Sunday, October 19, 2025
Sunday, October 19, 2025
This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Defense Innovation Unit looking to upgrade the Navy's legacy IT systems, plus the Air Force integrating artificial intelligence into air operations and more.
The Defense Innovation Unit's three-phase "Project NextMRO" competition plans to make up to $8.5 million in awards:
DIU launches challenge in search of integration-capable Navy MRO solutions
The Defense Innovation Unit is looking for commercial technology options to replace the Navy's "fragmented landscape" of legacy IT systems used to maintain, repair and overhaul (MRO) its air and maritime fleets, according to a recent solicitation.
Some preliminary reporting from this week's AFA 2025 Air, Space and Cyber conference:
AFRL picks up the pace of combat planning through use of AI and gaming technology
The Air Force Research Laboratory is testing ways to introduce new AI and gaming technologies into air operations planning, with its APEX GEAR prototype already shortening decision-making timelines and developing more thorough combat schemes.
Here's an early look at something happening at next month's Association of the United States Army's annual conference:
'Shark tank style' pitch competition coming to AUSA, Army leaders say
The Army is hosting a live pitch competition next month where select startups will vie for investments from a panel of judges focused on four capability spaces: electronic warfare, energy resiliency, unmanned aerial systems and counter-UAS.
A new Air Force report to Congress outlines the service's "plan to sustain and recapitalize the fighter fleet of the Air National Guard":
Air Force: Recapitalizing all 25 ANG fighter squadrons costs $30.5B, degrades active-duty force
The Air Force would need to either close or change the mission of seven active-duty fighter units to fully recapitalize the entire Air National Guard fighter fleet -- a move that would cost more than $30 billion -- according to a report obtained by Inside Defense.
Document: Air Force's ANG fighter fleet recapitalization plan
The Space Force is seeking space-based interceptor prototypes:
Pentagon kicks off space-based interceptor development, $5.6B available to fuel effort
The Space Force has formally launched a competition to prototype space-based interceptors, issuing a Sept. 18 request for proposals even as analysts and former senior defense officials warn that physics and budget realities cast long shadows over the Trump administration's centerpiece Golden Dome missile defense initiative.