The Insider

Ernst eager for FBI to vet Hegseth
By Tony Bertuca
December 7, 2024 at 8:32 PM

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), noting her experience as a sexual assault survivor, said today she wants Pete Hegseth, whom President-elect Trump has nominated to be defense secretary, to continue to have a thorough vetting process including an FBI background check.

“I'm excited to have the opportunity to sit down with him again but there will be a very thorough vetting as he moves forward,” she said.

Ernst has met with Hegseth once and has plans to meet with him again next week.

Hegseth, a former Fox News host and National Guard veteran, has come under fire in recent weeks, facing questions about allegations of sexual assault, mismanagement of funds at a veteran’s organization he ran and drinking on the job. Hegseth has denied all the allegations and Trump has said he is fully behind his nomination.

Ernst said she is relying on an upcoming FBI background check to provide lawmakers with additional information.

“I think there are ways that the FBI will vet this and present it to the committee,” she said. “I do trust in our vetting process and I look forward to that opportunity. I'm going to continue to meet with Mr. Hegseth and we're going to continue to work through those issues.”

Ernst said she wanted to hear more from Hegseth on the issue of sexual assault in the military, women in combat and the Pentagon’s failure to pass an audit.

Hegseth has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017. He has denied all wrongdoing and no charges were ever filed. He later entered into a financial settlement and non-disclosure agreement with his accuser.

“I am survivor of sexual assault, so I've worked very heavily on sexual assault measures within the military,” Ernst said. “So, I'd like to hear a little more about that. I'd like to hear about the role of women in our great United States military. . . . I want to make sure that he has a fair process and that we're vetting him thoroughly.”

Lawmakers release text of defense authorization bill
By Tony Bertuca
December 7, 2024 at 6:21 PM

House and Senate negotiators have released the text of the fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill. 

Watch Inside Defense for further reporting.

Austin announces $1B weapons package for Ukraine
By Tony Bertuca
December 7, 2024 at 4:48 PM

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin today announced a $1 billion security aid package for Ukraine, including drones and rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.

The Pentagon said the package, which will be provided via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, would include:

  • Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS); and
  • Equipment, components, and spare parts to maintain, repair, and overhaul artillery systems, tanks, and armored vehicles. 

Austin, speaking here at the Reagan National Defense Forum, said the new package brings the total of U.S. security assistance to Ukraine since February 2022 to more than $62 billion.

The Biden administration, Austin said, has “made its choice.”

“So has a bipartisan coalition in Congress,” he said. “The next administration must make its own choice.”

President-elect Trump has been critical of U.S. aid to Ukraine in its fight against an ongoing Russian invasion and has said he plans to seek a quick end to the war, alarming Kyiv and many of its supporters in Washington.

“As I said in October in Kyiv,” Austin said, “we are seeing a sneak preview of a world built by tyrants and thugs -- a chaotic, violent world carved into spheres of influence; a world where bullies trample their smaller neighbors; and a world where aggressors force free people to live in fear.”

Austin, who attended today’s conference to receive a “Peace through Strength” award alongside Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), noted the senator’s steadfast support for Ukraine on Capitol Hill.

McConnell, during a speech, said the United States should not retreat from the global stage.

“At both ends of our politics, a dangerous fiction is taking hold -- that America’s primacy and the fruits of our leadership are self-sustaining,” he said. “Even as allies across NATO and the Indo-Pacific renew their own commitments to hard power, to interoperability, and to collective defense, some now question America’s own role at the center of these force-multiplying institutions and partnerships.”

The INSIDER daily digest -- Dec. 6, 2024
By John Liang
December 6, 2024 at 1:26 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on Russian and Chinese activities in the Arctic, the Air Force's mobility fleet receiving a fresh connectivity suite and more.

