The Insider

The Army has selected Palantir to develop 10 prototypes for the Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node (TITAN) ground station, the service announced today.

TITAN is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance ground station that will use artificial intelligence and machine learning to “rapidly process sensor data received from space, high-altitude, aerial and terrestrial layers,” according to the Army. It will provide intelligence used for targeting, reducing the sensor-to-shooter timeline and enabling multidomain operations.

TITAN will be the first Army intelligence ground station enabled by AI/ML and is meant to close a deep sensing capability gap by accessing data from multiple sensors across several layers.

Palantir had been competing with RTX during the competitive prototyping phase, and the Army made its selection after the company delivered an advanced prototype that incorporated operational requirements and user feedback from soldier touchpoints.

The next phase will include further maturing the selected prototypes through soldier touchpoints, Program Executive Officer for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors Brig. Gen. Ed Barker said in December.

The Army's Joint Targeting Integrated Command and Coordination Suite (JTIC2S), which will provide an automated fires targeting capability, is moving into development, the service announced today.

JTIC2S will give commanders “rapid data, situational awareness and visualization to successfully deliver fires,” according to a Monday announcement from the service. It will provide fires targeting capability and a “joint fires targeting common operational picture” for the joint force.

JTIC2S will link sensors and shooters “without the need for specific hardware,” according to the Army. The software program will provide data for both friendly and enemy units, and will be interoperable with joint, intelligence community and coalition forces systems, according to the service.

The software will process multiple data formats and utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning to “aid commanders and forces in the decision-making process,” the Army stated Monday. Instead of using Excel files and PowerPoints, the data will be displayed through 4-D visualization.

JTIC2S is among the efforts within the Army to modernize its network and make it more mobile and agile -- among Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George’s main transformation priorities for the force. The software program is currently in the engineering and manufacturing development phase. The Army will next develop the first iteration, test it in the field, incorporate soldier feedback and solicit industry for further development.

JTIC2S will ultimately replace the Joint Automated Deep Operations Coordination System (JADOCS), however the new program will be “backwards compatible” with JADOCS so that joint forces using the old system will still be able to communicate, according to Lt. Col. Timothy Godwin, product manager for the Program Executive for Office Command, Control, Communications-Tactical’s Fire Support Command and Control.

“We know that theaters fight differently. Developing JTIC2S as a software only program will help us integrate into any network, and as technology enhances, we can make changes without a lot of time and money,” Godwin said in a statement.

JTIC2S is a new start for fiscal year 2024, with the Army having requested $9.2 million for development, according to budget justification materials. In December, Defense One reported that prototyping activities would not be able to begin until Congress passes an FY-24 budget. Last week, Congress approved another continuing resolution that runs through March 22 for the Defense Department.

Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak at several events this week in advance of the scheduled March 11 release of the fiscal year 2025 budget request.

Tuesday

The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts a discussion on defense industrial cooperation between the United States and Australia.

Wednesday

The House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee holds a hearing on the Army’s aviation rebalancing plan.

The Planning, Programming, Budget, and Execution Reform Commission releases its final report. Watch Inside Defensefor coverage.

Thursday

Senior defense officials speak at the McAleese Defense Programs Conference.

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

The Atlantic Council hosts a discussion on special operations forces in an era of strategic competition.

Friday

The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts a discussion with the Planning, Programming, Budget and Execution Reform Commission.

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on an Air Force unmanned aircraft system that was flown for the first time this week, plus coverage of a hearing that featured the head of U.S. Strategic Command and more.

A new unmanned aircraft system was flown this week:

Air Force flew XQ-67A combat sensing drone for first time

The Air Force Research Laboratory on Wednesday flew General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' XQ-67A autonomous sensing aircraft for the first time, paving the way for "other aircraft 'species' to be rapidly replicated," the service said in a news release.

Gen. Anthony Cotton, head of U.S. Strategic Command, testified this week before the Senate Armed Services Committee:

STRATCOM eyes re-MIRVing current ICBM, 'uploading' as hedge against modernization delays

The head of the U.S. military's nuclear strike forces believes the time has come to consider re-outfitting Minuteman III missiles with more than one warhead, a move that could roll back arms control measures that removed two of the three multiple independent targetable reentry vehicles (MIRV)s that were originally emplaced across the ICBM fleet.

