The Insider

DOD announces new Ukraine package
By Tony Bertuca
November 20, 2024 at 10:20 AM

The Defense Department announced today that President Biden has ordered a $275 million weapons package be sent to Ukraine, including munitions for rocket systems and artillery and anti-tank weapons.

The package comes as the administration is scrambling to obligate approximately $7 billion in security assistance for Ukraine before President Biden leaves office in January and President-elect Trump is sworn in. Trump has shown little enthusiasm for continuing U.S. aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, leading to concerns among some lawmakers that support could cease once a new administration takes power.

The Biden administration has also reportedly allowed Ukraine to begin using long-range U.S. weapons to strike Russian territory and has reversed a policy on Ukrainian’s use of American-made antipersonnel mines.

Meanwhile, the newest aid package, funded via Presidential Drawdown Authority, includes:

  • Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
  • 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition;
  • 60mm and 81mm mortar rounds;
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems;
  • Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided (TOW) missiles;
  • Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
  • Small arms and ammunition;
  • Demolitions equipment and munitions;
  • Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear protective equipment; and
  • Spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training, and transportation.

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said yesterday the administration is working as quickly as possible to move the remaining aid funds, despite having little time left in office.

“Every single day, this building, you know, is working on ensuring that Ukraine has what it needs to be successful on the battlefield in the short and long term,” she said. “You've heard it from here and you've heard it from the White House that we are committed to using that full authority that Congress has allotted to us. The only way we can do that also is to make sure that our shelves are fully back-filled and stocked. So, as our shelves continue to get stocked with equipment and capabilities that are needed, we draw down from those and send those to Ukraine. The president has committed to ensuring that every dollar that Congress is allocated will be spent.”

The INSIDER daily digest -- Nov. 19, 2024
By Thomas Duffy
November 19, 2024 at 1:27 PM

Today’s INSIDER Daily Digest starts with a look at the Navy searching for shipbuilders to work on its latest frigate, an AUKUS hypersonic agreement, a $4 billion defense industry acquisition, the Army is looking to punch up its vehicle electronic warfare, and more.

The Navy needs someone to design and build its newest frigate ship:

Navy seeking shipbuilders for frigate design and construction work with new RFI

The Navy has posted a new request for information seeking shipbuilders capable of design and construction work for the Constellation-class frigate program, which continues to face significant schedule delays driven by labor and subcontractor management problems.

The United States will share hypersonic testing with the U.K and Australia:

U.S. signs onto AUKUS agreement to share hypersonic testing facilities, technical information

The United States, Australia and the United Kingdom announced the signing of an agreement that will allow the countries to share hypersonic vehicle testing facilities, as well as technical information related to the development, testing and evaluation of hypersonic technology.

A major industry buy was announced this week:

AeroVironment to acquire BlueHalo in agreement worth more than $4B

Defense contractor AeroVironment is set to acquire startup BlueHalo in an agreement with an “enterprise value of approximately $4.1 billion,” the companies announced Tuesday.

The Army plans to beef up its vehicle electronic warfare:

Army looks to industry for better ground combat vehicle processing hardware

The Army put out a request for information Monday that asks for hardware solutions for a ground combat vehicle computing device that balances centralized and edge computing.

The Air Force received its first Stand-In Attack Weapon:

Northrop delivers first Stand-in Attack Weapon test missile

Northrop Grumman delivered the first test missile of the Stand-in Attack Weapon to the Air Force, the company announced today.

Army asking for white papers as it moves toward prototyping multifunction precision radar
By Dan Schere
November 19, 2024 at 12:12 PM

The Army aims to field up to four multifunction precision radar prototypes “integrated onto a government furnished property wheeled-vehicle platform” by late fiscal year 2027, according to a new request for white papers issued Monday.

The MFPR is part of the Army’s planned Multi-Domain Artillery Cannon System (MDACS) effort -- a new-start for FY-25 that is intended to beef up the joint force’s air and missile defense infrastructure for fixed and semi-fixed sites. It is meant to defend against cruise missiles, unmanned aircraft systems, fixed-wing aircraft, rotary wing aircraft and “other advanced air and missile threats,” according to the Army.

MDACS would consist of the radar, multidomain artillery cannon, multifunction precision radar, multidomain battle manager, hypervelocity projectiles and ammo handler vehicle.

