The Insider

By Marjorie Censer
January 13, 2010 at 5:00 AM

No pressure, Army, but the ground combat vehicle -- set to replace the Future Combat Systems manned ground platforms -- will be a profoundly significant system, influencing "all other ground programs from the network to sensors, aircraft, fire support and dismounted soldier systems," a retired two-star writes in a new Armed Forces Journal article.

Maj. Gen. Robert Scales, a former commandant of the Army War College and the current president of consulting firm Colgen Inc., notes in the piece that the Army does not have a great track record for equipping ground forces. Citing a "string of failures" from FCS to the Comanche helicopter, he stresses the importance of getting GCV right from the start.

"The GCV concept must fit the needs of today’s wars and yet be sufficiently expansive and adaptable to meet the needs of forces fighting higher-order battles," Scales writes.

To successfully produce the vehicle, he promotes changing the design focus of the GCV's network "from the operational and strategic to the tactical" and changing "the customer from the general to the individual soldier."

An individual soldier "should be well-connected inside or outside the GCV and should lose no situational awareness when making the transition from mounted to dismounted combat," Scales adds. Comparing the GCV to a "mothership," he says it must be "optimized to operate in small units for prolonged periods in inhospitable terrain and climate."

Additionally, Scales calls for the GCV to be a "universal carrier" whose design embraces the needs of all ground combat services and to be "optimized for the common purpose of transporting a squad-sized team to the fight, not just infantry but any small team likely to be placed in harm's way."

Writing that Strykers "have proven to be too thinly armored to survive the very large explosive power of Taliban IEDs and too immobile to maneuver off road to avoid them" in Afghanistan, Scales says the "new universal carrier must be able to travel and maneuver off roads that today are studded with IEDs." The GCV must also be fast -- able to sustain speeds of 70 kilometers per hour over broken terrain -- and quiet to perform counterinsurgency.

Despite his recommendations, Scales argues that no legacy system can meet the needs of all ground services across the spectrum of conflict. "The only practical solution is to build the GCV around the concept of a universal small-unit carrier and then stretch the system as far as possible to accommodate other functions," he writes.

By Thomas Duffy
January 13, 2010 at 5:00 AM

The Defense Department today announced the selection of the 23 members of the Defense Business Board for 2010. Michael J. Bayer returns as the board's chairman, with John. B. Goodman serving as the vice chairman.

Bayer is the president and CEO of Dumbarton Strategies, a Washington DC-based provider of strategic planning and merger and acquisition counsel.

Goodman is the managing director of Accenture's U.S. defense group.

In addition to the 23 members announced by DOD today, the chairmen of the Defense Policy Board and the Defense Science Board are ex-officio members of the Defense Business Board.

The board carries out studies and provides the defense secretary and deputy defense secretary advice on best business practices for the department. Its next scheduled meeting is Jan. 21.

By Christopher J. Castelli
January 12, 2010 at 5:00 AM

The Defense Department announced today the deployment of about 3,100 additional forces to Afghanistan, part of the 30,000 troops authorized by President Obama on Nov. 30. The 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, from Ft. Hood, TX, will deploy about 2,600 soldiers to Afghanistan in the summer of 2010, according to DOD.

"The deployment of this brigade will increase the capabilities of the International Security Assistance Force," the Pentagon said in a statement. Defense Secretary Robert Gates also approved the deployment of about 500 support forces, which will deploy at various times through the summer of 2010, DOD said.

By Sebastian Sprenger
January 12, 2010 at 5:00 AM

Officials at the Pentagon and the Energy Department's National Nuclear Security Administration last week marked the 25th anniversary of the Joint Munitions Technology Development Program, or JMP.

We asked NNSA what kinds of scientific problems program officials plan to tackle in the years ahead. According to an e-mail from agency spokesman Michael Padilla, these are some of the topics on scientists' to-do lists:

  • Next-generation energetic materials having increased energy and reduced sensitivity to hazards (fire, frags, bullets, etc.);
  • NNSA's unique proton and X-ray radiography facilities are being used to understand the slow cook-off problem to support development of insensitive munitions;
  • Detonators for insensitive explosives;
  • Multi-phase blast explosives for increased lethality;
  • New weapons designs (e.g., non-fragmenting, composite case munitions) for reducing collateral damage (in urban warfare, close air support  and counterinsurgency operations);
  • Smart munitions having selectable output/effects;
  • Weapons for defeat of hard and deeply buried targets (high-g resistant materials and components);
  • Application and the assessment of reliability of survivability of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS);
  • Novel photonic proximity sensor for robust and compact height-of-burst sensor.

At the Defense Department, the JMP program is managed out of the Land Warfare and Munitions Office within the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Between DOD and DOE, over than 200 scientists and engineers are working on JMP projects, according to a Jan. 7 NNSA statement.

By Zachary M. Peterson
January 12, 2010 at 5:00 AM

At the Surface Navy Association's annual symposium in Washington today, Fleet Forces Command chief Adm. John Harvey was asked about the Navy's intentions to move an aircraft carrier to Naval Station Mayport, FL, from Norfolk, VA. The move is being reviewed in the Quadrennial Defense Review. Harvey answered the question, which came from a Navy lieutenant, by deferring to the results of the QDR, which are neither final nor public.

