The Insider

Navy awards several contracts focused on LCS mine countermeasures
By Abby Shepherd
February 5, 2025 at 4:18 PM

The Navy has awarded various contracts relating to the Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship’s mine countermeasures mission package, all preceding an anticipated rollout of the package on the LCS later this fiscal year.

The first contract to Bollinger Shipyards for $7.7 million will go toward advanced material for an MCM unmanned surface vehicle -- expected to be completed by September, the Navy news release stated.

Raytheon will receive over $18 million to produce five Minehunt Payload Delivery Systems by the end of fiscal year 2026. Finally, Textron Systems received a little over $12 million to produce four Minesweep Payload Delivery Systems, set to deliver by early FY-27.

Both payloads operate from the USV, and the MH PDS uses AN/AQS-20 sonar to hunt mines, while MS PDS implements acoustic and magnetic minesweeping.

“With the first deliveries of the MCM MP underway and deployments closely following, it is critical to ensure we have the contracts in place to procure and deliver the quantity of mission packages to the fleet required in today’s changing world,” Capt. Matthew Lehmann, LCS mission modules program manager, said in a statement.

Capt. JJ Murawski, program manager for the small combatant and expeditionary modernization and sustainment office, confirmed in January that the MCM mission package will be implemented on the LCS later this fiscal year -- calling the rollout a “generational change.”

“Both LCS variants -- you're going to see the Navy significantly investing in increasing the value and survivability of those ship classes and the readiness compared to what I think we've seen historically,” Murawski said at the Surface Navy Association’s conference. “It's a huge effort again, new systems and crews that have not used these before.”

The first MCM mission package was put onboard the Canberra (LCS-30) last April, and the crew has spent time since then training and performing maintenance. The use of mission packages on Independence variants is a departure from the Navy’s traditional use of MH-53 helicopters and Avenger-class MCM ships for similar efforts.

DIU, Singapore announce winners for drone warfare joint challenge
By Theresa Maher
February 5, 2025 at 3:04 PM

Startups Mistral and Zoltix are set to receive awards totaling $150,000 for their first-place solutions in a challenge hosted by the Defense Innovation Unit and the Singapore's Ministry of Defense, which sought dual-use technologies to scale in support of two operational demands for drone warfare, the DIU announced Wednesday.

The challenge, launched in September, marked the first collaboration resulting from a “Memorandum of Understanding for Defense Innovation Cooperation” between the Singapore MINDEF and U.S. Defense Department in May.

The U.S.-Singapore Joint Innovation Challenge was also divided into two parts by the types of technologies sought. One pursued countermeasure technology that would enable ships operating close to shore to continuously spot, identify and disrupt unauthorized unmanned aerial systems. The second part sought technology providing resilient communications for small commercial drones during humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.

Mistral placed first in the former category, receiving $80,000 for its CUAS Victus C2 Gateway solution, which combined detection, tracking and disruption technologies into a single package, according to the DIU release.

“A standout feature of Mistral’s solution is its ability to integrate with existing defense systems,” DIU said, “avoiding the creation of proprietary silos and ensuring compatibility with current operational tools.”

Zoltix took first place for the latter category, earning them an award of $70,000 with its adaptive communication system allowing small commercial drones to maintain secure and resilient connections in radio frequency-contested environments, according to the release.

“The system’s ability to dynamically sense and adjust frequencies addresses a critical need for reliable drone communications during [Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief] missions and in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) challenged environments,” DIU said.

Like Mistral’s solution, Zoltix’s technology was also able to integrate with existing defense systems, the release said.

The challenge also granted awards to four other companies -- totaling $130,000 combined, according to the release.

Black River Systems Company Inc. and Aurelius Systems received awards for their solutions enabling counter-drone capabilities for ships operating close to shore.

Domo Tactical Communications (DTC) and TILT Autonomy received awards for their solutions providing resilient communications capabilities for small commercial drones during humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Feb. 5, 2025
By John Liang
February 5, 2025 at 2:20 PM

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on supply chain risk management, plus upgrades to the Navy's Trident intercontinental ballistic missile and more.

