Friday, April 19, 2024
Friday, April 19, 2024
This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the debate over integrating the Strategic Capabilities Office into the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, an Air Force high-powered microwave system, the Navy's F-18 mission-capable rate target and more.
In his new book, former Defense Secretary Ash Carter casts doubts about integrating the Strategic Capabilities Office into the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency:
New SECDEF directed to weigh in on SCO; former SECDEF skeptical of reorg under DARPA
Defense Secretary Mark Esper is being directed by Congress to promptly weigh in on the future of the Strategic Capabilities Office which this summer was effectively folded into the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a move that former Defense Secretary Ash Carter says subverts the original intent of the SCO to solve "immediate battlefield problems."
The Air Force over the next year will be testing the Phaser high-powered microwave system:
Air Force to test Raytheon high-powered microwave against enemy drones abroad
During an upcoming experiment, the Air Force will demonstrate the ability of the Phaser high-powered microwave system to thwart adversary unmanned aerial systems in an overseas operational environment.
The Navy primarily credits the success of reaching its F-18 mission-capable rate target to its new aviation and sustainment effort:
Navy says it has achieved 80% goal on Super Hornets, Growlers, does not address F-35
The Navy announced Tuesday the service has achieved its 80% mission-capable rate target for both the F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18 Growler fleets.
An upcoming Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program technical interchange meeting will serve as an interim analysis between the system functional review, completed in June, and preliminary design review, expected in late spring or early summer of 2020:
ICBM replacement program moving toward interim design review this fall
The Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program is scheduled to have a technical interchange meeting this fall that will help inform next year's decision to enter the engineering and manufacturing development phase.
Acting SDA Director Derek Tournear, who wears a dual hat as the assistant director for space within the under secretary of defense for research and engineering office, spoke with reporters at last week's Air Force Association annual conference:
SDA to release first solicitation soon for initial transport demonstration
The Pentagon's new Space Development Agency is preparing for the "imminent" release of its first solicitation in support of its vision to create a resilient, proliferated next-generation space architecture.
In related space news, Phase 2 Launch Service Procurement competitor Blue Origin has contracted with an unnamed independent research firm to conduct an analysis of the future launch market -- work that could bolster its case for a launch strategy that favors greater competition and investment in the domestic launch industrial base:
DOD says changes to launch strategy could delay program by one to two years
The Defense Department estimates that if it is required to change the Air Force's launch services acquisition strategy as a result of legislative language or pending legal challenges, the program could be delayed by at least a year.
Document: Blue Origin's future launch market summary
Last but by no means least, some news from our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity:
Court orders DOJ to file additional briefs defending Huawei ban
The U.S. district court for eastern Texas has ordered the Justice Department to file an additional brief in its arguments rejecting Huawei's claim that a federal ban on purchasing its products is unconstitutional, a move that comes after parties argued in court last week in a case that could determine the government's authority to counter China's cybersecurity threat.