The Insider

McConville orders aviation stand down
By John Liang
April 28, 2023 at 6:49 PM

Army Chief of Staff James McConville has ordered a 24-hour aviation stand down in the wake of two helicopter collision incidents that killed 12 soldiers.

All Army helicopter pilots are to be grounded, "except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training," according to a service statement, which further reads:

"The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel,” said McConville, who, in addition to being Chief of Staff, is a senior Army aviator qualified in numerous aircraft. “During this stand down, we will focus on safety and training protocols to ensure our pilots and crews have the knowledge, training and awareness to safely complete their assigned mission.”

The order comes after yesterday’s mid-air collision of two AH-64 Apache helicopters returning from a training mission near Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Three soldiers were killed, and another was hospitalized. A month earlier, nine Soldiers were killed during a routine night training flight near Fort Campbell, Kentucky, when their HH-60 Blackhawks collided. While both incidents remain under investigation, there is no indication of any pattern between the two mishaps.

“We are deeply saddened by those we have lost,” McConville said. “It is their loss that makes it all the more important we review our safety procedures and training protocols, and ensure we are training and operating at the highest levels of safety and proficiency.”

During the stand down, the Army will review the risk approval/risk management process, aviation maintenance training program, aircrew training standardization and management, and supervisory responsibility. They will also assess the flight-mission briefing process with an emphasis on risk mitigation, crew selection, flight planning, crew/flight briefings, debriefings and after-action reviews.

Active-duty units are required to complete the 24-hour stand down between May 1st and 5th, while the Army National Guard and Reserve will have until May 31 to coincide with their respective training schedules. Army aviation units will resume normal operations following the stand down, after any corrective actions are taken on issues identified in safety or training.

The INSIDER daily digest -- April 28, 2023
By John Liang
April 28, 2023 at 2:37 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has coverage from this year's Quad-A conference in Nashville, plus news on defense contractor earnings and more.

We start off with coverage from this year's Quad-A conference in Nashville:

Army leaders expect milestone B for FLRAA in third quarter of FY-24

NASHVILLE, TN -- Army leaders said this week they expect the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft to enter milestone B in the third quarter of fiscal year 2024.

McConville: Getting FLRAA and FARA 'over the hump' must be the priority

NASHVILLE, TN -- Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said the service's priority for future vertical lift must be getting the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft "over the hump," meaning quickly fielded and transitioned to being programs of record.

McConville: Army must maintain enduring aircraft while seeking future vertical lift

NASHVILLE, TN -- The Army must continue to improve its enduring aircraft fleets and simultaneously move ahead on future vertical lift priorities, Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville told an audience at the Army Aviation Association of America's annual conference Thursday.

Check out our full Quad-A coverage.

On April 21, Bill LaPlante, the Pentagon’s acquisition executive, approved a recommendation to transition the Glide Phase Interceptor program from the Material Solutions Analysis phase into Technology Development, the equivalent of a milestone A review:

DOD leaders, top brass advance hypersonic defense system through major acquisition review

Defense Department leaders last week approved the Glide Phase Interceptor program to proceed into technology development, signaling support for the Missile Defense Agency's proposed acquisition strategy and plan to mature technologies essential to producing a guided missile designed to hunt down and destroy enemy hypersonic glide vehicles.

Boeing and Northrop Grumman executives discussed their quarterly earnings this week:

Boeing suffers $245M loss from KC-46A in Q1

Boeing experienced a loss of $245 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2023 due to added costs on the Air Force's KC-46A tanker program, the company disclosed in an earnings call Wednesday.

Northrop Grumman sees benefits in FY-24 budget request, executives say

Funding increases requested in the Defense Department's fiscal year 2024 budget reflect good opportunities for revenue growth for some of Northrop Grumman's key programs, executives said during the company's first-quarter earnings call Thursday morning.

Lockheed Martin has nabbed a multibillion-dollar Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System contract:

Lockheed awarded $4.7B GMLRS contract as DOD eyes munitions replenishments

The Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a $4.7 billion contract modification to produce additional Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, a weapon that has proved critical in ongoing U.S. support to Ukraine.

Army will release updated aviation doctrine this fall
By Dan Schere
April 27, 2023 at 5:08 PM

NASHVILLE, TN -- The Army will release its updated doctrine on aviation this fall, service officials told reporters Thursday at the Army Aviation Association of America's annual conference here.