Iris Ferguson, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Arctic and global resilience, spoke this week at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event:

Hybrid activity 'hot spot': Russia and China's affair in the Arctic is cause for concern, senior official says

Russia and China's mounting Arctic partnership has led to a rise in joint military operations between the two nations and transformed the region into a hybrid activity "hot spot" in need of investment, a senior Defense Department official said Thursday.

Air Mobility Command at the end of September finalized a yearlong contract with an unnamed manufacturer to provide a "one-stop-shop" for "peer-to-peer communication at the tactical edge" by enabling real-time access to commercial, unclassified and secret networks even when forward deployed:

Air Mobility Command slowly but surely taking on connectivity, starting with GTPaaS

Part of the Air Force's mobility fleet will be tapped to receive a fresh connectivity suite, dubbed the Global Transport Platform-as-a-Service, as early as the end of calendar year 2024 or spring 2025, Inside Defense has learned.

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party held a hearing this week:

House lawmaker says Chinese mineral export bans threaten U.S. defense supply chain

China's recent ban on rare mineral exports to the U.S. is the latest warning sign the U.S. military could be left without the necessary tools to deter or defeat adversaries if the domestic supply chain isn’t shored up, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) argued during a House panel Thursday.

The Next Generation Air Dominance way-ahead decision will be deferred to the next administration:

Trump administration tapped to make final NGAD decision

The fate of the Air Force's embattled Next Generation Air Dominance platform will now be determined by the Trump administration, the service indicated this week.

In June, the Navy proposed a shift of $49 million from aircraft procurement accounts into research and development accounts for the service's Stingray UAS program, which was approved months later in September:

Revised acquisition program baseline approved for Navy's MQ-25 Stingray

The Navy is making progress on the MQ-25 Stingray's development with the recent approval of a revised acquisition program baseline and $50 million in recently reprogrammed money, following redesign efforts and a slash in procurement funding from appropriators.

Document: DOD modernized SAR on the Navy's MQ-25 Stingray program

Pentagon unveils broad-strokes strategy to defeat 'urgent' unmanned threats
By Vanessa Montalbano
December 6, 2024 at 1:07 PM

Recognizing adversary drone swarms as "the most significant threat at this time," the Pentagon is aiming to unify the military around a cohesive approach to address the challenge now and in the future, according to a Thursday DOD news release.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday signed the secretive Strategy for Countering Unmanned Systems, meant to bolster department-wide defenses against autonomous platforms in the air, at sea and on land.

It comes as wars waged in the Middle East, Ukraine and across the globe are increasingly seeing the use of sophisticated yet affordable autonomous systems, making it difficult for friendly forces to hide, concentrate, communicate and maneuver, according to an unclassified fact sheet discussing the new strategy. These drones also allow adversaries to more easily surveil, disrupt or attack U.S. forces, assets, and installations, potentially without attribution and with more precise strike capabilities, DOD added in the document.

"In recent years, adversary unmanned systems have evolved rapidly. These cheap systems are increasingly changing the battlefield, threatening U.S. installations, and wounding or killing our troops,” Austin said in a statement. “Drones and other unmanned systems will increasingly transform the security environment. Tackling these threats will not be easy. But the United States military is unrivaled in our ability to adapt to new challenges, and the department is moving out on making this strategy's vision a reality. The character of war is changing, and we will change with it."

Each of the military services are also pursuing ongoing efforts to research, develop and field kinetic and electronic warfare technologies to dismantle enemy drones, particularly in the homeland. The new strategy in particular branches off other high-profile DOD efforts to build a layered response to the threat, including the Joint Counter-Small UAS Office, the Warfighter Senior Integration Group and comes on the heels of the second phase of the Replicator initiative.

The Pentagon has established five “strategic ways” it will implement the counter-drone roadmap, the fact sheet states, including:

  • Deepening DOD’s battlefield awareness, detection and understanding of unmanned trends and threats.
  • Disrupting and degrading the networks that foster the proliferation of unmanned threats.
  • Protecting and defending U.S. assets and interests against threats posed by autonomous systems.
  • Bringing robust active and passive solutions to counter unmanned threats to scale through a next-generation acquisition style and expanded budget agility.
  • Developing counter-drone capabilities as a mainstay in the future force design.