The Army had included $67 million for research, development, test and evaluation in its FY-25 budget request for MDACS, according to justification documents. However, because of the continuing resolution the Pentagon is operating under that runs through Dec. 20, no new-start programs can be funded.

MDACS has also come under scrutiny from Senate appropriators, who did not include the $67 million for the effort in their version of the FY-25 defense spending bill, citing a flawed acquisition strategy.

The Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) stated in Monday’s notice that it intends to award one or more other transaction agreements for prototype and is limiting the field to American companies that can process and store secret information and hardware.

RCCTO will be holding an industry day Dec. 10-11 at Redstone Arsenal, AL for vendors interested in the MFPR prototyping effort.

White papers are due Jan. 8.

U.S. signs onto AUKUS agreement to share hypersonic testing facilities, technical information
By Abby Shepherd
November 19, 2024 at 11:14 AM

The United States, Australia and the United Kingdom announced the signing of an agreement that will allow the countries to share hypersonic vehicle testing facilities, as well as technical information related to the development, testing and evaluation of hypersonic technology.

The agreement falls under the second pillar of AUKUS, focused on developing and fielding emerging weapons to protect Indo-Pacific allies against potential conflict from China.

In the announcement made Monday, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu said the project -- known as the Hypersonic Flight Test and Experimentation Project Arrangement -- will increase the Defense Department’s and its allies’ abilities to “develop and deliver offensive and defensive hypersonic technologies” by robustly testing and experimenting.

Enabling technologies key to achieving breakthroughs in hypersonic weapon systems include high temperature materials, advanced propulsion systems and guidance and control, Shyu said in her statement.

Any existing national efforts in hypersonic technology will be folded into the project -- including up to six trilateral flight test campaigns that will occur by 2028, funded by $252 million, according to the announcement.

“The U.S. DOD is committed to working closely with the Australian Department of Defence and the U.K. [Ministry of Defence] to further the pursuit of common and consistent objectives for affordable and responsive flight testing of hypersonic technologies and concepts," Shyu added.

AeroVironment to acquire BlueHalo in agreement worth more than $4B
By Theresa Maher
November 19, 2024 at 9:51 AM

Defense contractor AeroVironment is set to acquire startup BlueHalo in an agreement with an “enterprise value of approximately $4.1 billion,” the companies announced Tuesday.

AeroVironment produces the Switchblade-600 loitering munition, the only system identified under the classified Replicator drone program’s first tranche.

BlueHalo produces technologies enabling a layered approach to countering uncrewed aerial systems -- including radio frequency-based detection and defeat, directed-energy lasers and modular missile capabilities.

The transaction has been unanimously approved by AeroVironment and BlueHalo’s boards of directors or managers and is expected to close in the first half of calendar year 2025, according to the release.

The agreement will create “a more diversified global leader in all-domain defense technologies,” the companies said in the announcement.

The deal will also see AeroVironment Chairman, President and CEO Wahid Nawabi serve as the chair, president and CEO of the combined company. BlueHalo CEO Jonathan Moneymaker will serve as a strategic advisor to Nawabi, according to the release.

“By uniting with AV, we are building an organization equipped to meet emerging defense priorities and deliver purpose-driven, state-of-the-art solutions with unmatched speed. Together, we remain committed to protecting those who defend us while driving the next generation of transformational advancements in defense technology,” Moneymaker said in a statement accompanying the announcement.

Army looks to industry for better ground combat vehicle processing hardware
By Dominic Minadeo
November 18, 2024 at 4:09 PM

The Army put out a request for information Monday that asks for hardware solutions for a ground combat vehicle computing device that balances centralized and edge computing.

Edge computing gives soldiers access to data and software on the battlefield even when large data centers aren’t available, as well as cloud services when network access is down.

“The Army intends for this hardware solution to be in a U.S. Army Ground Combat vehicle where space is constrained, the operating environment is harsh, cooling options are limited, and reliability must be extremely high,” the RFI says.

The computing device is called the High Performance Computing for Ground Vehicle Edge Processing. Industry ideas are requested by Army Contracting Command at Detroit Arsenal, MI, along with Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicle Systems Center, or DEVCOM GVSC.

