The Insider

The Army has awarded an other transaction agreement to the Ohio-based engineering firm 3dB Labs to build a prototype of the Spectrum Situational Awareness System, according to a press release the service put out today.

The $6.1 million OTA was awarded through the Consortium for Command, Control and Communications in Cyberspace, and it spans a 14-month performance period where 3dB Labs will build and demonstrate the capability, designed to modernize how the Army uses the electromagnetic spectrum, according to the release.

“S2AS directly enhances the survivability and effectiveness of our soldiers on the battlefield,” Ken Strayer, project manager for Electronic Warfare and Cyber, said in a statement. “By integrating feedback from Transformation in Contact (TiC) units, including Electronic Warfare Soldiers and Spectrum Managers, we’re ensuring the system is specifically tailored to meet their operational needs.”

The Army requested $9.3 million for S2AS, a new start program, in fiscal year 2025. After passing the Pentagon’s first-ever yearlong continuing resolution last month, congressional appropriators suggested cutting that figure in half in project level adjustment tables sent by House Appropriations Committee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

The system will be an integral part of the Army’s Next Generation Command and Control effort, as it will allow commanders to spot themselves on the electromagnetic spectrum and adjust as needed to “allow them to reposition or mask their own capabilities or limit their [electromagnetic] signature,” Strayer said back in December.

“They can maintain the ability to communicate while also picking up any unknown things going on in the environment that may be impacting the Army’s ability to communicate,” he said.

S2AS has a “flexible, modular architecture” designed for deployment in both the hands of soldiers or on vehicles, depending on the mission, according to the release. The program is on schedule with an operational demonstration planned for FY-26 and the first unit issued in FY-27.

“Modernizing spectrum awareness capabilities will enhance commanders’ ability to visualize and control the electromagnetic environment, enabling more effective decision making and improving protection to win the fight for spectrum dominance,” Maj. Cedric Harris, assistant product manager for electronic warfare integration, said in a statement.

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Golden Dome missile defense system, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directing "the realignment of the Defense Department's civilian workforce" and more.

Senior defense officials spoke at a number of forums hosted by the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance:

After suffering a bruising critique, MDA publicly lobbies for role to lead Golden Dome

A senior Missile Defense Agency official today pushed back against recent criticism that the organization lacks the agility and structure to lead the Trump administration's ambitious "Golden Dome" missile defense initiative, casting MDA as uniquely equipped to integrate and deliver a homeland shield against modern missile threats.

VCSO: Boost-phase intercept may be technically feasible, but cost remains the rub

The Pentagon’s No. 2 space officer says advances in technology may have made space-based, boost-phase missile interception technically feasible, a shift from decades of skepticism -- though he cautioned that the real hurdle may lie in cost and organizational complexity.

The Missile Defense Agency recently published a Multiple Authority Announcement, a planned five-year initiative that consolidates traditional and nontraditional acquisition pathways under a single contracting vehicle and will serve as a gateway for future solicitations focused on what it hopes to be breakthrough defense capabilities:

Pentagon unveils broad acquisition framework in prelude to Golden Dome launch

The Missile Defense Agency has unveiled a comprehensive new framework to streamline its acquisition of next-generation missile defense technologies, consolidating a broad range of contracting authorities under a single umbrella -- a move that comes as the Pentagon seeks assistance from non-traditional suppliers for its Golden Dome project.

In a March 28 memo, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directs "the realignment of the Defense Department's civilian workforce":

Hegseth seeks plans to 'right-size DOD'

Senior Pentagon officials have until April 11 to submit new proposals to cut, consolidate and restructure the Defense Department, including U.S. combatant commands, according to a new memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Document: Hegseth memo on 'workforce acceleration & recapitalization initiative'

The Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing last week to consider the nominations of Troy Meink to be Air Force secretary, Michael Duffey to be under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment and Emil Michael to be under secretary of defense for research and engineering:

DOD acquisition nominee prioritizes speed, incentives for risk-taking

Michael Duffey, nominated to be under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that he believes wars of the future will be “won on the factory floor” just as much as on the battlefield.