“This strategy marks a critical next step in the Department of Defense’s efforts to counter unmanned systems, but much work lies ahead,” the fact sheet notes. “The department will establish clear metrics and measures of effectiveness to track progress in achieving outcomes. Although the rapidly evolving nature of the threats posed by adversary use of unmanned systems means that the department will need to continually reassess our efforts, this strategy sets a foundation for action to meet this challenge.”

DOD will collaborate with defense industrial partners, overseas allies, Congress and other interagency partners to prioritize urgency in rolling out the counter-drone strategy, according to the Thursday statement.

Palantir, Booz Allen Hamilton announce 'co-creation partnership' for defense innovation
By Theresa Maher
December 6, 2024 at 11:41 AM

Defense technology contractors Booz Allen Hamilton and Palantir are entering a "co-creation partnership to accelerate defense mission innovation and help the U.S. maintain superiority against its adversaries," the companies announced Friday.

The move will build on previous “strategic collaborations” between Palantir and Booz Allen, and its initial focus will center on two “critical components,” the release said.

Those include driving information infrastructure modernization and secure interoperability, as well as the rapid acceleration of integrated warfighting operations through data-centric systems improving combined mission planning with U.S. allies and partners, according to the release.

“We’re partnering with Booz Allen Hamilton to create a future where AI-infused hardware keeps our allies safe and our enemies scared,” Alex Karp, Palantir co-founder and CEO, said in a statement accompanying the release.

Horacio Rozanski, chairman, CEO and president of Booz Allen, also praised the effort merging both companies’ comparative advantages and specializations in the defense contracting industry.

“Alex and I are creating new mission capabilities that leverage our companies’ unique technologies and expertise to close mission gaps at the speed of now. Our joint team created a prototype in only 45 days,” Rozanski said in a statement accompanying the release.

Austin signs secretive strategy to unify Pentagon's counter-drone efforts
By Theresa Maher
December 5, 2024 at 4:05 PM

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed a classified strategy unifying the Defense Department's counter-drone efforts earlier this week, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters during a briefing Thursday.

The strategy looks at DOD’s counter-unmanned aerial systems approach through a multidomain lens that spans across characteristics and timeframes, according to Ryder.

“With this singular strategy for countering unmanned systems, in conjunction with other major DOD initiatives like the Joint Counter-Small UAS Office and Replicator 2, the DOD is orienting around a common understanding of the challenge and a comprehensive approach to addressing it,” the Pentagon spokesperson told reporters.

Ryder broke the overall approach down into three parts -- the first focused on ensuring the department is “prepared to conduct” counter-unmanned system operations.

The second will evaluate responses to drone incursions “by pulling together subject-matter experts and resources,” and the third will focus on tracking counter-drone equipment, according to Ryder.

“It enables the department to approach this in a way that’s comprehensive, cohesive and holistic,” he said.

The announcement comes nearly three months after Austin’s September memo revealing the secretive Replicator program would turn its attention in its second iteration toward capabilities to counter small drones.

Ryder also emphasized Austin’s continued commitment as defense secretary toward counter-drone efforts in the Pentagon.

“Throughout his tenure, Secretary Austin has prioritized the development and rapid fielding of capabilities to counter the urgent and growing threat posed by unmanned systems,” he said.

The Pentagon press secretary told reporters that while the strategy itself remains classified, DOD will provide an unclassified fact sheet on the approach.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Dec. 5, 2024
By John Liang
December 5, 2024 at 2:55 PM

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Space Force's Proliferated Low-Earth Orbit satellite-based services contract, the Army's Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program and more.