In October, the Army released Field Manual 3-0, which is its new combat operations capstone doctrine. The field manual emphasizes the importance of multidomain operations and using data in how soldiers fight. The release of FM 3-0 was delayed in order for the Army to send analysts to Ukraine to study ground combat there in its war with Russia.

Maj. Gen. Michael McCurry, the commanding general of the Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Ft. Novosel, AL, told reporters Thursday that the aviation doctrine is a companion document to FM 3-0 for the specific warfighting capability of aviation. The document will be released this fall, he said.

“I think you can expect us to talk a little bit about how we influence land and maritime from the lower tier of the air domain, and how we do that as we transition different capabilities from what we’ve had in the past to the future,” he said.

The last update to the Army aviation doctrine was in April 2020.

The INSIDER daily digest -- April 27, 2023
By John Liang
April 27, 2023 at 2:22 PM

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on defense contractor earnings, the ethics of defense contractors hiring former military personnel and more.

It's earnings season, so let's start off with several defense contractors:

GD execs: Columbia is on schedule while Virginia supply chain challenges remain

The lead Columbia-class submarine is approximately one-third complete and remains ahead of its official 84-month delivery schedule, while supply chain challenges continue to delay Virginia construction, according to General Dynamics executives.

Textron executives anticipate revenue growth following FLRAA protest resolution

Textron executives reported a slow first quarter for Bell, the company's helicopter-building subsidiary, but expect to see revenue growth for the remainder of the year as the company resumes work on the Army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft.

Oshkosh highlights JLTV protest, looks to upcoming combat vehicle contests

Oshkosh, amid the ongoing protest over its loss of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle contract, reported sales growth in a quarterly earnings call today that exceeded Wall Street expectations and asserted the Army is taking "significant risk" with its JLTV award to AM General.

At least one senator is concerned about a "too-cozy relationship" between the Defense Department and an increasingly powerful group of defense contractors:

Warren again targets post-service employment of ex-DOD officials

Senate Armed Services personnel subcommittee Chairwoman Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is again pushing legislation that would restrict the employment of former defense officials, citing ethical concerns about the "ugly underbelly" she says exists between the Pentagon and defense contractors.

Document: DOD's ethics testimony

Don Yeske, the Navy’s acting chief technology officer, spoke this week about his service's zero-trust strategy:

Navy CTO emphasizes data-centric security approach

Applying zero trust across the information environment -- from ships and bases to mobile devices and national security systems -- is critical to safeguarding data, according to the Navy's chief technology officer.

Air Force Lt. Gen. Clinton Hinote, deputy chief of staff for strategy, integration and requirements, spoke about unmanned systems at a congressional hearing this week:

Air Force sets requirements for first of its uncrewed CCAs

Air Combat Command has set the requirements for the first of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft, the uncrewed platform being designed to autonomously operate and partner with existing and future platforms, a top service official said Wednesday.

The Pentagon's top weapons tester found that the Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle's command and control variant was operationally effective as a stationary command post but struggled to meet mission requirements while moving:

Marine Corps upgrading ACV-C to improve command and control capabilities

The Marine Corps is implementing engineering upgrades for one of its Amphibious Combat Vehicle variants to improve command and control capabilities following an assessment from the Pentagon's chief weapons tester.

Last but by no means least, our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity have been covering the RAS Conference out in San Francisco this week:

Contracting attorney Metzger: Concerns over small business burden could delay release of CMMC rulemaking

SAN FRANCISCO -- Contracting attorney Robert Metzger offered two potential reasons behind why the Pentagon's process to issue a rulemaking implementing its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program is delayed, following a panel discussion at an industry event here at the RSA conference.

Kendall: Sentinel on track for IOC but could slip
By Shelley K. Mesch
April 27, 2023 at 1:32 PM

The Sentinel nuclear missile system is still on track to reach initial operational capability by the end of the decade, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told lawmakers Thursday, but that schedule is at risk.

“At this point, as far as I know, we are still holding to the schedule for IOC,” Kendall said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the Air Force's fiscal year 2024 budget request. “But my sense of this is that I think it’s going to be a challenge to make that. We have to do everything we can.”

The program is “realizing some risk areas,” Kendall said, for the “very complicated, very large program.”

Kendall also noted the length of time it's been since an intercontinental ballistic missile has been developed as the Minuteman III was fielded during the Cold War.

Air Force Acquisition chief Andrew Hunter and Defense Department Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Bill LaPlante have adjusted the program, Kendall said.

