The Insider

The Navy has completed a congressionally directed testing milestone in its development of unmanned surface vessels, successfully demonstrating 720 hours -- 30 days -- of continuous USV engine operation with no human intervention on six different engine systems, the service announced yesterday.

This testing, mandated by the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, requires the Navy to complete the 720-hour power demonstration on USV engine systems before they are eligible for use on large USVs. To pass, the engine equipment must run for the full 30-day duration with no human intervention, including corrective or preventative maintenance.

The demonstration is part of a larger USV testing effort meant to ensure engine systems are capable of autonomous operations for extended periods, the Navy announcement states.

The Navy and a series of industry partners completed the 720-hour test on six separate engine systems over the past year, clearing each of them for use in future large USV development.

The sixth and final test, which ran from June 19 to Sept. 5, evaluated the MTU 8V4000M24S engine model. The demonstration was run at Daimler Trucks North America Aftermarket Solutions in Tooele, UT and was conducted by Precise Power Systems on behalf of Austal USA, with Navy oversight.

“This milestone marks a pivotal advancement in our naval strategy, as it enhances our capabilities in unmanned operations," said Rear. Adm. Kevin Smith, the head of the Navy’s unmanned and small combatants program office, in a statement included in the announcement.

"Successfully demonstrating a power system that can sustain autonomous operations for 30 days without maintenance not only bolsters our readiness but also sets the stage for a truly integrated manned-unmanned fleet, ensuring we remain at the forefront of maritime innovation,” Smith’s statement continues.

In December 2023, the 1550 kw Caterpillar 3512C model engine became the first to reach the milestone in a demonstration run by Bollinger and Carter Machinery on behalf of Caterpillar in Chesapeake, VA, according to the Navy announcement.

The Caterpillar 2300 kW rated 3516 main propulsion diesel, lube oil and fuel system was also successful in a demonstration run by Fincantieri Marinette Marine and Carter Machinery on behalf of Caterpillar.

The Southwest Research Institute and Gibbs & Cox on behalf of Cummins completed the demonstration with the QSK95 diesel engine paired with an ABB AMG 0560M04 LAE generator.

HII and the Coast Guard validated the MTU 20V 4000 M93L main propulsion diesel engine configuration on behalf of MTU, while L3Harris validated the QSK60 diesel engine and QSM11 marine diesel generator set for Cummins.

The Navy released its first Advanced Manufacturing Strategy today intended to expand the service's use of technologies like additive manufacturing and 3D printing for construction, repair, re-work and the reverse engineering of parts.

The strategy includes three lines of effort, starting with “harness cutting-edge commercial capabilities for strategic advancement.” Under this effort, the Navy will look to expand the use of advanced tech in shipbuilding and weapon acquisition programs through various collaborations with industry.

The second line of effort, “modernizing organic depots and strengthening intermediate capabilities,” will see the Navy pushing to upgrade technology and train personnel within its public shipyards and other government-run installations, the document states.

The third and final line of effort, “strengthening warfighter self-sufficiency for mission success,” focuses on equipping forward-operating forces with advanced manufacturing tech to enable on-the-ground repairs and “on-demand manufacturing support,” the document indicates.

The new strategy, which aligns with the National Defense Strategy and the National Defense Industrial Strategy, implements recommendations provided by the Navy’s Science and Technology Board on opportunities to leverage additive manufacturing, according to a service announcement.

In addition to 3D printing and additive manufacturing, the strategy targets technologies including subtractive manufacturing, cold spray and directed-energy deposition and coatings removal, robotics and automation, data analytics as well as advanced machining.

“The leveraging of these cutting-edge innovations will allow the Navy and Marine Corps to maintain dominance. The department will continue to expand advanced manufacturing efforts in order to deliver lethal and affordable capabilities to the warfighter at the speed of relevance,” said Navy acquisition chief Nickolas Guertin in a statement included in the release.

Defense Under Secretary Heidi Shyu has tasked the Defense Science Board with studying and providing recommendations on how prepared the Defense Department is to survive against and respond to a nuclear attack, according to a letter posted this week.

“Vladimir Putin’s veiled threats to use nuclear weapons in the conflict with Ukraine, for example, have led to questions not only about how to deter the use of nuclear weapons, but also about the ability of United States (U.S.) forces to survive, respond and prevail following another country’s use of nuclear weapons,” Shyu wrote in the letter dated Nov. 19.

North Korea’s nuclear advancement and the potential of Iran’s nuclear program also concern Shyu, she wrote, as they raise the potential of “opportunistic aggression accompanied by small-scale nuclear use in a second or third theater.”

The DSB’s Permanent Subcommittee on Threat Reduction will assess:

• A spectrum of options for adversary nuclear employment including the number of weapons used, yield, employment method and troop exposure.
• DOD directives and governance including the roles and responsibilities of combatant commands.
• Access and maneuverability of the joint force in military and humanitarian response.
• Nuclear survivability of weapon and communications systems and architecture.
• Medical response and operations.
• Coordination with allies and international organizations.
• Technical and operational standards, capabilities and expertise to support the above.