However, the four-star admiral did note that it makes him uncomfortable seeing all the East Coast-based carriers at the pier near his Norfolk office, as well as the carriers under construction and undergoing maintenance and refueling at the nearby Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding facilities in Newport News. Harvey said that unlike on the West Coast, where carriers are stationed in San Diego and Washington state, basing all the East Coast carriers in Virginia puts the Navy "30 minutes," or one disaster -- natural or manmade -- away from having the majority of its carrier assets tied up.

The pending move of a carrier to Florida has drawn consistent opposition from Virginia lawmakers who continue to lobby against the move. Florida lawmakers support the measure.

By Christopher J. Castelli
January 11, 2010 at 5:00 AM

National Security Adviser Jim Jones is traveling to the Middle East this week to meet with key leaders in Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority, according to a White House statement released this afternoon. Jones, a retired four-star Marine Corps general, will "discuss the full range of regional challenges and opportunities at this critical time in the Middle East," according to the the statement.

In 2008, Jones told Inside the Pentagon “nothing is more important” in the Middle East than peacefully resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

By John Liang
January 11, 2010 at 5:00 AM

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs was asked today about the status of U.S.-Russian negotiations over a follow-on agreement to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. The pact expired last month, and U.S. and Russian officials suspended talks for the holidays.

Gibbs said:

We continue to work with our Russian counterparts on trying to find an agreement that, quite frankly, that works for both sides. I need to go back and look at some notes about whether it was this Friday or the previous Friday that we had a negotiating team that headed to -- headed over to make some headway on that. But nothing as of yet to report.

Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Ellen Tauscher could shed more light on the START talks when she sits down with reporters on Wednesday morning.

By Marjorie Censer
January 11, 2010 at 5:00 AM

The Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center in Warren, MI, announced today that it has established a center intended to expand its capabilities and streamline operations.

The Center for Ground Vehicle Development and Integration will "align and expand research and development (R&D) activities and establish a new military nucleus for public-private ground vehicle systems collaborative partnerships," the announcement reads.

It cites roughly $14 billion in fiscal year 2010 Defense Department funding targeted at Michigan's defense industry and says the center will play a key role in ensuring that money is "effectively leveraged."

More specifically, the new vehicle center will incorporate work from TARDEC's Ground Vehicle Integration Center -- which provides technology assessment and systems integration for the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle and Joint Light Tactical Vehicle programs, among others -- and its Prototype Integration Facility -- which provides "hands-on design, metallurgy testing, physical prototyping and electronics integration for military ground vehicles systems."

By Sebastian Sprenger
January 11, 2010 at 5:00 AM

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency today announced two contract awards for the second phase in the agency's program to build the National Cyber Range, a kind of virtual sandbox for everything related to cyberspace and national security.

Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training and Support, based in Orlando, FL, will get $31 million for its phase II work; a team from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory will get $25 million, according to notices posted on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site today.

The two organizations were picked from a pool of seven awardees chosen for phase I of the project, announced in January 2009. DARPA had also awarded phase I contracts to Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Science Applications International Corp., General Dynamics and SPARTA.

By Sebastian Sprenger
January 8, 2010 at 5:00 AM

Army Gen. Raymond Odierno, the head of U.S. forces in Iraq, has issued new rules for the proper behavior of Defense Department personnel in Iraq. The General Order Number 1, dated Jan. 1, comes as U.S. forces prepare to draw down from the country in large numbers this year.

Naturally, the possession of drugs and alcohol of any kind are prohibited, according to the document. There are also tight restrictions on when U.S. personnel are allowed to set foot into mosques or other Islamic religious sites.

In addition, troops may not adopt local animals as pets or mascots, attempt to convert others to their faith and point with weapons at others "in jest" or as part of "quick draw" or "trust" games, the document reads.

The order also spells out under what circumstances U.S. personnel are allowed to take "war souvenirs" home.

By John Liang
January 8, 2010 at 5:00 AM

The Pentagon has entered into an agreement with the Small Business Administration that allows DOD contracting officers to award small business-size contracts without having to go through the SBA for approval.

According to a Dec. 29, 2009, memo from Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy Director Shay Assad, the agreement "allows DOD contracting officers to award prime contracts directly" to companies participating under the SBA's "8(a)" business development program.

Specifically:

Under the new 8(a) ((Partnership Agreement)) for competitively negotiated procurements, the SBA will no longer review eligibility status for all officers within the competitive range. The SBA will conduct reviews to determine 8(a) eligibility status sequentially, starting with the apparent successful offeror. If the first offeror does not meet the eligibility requirements, then the SBA will review the second offeror for eligibility.

By John Liang
January 7, 2010 at 5:00 AM

U.S. Strategic Command and Air Force Space Command want to improve the Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation's satellite coverage, according to a STRATCOM statement released today.