Pentagon nominee for acquisition chief to consider CMMC impact on businesses if confirmed

Michael Duffey, nominee for under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, weighed in on the future of the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program ahead of his recent Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing.

SECAF nominee commits to increasing number of aircraft in fleet, fielding younger platforms

Troy Meink, President Trump's nominee to be the next Air Force secretary, today committed to adding more aircraft to the service’s aging inventory, telling lawmakers the current fleet is the oldest and smallest in the Air Force’s history.

Document: Meink, Duffey, Michael, Bass nomination APQs

PrSM is designed to replace the Army Tactical Missile System, and Increment One has a baseline range of 400 kilometers:

Army awards nearly $5B contract for Precision Strike Missiles

The Army awarded prime contractor Lockheed Martin a $4.9 billion contract to produce more Precision Strike Missiles last week, the Pentagon announced Friday.

As part of an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1, two new companies will be able to compete for upcoming launch missions over the next four years:

Rocket Lab, Stoke Space join Space Force NSSL roster with $5.6B IDIQ ceiling

The Space Force awarded Rocket Lab and Stoke Space contracts of up to $5.6 billion to join the roster of launch providers available to the service for future missions.

The Office of Strategic Capital received requests totaling $8.9 billion for its inaugural loan program targeting domestic manufacturing capabilities, highlighting "the critical need for federal financing to scale domestic manufacturing of technologies vital to national and economic security," the Defense Department said in a release today.

The $8.9 billion requested comes from 200 Part 1 Applications to OSC’s inaugural loan program -- a value “which significantly exceeds” the $984 million in credit available per a September Notice of Funds Availability, DOD said.

Manufacturers who applied spanned “various sizes, growth stages, and sectors” across 38 states, according to DOD.

“OSC has been engaging directly with existing applicants,” according to its website. Part 2 of the application is invitation-only, the September NOFA stated.

The strategic capital office “expects to approve financing and deploy capital to selected applicants later this year,” DOD said.

The Pentagon's innovation arm is once again partnering with its counterparts from Australia and the United Kingdom to seek solutions for accelerated scaling that would enable operational advantages across environments, the Defense Innovation Unit announced yesterday.

It’s the second such initiative to come from AUKUS Pillar II -- a defense and security partnership between the U.S. and the two nations aimed at boosting joint defense capabilities.

The launch also comes nearly seven months after winners from the inaugural AUKUS Electronic Warfare Innovation Challenge were announced in September.

DIU, along with Australia’s Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator and the U.K.’s Defence and Security Accelerator, is seeking commercial technology solutions that would “enhance the sensing, interpreting and navigating capabilities of autonomous platforms to provide an operational advantage in all environments,” DIU said.

Solutions should also be operational in a “relevant environment,” which would be at Technology Readiness Level 6, according to the release.

Solutions are also expected to “deliver advantages across capabilities” including but not limited to -- near-real time communications between undersea vehicles, command and control systems, battle management solutions and seabed systems, as well as operations and communications in a contested or congested, dynamic and complex environment, DIU said.

A combined $9 million is expected to be awarded across the AUKUS alliance for three to 10 proposals, and applications close April 28.

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on U.S. Transportation Command's current posture, plus thousands of civilians in Army Materiel Command opting to participate in the service's deferred resignation program, the Space Development Agency’s data transport satellites and more.

The House Armed Services readiness and seapower and projection forces subcommittees gathered last week to discuss U.S. Transportation Command's current posture:

Lawmakers debate merits of raising limit on foreign, used vessel purchases

Several lawmakers pushed back last week against U.S. Transportation Command Commander Gen. Randall Reed's request to raise the limit on buying foreign-made and used ships, arguing for resources to be shifted to domestic shipbuilding instead.

Document: TRANSCOM chief's FY-26 posture statement

The Pentagon, under the Trump administration, has set a goal of cutting between 5% and 8% of its global civilian workforce:

About 2,500 civilians in Army Materiel Command have opted for deferred resignation

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- About 2,500 civilians in Army Materiel Command have opted to participate in the service's deferred resignation program, according to a leader from the command.