We start off with supply chain risk management news:

Pentagon releases updated enterprise-wide guidance on supply chain risk management

The Defense Department published an updated version of its supply chain risk management (SCRM) taxonomy at the end of January -- more than two years since the Pentagon published the first "draft" version.

Document: DOD's updated SCRM taxonomy

On Jan. 31, the Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a contract modification that kicks off the Trident II D5 Life Extension 2 (D5LE2) missile -- which will integrate modernized components to replace aging electronics, propulsion and structures, keeping the missile viable for deployment aboard the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines and the United Kingdom’s future replacement for the Vanguard-class under the Polaris Sales Agreement:

Navy launches Trident II D5 Life Extension 2; design, development to extend service to 2080s

The Defense Department has formally advanced the acquisition plan for the next life extension of the Trident II D5 missile, awarding Lockheed Martin a $383 million contract for design and development of a modernized variant of the submarine-launched, nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile that aims to extend operational service of the sea leg of the nuclear triad through 2084.

Continuing coverage of the Pentagon's latest operational test and evaluation report:

Navy to submit updated testing plans for MQ-25 this spring

The Navy plans to submit testing plans for milestones B and C for the MQ-25 Stingray program this spring, following years of production delays and budget reprogrammings.

Army ignoring two AMPV recommendations from DOT&E

The Defense Department's top weapons tester suggested in January 2023 that the Army add a new variant to its Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle fleet and change the inside of its mission command model.

Milestone C for PrSM scheduled for end of this fiscal year, top weapons tester says

The Army will complete its series of production qualification test events for the first increment of the Precision Strike Missile in fiscal year 2025, with a milestone C full-rate production decision expected in the fourth quarter, according to the Pentagon's top weapons tester.

Insufficient testing facilities curbing efforts to validate AMRAAM upgrades

End-to-end performance of the Air Force's AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile cannot be adequately assessed until the Defense Department’s test and evaluation facilities are improved, according to a Jan. 31 report released by the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation.

Army pitting next-gen recovery vehicle against current model in testing

The Army is putting its upgraded armored recovery vehicle through live-fire testing to see how it holds up against the current system, according to the Pentagon's chief weapons tester.

(Read our full coverage of the report.)

Oshkosh wins $215 million for FMTVs
By Dominic Minadeo
February 5, 2025 at 11:19 AM

Oshkosh Defense won four contracts worth $214.8 million for its Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles Feb. 4, among them trucks meant for low-velocity airdrops.

The Army put $133 million toward M1093 LVAD vehicles and M1081 vehicles yesterday, with production set to run until Sept. 30, 2027.

The M1093, the service’s MTV LVAD cargo truck variant, recently passed airdrop testing from the Air Force’s C-17 cargo aircraft and C-130 transport aircraft wherein “no major vehicle damage occurred,” according to an annual report released Jan. 31 by the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation.

It handed out two other contracts for medium trucks: one worth $43.7 million until Dec. 30, 2026, and $14.8 million that should wrap on Aug. 31, 2026.

The service also added a $23.3 million modification to its FMTV contract with Oshkosh, estimated to finish Sept. 30, 2026.

The FMTV A2 has 12 truck variants, four chassis and three trailers, according to Oshkosh.

A three-year FMTV contract boost was expected sometime in the first half of 2025, John Pfeifer, Oshkosh’s president and chief executive officer said in an earnings call last week.

Army holding industry day for IVAS Next variant
By Dan Schere
February 5, 2025 at 11:16 AM

The Army will hold a virtual industry day next week for companies interested in the next planned variant of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System -- IVAS Next.

The Feb. 11 event will inform interested companies about the IVAS Next and Soldier Borne Mission Command requirements and acquisition path, according to a government notice posted today.

The Army had issued a request for information on Jan. 22 for IVAS Next, in which it asked companies how their solutions enabled human-machine integration while mitigating nausea and visual discomfort -- problems that soldiers experienced with a previous variant of the night vision system.