Responses are due Dec. 17. They should address basic information about the vendor’s business, comply with a list of hardware requirements that detail size, volume and resistance to conditions like high temperature and fluid contamination, meet a target power threshold of 150 watts and have a random access memory that rarely fails (the hardware must have 99.8% operational availability), according to the request.

Replies must also address a technical questionnaire, which asks for proposed solutions based on the requirements and tasks vendors to show their work, like providing data to prove the hardware meets the RAM requirement.

The Army wants to find a capability with a technology readiness level of three, which means it has a “proof of concept” and research and development has begun. The service wants to take that level three prototype and build it into a level five or six in the next two years, the details of which involve significantly improving the technology so that it can be tested in simulated environments.

Technology readiness levels in the RFI range from one to nine: one being when research begins and could involve basic paper studies, while level nine is when an actual system is successfully finishing missions.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Nov. 18, 2024
By John Liang
November 18, 2024 at 1:09 PM

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on a recently released Army white paper on electronic warfare, plus the Pentagon's efforts to achieve a "clean" financial audit and more.

A new Army Science Board white paper is based on eight months of study beginning in September 2023, during which Army and Pentagon officials, as well as industry leaders "provided a clear picture" of where electronic warfare is headed, emerging threats and the pace of technology maturation by 2030:

Army Science Board calls on service to heavily invest in EW capabilities

The Army has "significantly underinvested" in electronic warfare operations up to this point, a recently released Army Science Board white paper found.

Document: ASB white paper on EW

"Momentum is on our side" for the Defense Department to achieve a "clean" financial audit by 2028, the Pentagon's comptroller said recently:

DOD touts progress as it seeks elusive 'clean' audit

The Defense Department has failed to achieve a "clean" financial audit for the seventh consecutive year, though outgoing Comptroller Mike McCord highlighted progress that has been made in accounting for the funds of all the military services.

Congress approved a request to shift funds originally appropriated for other purposes into fiscal year 2024 accounts to allow the Army to begin financing the Infantry Brigade Combat Team Short Range Rocket System (I-SRRS), a need service leaders validated in an August 2023 directed requirement:

Army plans new ground-launched rocket project to give infantry improved suppression fire

The Army is planning to equip infantry teams with enhanced firepower to quickly neutralize enemy threats, repurposing air-launched Hydra missiles for ground-launch missions as part of a broader effort to incorporate new insights from the war in Ukraine into modern combat strategies.

The Navy’s initial goal of fielding the Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic missile system on the destroyer Zumwalt within fiscal year 2025 "is not a date that's going to happen," Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, who oversees the system's development as the Navy's director of strategic programs, acknowledged last week:

Wolfe: CPS testing on Zumwalt to begin in 2027 or 2028, land-based testing issues continue to be limiting factor

The Navy expects to begin testing the Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic missile system aboard the guided missile destroyer Zumwalt (DDG-1000) in 2027 or 2028 following fielding delays driven by issues in the ongoing land-based testing of the weapon.

Some submarine news:

Navy plans to extend Virginia submarine program to Block VIII before transition to SSN(X)

The Navy plans to build an eighth block of its Virginia-class submarine program before transitioning to the next-generation SSN(X) vessel in the early 2040s, according to Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program Director Adm. William Houston.

Northrop delivers first Stand-in Attack Weapon test missile
By Shelley K. Mesch
November 18, 2024 at 11:37 AM

Northrop Grumman delivered the first test missile of the Stand-in Attack Weapon to the Air Force, the company announced today.

SiAW, a new air-to-ground munition, will next undergo tests by the Air Force to verify that designated aircraft can safely carry and separate the weapon, Northop stated. The Air Force plans to integrate SiAW onto the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as well as other future aircraft.

SiAW is being designed to “provide strike capability to defeat rapidly relocatable targets as part of an enemy’s anti-access/area-denial environment,” the announcement states. Potential targets include theater ballistic missile launches, land and anti-ship cruise missile launches, jammers, anti-satellite systems and integrated air defense systems, according to justification documents associated with the fiscal year 2025 budget request.

The Air Force awarded Northrop the $705 million contract in September 2023 to rapidly prototype and field the missile. The program is run through the Middle Tier of Acquisition, giving it a five-year timeframe for fielding.

