Thursday, April 18, 2024
Thursday, April 18, 2024
This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on hypersonics, the Air Force's space launch market, the Next-Generation Air Dominance program, missile defense and more.
In a new memo to Mike Griffin, the Pentagon's top technology officer, and other key Defense Department officials, the DOD IG's office announced an intent to conduct investigations into a program that Griffin has ranked as the highest development priority for the U.S. military:
Hypersonic weapons light up DOD inspector general's radar, audits coming
The Defense Department's inspector general is planning this month to begin auditing hypersonic weapons research and development projects, a move that comes after Pentagon leaders announced plans to nearly double spending over the next five years on the new class of ultrafast weapons -- both offensive and defensive -- to more than $11 billion.
Document: DOD IG memo on hypersonic weapons research
The Air Force is working to increase its knowledge of the launch market in support of its National Security Space Launch acquisition strategy:
Air Force commissioned independent launch market study to inform future AQ strategy
The Air Force has contracted with an independent organization to study the global launch market in order to inform the next phase of its Launch Services Procurement strategy.
Air Force Gen. Mike Holmes outlined the service's current thinking around the Next-Generation Air Dominance program at the Air Force Association's recent annual conference:
ACC chief: 'Century Series' approach has been in NGAD plan for years
The head of Air Force Air Combat Command told reporters recently that the Air Force's plan to apply a "Century Series" concept to the Next-Generation Air Dominance program is not a change of course, but instead aligns well with studies the service has been conducting over the last few years.
Lockheed Martin has won a $281 million contract to develop and deliver 18 Sentinel A4 radar systems:
Lockheed wins Sentinel A4 competition, ousting Raytheon for $3B project
The Army has selected Lockheed Martin for an estimated $3 billion project to replace every Sentinel A3 radar variant in the inventory with upgraded A4s to improve the service's defenses against low-flying unmanned aircraft, cruise missiles and helicopters, beating out Raytheon and a third bidder.
Charles Verdon, the National Nuclear Security Administration's deputy administrator for defense programs, testified at a House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee hearing this week:
NNSA: Air Force, Navy nuke schedule delays to cost nearly $1 billion
Schedule delays to the B61-12 life extension and W88 Alteration 370 programs revealed earlier this month are expected to cost between $720 million and $850 million -- which the National Nuclear Security Administration intends to pay for using internal funding.
A new Pentagon document lays out key DevSecOps concepts, tools, activities and services available to program offices across the Defense Department:
DOD releases 'DevSecOps Reference Design' to guide agile software development
The Defense Department has released a new template for "DevSecOps" software acquisition, as DOD aims to improve upon its legacy software development practices.
Document: DOD's enterprise DevSecOps reference design
The Army's heads-up display goggles are now being fielded:
Army fields Enhanced Night Vision Goggle-Binocular
The Army fielded its long-awaited heads-up display goggles today to soldiers in the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division at Ft. Riley, KS.