Microsoft has the current contract for IVAS 1.2, which is the newest version the Army is currently developing. However, senior service officials said last year that a recompete could be on the table at some point.

The Army plans to conduct an operational assessment for IVAS 1.2 in the third quarter of fiscal year 2025 to inform a production decision and support the transition to a new acquisition pathway in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, according to the FY-24 annual report of the Office of the Director of Testing and Evaluation, released last week.

SDA led by new acting director as investigation into Tournear continues
By Shelley K. Mesch
February 5, 2025 at 10:34 AM

The deputy director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office will take over as acting director of the Space Development Agency as an investigation into Director Derek Tournear continues, an Air Force Department spokesperson said today.

William Blauser, who joined the RCO in July, assumes the duties that have been performed by Space Systems Command Commander Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant since Tournear was placed on administrative leave last month.

“As the senior most Space Force acquisitions officer available to step into the role, Lt. Gen. Garrant was previously selected to serve as acting director of the Space Development Agency,” the spokesperson said in an email. “Given the importance of space acquisition programs, both the Space Development Agency and Space Systems Command require full-time leadership, and the Department of the Air Force has named Mr. Blauser as SDA’s new acting director.”

The Air Force Department, which announced the investigation into Tournear Jan. 16, would not provide further information about the investigation when asked about cause and timeline.

SDA manages the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites with communications and missile warning/missile tracking payloads.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Feb. 4, 2025
By John Liang
February 4, 2025 at 2:15 PM

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has continuing coverage of the Pentagon's latest annual operational test and evaluation report, plus a new Marine Corps aviation plan and more.

We start off with additional coverage of the Pentagon's latest annual operational test and evaluation report:

Rigorous testing for new F-35 upgrade package not yet planned, chief weapons tester says

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Joint Program Office has yet to establish a plan to test the jet's new Technology Refresh 3 software and associated Block 4 hardware upgrades, despite aircraft enabled with a truncated version of the configuration already being delivered to field units, the Pentagon's top weapons tester said in a Jan. 31 report.

DOT&E finds insufficient testing of Pentagon Digital Modernization projects

The Defense Department only performed one "operationally realistic" test in fiscal year 2024 across several initiatives meant to support the Pentagon's Digital Modernization Strategy, according to the latest annual report from the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E).

Testing report on updates to C2 system for Joint commanders sees year-long delay

A follow-on operational test and evaluation of the latest update to the Global Command and Control System-Joint (GCCS-J) will be reported a year later than expected, according to the Pentagon's top weapons tester.

DOT&E: Army targeting FY-27 for full-rate production of Extended Range GMLRS

The Army aims to enter its Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System into full-rate production in the first quarter of fiscal year 2027 following years of delays in testing, according to the Pentagon's top weapons tester.

DOT&E: FMTV A2 airdrop tests prove successful, with more to follow

The Army put a cargo truck variant from its Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles through a series of airdrop tests in fiscal year 2024 that certified it as "operationally effective and suitable," the Defense Department's chief weapons tester found.

(Read the full DOT&E report.)

We also have coverage of the Marine Corps' latest Aviation Plan:

Marine Corps aviation plan outlines a three-FYDP modernization strategy with shift in operational focus

The Marine Corps published a new Aviation Plan this week, presenting a modernization roadmap dubbed "Project Eagle" which spans the next three future years defense programs -- 15 years in total -- and aims to improve readiness and field new technologies to support operational concepts tied to the service's broader force design pivot.

Document: Marine Corps 'project eagle' aviation plan

A recently issued proposed rule was developed in response to a 2013 executive order from former President Obama that created the Controlled Unclassified Information program under the National Archives and Records Administration:

Proposed CUI contracting requirements for civilian agencies could be impacted by regulatory freeze

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council has unveiled a long-awaited proposed rule to standardize controlled unclassified information requirements for civilian agencies in the final days of the Biden administration that could be impacted by President Trump's regulatory freeze.