SiAW is expected to reach initial operational capability in 2026, Northrop stated.

The Air Force requested $375.5 million in FY-25 research, development, test and evaluation funds for SiAW.

The week ahead
By John Liang
November 18, 2024 at 5:00 AM

Senior defense officials are slated to speak at a variety of events this week.

Tuesday

U.S. Pacific Command chief Adm. Samuel Paparo speaks at a Brookings Institute event.

Space Development Agency Director Derek Tournear speaks at a Schriever Spacepower Series event.

The Professional Services Council holds its annual Vision Federal Market Forecast Conference.

U.S. Strategic Command chief Gen. Anthony Cotton speaks at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event on "Sea, Land, Air, and NC3: Modernizing the Whole Nuclear Enterprise."

CSIS holds its annual ROK-U.S. Strategic Forum.

Wednesday

The Pallas Foundation holds the second annual National Security Innovation Forum.

CSIS holds a Project on Nuclear Issues event, featuring various senior defense officials.

Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Human Capital Katherine Kelley speaks at a Mitchell Institute event.

GovExec hosts its Cybersecurity Futures Forum.

Friday

CSIS hosts a fireside chat on the Biden administration's Indo-Pacific Strategy.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Nov. 15, 2024
By John Liang
November 15, 2024 at 2:05 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on Navy submarines, the Defense Innovation Unit seeking ways to bolster the domestic supply chain and more.

We start off with some submarine news:

Navy plans to extend Virginia submarine program to Block VIII before transition to SSN(X)

The Navy plans to build an eighth block of its Virginia-class submarine program before transitioning to the next-generation SSN(X) vessel in the early 2040s, according to Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program Director Adm. William Houston.

Navy 'finishing up' contract negotiations for FY-24 Virginia subs despite $1.95B funding shortfall

The Navy is "finishing up contract negotiations" for Block V Virginia-class submarines Baltimore (SSN-812) and Atlanta (SSN-813), service officials said today, despite Congress' refusal to provide an additional $1.95 billion to cover cost growth in the program.

Aditi Kumar, deputy director for strategy, policy and national security partnerships at the Defense Innovation Unit, said the Replicator project should show China at the United States is serious about building the capacity and agility the military industrial base:

DIU targeting U.S. industrial base expansion to deter China

The Defense Innovation Unit is pushing to rapidly expand the Pentagon's domestic supply chain to better deter China, according to senior DIU officials, who highlighted ongoing work with the Replicator drone program and other efforts.

A look at Air Force modernization prospects in the wake of Republicans taking control of the Senate next year:

As Senate flips to GOP control, Wicker's defense policy bill plan may help Air Force's affordability problem

The possible ascendance of Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) to the chairmanship of the Senate Armed Services Committee could be a turning point in Air Force modernization efforts as the ranking member has pushed for boosting the existing topline for national defense spending by billions of dollars to ensure legacy and new platforms can rule the air domain.

Speaking Wednesday at the Naval Submarine League Symposium, Rear Adm. Jonathan Rucker, program executive officer for attack submarines, suggested the weld issue is the result of a relatively new and inexperienced submarine industrial base workforce:

Navy nearly done reviewing suspected faulty welds

The Navy expects to complete an initial review of all the suspected faulty welds on aircraft carriers and submarines by the end of December, according to service officials, who said they have already inspected over 90% of these suspicious welds.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Nov. 14, 2024
By John Liang
November 14, 2024 at 2:23 PM

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on Navy Virginia-class submarines, defense contractors needing more money to build extra munitions, the Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program and more.

Rear Adm. Jonathan Rucker, program executive officer for attack submarines, told reporters this week that contract negotiations to build two Virginia-class submarines are “almost done but not quite” but didn't specify how the contract would be structured in the absence of additional funding needed to complete construction:

Navy 'finishing up' contract negotiations for FY-24 Virginia subs despite $1.95B funding shortfall

The Navy is "finishing up contract negotiations" for Block V Virginia-class submarines Baltimore (SSN-812) and Atlanta (SSN-813), service officials said today, despite Congress' refusal to provide an additional $1.95 billion to cover cost growth in the program.

