The Insider

Some must-reads from this week's issue of Inside the Navy:

1. The Navy investigated a series of physiological episodes involving aircraft pilots on a case-by-case basis and not as a series of related events, according to a new government report that suggests the service could have more effectively reviewed the problem.

Full Story: NASA report criticizes Navy’s approach to physiological episodes

2. Naval Air Systems Command is implementing aspects of a new approach to acquisition that at full maturity can cut the time necessary to develop a weapon system in half.

Full Story: NAVAIR: New acquisition approach can cut cycle times in half

3. The Navy is seeking to reduce some of its training requirements, following a high-level review spurred by numerous ship collisions in U.S. 7th Fleet.

Full Story: Spencer: Navy, Marine Corps need requirement relief to focus on readiness

Boeing said today Randall Stephenson, the chief executive of AT&T, has resigned from Boeing's board of directors "to devote his time and attention to matters at AT&T," according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

"Mr. Stephenson informed the Company that the coming year will be an extremely busy one for him at AT&T, and that he thought it best to step down from the Board as a result," Boeing said in its filing. "Mr. Stephenson's resignation is not due to any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to its operations, policies or practices."

The Navy's latest strategic readiness review, the electromagnetic spectrum, a new AIA report and more highlight this Friday INSIDER Daily Digest.

The Navy recently issued its strategic readiness review:

Spencer: Navy, Marine Corps need training requirement relief to focus on readiness

The Navy is seeking to reduce some of its training requirements, following a high-level review spurred by numerous ship collisions in U.S. 7th Fleet.

Document: Navy's strategic readiness review

The Joint Staff is pondering whether the electromagnetic spectrum should be designated as a sixth combat domain:

DOD driving toward new electromagnetic spectrum battle management ideas

The Joint Staff has wrapped up a Functional Capabilities Board review of an electromagnetic battle management initial capabilities document to be approved by the Joint Capabilities Board early next year, military officials recently told Inside the Air Force.

AIA has a new report out on the number of prime contracts awarded in recent years:

With industrial base review underway, new report finds significant decline in DOD's prime vendors

The number of vendors receiving prime contracts from the Pentagon shrank by 17,000 during the defense drawdown, according to a new report commissioned by the Aerospace Industries Association and undertaken by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

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Microelectronics is an area the Pentagon wants to make sure is available within the United States:

DOD seeks public-private partnerships to gain influence in microelectronics market

The Pentagon sees public-private partnerships as one way to gain influence in a microelectronics market increasingly controlled by China, according to a defense official.

The Pentagon is concurring with a new GAO report on a component of the GPS system:

GAO: DOD needs organization to coordinate GPS receiver upgrades

The Government Accountability Office is recommending the Defense Department designate an organization to manage, collect and distribute test data for the Military GPS User Equipment program, which the watchdog agency says faces significant risk of cost increases and schedule delays.

Document: GAO report on GPS OCX

Three Air Force munitions programs recently issued contracts:

Three munitions programs see progress, new money

Industry this week noted progress on a slate of Air Force weapons -- including two early-stage programs -- the Defense Department wants to add onto aircraft in the next few years.

The Air Force's Joint Space Operations Center is being called on to integrate with the National Space Defense Center:

JSpOC transitioning to new coalition operations center in 2018

U.S. Strategic Command Chief Gen. John Hyten wants the Air Force's Joint Space Operations Center to transition to a coalition operations hub by the end of 2018.

A recent Air Force broad agency announcement asks concept papers to address "ISR state-of-the-art advancement":

Air Force C3 office seeks new ideas to integrate ISR into kill chain

The Air Force is gathering ideas from industry to shape the next generation of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities as it retires the MQ-1 Predator and looks to the future of its big-wing battle management, command-and-control and ISR platforms.

Document: Air Force BAA for ISR enabling technologies

President Trump is scheduled to deliver a speech Monday explaining the administration's new National Security Strategy.

Trump's speech comes amid increased tensions with Iran and North Korea, and as the United States remains engaged in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, Trump's national security adviser, previewed the strategy earlier this month at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California, stating the NSS will "focus on protecting our homeland, advancing American prosperity, preserving peace through strength . . . and finally enhancing American influence."

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and a small cadre of experts are nearing the completion of the Pentagon's National Defense Strategy, which will use the NSS as a foundation to posture the U.S. military for foreign conflicts, deterrence of potential adversaries and modernization investments.

Mattis wrote in a Jan. 31 memo that the objective of the NDS would be to "to build a larger, more capable, and more lethal joint force."