Solicitations for Tranche 2 and Tranche 3 Transport Layer satellites -- part of SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture -- may be rescinded:

Air Force may cancel SDA Transport Layer development, award contracts to SpaceX, senator says

The Air Force is considering canceling development plans for the Space Development Agency’s data transport satellites in favor of awarding SpaceX contracts to provide that service with its Starshield constellations, according to Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND).

An Air Mobility Command spokesperson recently said the organization doesn't know how the yearlong continuing resolution will affect autonomy projects:

Reliable Robotics to continue KC-135 autonomy work despite funding uncertainty

An ongoing Air Mobility Command effort to add autonomous flight capabilities from Reliable Robotics to its aging KC-135 Stratotanker fleet will continue in some form whether it receives money through the yearlong continuing resolution or not, according to the service and a company official.

The head of Army Futures Command spoke recently at the Association of the U.S. Army's annual Global Force conference:

Rainey says Army must replicate UAS threat for training at 'ridiculously low' price point

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- Gen. James Rainey, the head of Army Futures Command, is emphasizing to industry that the service needs to acquire significantly more low-cost drone options for training at home stations.

Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak at several events this week.

Monday

The Hudson Institute hosts a discussion on autonomous military systems.

Tuesday

The House Armed Services Committee holds a hearing on national security challenges in North and South America.

The Senate Armed Services Committee holds a hearing on the nomination of retired Lt. Gen. John Caine to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Wednesday

The House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee holds a hearing on small unmanned aerial systems and counter-SUAS.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts a discussion on artificial intelligence and defense production.

Thursday

The Senate Armed Services Committee holds a hearing on U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command.

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest begins with a Pentagon review of existing advisory boards, some thoughts on keeping DOD software buys simple, the Navy testing some underwater vessels, Navy amphibious ship requirements news, ‘Signalgate’, and more.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office is looking at the number and function of Pentagon advisory boards:

Pentagon launches review of advisory boards

The Defense Department has paused the work of its advisory boards pending a 45-day review, though a committee dedicated to military diversity, equity and inclusion has already been terminated, according to a new memo from Joe Kasper, chief of staff to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Some comments from analysts on how DOD buys software programs:

Think tankers urge DOD to keep software procurement simple

A panel of think tank analysts want the Pentagon to think more simply about software acquisition, according to a report released this week.

The Navy has set up an underwater course to test out some of its unmanned systems:

Navy uses underwater course to test-run UUVs, preps for more deployments next year

As a variety of unmanned underwater vehicles are prepped for deployment in the next year, the Navy has implemented a “confidence course” to test-run UUVs -- a course that has held dozens of runs in the past year, according to an official.

A Virginia senator is looking at how ‘ready’ the Navy’s amphibious ships are:

Congress may look to tighten amphib readiness requirements in future authorization legislation

Congress may tighten amphibious warship readiness requirements in future authorization legislation to ensure vessels sidelined by extended maintenance problems are not designated “operational” by the Navy and counted toward the service’s legal requirement to maintain a minimum of 31 amphibious vessels, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) said yesterday.

The Space Force has made a new rocket available for launch missions:

Space Force certified ULA’s Vulcan for NSSL

The Space Force has certified United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket for National Security Space Launch missions, the service announced today, ending the lengthy delays that had plagued the program.

DOD is looking for some ‘out of the box’ thinking for missile defense efforts:

Pentagon invites nontraditional industry players to help build next-gen missile shield

The Pentagon is opening the door to a broader swath of U.S. industry to accelerate the development of a next-generation missile defense architecture -- an initiative that could dramatically reshape the nation’s approach to countering strategic missile threats from Russia, China and other adversaries.

The Senate Armed Services Committee wants answers on ‘Signalgate’:

Senior Senators want Pentagon IG to investigate ‘Signalgate’

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) want the Pentagon’s inspector general to conduct an expedited investigation of the Signal group text in which senior Trump administration officials inadvertently shared plans related to an airstrike against Houthi militants with a journalist.