The Space Force's Proliferated Low-Earth Orbit satellite-based services contract value has been raised by a significant amount:

Space Force boosts pLEO spending cap from $900 million to $13 billion

The Space Force raised the ceiling on its Proliferated Low-Earth Orbit satellite-based services contract to $13 billion from $900 million, a senior official said during a Pentagon briefing.

The Army's Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program won't be compliant with the acquisition program baseline's estimate for full operational capability until a new APB is announced:

JLTV rebaselining delayed, acquisition report blames inadequate funding

The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program has yet to rebaseline, an Army spokesperson said Wednesday, despite planning to do so this past June. Rebaselining has become common for the program in the past five years, which blames its woes on budget funding deficits.

Document: DOD modernized SAR on the Army's JLTV program

The Biden administration's outgoing national security adviser spoke this week at the Center for Strategic and International Studies:

Sullivan previews upcoming move to loosen missile technology exports

Outgoing national security adviser Jake Sullivan said today the Biden administration is putting the finishing touches on a last-minute effort to reform regulations governing the exportation of critical missile technologies to key U.S. allies.

A new collaboration is set to integrate OpenAI's AI models with Anduril's defense systems, as well as the latter’s Lattice open software integration platform:

OpenAI, Anduril to partner for delivery of 'improved' C-UAS capabilities to warfighter

Defense contractor Anduril and artificial intelligence startup OpenAI are entering a "strategic partnership" aimed at delivering improved counter-drone capabilities to the U.S. and allied militaries, the companies announced Wednesday.

A newly acquired metal fabrication facility will prioritize constructing submarine modules first, followed by aircraft carrier modules, according to an HII spokesperson:

HII acquires metal fabrication company's assets to meet 'generational demand' for subs

Shipbuilder HII announced today that it will acquire metal fabrication facilities and equipment from South Carolina-based company W International.

Last but by no means least, the latest CMMC news from our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity:

CMMC accreditation body drives toward December launch of several deliverables to formally kick off program

The accreditation body behind the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program is working to achieve several milestones ahead of the Dec. 16 effective date for the first rulemaking that will formally launch the initiative.

AFRL to host electromagnetic spectrum warfare industry day
By Shelley K. Mesch
December 4, 2024 at 4:20 PM

The Air Force Research Laboratory will hold an industry day on electromagnetic spectrum warfare in the new year, according to a service notice issued today.

AFRL’s Sensors Directorate Spectrum Warfare Division will host the industry event Jan. 16. Division leaders, technologists and program managers will provide briefings at the event.

Attendees, who will require secret clearance, should register by Jan. 6.

AFRL intends for this to be the first of annual such industry days going forward, according to the post.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Dec. 4, 2024
By John Liang
December 4, 2024 at 1:30 PM

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on Japan's efforts to develop an upgraded Aegis-equipped warship and more.

On Nov. 27, the Missile Defense Agency awarded Lockheed Martin a contract modification that adds to previous awards of $963 million on behalf of the Japan Ministry of Defense for a new Aegis system:

Japan expands scope of Lockheed work on new Aegis vessel to $1.5 billion

Japan's project to defend its territory from ballistic missile attack with a new Aegis-equipped ship is now a $1.5 billion project for Lockheed Martin after the Missile Defense Agency on Tokyo's behalf last week awarded a potential $579 million contract modification to extend development efforts by two years.

A Government Accountability Office report issued this week "examines the extent to which (1) the Navy and Marine Corps are addressing challenges with fleet availability; (2) the Navy is addressing maintenance challenges; and (3) the Navy is positioned to meet its fleet size requirements into the future":

GAO: 'Poor condition' and reduced availability of amphibious ships poses risk for Navy, Marine Corps

With half of the Navy's amphibious fleet in "poor condition," the ships are not on track to meet their expected service lives, according to the government's top watchdog.