NATO commander says Ukraine in 'good position' for spring counteroffensive
By Tony Bertuca
April 26, 2023 at 3:10 PM

Gen. Christopher Cavoli, chief of U.S. European Command and NATO, told lawmakers today that Ukraine has nearly all the weapons it requires to commence a spring counteroffensive against Russian troops who have dug into the eastern region of the country.

“According to the modeling that we’ve very carefully done with them, the Ukrainians are in a good position,” he told the House Armed Services Committee.

Cavoli noted that 98% of promised combat vehicles have arrived in Ukraine.

“I am very confident that we have delivered the materiel that they need and we’ll continue a pipeline to sustain their operations as well,” he said. “We checked it a couple of times, and we gathered it from our allies, who were very generous, especially with regard to tanks and armored fighting vehicles, and we have been shipping it into the country.”

Celeste Wallander, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, said air defense, artillery and armor remain Ukraine’s top priorities, while acquiring fighter jets -- which the United States has not yet provided -- is “about eighth” in terms of importance.

Wallander said the Pentagon is also wrestling with a “time issue” related to supplying Ukraine in the most efficient way.

“What do they require right now, which is what we’ve been focused on for the battles that they’re facing,” she said. “What can we deliver that will be timely and effective?”

Cavoli said helping Ukraine “control the airspace over its country” with ground-based air defense systems provided by the United States and other NATO nations “is most imperative right now."

The United States has provided a Patriot air defense battery to Ukraine and has trained Ukrainians to use the system, which recently arrived in the country.

Cavoli said Russia remains a formidable foe for the Ukrainians, despite suffering severe losses since the invasion began in February 2022. For instance, he said, the Russian ground force is larger today that it was at the start of the conflict. Additionally, he said the Russian air force has “lost very little” or about 80 planes.

“They have another 1,000 fighters and fighter bombers,” he said.

The INSIDER daily digest -- April 26, 2023
By John Liang
April 26, 2023 at 1:30 PM

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on a Defense Department report that covers the U.S. military's aircraft inventory plans, plus the Government Accountability Office's analysis of space situational awareness and more.

We start off with coverage of a previously unreported Defense Department report on its long-range plans for military aircraft inventory:

DOD 15-year plan shrinks overall aircraft inventory; grows bomber, refueling, SOF fleets

The U.S. military plans to steadily shrink the total number of aircraft it operates over the next 15 years from 13,749 to 12,721 -- a 7% reduction -- with the bomber force, aerial refueling and Special Operations Forces slated for growth, according to the most detailed public forecast of the Defense Department's aircraft inventory to date.

DOD sets goal to grow Air Force long-range strike force by 20%, 173 bombers by 2037

The Pentagon has set a goal to increase the size of the Air Force bomber force by 20% -- growing the fleet from 143 today to 173 by 2037, according to the first major recalibration of the U.S. military's long-term aviation inventory in five years, a previously unreported expansion that reflects the importance of long-range strike in war plans for a potential fight against China.

Document: DOD's annual aviation inventory and funding plan summary report

Related bomber news:

Air Force would consider new bomber if B-21 can't counter new threats, official says

Though currently not planned, the Air Force is open to adding new aircraft to its bomber fleet in future years if it finds the B-21 Raider is unable to counter an emerging capability, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs Lt. Gen. Richard Moore told lawmakers last week.

The Space Force is facing challenges due to the increase of objects in space, which include gaps in the geographical distribution of global sensors that collect data and limited sensor capability for objects in deep space, the Government Accountability Office noted in a report released Monday:

Air Force, Space Force expect to complete by June new strategy looking at use of commercial data

The Air Force and Space Force are collaborating on a new space strategy that will look at using commercial data to bolster the Defense Department's space situation awareness capabilities. The strategy is expected to be completed by June.

Document: GAO report on space situational awareness

More coverage of the Navy's latest 30-year shipbuilding plan:

Navy marks 62 ships for decommissioning across FYDP

The Navy intends to decommission 62 ships over the next five years, pursuing a "divest to invest" strategy that calls for the retirement of ageing carriers and ballistic missile submarines, the decommissioning of more amphibious warships than are procured, and further divestment from the troubled class of Littoral Combat Ships.

Document: Navy's FY-24 shipbuilding plan

Last but by no means least, our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity are at the RSA conference in San Francisco this week:

Boyens: Work continues to set up Federal Acquisition Security Council ahead of issuing removal and exclusion orders

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Federal Acquisition Security Council completed a lot of work to make sure the process for issuing removal and exclusion orders for untrustworthy equipment on federal systems is deliberate and risk-based, according to National Institute of Standards and Technology supply chain leader Jon Boyens, who participated in a panel with leaders behind the Defense Department's cyber certification program.

