out for a draft version of an abbreviated specifications document that will detail the capabilities of the Army's Common Tactical Truck program:

Army to release desired capabilities for Common Tactical Truck in FY-22

The Army plans to release more information in the first quarter of fiscal year 2022 about the desired capabilities for the Common Tactical Truck, the potential replacement for its cargo-hauling ground vehicles, according to a Sept. 16 service notice.

Our colleagues from Inside Cybersecurity have the latest on the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program:

Pentagon internal review delays plans to release CMMC final rule in September

The Defense Department is not planning to release the final rule cementing the implementation of its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program in September, due to an ongoing internal review expected to conclude toward the end of 2021.

A new defense pact between the U.S., U.K. and Australia provides the framework for Australia to build between eight and 10 nuclear-powered attack submarines:

New U.S. submarine pact with Australia, U.K. triggers industrial base questions

The United States and the U.K. are entering into a new tripartite alliance with Australia in the Indo-Pacific region that will allow the Aussies access to sensitive U.S. technology to purchase nuclear-powered submarines for the first time.

The Congressional Budget Office released a report this week on the Navy's shipbuilding plans:

CBO: Navy must spend billions more each year to grow fleet under FY-22 shipbuilding plan

The Congressional Budget Office is estimating the Navy will have to spend billions more each year on shipbuilding to grow the fleet in line with the service's most recent shipbuilding plan that was released in June.

Document: CBO analysis of the Navy's FY-22 shipbuilding plan

The Marine Corps thinks it has a new use for the MQ-9 Reaper:

Marine Corps shifts Reaper's purpose to focus on 'great power competition'

The Marine Corps is shifting the purpose of the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial system to move away from counterinsurgency.

Lawmakers want the JASON panel to assess the multibillion-dollar Ballistic Missile Defense System:

Proposed legislation would charter new JASON assessment of U.S. missile defense limitations

New legislation would establish an independent assessment of the $202 billion Ballistic Missile Defense System, chartering the JASON private scientific advisory panel to identify limitations of the collection of radars, interceptors and battle management, command and control tools that are designed to protect the nation against a long-range, North Korean nuclear strike