Document: GAO report on the Navy's amphibious ship fleet

American Rheinmetall Vehicles, a subsidiary of Rheinmetall based in the United States, will manage the recently acquired Loc Performance Products:

Rheinmetall acquires Loc Performance Products, moves further into U.S. ground vehicles market

Rheinmetall AG officially closed on its $950 billion purchase of Loc Performance Products, LLC on Nov. 29, a move aimed at strengthening the Düsseldorf-based vendor's hand in the United States' ground vehicles market, according to a Monday announcement.

Another recent GAO report finds "the Air Force plans to eventually deploy an entire wing from an airbase rather than individuals from multiple wings and airbases. But it hasn't assessed whether bases will have enough staff to operate when units deploy -- to fill jobs like guarding entrances or providing security. Also, it hasn't set timeframes for its efforts":

GAO: Air Force AFFORGEN process still a work in progress

The Air Force has not wrung out all the wrinkles in its new force generation model which seeks to change the way the service deploys to be better prepared to deter China in a potential conflict, according to the government's top watchdog.

Document: GAO report on Air Force unit deployment readiness

OMB has submitted "anomalies" lists that include spending exemptions related to Ukrainian military aid and the U.S. submarine industrial base:

Ukraine and submarines headline Pentagon's CR 'anomalies' request

The White House is seeking tens of billions of dollars in spending exemptions related to Ukrainian military aid and the U.S. submarine industrial base when Congress returns from its break to begin debating passage of a stopgap continuing resolution to avert a partial government shutdown slated for next month, according to a document obtained by Inside Defense.

Document: OMB's CR anomalies lists

Trump picks Vance adviser for Army secretary
By Tony Bertuca
December 4, 2024 at 11:41 AM

President-elect Trump has announced his intent to nominate Dan Driscoll, a senior adviser to Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, to be Army secretary.

Trump, in a Truth Social post, said Driscoll “brings a powerful combination of experiences to serve as a disruptor and change agent.”

Driscoll, who attended Yale Law School with Vance, ran unsuccessfully for Congress in North Carolina in 2020. Prior to that he served in the Army for three years, being deployed to Iraq in 2009.

Trump said Driscoll previously worked in venture capital and private equity.

“Dan will be a fearless and relentless fighter for America's Soldiers and the America First agenda,” Trump said.

CDAO awards Anduril $100M to scale Lattice-powered Edge Data Mesh
By Theresa Maher
December 4, 2024 at 11:02 AM

The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office awarded Anduril a $100 million other transaction agreement to scale its "edge data integration services capabilities," the Defense Department announced Tuesday.

The three-year, fixed amount production agreement will enable Anduril to scale its Edge Data Mesh, which is “already operational across multiple services and combatant commands,” according to a company statement.

The Edge Data Mesh is powered by the company’s Lattice open software integration platform -- an artificial intelligence system which was also recently incorporated into the Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System.

The CDAO agreement “will accelerate the expansion of the mesh to increase access to decentralized, distributed and disconnected systems,” according to Anduril.

As part of the agreement, estimated for completion by November 2028, $33 million in fiscal year 2024 and FY-25 research, development testing and evaluation funds have been obligated at the time of the award.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Dec. 3, 2024
By John Liang
December 3, 2024 at 2:37 PM

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Navy's amphibious ship fleet, Rheinmetall acquiring Loc Performance Products and more.

A new Government Accountability Office report issued today "examines the extent to which (1) the Navy and Marine Corps are addressing challenges with fleet availability; (2) the Navy is addressing maintenance challenges; and (3) the Navy is positioned to meet its fleet size requirements into the future":

GAO: 'Poor condition' and reduced availability of amphibious ships poses risk for Navy, Marine Corps

With half of the Navy's amphibious fleet in "poor condition," the ships are not on track to meet their expected service lives, according to the government's top watchdog.

Document: GAO report on the Navy's amphibious ship fleet

American Rheinmetall Vehicles, a subsidiary of Rheinmetall based in the United States, will manage the recently acquired Loc Performance Products:

Rheinmetall acquires Loc Performance Products, moves further into U.S. ground vehicles market

Rheinmetall AG officially closed on its $950 billion purchase of Loc Performance Products, LLC on Nov. 29, a move aimed at strengthening the Düsseldorf-based vendor's hand in the United States' ground vehicles market, according to a Monday announcement.