DOD signs info-sharing agreement with European Defence Agency
By Tony Bertuca
April 26, 2023 at 10:15 AM

The Defense Department and the European Defence Agency have signed a new agreement to provide "stronger transatlantic cooperation" in several areas, including information sharing on supply chain issues.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the agreement will strengthen U.S. and European commitments to NATO and transatlantic security.

“Russia's aggression against Ukraine underlines the importance of strong U.S.-European ties in NATO and with the European Union,” he said. “Deepening dialogue and cooperation will only strengthen this key strategic partnership moving forward.”

The “administrative agreement,” according to DOD, will “enable a substantial defense dialogue” with the EDA.

“Initial activities include consultations on the impact of EU Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation; military mobility; supply chain issues; and the impact of climate change on defense,” DOD said. “It also allows for U.S. participation in the open session of the European Defence Standardisation Committee.”

The agreement was signed today in Brussels by Jiři Šedivý, chief executive of the EDA, and Bill LaPlante, under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.

LaPlante and other Pentagon officials have said their top priorities include finding global solutions -- like “friend-shoring” -- to capacity issues in the U.S. defense industrial base that have been highlighted by ongoing support to Ukraine.

Josep Borrell, head of the EDA, said the information-sharing agreement would be key for future cooperation.

“At a time when war has returned to Europe, we need to open every avenue for cooperation with our closest partners,” he said. “The EDA-U.S. Administrative Arrangement provides another pillar to strengthen transatlantic cooperation and the link between the EU and the U.S. The European Defence Agency, as the hub for EU defense cooperation, plays a unique role in raising our level of defense cooperation and contributing to make the EU a stronger defense actor and partner."

Sikorsky president says company is absorbing lessons learned from FLRAA loss
By Dan Schere
April 25, 2023 at 5:23 PM

Sikorsky President Paul Lemmo said Tuesday afternoon that the company is examining the feedback from the Army and the Government Accountability Office on the reasons for losing the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft contract.

Sikorsky, part of Lockheed Martin, lost out to Bell, owned by Textron, on the FLRAA contract. After the Army announced the decision in early December, Sikorsky filed a bid protest with GAO, alleging inconsistencies in the way the Army evaluated its DEFIANT X proposal and Bell’s V-280 Valor.

This month, GAO denied Sikorsky’s protest, agreeing with the Army’s original feedback that the DEFIANT X lacked enough detail when it came to engineering design and development. The company ultimately chose not to take further legal action.

Lemmo, speaking by phone to reporters Tuesday ahead of the Aviation Association of America’s annual conference in Nashville, TN, said despite the outcome of the protest, he is still encouraged by positive feedback from the Army on the company’s X2 technology -- a coaxial rotor system that eliminates the need for a tail rotor. Sikorsky’s proposal for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft also uses X2 technology.

“As we review all the feedback that we got on the proposal on the FLRAA offering, in particular the X2 technology, I think the good news there is that we have many strengths associated with X2,” Lemmo said.

“Specifically, the feedback that we received from the Army let us know that the agility, stability and scalability of our X2 technology can be extremely useful in contested areas,” he added.

Lemmo did not elaborate on the reasons Sikorsky chose not to take the FLRAA case to court. He emphasized that the Army only rated the DEFIANT X as “unacceptable” in the architecture subfactor, but that caused the overall engineering and design factor to also be viewed as unacceptable.

As Sikorsky competes with Bell for the FARA contract, Lemmo said they are continuing to review feedback from the FLRAA case.

“I would say that we are obviously learning from that and moving on, and we’ll take all the lessons learned to all of the future opportunities that we bid on,” he said.

Sikorsky’s RAIDER X prototype is 96% complete in the company’s West Palm Beach, FL facility. Lemmo said the prototype is currently undergoing risk-reduction testing, and they hope to fly it by the summer of 2024.

That timing is based on the Improved Turbine Engines being delivered this fall, which have experienced quality-control-related delays, according to Army acquisition chief Doug Bush. Then, additional tests must be conducted once the engines are installed, Lemmo said.

“It’s got to go through a number of ground tests and checkouts, and then we can begin flight checks,” he said.