More reliability issues trouble NGJ-MB, chief weapons tester finds
By Abby Shepherd
February 4, 2025 at 10:15 AM

Reliability issues with the Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band noted in last year's annual report by the Pentagon's chief weapons tester have continued to plague the system, according to a new report released last week.

While hardware was the main source of blame for delays within the program last year, software issues are now mostly at fault, according to the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation. While the Navy made “substantial progress” with the system, significant challenges found during initial operational test and evaluation -- which began in July 2024 -- remain, the report states. 

The IOT&E period included a deployment of the system with Electronic Attack Squadron 133 in July 2024. 

“Early reliability issues were predominantly hardware related, but after further development and implementation of fixes, the remaining issues appear to be mostly software centric,” according to the report. “Although data are still insufficient to fully assess the reliability of the system, data trends have been markedly improving, suggesting the potential for a strong positive reversal in the future.”

The NGJ-MB consists of two pods located under the EA-18G aircraft wings and is the first of three programs meant to replace the AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jammer System that is currently used. The system reached initial operational capability in December 2024.

IOT&E is set to complete in the second quarter of fiscal year 2025, and a report by DOT&E will be published the following quarter.

In its annual report, DOT&E recommends the Navy perform “the most rigorous testing possible on open-air ranges,” continue to develop advanced test and training infrastructure and refine software development for NGJ-MB.

Marine Corps achieves clean audit for second consecutive year
By Nick Wilson
February 4, 2025 at 9:51 AM

The Marine Corps has passed its fiscal year 2024 audit, receiving an "unmodified" opinion from independent auditors who reviewed the service's accounting for accuracy, completion and compliance with federal regulations, the service announced today.

The Marine Corps has now passed its audit for the second year in a row after becoming the first service branch to do so in FY-23. The Marine Corps published its FY-24 agency financial report today, including this year’s audit results.

“Passing a second annual audit demonstrates our commitment to being good stewards of our nation’s tax dollars and is part of how we distinguish ourselves as a professional warfighting organization,” Commandant Gen. Eric Smith said in a statement included in the release. “Make no mistake, passing an audit makes us more ready to fight when our nation calls.”

The Marine Corps remains the only military service branch to achieve a clean audit to date. In November, the Defense Department announced it had failed for a seventh straight year.

The Pentagon began auditing itself in 2018, becoming the last federal department to do so after Congress mandated the practice in 1990.

Since passing in FY-23, the Marine Corps has taken additional steps to “stabilize” its accounting systems, today’s notice states. Still, the auditor’s report includes seven “material weaknesses,” or areas for the Marine Corps to improve upon going forward, the announcement notes.

The service aims to fix these weak points through “systems improvement and internal controls,” the notice continues.

“By repeating and refining this process, the Corps aims to develop a more fluid and efficient enterprise resource planning system, ultimately positioning itself for long-term mission success and accountability,” the notice continues.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Feb. 3, 2025
By John Liang
February 3, 2025 at 1:52 PM

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Defense Department's latest annual operational test and evaluation report along with the Pentagon beginning work on the Trump administration's proposed "Iron Dome for America" initiative and more.

We start off with coverage of the Pentagon's latest operational test and evaluation report:

Top DOD weapons testers challenged by next-generation warfare

The Pentagon's top weapons testers lack the appropriate facilities, tools and expertise to evaluate major weapon systems against emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, hypersonics, cyber and electronic warfare.

DOT&E: F-35 program shows 'no improvement' in software development and testing

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program still can't meet guidelines for developing and testing software, particularly with the long-delayed Technology Refresh 3 and Block 4 efforts, the annual Operational Test and Evaluation report states.

DOT&E: Operational demonstration for Air Launched Effects will happen two years later than planned

The Army's Future Unmanned Aircraft System-Air Launched Effects program won't conduct an operational demonstration until the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026 -- two years after the original planned date, according to the director of operational test & evaluation's annual report.