Washington insiders who have seen elements of the unfinished NDS tell Inside Defense it will create a framework that requires the Pentagon to focus on modernization and readiness over a more traditional buildup of military forces.

Congress and the White House, however, remain engaged in tense budget negotiations over fiscal year 2018 and FY-19 spending that could provide DOD with a funding boost for a larger number of additional troops.

Still, a source with knowledge of internal DOD debates said the NDS would likely upset those who continue to advocate for a traditional buildup of force structure that would posture the United States to simultaneously defeat two enemies in two different theaters of war.

The F-35 program, a new report on Navy pilots' physiological issues, the Air National Guard and more highlight this Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest.

A scheduled DAB meeting regarding the Joint Strike Fighter didn't take place this week:

F-35 Defense Acquisition Board pushed from early December

The F-35 joint program office confirmed this week that a Defense Acquisition Board slated for early December "did not happen."

The Navy needs to do better when it comes to investigating pilots' physiological episodes:

New F/A-18, E/A-18 report criticizes Navy's approach to physiological episodes

The Navy investigated a series of physiological episodes involving aircraft pilots on a case-by-case basis and not as a series of related events, according to a new government report that suggests the service could have more effectively reviewed the problem.

Document: NESC report on F/A-18, E/A-18 physiological episodes

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The head of the National Guard Bureau spoke at an Air Force Association breakfast this morning:

National Guard chief discusses effort to help Air Force combat pilot shortage

The Air National Guard's full-time force falls a couple hundred pilots short of where it needs to be, but the Guard is in a unique position to help grow the service's pilot pipeline, according to the head of the National Guard Bureau.

Freedom of movement remains the No. 1 challenge for the Army in Europe:

Army seeking solutions for limited mobility in Europe

As the Army exhibits a more visible presence in Europe, it has realized the barriers it faces on the ground, and is forming strategies to better move around the continent.

The Marine Corps recently held the final demonstration of a prototype of the Autonomous Aerial Cargo Utility System:

UAV autonomy solution spurs Marine Corps to 'cross bins' with mission sets

A new technology for unmanned aerial cargo vehicles, demonstrated this week, is pushing the Marine Corps to change its thinking about mission sets, according to a service official.

The Missile Defense Agency doesn't have to follow the same contracting rules that the rest of DOD does:

MDA has 'unique' authorities to carry out Lord's accelerated pilot program

The Missile Defense Agency has unique authorities that allow it to move faster than the traditional acquisition system, which will advantage the agency in carrying out a new directive to reduce the acquisition lead time for the Standard Missile program, according to an MDA official.

Three defense industry groups will soon meet with the Pentagon's top procurement official:

Pentagon officials to meet with industry groups in January

The Pentagon's top procurement official is set to meet next month with three defense industry groups, according to the chief executive of the National Defense Industrial Association.

Cubic said today its mission solutions business division is opening a new facility in Tampa, FL.

“The new location allows Cubic to further support the U.S. military with critical military Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) technology solutions ensuring safe and effective execution of their missions,” the company said. 

The office will be led by Lawrence Hollister, executive director of Cubic Mission Solutions.

In the region, Cubic works on C4ISR efforts for U.S. Special Operations Command, Central Command, Transportation Command and Southern Command, the company said.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) introduced a bill Wednesday that would fully fund defense in fiscal year 2018, but would place the rest of government spending under a stopgap continuing resolution until Jan. 19.

The bill, which Senate Democrats have already warned would be dead-on-arrival, also includes full funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

The government is currently operating under a stopgap CR set to expire Dec. 22.

Frelinghuysen's bill would fund the base defense budget at $587 billion and provide $75.2 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations funding.

The bill waives funding caps set by the 2011 Budget Control Act that would limit base defense spending to $549 billion. 

Democrats say they will only support lifting the BCA caps for defense if the same amount is granted in non-defense spending.

"Funding national defense is a top priority, especially in these uncertain times of instability around the globe," Frelinghuysen said in a statement. "Our troops and commanders must have the resources they need right now to advance peace and our nation’s interests abroad. This Continuing Resolution will fund national defense for the entire fiscal year and provide additional funds for missile defense."

It remains to be seen if Democrats will support the bill because of its continued funding for CHIP, or stay the course in their opposition to spending bills that do not allow "parity" between defense and non-defense.

Frelinghuysen said the CR is not the "preferred way to do business."

"However, this resolution will allow time for the leadership of the House and Senate and the White House to come to agreement on a topline spending level for this fiscal year," he said.