The INSIDER daily digest -- April 25, 2023
By John Liang
April 25, 2023 at 1:39 PM

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Navy's Large Unmanned Surface Vessel program, the Pentagon's defense industrial base investments and more.

We start off with some Navy unmanned systems news:

Draft LUSV capability requirements completed

The capability development document for the LUSV is drafted and will enter the staffing process for FY-23 approval by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council, the Navy said.

The Senate Armed Services Committee's top Democrat spoke this week at a Center for a New American Security event:

Reed commits to weapons investments; criticizes Tuberville's nomination blockade

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) said today he is committed to supporting continued investments in the defense industrial base, especially for munitions, as the war in Ukraine has highlighted the need to prepare to surge similar assistance to Taiwan in the event of a conflict with China.

More coverage from last week's Space Symposium in Colorado:

Space Force developing CONOPS for GMTI satellite partnership with NRO

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- The Space Force is developing its concept of operations for the Ground Moving Target Indicator satellite system, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman told reporters last week at the Space Symposium.

The MQ-25 Stingray unmanned refueling aircraft's initial operational capability date has been delayed by a year:

MQ-25 Stingray IOC delayed a year

The Navy is moving the initial operational capability (IOC) date for the MQ-25 Stingray back a year to 2026 to allow for sufficient time for testing the unmanned aerial fueling tanker, a service spokeswoman told Inside Defense.

Raytheon Technologies this week announced the launch of RAIVEN, a capability that uses artificial intelligence, hyperspectral imaging and light detection and ranging [LiDAR] to help pilots see farther and clearer:

Raytheon wants to add new EO intelligence capability on Army future vertical lift platforms

Raytheon Technologies executives say they are hoping to incorporate a new electro-optical intelligent sensing capability on two Army future vertical lift platforms.

Army issues sources-sought notice for follow-on PrSM contract
By Dan Schere
April 24, 2023 at 5:09 PM

The Army last week issued a sources-sought notice for a follow-on production contract for the first increment of the Precision Strike Missile.

PrSM, part of the Army’s Long Range Precision Fires modernization objective, was approved by the Defense Acquisition Executive in November 2013, according to a notice posted April 20. Over the course of the next several years, the Army conducted an analysis of alternatives, awarded studies to industry and invited companies to provide demonstrations of the technology.

In September 2021, PrSM passed milestone B, meaning it could transition to the engineering and manufacturing development stage. Lockheed Martin was awarded a $62 million contract modification for the EMD phase, Inside Defense reported.

Increment 1 of the PrSM will “attack, neutralize, suppress and destroy targets using missile delivered indirect precision fires,” according to the Army. Pentagon budget justification materials state the service has an Army Acquisition Objective of 3,986 PrSM missiles, and the current AAO is for Increment 1. The Army has included $384 million for the procurement of 110 PrSM missiles for FY-24.

The follow-on contract will be for the production of “634 assets of the PrSM Increment 1 system” over 48 months, according to the notice. It states that the contract will fulfill a requirement to “provide the most capable and modernized artillery battalions for employment across land domains.” The follow-on will likely be a sole-source contract, it states.

The Army is asking industry to reply to the notice by April 30.

Doug Bush, the Army’s top acquisition official, told Congress last week that Increment 1 could be “a very good candidate” for a multiyear procurement effort in the future.

Army taps vice chief of staff Randy George to succeed outgoing McConville as chief of staff
By Dan Schere
April 24, 2023 at 3:15 PM

The Army has tapped Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to be the service's next chief of staff, according to a congressional notice. His appointment is subject to confirmation by the Senate.

George will succeed outgoing Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville, who has been in the position since August 2019, and has said he plans to retire this year.

Defense News first reported on the Army’s plans to nominate George.

George’s nomination was sent from the Biden administration to the Senate on April 20 and referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee, according to the register.

George has been vice chief of staff of the Army since last August, according to his biography. He was commissioned from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, NY in 1988 as an infantry officer. George’s service includes serving as a lieutenant in the 101st Airborne Division during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, commanding the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment during the 2003 Iraq War and commanding the 4th Brigade Combat Team in Afghanistan in 2008.

More recently, George commanded the 4th Infantry Division in Afghanistan and commanded I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, before serving as senior military assistant to the secretary of defense.

An Army spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.

The INSIDER daily digest -- April 24, 2023
By John Liang
April 24, 2023 at 2:10 PM

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on a recently introduced electro-optical sensor developed by Raytheon Technologies, the latest on vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft systems and more.

