Thursday, April 25, 2024
Thursday, April 25, 2024
This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the White House Office of Management and Budget proposing continued military aid to Ukraine, a potential pause in small business grants by the Defense Department and more.
Lawmakers are considering a new continuing resolution proposal for funding U.S. aid to Ukraine:
White House seeks $13.7B for Ukraine in new CR proposal
The White House is asking Congress to pass a stopgap continuing resolution before the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1 that would provide $13.7 billion in emergency military aid to Ukraine, including more than $7 billion to help replenish U.S. weapons that have been transferred there, according to a proposal from the Office of Management and Budget.
Current Small Business Innovation Research awardees and small business lobbyists say even a short-term pause will hurt vendors participating in the decades-old effort that seeks to develop and commercialize new technologies and potentially deter companies from wanting to be involved going forward:
With expiration looming, DOD braces for potential SBIR program lapse
Defense Department officials are bracing themselves for a potential lapse in small business grant programs -- a key pillar of the military's broader innovation environment -- as lawmakers work to hammer out a deal ahead of a looming deadline.
The Navy recently held its first fleet experimentation event focused on sustainment and maintenance capabilities:
Navy testing technology on decommissioned destroyer to help keep ships at sea
The Navy is testing out innovative technologies from industry and academia to improve the service's approach to maintenance and potentially help sailors conduct repairs at sea.
The Army wants to strengthen its network and communication capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region:
The next big test for the Army network: taming the Pacific
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MD -- When given the opportunity at think tanks, multinational conferences or congressional hearings, Army leaders consistently emphasize the service's ability to provide command-and-control capabilities in the Indo-Pacific as part of the joint force's effort to counter China's influence in the region.
An in-the-works proposal for defense contractor inflation relief was discussed last week at a meeting with senior Pentagon officials and industry executives:
Pentagon mulls inflation initiative after defense industry meeting
Senior Pentagon officials are considering an inflation relief proposal made by key defense industry associations that would have Congress expand military funding and allow alterations to fixed-price contracts that could help companies battered by surging prices.