DE M-SHORAD overseas deployment delayed RCCTO, chief weapons tester finds

The Army's overseas deployment last year of four Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense vehicles prevented the start of planned testing by the service's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO), according to the Pentagon's top weapons tester.

(Read the full DOT&E report.)

In a recent request for information, the Missile Defense Agency announces it is "conducting market research to assist in the identification of innovative missile defense technologies (system-level, component level, and upgrades), architectures, concepts, and Concept of Operations (CONOPS) to detect and defeat the threat of attack by ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, and other advanced aerial attacks":

MDA sets Feb. 18 'Iron Dome for America' industry day; two-year capability rollouts planned

The Pentagon is accelerating plans for a next-generation missile defense system designed to counter "any foreign aerial attack" on the United States.

Document: MDA's 'iron dome for America' RFI

A new Navy Science and Technology Board report discusses "The Path Forward on Unmanned Systems":

Navy tasked to adopt unmanned systems advisory panel recommendations in POM-27

Navy leadership has tasked the service to accept recommendations of an influential advisory panel to rapidly accelerate adoption of uncrewed systems as part of the fiscal year 2027 planning cycle, including providing $100 million to support "commercial tech scouting and delivery to the fleet."

Document: Navy S&T board report on unmanned systems

IRST Block II reaches IOC, chief weapons tester notes persistent hardware and software deficiencies
By Abby Shepherd
February 3, 2025 at 10:12 AM

The Navy declared initial operational capability for the F/A-18 E/F Infrared Search and Track Block II system in November 2024, according to a Navy spokesperson -- a milestone that follows reliability problems found during operational testing.

IRST Block II will allow Super Hornet squadrons to detect and track targets from a distance and in environments where radar may prove ineffective. Operational testing of the system was completed in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024, according to the latest annual report released by the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation last week.

“Data analysis is ongoing, but operational test events were adversely affected by IRST Block II system reliability failures,” the report states. “The Navy conducted operational testing with infrared optimized configuration (IROC) pods, which are an operationally equivalent pod designated for flight test.”

Initial operational test and evaluation, which identified “significant reliability problems,” was completed between April and September of last year.

“Throughout the test period, IRST Block II suffered from hardware and software deficiencies, which required the aircrew to restart the pod multiple times,” according to the report. “Troubleshooting and repair often exceeded the abilities of Navy maintenance crews and required assistance from Lockheed Martin.”

Once IOT&E data analysis is ongoing, a classified report will be published by DOT&E in the second quarter of FY-25.

SDA posts draft of Tranche 3 Tracking Layer solicitation
By Shelley K. Mesch
January 31, 2025 at 4:19 PM

The Space Development agency is seeking feedback on a draft solicitation for the next set of missile tracking satellites for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.

The Tranche 3 Tracking Layer constellation will include a minimum of 54 satellites in low-Earth orbit with missile warning/missile tracking and missile warning, tracking and defense infrared mission payloads, according to the draft posted today.

Vendors will be selected to build sets of 18 satellites in two orbital planes with ground support and operations and sustainment capabilities.

SDA’s goal with the constellation is to provide “near-continuous global stereoscopic coverage” for missile warning/missile tracking and for missile defense. The satellites will include on-orbit calibration capability, onboard processing of tracking data and minimization of solar outages.

Launches for the first set of satellites is planned for no later than March 31, 2029.

Tranche 1 Tracking Layer satellites are awaiting launch while Tranche 2 satellites are in development.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Jan. 31, 2025
By John Liang
January 31, 2025 at 3:00 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Navy's Indo-Pacific infrastructure needs, Oshkosh's latest earnings and more.

We start off with more coverage from this week's West 2025 conference in San Diego:

Navy looks to industry for manning support in multibillion-dollar effort to upgrade Pacific infrastructure

SAN DIEGO -- The Navy needs industry's help to bridge manning and capability gaps as it embarks on a multibillion-dollar effort to restore critical Indo-Pacific infrastructure that will enable operational readiness and, if needed, support U.S. forces in a war with China.

Navy needs industry to innovate faster to respond to threats like those in Red Sea, official says

SAN DIEGO -- The Navy needs industry to innovate faster, in ways that will allow the service to respond to rapidly evolving threats like those demonstrated in the Red Sea over the past year, according to the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command.

(Read our full coverage.)

Senior Oshkosh executives discussed the company's latest earnings this week:

'Relatively flat' fourth quarter in defense sales for Oshkosh, but execs see growth down the line

Although defense sales for Oshkosh's fourth quarter of 2024 were "relatively flat" compared to the year before, officials touted strong growth ahead for its defense segment in an earnings call this morning, citing contract extensions, foreign demand and its new postal service vehicle.

The Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing this week on defense innovation and acquisition reform:

Wicker seeks 'game changer' in latest round of DOD acquisition reform

Pentagon acquisition reform is a near-annual legislative priority that continues to enjoy bipartisan support in Congress, with the Senate Armed Services Committee holding a hearing on defense innovation this week that highlighted the broad agreement between Republicans, Democrats and defense company executives that the current system of development and procurement takes too long to compete with China.

Document: Senate hearing on defense innovation and acquisition reform

In a letter to the Pentagon, a group of industrial base organizations "question whether the decision to apply [certain] disclosure requirements to commercial products is truly in the [Defense] Department's best interest":

Contracting coalition urges Pentagon to drop commercial products from proposed foreign obligations disclosure rule

A coalition of industry groups who are part of the defense industrial base are pushing back against a proposed rule establishing requirements to disclose foreign obligations for commercial products under the Defense Department’s acquisition regulations.

Document: Contracting coalition's letter to DOD on COTS obligation rule

Navy seeks information from potential sources for remote minehunting module
By Abby Shepherd
January 31, 2025 at 1:43 PM

The Navy is seeking information from contractors interested in contributing to the service's remote minehunting module program, following an industry day last summer.

The notice requests the contractors explain how they will be able to provide hardware and support for RMH production, provide contract numbers and descriptions for similar work and contracts as well as describe how the company will be able to meet the required manufacturing capacity.

The sources-sought notice posted yesterday is not a request for proposals, the Navy clarifies, and a formal solicitation is not yet available. Answers to the notice are due 14 days after its posting.

The RMH system will be deployed from a mine countermeasure unmanned surface vehicle, and includes a towed body, minehunting payload delivery system, software and support and handling equipment, according to the notice.

Bottom, shallow water, close-tethered and volume mines should all be able to be detected, localized, classified and identified by the minehunting system, the notice adds.

Army solicits proposal from BAE for more AMPVs in three add-on production years
By Dominic Minadeo
January 31, 2025 at 12:30 PM

The Army wants BAE Systems to add 43 more Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles per option year to its existing contract with the vendor, according to a Jan. 30 amendment to a previous request for proposals.

The RFP, published a year and a day before the amendment, Jan. 29, 2024, modified its full-rate production contract with BAE by adding “three additional option ordering years.” It originally asked for a maximum number of 197 vehicles per option year for a total of 591 AMPVs, which are designed to replace the M113. 

The service laid out its amendment in a letter published yesterday asking “for up to 240 vehicles per option year for a total of 720 AMPVs and associated kits and support” in those three additional option ordering years.

That would make for a potential total increase of 129 AMPVs for all three years. The minimum order per year remains unchanged, at 60 vehicles.

This comes as the Army has begun to chip away at the overall rise in AMPV costs caused by labor and material cost spikes from COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns and a decline in assumed production rates of the vehicle.

As those production rates have risen during full-rate production, in part because of the Ukraine supplemental, costs have started to go down, Ashley John, Army spokesperson for Ground Combat Systems, told Inside Defense earlier this month.

The Army asks that BAE submit a proposal and a pricing matrix based on the new request. It asks for the submission “as soon as possible,” but not later than April 30.

From there, the service will review the cost proposal and negotiate with the vendor, the letter says.