Raytheon Technologies today announced the launch of RAIVEN, a capability that uses artificial intelligence, hyperspectral imaging and light detection and ranging [LiDAR] to help pilots see farther and clearer:

Raytheon wants to add new EO intelligence capability on Army future vertical lift platforms

Raytheon Technologies executives say they are hoping to incorporate a new electro-optical intelligent sensing capability on two Army future vertical lift platforms.

Frederick Stefany, acting assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development, and acquisition, recently testified at a House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee hearing on rotary wing aviation systems:

VTOL aircraft to bridge 'warfighting gaps'

Investing in vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft systems remains critical for naval forces to bridge "key warfighting gaps" and provide "transformational capabilities" as legacy rotary-wing platforms end service in the next decade, said Frederick Stefany, acting assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development, and acquisition.

Adm. John Aquilino, who leads Indo-Pacific Command, was on Capitol Hill last week talking about his area of responsibility:

Lawmakers dig into INDOPACOM's unmet needs

Lawmakers scrutinized U.S. Indo-Pacific Command's list of unfunded priorities during a Thursday budget hearing, focusing on funding requests to support the development of three future missile systems as well as electromagnetic spectrum capabilities and additional operations in the region.

Aquilino signals support for Taiwan-focused weapons transfers

The head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command today signaled support for the use of presidential drawdown authority to "surge" capabilities to defend Taiwan and enhance deterrence in the region.

The No. 2 top military service officials testified before the House Armed Services readiness subcommittee last week about their respective fiscal year 2024 readiness budgets:

Space Force to take over Army's Theater Missile Warning

The Army will transfer its key missile warning functions to the Space Force in fiscal year 2024, Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David Thompson told lawmakers in congressional testimony on Wednesday.

Document: House hearing on military readiness

The week ahead
By Tony Bertuca
April 24, 2023 at 5:00 AM

The Army Aviation Association of America hosts its annual conference this week, while senior Pentagon officials are scheduled to testify on Capitol Hill.

Monday

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) speaks at the Center for a New American Security.

Tuesday

Army Deputy Chief of Staff (G-9) Lt. Gen. Kevin Vereen speaks at an Association of the United States Army Coffee Series event.

Wednesday

The Army Aviation Association of America hosts its annual conference in Nashville, TN. The event runs through Friday.

The House Armed Services Committee holds a hearing on U.S. military posture and security challenges in Europe.

The House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee holds a hearing on space programs.

The House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee holds a hearing on Army modernization programs.

The Senate Armed Services Committee holds a hearing on nuclear security issues.

The Senate Armed Services airland subcommittee holds a hearing on Air Force modernization.

The Senate Armed Services personnel subcommittee holds a hearing on public integrity and anti-corruption laws at the Defense Department.

Thursday

The House Armed Services Committee holds a hearing on the Air Force budget request.

The House Armed Services intelligence and special operations subcommittee holds a hearing on U.S. competition with China.

The Senate Armed Services Committee holds a hearing with the chiefs of U.S. European Command and U.S. Transportation Command.

The Hudson Institute hosts a discussion on achieving electromagnetic spectrum superiority.

Friday

The House Armed Services Committee holds a hearing on the Navy budget request.

The Hudson Institute hosts a discussion on military readiness with Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA).

DOD challenged 22 'excessive maritime claims' in FY-22, says Freedom of Navigation report
By Nick Wilson
April 21, 2023 at 4:34 PM

The Pentagon released the unclassified version of its annual Freedom of Navigation report today, tallying 22 instances of U.S. forces pushing back on "excessive maritime claims" made by 15 different actors during fiscal year 2022.

These claims include a variety of restrictions imposed on the exercise of navigation, violating international law established in the U.N. Law of the Sea Convention, according to a Friday DOD release.

China tops the list with five violations involving the attempted restriction of sea and airspace in the South and East China Seas.

The report lists two infractions by Iran for attempting to limit transit through the Strait of Hormuz and prohibit foreign military activities in its exclusive economic zone. The United Arab Emirates and Montenegro are also listed with two violations each.

Antigua and Barbuda, Croatia, Malaysia, Malta, Nicaragua, Oman, Russia, Somalia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Yemen round out the list with one violation each.

“If left unchallenged, excessive maritime claims could limit the rights and freedoms enjoyed by every nation,” the announcement states.

“Upholding freedom of navigation as a principle supports unimpeded lawful commerce and the global mobility of U.S. forces. DOD's freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) demonstrate that the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows,” the release adds.