Another recent GAO report finds "the Air Force plans to eventually deploy an entire wing from an airbase rather than individuals from multiple wings and airbases. But it hasn't assessed whether bases will have enough staff to operate when units deploy -- to fill jobs like guarding entrances or providing security. Also, it hasn't set timeframes for its efforts":

GAO: Air Force AFFORGEN process still a work in progress

The Air Force has not wrung out all the wrinkles in its new force generation model which seeks to change the way the service deploys to be better prepared to deter China in a potential conflict, according to the government's top watchdog.

Document: GAO report on Air Force unit deployment readiness

The White House Office of Management and Budget has submitted "anomalies" lists that includes spending exemptions related to Ukrainian military aid and the U.S. submarine industrial base:

Ukraine and submarines headline Pentagon's CR 'anomalies' request

The White House is seeking tens of billions of dollars in spending exemptions related to Ukrainian military aid and the U.S. submarine industrial base when Congress returns from its break to begin debating passage of a stopgap continuing resolution to avert a partial government shutdown slated for next month, according to a document obtained by Inside Defense.

Document: OMB's CR anomalies lists

There is a palpable discomfort in the contracting community driven by the uncertainty of guessing what could happen to specific weapons programs targeted by Donald Trump, soon to again be the world's most powerful man, and Elon Musk, the world's richest man:

Defense contractors warned against 'headline risk' and 'sacrificial lambs' amid Musk tweets

Defense contractors, especially those with highly visible Pentagon programs that are behind schedule and over budget, are being advised to lay low and prepare to make offerings at the altar of President-elect Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency advisory commission led by tech billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

DOD announces $725 million aid package for Ukraine
By Tony Bertuca
December 2, 2024 at 5:26 PM

The Biden administration announced a $725 million aid package for Ukraine today that includes air defense capabilities, rocket system munitions, artillery rounds and anti-tank weapons.

The package, funded via Presidential Drawdown Authority, includes:

  • Munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS);
  • Stinger missiles;
  • Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (c-UAS) munitions;
  • Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
  • 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition;
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS);
  • Non-persistent land mines;
  • Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided (TOW) missiles;
  • Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
  • Small arms and ammunition;
  • Demolitions equipment and munitions;
  • Equipment to protect critical national infrastructure; and
  • Spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training, and transportation.

The package is the Biden administration’s 71st PDA tranche since August 2021. Under PDA, the United States transfers weapons directly to Ukraine.

Officials from the White House and Pentagon have both said the Biden administration is committed to moving its remaining $5 billion or so in PDA aid to Ukraine before President-elect Trump, who has been critical of U.S. aid to Ukraine, is sworn in on Jan. 20.

The administration, however, still has about $2 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds, which are used to finance long-term weapons contracts that may not be able to be spent in time, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, the White House has sent Congress a request for an additional $24 billion in military aid to Ukraine, which is expected to draw opposition from many Republican lawmakers, especially in the House.

Heorhii Tykhyi, a spokesman for Ukraine's foreign ministry, recently told reporters in Kyiv that surging foreign military aid has become more important than the conscription of new soldiers.

“We are now in the situation when we need more equipment to arm all the people that have already been mobilized, and we think the first priority is to send quicker, faster military aid,” he said.

Oshkosh names new CFO
By John Liang
December 2, 2024 at 5:00 PM

Oshkosh Corp. today announced Matthew Field had been appointed as the company's next chief financial officer.

"Field will succeed Michael Pack, who transitioned to president of the Company’s Vocational segment earlier this year," an Oshkosh statement reads.

Field is currently serving as CFO of Joby Aviation. Prior to that, he spent more than two decades at Ford Motor Co., including as CFO of Ford North America.