Defense contractors need more money:

LaPlante advises weapons makers to ask what a five-fold boost in production would take

Pentagon acquisition chief Bill LaPlante said the U.S. defense industrial base and that of its allies needs more money to produce weapons at much higher rates if it wants to compete with China and Russia and exit a "vicious circle" of cost cutting and reduced capacity.

Some Collaborative Combat Aircraft news:

Anduril, General Atomics concepts for increment 1 of CCA drones clear critical design reviews

The Collaborative Combat Aircraft designs created by Anduril Industries and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems have completed their critical design reviews, according to a top Air Force official.

The Army is drafting a directed requirement to quickly acquire technology first used by French forces in 1794 during the Battle of Fleurus to spot enemy movements and now set to be adapted for some of the most complex missions envisioned in modern conflict:

Army drafting new requirement for micro-balloons to add resiliency to space operations

The Army is drafting a new requirement for micro balloons that can loft sophisticated sensors after recent experiments validated the potential to add a new dimension of resilience to space-based capabilities -- complicating an adversary's ability to disrupt terrestrial connections to orbiting systems.

The Navy is asking research and development organizations and academia to submit potential Assured-Positioning, Navigation and Timing technologies that can be integrated onto unmanned surface vessels:

Navy asks industry for A-PNT solutions, amid rise in battlespace GPS disruption

Following lessons learned with GPS disruption in the Ukraine battlespace, the Navy will seek to test capabilities to guard against these interferences on combatant ships and unmanned surface vessels in an exercise planned for March off the shores of Virginia.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Nov. 13, 2024
By John Liang
November 13, 2024 at 2:37 PM

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Pentagon's secretive Replicator program, the Naval Strike Missile and more.

We start off with news on the Pentagon's secretive Replicator program:

After months of secrecy, Pentagon reveals new Replicator systems

The Defense Department has released new information about the classified Replicator drone program, naming systems and companies fielding weapons in the latest tranche of units.

The Navy plans to ask Congress for multiyear authority to buy as many as 516 Naval Strike Missiles between FY-24 and FY-28:

Navy initiates multiyear NSM buy with $960 million award to Kongsberg

The Navy has awarded Norwegian contractor Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace a five-year, $960 million contract for the Naval Strike Missile after Congress provided multiyear authority and funding in its fiscal year 2024 defense legislation.

The Defense Department has outlined the initial scope of the T-AGOS 25 project in a Selected Acquisition Report (SAR), noting that the original plan to procure seven ships for $3.9 billion has been expanded to 10 vessels following a decision made earlier this year:

New $3.9B T-AGOS 25 faces delays as Austal works to deliver new SWATH design

The Navy plans to spend more than $3.9 billion on a new fleet of T-AGOS 25-class Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance ships, crucial for detecting and tracking submarine activity in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and for strengthening anti-submarine warfare capabilities.

Document: DOD modernized SAR on the Navy's T-AGOS program

An Air Force tanker is on track to get an autonomous pilot soon:

Test flight for AI-enabled KC-135 planned for next year

The Air Force today accepted Merlin’s airworthiness plan to add its autonomous pilot to an operational KC-135 Stratotanker, putting the project on track for ground testing, flight testing and other demonstrations in 2025, according to a company news release.

The Defense Department is mulling over changes to CMMC compliance:

Lawyers argue for allowing plan of action and milestones to address security lapses in CMMC compliance

The American Bar Association’s Public Contract Law section is urging the Defense Department to consider allowing a plan of action and milestones for contractors to address ongoing compliance issues with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, as the Pentagon works to finalize a rulemaking to change its acquisition regulations.

SDA releases Tranche 3 integration draft request for proposals
By Shelley K. Mesch
November 13, 2024 at 2:36 PM

The Space Development Agency is preparing for Tranche 3 of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture by seeking comment on its draft request for proposals for program integration posted last week.

The forthcoming contract would conduct systems engineering and integration activities necessary for delivery of the T3 Transport Layer, Tracking Layer and Custody Layer as well as subsequent integration with the PWSA ground system, according to the notice.

The statement of work for the request was not posted publicly, as it was marked as “controlled unclassified information.”

SDA is seeking information on:

  • Enterprise architecture analysis.
  • Program requirements assessment and management support.
  • Program integration and verification management.
  • Program configuration management.
  • Engineering support.
  • Program schedule management.
  • Program risk, issue and opportunity management.
  • Program trade studies and assessments.
  • Technical reviews.