"The need to support U.S. and allied military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, where terrain in geographically challenging areas can degrade complete coverage of GPS signals, drove a look for ways to improve signal coverage," the STRATCOM statement reads. Specifically, the command "approved an Air Force-developed approach that benefits not only military operations but all GPS users by taking advantage of the largest on-orbit GPS constellation in its history."

That new approach would do the following:

The current GPS constellation will be optimized to provide enhanced capability for all GPS users and provide better support to military forces operating in Afghanistan. Essentially, this plan will take advantage of today's constellation size and reposition satellites to improve coverage.

The existing constellation replenishment strategy positions new GPS satellites close to older satellites. This strategy protects against possible failing satellite vehicles. The current strength of the constellation will allow the constellation to be spread out and improve GPS
access worldwide.

The initiative will take up to 24 months to fully implement as satellites are repositioned within the constellation based on constellation health. The beneficial impact to all GPS users, including civilian users, will be slowly realized during that time period. Over the next two years, the number of GPS satellites in view from any point on earth will increase, potentially increasing accuracy of GPS receivers.

The STRATCOM and AFSPC team seeks to continually enhance GPS capability and is committed to meeting and exceeding civilian and military user requirements for worldwide, 24/7, positioning, navigation, and timing service.

InsideDefense.com reported last month that a program to produce a new generation of hybrid GPS receivers escaped termination in December, as House appropriators reversed their push to block the $60 million Pentagon officials wanted for the project:

House Appropriations Committee members opposed funding for the "High-Integrity GPS" program in their version of the fiscal year 2010 defense appropriations bill this summer. However, they yielded to their Senate counterparts’ position on the project’s funds, according to a Dec. 15 conference agreement on the legislation.

House lawmakers initially voted not to fund HIGPS because they believed the effort was “duplicative of other activities within the GPS program,” House Appropriations defense subcommittee spokesman Matthew Mazonkey told InsideDefense.com in an e-mail today. He did not address the question of what ultimately swayed lawmakers.

The HIGPS program is focused on developing handheld receivers fed with the signals from GPS satellites plus those emitted by the constellation of commercial Iridium communication satellites in low-Earth orbit. The result of this combination, advocates have said, is greater accuracy and resistance to enemy jamming.

Funding is executed through the Naval Research Laboratory, in part because the technology is destined as a navigation tool for dismounted Marine Corps forces and Navy SEALs.

By Marjorie Censer
January 7, 2010 at 5:00 AM

The Army announced today it will move Army Contracting Command and Expeditionary Contracting Command from Ft. Belvoir, VA, to Redstone Arsenal, AL, resulting in the reassignment of 79 soldiers and 234 civilians to Redstone.

Both commands will be located alongside Army Materiel Command and Army Security Assistance Command, which are already moving to Redstone Arsenal as part of the base realignment and closure movements.

"The collocation of these organizations will serve to improve the integration of contracting services within the continental United States, overseas installations, and theater operations," the service's announcement states.

The move is expected to be complete in August 2011.

By Marjorie Censer
January 6, 2010 at 5:00 AM

As of Jan. 5, the Pentagon has fielded 164 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicles to Afghanistan, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said today.

Nearly 240 of the trucks have been delivered, he added.

"And then there are obviously many more vehicles than that that have been produced," Morrell told reporters during a Pentagon briefing. "And as they vie for space for airlift and absorption in Afghanistan, they are being used, many of them, for training purposes domestically."

But he stressed that the military faces a "herculean effort" in trying to get 30,000 additional forces -- and their equipment -- to theater.

"So this is going to be . . . a real test of our ((U.S. Transportation Command)) folks, as well as ((U.S. Central Command))," he said. "And they have a priority list based, you know, in terms of space available, what has the top priority to flow in at what time."

But, Morrell added, the Defense Department hopes to send over 500 M-ATVs a month by the spring. He said the military is not yet sealifting the trucks.

Last month, Oshkosh announced that it had again exceeded the monthly delivery requirement for M-ATV by meeting its 1,000-vehicle total on Dec. 18.

December was the first month in which the company was set to ramp up to 1,000 vehicles, a rate at which it expects to stay through May 2010 to deliver more than 6,600 of the trucks.

By Sebastian Sprenger
January 6, 2010 at 5:00 AM

Pentagon officials today proposed new language for existing defense acquisition guidelines that would enable the procurement of supplies from certain Asian countries.

The language effectively would implement two waivers granted by Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn last summer. The waivers were about DOD procurement regulations that normally prohibit the selection of contractors from the so-called "SC/CASA" region, which stands for South Caucasus and Central and South Asia.

The countries covered are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Closer economic ties with these nations are necessary because Northern Distribution Network supply routes to Afghanistan run through them, Lynn wrote in a July 9, 2009, memo.

"Buying local products and services will demonstrate that the United States values the support of countries in the region with which the United States intends to develop a lasting partnership to stabilize Afghanistan," he added.

Some of the SC/CASA governments have a history poor human rights records, with reports of government-sponsored torture and repression described in the State Department's 2008 Human Rights Report.