Each service needs to coordinate on its nuclear survivability methods, she wrote, to maintain a balanced joint force.

The Navy has awarded over $3.4 billion to Northrop Grumman for the engineering and manufacturing development of the E-130J, the Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission aircraft, according to a contract announcement Wednesday.

The contract includes funding designated for integration laboratories, training courses and devices, product support and the test and delivery of three engineering development model aircraft, according to the announcement.

Collins Aerospace and Lockheed Martin will be the designated subcontractors.

“This contract provides for the design, development, and integration of mature subsystems, to include Collins Aerospace’s Very Low Frequency into the government-furnished C-130J-30 air vehicle,” the announcement states.

The Navy’s program for airborne nuclear command, control and communications will replace the aging E-6B aircraft and is set to transition to a major capability acquisition pathway in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, a Navy spokesperson told Inside Defense in August.

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Pentagon's annual report on the Chinese military, the continuing resolution released by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and more.

The Defense Department has released its annual assessment of Chinese military capabilities:

DOD estimates actual Chinese military spending between $330B and $450B

China’s military budget is anywhere between 40% and 90% more than the amount publicly disclosed by the government in Beijing, according to the Defense Department's annual assessment of Chinese military capabilities.

Document: DOD's 2024 China military power report

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) unveiled a continuing resolution to fund the government through next March:

House GOP stopgap bill contains $14.6 billion in submarine funds

A massive, 1,547-page stopgap continuing resolution unveiled by the House GOP last night runs through March 14 and would, among a host of other provisions, provide $14.6 billion in funding for the Columbia- and Virginia-class submarine programs.

Document: FY-25 continuing resolution

Don't expect to see a public version of the Government Accountability Office's annual missile defense assessment anytime soon:

Annual MDA audit now classified 'CUI,' loss of transparency in new missile warfare era

Bowing to Defense Department "sensitivity concerns," congressional auditors will not make public the 2024 annual review of the Missile Defense Agency's work -- the first time in more than two decades the Government Accountability Office will cloak its report on MDA's progress in meeting the acquisition goals and objectives of a $246 billion project.

A new, experimental sub-10-inch-diameter solid-rocket motor took four months from concept to successful test:

Ursa Major, Raytheon advanced long-range SRM completes successful Army missile flight test

Solid-rocket motor startup Ursa Major and defense prime Raytheon teamed up to develop an advanced long-range, solid-rocket motor, which has completed a successful missile flight test for the Army, the companies announced Wednesday.

The head of the Space Development Agency spoke this week at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event celebrating the Space Force's fifth anniversary:

Lacking FAA approval, SDA runs costly tests outside of U.S.

The Space Development Agency has resorted to testing its Link 16 connections outside of the U.S. as Federal Aviation Administration approval remains out of reach, leading to extended timelines and higher costs, SDA director Derek Tournear said.

A bipartisan House task force report on artificial intelligence released this week "encapsulates a targeted approach that balances the need to promote vibrant AI innovation while safeguarding Americans from potential harms as we enter an era of widespread adoption of AI":

House task force sees AI as 'critical' for national security

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers released its findings and recommendations on artificial intelligence policy today, largely backing existing Pentagon efforts and warning of the increased use of AI by potential U.S. adversaries.

Document: House report on AI

A new Government Accountability Office report finds that the Navy's cruiser modernization effort "has been plagued with problems like schedule delays, wasted costs and poor-quality work":

Navy mismanaged contractors and 'wasted' nearly $2 billion in botched cruiser modernization plan, GAO finds

The Navy's mismanagement of an effort to modernize seven Ticonderoga-class cruisers has "wasted" nearly $2 billion and failed to deliver the intended service life extensions for most of the ships, according to a new report from government auditors that provides six recommendations to avoid similar pitfalls in future surface ship modernization plans.

Document: GAO report on Navy cruisers

Bell Textron announced Tuesday that the company will build a production facility in Fort Worth, TX to support production of the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft.

The 447,000-square foot factory will focus on component manufacturing, according to a company press release. Bell plans to have the facility ready for when FLRAA, the eventual replacement for the Black Hawk, enters low-rate initial production in 2028. 

Lisa Atherton, president and CEO of Bell, said in a statement Tuesday that the company is “committed to establishing future manufacturing locations to deliver the first fielded aircraft by the early 2030s and do our part to revolutionize U.S. Army aviation.”

Bell won the FLRAA contract in December 2022, and the program moved to milestone B this past summer. Army officials have said that even when the new aircraft enter service after 2030, it will not be a one-for-one replacement for the Black Hawk.

Bell has established multiple manufacturing facilities since the Army awarded the FLRAA contract two years ago, and the company plans to continue design maturation and prototyping during the current engineering and manufacturing development stage.

Brig. Gen. David Phillips, the Army’s program executive officer for aviation, said in a statement Tuesday that the service is “committed to delivering the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft providing the speed, range and endurance needed to conduct effective air assault, MEDEVAC and resupply missions for future large scale combat operations.”

“It is great to see our industry partners share in that commitment by investing in state-of-the-art facilities to produce the Army’s first 'born digital' aircraft weapon system,” he said.