Responses should be sent before Nov. 25.

SDA awards Kratos $117 million for Advanced Fire Control Ground Infrastructure
By Shelley K. Mesch
November 13, 2024 at 1:24 PM

The Space Development Agency has awarded Kratos a $117 million contract to design and deliver the Advanced Fire Control Ground Infrastructure.

Kratos will lead a group of industry partners in creating a “common, enduring ground infrastructure” for the AFC effort, which includes the Fire-control On Orbit-support to the warfighter (FOO Fighter) system and future fire-control programs, according to an SDA announcement.

As the prime contractor, Kratos will also fit-out and manage the government-owned Demonstration Operations Center and the cloud environment for software, a Kratos news release added.

Kratos is working with ASRC Federal Systems Solutions, Peraton, Sphinx Defense and Stellar Solutions, the company said.

For the ground infrastructure, Kratos will provide a ground resource manager, the company said, which will be built for FOO Fighter but designed to also support future fire control demonstrations.

“Advancements in missile technology and hypersonics that can travel at more than 3,000 mph present new adversarial threats and will require new defensive capabilities to identify, track and respond to them rapidly,” Phil Carrai, president of Kratos’ space division, said. “The AFCGI will serve as a standing sandbox for exploring and validating new technologies, solutions and techniques to address these threats with commensurate speed and agility.”

Trump picks Fox News host Hegseth for SECDEF
By Tony Bertuca
November 12, 2024 at 7:26 PM

President-elect Trump announced today he has selected Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to be defense secretary.

“Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First,” Trump said. “With Pete at the helm, America's enemies are on notice -- our military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down.”

Hegseth, 44, currently co-hosts Fox and Friends Weekend.

Trump, in his announcement, highlighted that Hegseth is a decorated combat veteran of the Army and is the author of the book “War on Warriors.”

“The book reveals the leftwing betrayal of our warriors and how we must return our military to meritocracy, lethality, accountability and excellence,” Trump said.

An Amazon description of the book from the publisher says it “uncovers the deep roots of our dysfunction -- a society that has forgotten the men who take risks, cut through red tape, and get their hands dirty. The only kind of men prepared to face the dan­gers that the Left pretends don’t exist. Unlike issues of education or taxes or crime, this problem doesn’t have a zip code solution. We can’t move away from it. We can’t avoid it. We have only one Pentagon. Either we take it back or surrender it altogether.”

Hegseth, who holds degrees from Princeton and Harvard and served as an infantryman in Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the Minnesota National Guard, has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration and its approach to diversity, equity and inclusion. He ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in Minnesota in 2012 and was also formerly head of Concerned Veterans for America, a group funded by the Koch brothers that advocates for outsourcing veteran healthcare.

At Fox News, Hegseth lobbied then-President Trump in 2019 to intervene in the war-crimes cases of three U.S. service members, which ultimately led to their pardons.

Though earlier media reports on possible defense secretary picks included the names of several sitting Republican members of Congress, Hegseth’s name was not previously reported and may potentially come as a surprise to those who play the Washington parlor game of guessing who might land plum jobs in an upcoming presidential administration.

Trump has had tumultuous relationships with defense secretaries in the past, with five serving in his first term and leaving office either by resigning, being fired or serving briefly as interim leaders.

Two previous defense secretaries, Jim Mattis and Mark Esper, have publicly rebuked Trump.

Esper told NPR in October that he is worried that Trump would install loyalists at the Pentagon.

“My concern has always been in a second term that Trump and those around him learned the lesson that you have to get the right people in, people who will be loyal to you and what you want to do in your policies, people who aren't necessarily loyal to the Constitution, but to the president,” he said. “And it's a big distinction. It's certainly a significant one when it comes to the oath of office to the Constitution that we all swear, but particularly the military.”

If he is to serve, Hegseth must be confirmed by the Senate, where he is likely to face fierce Democratic opposition. The Senate GOP, however, has won the majority and, if united, could opt to move Trump’s nominees quickly.

Meanwhile, Trump is demanding that the incoming Republican Senate majority allow him to make recess appointments to bypass the confirmation process, allowing him to place nominees in his administration without Senate confirmation.