Cotton: Independent analysis of Sentinel overruns could delay program

An independent analysis of the cost overruns tied to the intercontinental ballistic missile modernization program could delay an effort the Defense Department sees as vital to nuclear deterrence, U.S. Strategic Command Commander Gen. Anthony Cotton warned senators this week.

Document: Senate hearing on STRATCOM, SPACECOM FY-25 budgets

The Defense Department needs to make digital transformation a top priority:

DBB says Pentagon not ready for a 'digital ecosystem'

A new Defense Business Board study released today asserts that the establishment of a Pentagon "digital ecosystem" should be a national security imperative.

One Nation Innovation, a non-profit organization comprised of former Defense Department acquisition and intelligence community professionals, this week posted an open call for solutions on the C-UAS Solutions Marketplace focused on procuring electro-optical/infrared technologies:

Pentagon's C-UAS Solutions Marketplace seeking innovative counter-drone tech

The Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems Solutions Marketplace, a digital acquisition platform for C-UAS innovation between government, industry and academia, is seeking hardware or software solutions to advance electro-optical/infrared technologies.

Our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity have continuing coverage of industry reaction to the Pentagon's proposed Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program:

Industry groups raise concerns over CMMC compliance costs, program capacity needs

A coalition of industry groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is seeking flexibility when it comes to implementing requirements in the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, arguing that it is needed to address compliance costs as work to finalize regulations gets underway.

The Navy has awarded Boeing a $3.4 billion contract for the manufacture of 17 P-8A Poseidon aircraft -- with 14 going to the Royal Canadian Air Force and three to the German Navy.

“We are proud to add Canada to the list of international P-8 partners as well as to Germany’s fleet of maritime patrol aircraft,” P-8A Program Manager and Vice President Philip June said in a Boeing news release. “The Poseidon is a proven aircraft, with more than 600,000 flight hours, that will serve Canada and Germany well in today’s challenging security environment and for decades to come.”

Canada is aiming to replace its current fleet of CP-140 Auroras with the Poseidon, with the first aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2026. Meanwhile, Germany will replace its fleet of P-3 Orions, with the first Poseidon expected to be delivered in 2025, according to the release.

“Our global customers require proven advanced capabilities to protect their countries -- the P-8 provides that defense,” said Vince Logsdon, vice president of International Business Development for Boeing Defense, Space and Security and Global Services. “Together with our partners, we look forward to delivering this unmatched capability in addition to significant industrial benefits for Canada’s and Germany’s aerospace and defense industries.”

The Senate voted 77-13 last night to approve a short-term continuing resolution to avert a partial shutdown and keep the government open through the new deadlines of March 8 and March 22.

The measure, which also passed in the House yesterday, will now be sent to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

The Defense Department’s funding, under the new CR, is extended through March 22.

Senior Democratic and Republican lawmakers say the extension is needed to hash out a final fiscal year 2024 spending agreement that -- “in principle” -- has already been made between the leaders of both parties.

Biden, meanwhile, intends to submit his FY-25 budget request on March 11.

The Army is asking industry to provide information on a network that would combine existing video sensors into a common system to support "persistent surveillance," according to a public notice.

The Persistent Surveillance Dissemination System of Systems (PSDS2) “receives inputs from multiple sensors to provide situational awareness for forward operating bases, brigade-level technical operation centers and Joint Operation Centers.”

“PSDS2 disseminates real-time streaming video, autosensing available bandwidth and provides video in context for SA on terrain maps for common operational picture situational display,” the Feb. 28 announcement reads.

Responsibilities for operating the PSDS2 include “monitoring, analyzing overhead and aerial/terrestrial imagery, FMV and photographic data.”

“The Imagery Analyst(s) shall have previous experience as an Imagery Analyst and understand the capabilities and limitations of multiple platforms and sensors, use of aerial imagery, FMV, Synthetic Aperture Radar, Ground Moving Target Indicator and other electronic monitoring devices used to collect and analyze information in support of military operations,” the announcement adds.

During a Feb. 14 Defense Innovation Unit summit, the presumptive chief of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Adm. Samuel Paparo said it was the command’s goal to begin using autonomous systems to deter China from attacking Taiwan through “constant stare,” Inside Defense reported.

The Army first fielded the PSDS2 in 2005, according to the Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors.