The Insider

By Nickolai Sukharev
August 10, 2023 at 5:45 PM

The Army has announced contract modifications for its Assault Breacher Vehicle, according to a series of public notices.

Contracts include upgrades to the vehicle’s vision system, demolition charges and diagnostics systems designed to identify problems in the vehicle, the announcements state.

Based on the M1 Abrams hull, the M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) has a modified turret without a 120mm gun but with a forward-mounted plow and demolition explosive launchers, designed to breach obstacles and clear minefields.

Adopted in 2009, the Marines first used the vehicle in a 2010 offensive against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan.

The first contract covers the vehicle’s vision system, which includes a laser range finder, infrared sensors, cameras and fire control systems.

The second contract covers the vehicle’s demolition charge systems, which include the control systems and lifting system.

Three of the contracts cover the vehicle’s diagnostics systems, which are designed to help the crew identify and manage problems in the engine and other areas of the vehicle.

In 2021, Australia purchased the M1150 and remains the only foreign operator of the vehicle.

By John Liang
August 10, 2023 at 3:57 PM

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks has established a task force to focus the Defense Department's "exploration and responsible fielding" of generative artificial intelligence capabilities, including Large Language Models.

"Generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, such as Large Language Models (LLM), are growing in popularity, capability, and impact around the globe," Hicks writes in a memo issued today. "These capabilities are trained on massive datasets in order to generate content at a level of detail and apparent coherence that would have previously required human authorship. These capabilities unlock new opportunities, just as they pose significant new risks. The DOD faces an imperative to explore the use of this technology and the potential of these models' scale, speed, and interactive capabilities to improve the Department's mission effectiveness while simultaneously identifying proper protection measures and mitigating a variety of related risks."

Hicks wants Task Force Lima to "develop, evaluate, recommend, and monitor the implementation of generative AI technologies across DOD to ensure the Department is able to design, deploy, and use generative AI technologies responsibly and securely. The Task Force will provide guidance and make recommendations for the relevant policy-making bodies to address."

The deputy secretary has designated the Pentagon's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer to lead Task Force Lima, according to the memo, which was released publicly but is marked as "CUI" (controlled unclassified information).

"[S]pecific roles and responsibilities for governance are discussed in the attached Charter and Generative Artificial Intelligence Coordination and Governance Plan," her memo states.

The task force, the memo states, "will provide the framework and initiative for DOD to:

  • "Accelerate promising generative AI initiatives and joint solutions;
  • "Federate disparate developmental and research efforts into a DoD community of practice to accelerate innovation and implementation;
  • "Evaluate solutions across Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership, Personnel, Facilities, and Policy;
  • "Drive education and build a culture of responsible implementation and use; and,
  • "Ensure coordinated DoD engagement with interagency, international, educational, civil society, and industry partners regarding responsible development and use of generative AI."
By Dan Schere
August 10, 2023 at 2:29 PM

A request for white papers from the Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office (JCO) asks industry for solutions to detect, track, identify and defeat sUAS swarm threats.

The notice, posted earlier this month, follows a request for information the office released in July soliciting feedback from industry on the cost and procurement of targets that would potentially be used in a future demonstration focused on swarm attacks.

Army officials have said this next counter UAS demonstration, the fifth in a series, is scheduled for June 2024. It's not yet clear who will be present, but an Army spokesman told Inside Defense last month that the Defense, Justice and Homeland Security departments are among those invited.

The request for white papers asks industry for solutions that have a technology readiness level of six -- meaning the government has deemed it mature enough to operate in a relevant environment.

The notice states respondents must be able to demonstrate either a full system or subsystems of detect, track, identify or defeat capabilities in a “live-fire environment” by May 31, 2024. The Defense Department may craft its acquisition strategy or statement of objectives based on information provided in the white papers.

After the white papers are evaluated, the government could choose up to 10 companies to further discuss their proposed solutions, according to the notice. Those companies would then give presentations to a JCO subject-matter expert panel. In the next phase, companies who are chosen would be invited to provide a demonstration of their product, which would be followed by a prototype proposal phase and the eventual awarding of one or multiple other transaction authorities.

By John Liang
August 10, 2023 at 2:15 PM

The Pentagon wants to tweak the acquisition rules to require explanations to companies who lose certain defense contracts worth less than $6 million.

The requirement is mandated by language in the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, "which, for task orders or delivery orders exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT) but not greater than $6 million, requires contracting officers to provide, upon written request from an unsuccessful offeror, a brief explanation as to why the offeror was unsuccessful, including the rationale for award and an evaluation of the significant weak or deficient factors in the offeror's offer," according to a Federal Register notice published this week.

"While the statutory threshold is $5.5 million, this rule is imposing these debriefing requirements at the higher $6 million threshold to align with the current threshold at [Federal Acquisition Regulation] 16.505(b)(6)," the Aug. 9 Defense Department notice states. "This avoids a gap between $5.5 million and $6 million. This new debriefing requirement for orders above the SAT and below $6 million does not provide a debriefing at the level of detail currently afforded to unsuccessful awardees over $6 million, however, this information is expected to benefit entities by improving future offers.

"While not expressly required by the statute, the proposed rule adds a postaward notification requirement for the applicable task orders and delivery orders to ensure unsuccessful awardees are provided an opportunity to obtain the debriefing information in a timely manner," the notice continues.

DOD says it expects the proposed rule "to increase the availability of debriefing information to significantly more small and large entities participating in fair opportunity competitions than is currently required by the FAR. When requested by an unsuccessful awardee, the information provided is expected to enable these entities to improve future offers."

By John Liang
August 10, 2023 at 2:05 PM

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on artificial intelligence, Ukraine's cybersecurity lessons learned from its ongoing war with Russia, Army directed-energy short-range air defense systems and more.

We start off with a new Defense Department artificial intelligence effort:

DARPA offers $20M in prizes, support to developers of AI for software security

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has announced a two-year competition for the development of an AI-driven tool to identify and patch software vulnerabilities, with the intent of widespread applications throughout the economy.

Our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity are in Las Vegas, covering the annual Black Hat cyber conference there:

Easterly, Ukraine cyber leader Zhora discuss lessons on partnership and resilience from war

LAS VEGAS -- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly emphasized the need for Americans to “internalize lessons on resilience” from Ukraine's battle against Russia in preparation for cybersecurity challenges the United States is likely to face in the next few years, during an evening keynote appearance at the Black Hat conference here.

Army Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, director of the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, spoke this week at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, AL:

Three of four DE M-SHORAD platoon sets have been delivered

The Army has delivered three out of four prototype platoon sets for the Directed Energy Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense system, with the fourth set to be delivered in the next month, a service official said Wednesday.

Senate appropriators are in favor of hypersonic defense systems:

Lawmakers prioritize hypersonic systems development to defend against adversaries

Senate lawmakers have expressed their support for prioritizing the development of hypersonic systems to counterattack enemy weapons, according to the report accompanying the Senate Appropriations Committee's fiscal year 2024 defense spending bill.

We end off with coverage from the recent Air Force Life Cycle Industry Day:

U.K. working out DMS problems with E-7 ahead of U.S. acquisition

DAYTON, OH -- The U.S. will benefit from the kinks in the manufacturing and supply chain for the E-7 Wedgetail that are being worked out by the U.K., which has faced rising procurement costs on its version of the aircraft, senior materiel leaders told reporters last week.

Read our full industry day coverage.

By Linda Hersey
August 10, 2023 at 9:40 AM

Defense industry professionals will have the opportunity to learn about the Navy's technology needs, including for unmanned systems at the Program Executive Officer for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons' Industry Event 2023 next month.

The PEO(U&W) is hosting the event Sept. 26-28 in Maryland as both an in-person and virtual conference, according to an updated contract opportunity special notice.

The notice, issued Wednesday, is a request for information to identify “potential technologies and capabilities to consider for the future of the Navy from industry.”

The three-day forum is for industry participants to hear firsthand about the technology needs of Naval Air Systems Command, PEO(U&W) and of the “Navy’s unmanned community with the potential for follow-up for briefings,” according to the notice.

The briefings will collect information on technology that industry has developed, the notice stated.

Advance registration is required for each day of the forum.

Opening day is restricted to attendees with final secret-level clearance and will be held in-person only at a site on or near Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD.

“Only contractors or subcontractors performing a current DOD or federal intelligence community contract” are permitted, the notice stated.

Individuals need to be registered with their clearance verified to attend the first day of the forum. All registration and security verification materials for day-one attendance need to be submitted by Sept. 18, according to the notice.

Day one topics will cover “the threat, the fight tonight and the fight tomorrow and how industry can help,” the notice said.

The rest of the event is unclassified and open to registered participants, with sessions held in-person and available for live-streaming online. Details will be made available on the registration website.

Day two activities will cover the following:

  • PEO(U&W) portfolio review of strike weapons, targets and mission planning followed by a panel discussion and Q&A session;
  • “Rapid capability insertion” with information on upcoming exercises and events and how industry can participate. Capability briefs will be provided by naval air warfare centers (both aircraft and weapons divisions), fleet readiness centers and the Office of Naval Research. A panel discussion and Q&A session will follow.
  • Presentations on supporting small businesses. Additional presentations and Q&As may also take place.

Day three comprises the second Navy industry outreach event as required under the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act and is described as a “follow-on” to the Navy’s March 1-3 unmanned industry event.

Day three will also include a PEO(U&W) portfolio review of unmanned aviation and mission planning. There will be presentations on aviation, surface and subsurface unmanned systems, AI and autonomy.

By John Liang
August 9, 2023 at 2:16 PM

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Air Force's E-7 Wedgetail early warning aircraft program, a recent Defense Department cloud workshop, the Army's contested logistics cross-functional team and more.

We start off with more coverage from the recent Air Force Life Cycle Industry Day:

U.K. working out DMS problems with E-7 ahead of U.S. acquisition

DAYTON, OH -- The U.S. will benefit from the kinks in the manufacturing and supply chain for the E-7 Wedgetail that are being worked out by the U.K., which has faced rising procurement costs on its version of the aircraft, senior materiel leaders told reporters last week.

Read our full industry day coverage.

The Defense Department held a cloud workshop this week:

Naval tech leaders prioritize integrating data delivery for warfighters

The Navy and Marine Corps are advancing development of a digital identity services platform -- called a naval identity service -- for managing credential-access capabilities, according to Hank Costa, Marine Corps enterprise services planner, DCI, IC4.

The announcement of the Army's new contested logistics cross-functional team came more than a year after the start of Ukraine's war with Russia, which Army officials have said has driven home the need to ensure the "service’s ability to sustain large-scale combat operations in a contested environment":

Army Futures Command official outlines themes of contested logistics CFT

The Army's new contested logistics cross-functional team will focus roughly on areas such as data-based logistics, autonomous technology and fuel efficiency, an Army Futures Command official said Tuesday.

While the Navy's Infrared Search and Track (IRST) system has faced a series of delays that pushed operational testing from early FY-21 to the middle of FY-24, the program is now progressing through production readiness assessments and holding to its first quarter FY-25 target for full-rate production:

Navy predicts new Super Hornet sensor will begin full-rate production in early FY-25 despite IOC delay

The Navy expects its next-generation F/A-18E/F Super Hornet infrared sensor to enter full-rate production in early fiscal year 2025 even though the system's anticipated initial operational capability date has slipped from the third to the fourth quarter of FY-24.

Here's an update on the Space Development Agency's Tranche 1 Transport Layer program:

Lockheed completes CDR for SDA's military satellite constellation

Lockheed Martin has completed the critical design review for the Space Development Agency's Tranche 1 Transport Layer program, a part of the SDA's contract awarded to build 42 satellites.

By Apurva Minchekar
August 9, 2023 at 12:15 PM

Northrop Grumman delivered two critical satellite constellations of the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission, which will provide protected satellite communications to the Northern polar region, according to an Aug. 7 announcement.

“Our work to deliver protected polar satellite communications will fill a critical need for our customers,” Tom Wilson, Northrop’s Space Systems corporate vice president and president, said.

The mission will use Northrop’s GEOStar-3 platform, which includes the main satellite structure and systems essential to maintain operations, according to the announcement. The company would also be providing the payload and ground system for the mission.

Additionally, satellites will also carry multiple hosted payloads, including an X-Band payload for the Norwegian Defense Ministry; a Ka-Band payload for Inmarsat, a British mobile satellite service; and the Norwegian Radiation Monitor payload commissioned by the European Commission.

Recently, Space Systems Command accepted the formal delivery of the Control and Planning Segment ground system, which is currently transitioning to the operational phase, preparing the ground system for early operations with the two on-orbit operational Enhanced Polar System payloads.

Northrop will also provide support to the two EPS-Recapitalization payloads after the mission launch, the announcement states.

In February 2020, a Pentagon official said the EPS-R would prevent a coverage gap in the protected polar satellite communications, until the mid-2030s, for warfighters in the North Polar Region, in a benign and contested environment.

ASBM is a collaboration between Northrop, the U.S. Space Force and Space Norway, owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, and is now preparing the next phase of pre-launch.

By Apurva Minchekar
August 8, 2023 at 3:12 PM

The Space Development Agency is building a satellite testing center at Grand Forks Air Force Base, ND to expand its low-Earth satellite mission and expects to complete it by 2026, according to an announcement yesterday.

“The Space Development Agency’s presence at Grand Forks Base is critical to the agency’s success, both in terms of geography and because it allows our proximity to some of today’s most important warfighting missions,” SDA Director Derek Tournear said, who was accompanied by Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) at Grand Forks.

According to the announcement, SDA will have the operations center and test and checkout center at Grand Forks and the operations center at Redstone Arsenal, AL -- with construction costs for all three facilities totaling $30 million.

Hoeven, who is a member of the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, was able to acquire $18 million in construction funding in fiscal year 2022 for two operational centers; $4 million in FY-2023 to start the construction of the TCC with an additional $4 million in FY-24; and expects $4 million in FY-25.

Additionally, the SDA has awarded a $325 million operations and integration contract to establish the Space Networking Center to General Dynamics Mission Systems and Iridium in FY-22.

“The Space Networking Center will support the first layer of the SDA’s satellite operations, which is designed to transport data and facilitate communications,” the announcement reads.

Tournear said the addition of the SDA Test and Checkout center will enable the agency to “support near-continuous launch into the future.”

By John Liang
August 8, 2023 at 2:07 PM

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet's next-generation infrared sensor, the Space Development Agency's Tranche 1 Transport Layer program and more.

While the Infrared Search and Track (IRST) system has faced a series of delays that pushed operational testing from early FY-21 to the middle of FY-24, the program is now progressing through production readiness assessments and holding to its first quarter FY-25 target for full-rate production:

Navy predicts new Super Hornet sensor will begin full-rate production in early FY-25 despite IOC delay

The Navy expects its next-generation F/A-18E/F Super Hornet infrared sensor to enter full-rate production in early fiscal year 2025 even though the system's anticipated initial operational capability date has slipped from the third to the fourth quarter of FY-24.

We have an update on the Space Development Agency's Tranche 1 Transport Layer program:

Lockheed completes CDR for SDA's military satellite constellation

Lockheed Martin announced today it has completed the critical design review for the Space Development Agency's Tranche 1 Transport Layer program, a part of the SDA's contract awarded to build 42 satellites.

Defense Department leaders are working to finalize a memorandum of agreement that codifies roles and responsibilities for the missile defense of Guam:

DOD still working to sort out defense of Guam organizational roles and responsibilities

Pentagon leaders are working to clarify lanes of responsibility for the defense of Guam, an unusually complex project -- even for the Defense Department -- that involves many intertwined organizational, functional and technological dimensions in a high-stakes, quick-moving project deemed crucial to defending, if necessary, Taiwan from China beginning in 2024.

While the Navy initially planned to buy 13 of the flight II Landing Platform Dock amphibious warfare ships, its fiscal year 2023 budget proposed truncating production after just three vessels:

Navy signals intent to procure at least three more LPDs

The Navy is planning to issue a solicitation to shipbuilder HII for long-lead-time materials and detail, design and construction of three amphibious warships -- LPD-33, LPD-34 and LPD-35, according to a presolicitation notice published Friday.

The Marine Corps is strengthening its defenses against small drones:

Small drone defense at Marine Corps sites to grow

The Marine Corps is enhancing five small unmanned aerial system defense platforms fielded at undisclosed U.S. military sites, with plans to add the high-tech equipment at other installations.

By Apurva Minchekar
August 8, 2023 at 12:41 PM

The Space Force's new deep space radar system at Site-2 and Site-3 is expected to be operational in June 2028 and June 2029, respectively, according to an Aug. 7 notice.

The Defense Department awarded Northrop Grumman a sole-source contract to complete the fielding of Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability Sites 2 and 3 as well as to provide logistics support for operations and support for all 3 sites and the Mission Operations Center.

“Site 1 [contract logistics support] limited to two years following Site-1 operational acceptance; sites 2 and 3 CLS limited to one year each following each site operational acceptance; and the training of site operations and maintenance personnel for all three sites and the MOC,” the service noted.

According to the notice, the estimated contract award date for fielding action is in December or the first quarter of the calendar year 2024.

Recently, Frank Calvelli, Air Force assistant secretary for space acquisition and integration, in his April written testimony to the Senate Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee, said the three DARC sites would be in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom.

The service is expecting to complete Site-1 construction by the fourth quarter of calendar year 2025, which will include the construction of roads, buildings, utilities, foundation and installation of antenna structures.

Meanwhile, the Government Accountability Office has reported that the program is estimated to take an additional year to complete the program beyond the middle-tier acquisition timeframe of five years, indicating a schedule risk.

The DARC is a ground-based radar that will be responsible for providing the Space Force with 24/7 weather capabilities to detect, track, identify and characterize objects in deep space.

By Dan Schere
August 7, 2023 at 1:38 PM

The Army awarded the first of four multiyear contracts this month that will support artillery production as the war in Ukraine continues, service acquisition chief Doug Bush said on Monday.

The $162 million contract was for M1128 projectiles and was awarded to IMT Defense Corp. in Westerville, OH, Bush said during a media briefing at the Pentagon Monday. The multiyear contract spans fiscal year 2023 through FY-27, he said.

The Pentagon has sought to increase the number of multiyear contracts as the United States continues to supply Ukraine with weapons and equipment during its war with Russia.

“That’s something we have had the authority to do for a while,” Bush said of the multiyear contracts.

“I think the conflict raised the importance of doing it to strengthen the industrial base. And, of course, the other multiyear under discussion requires congressional approval. These four we’re doing are under the threshold, and we’re able to execute them this year based on language we received for fiscal year 23.”

Bush said that there are various hurdles that have to be overcome when it comes to increasing artillery production, such as establishing new production lines, filling the shells with explosives and producing the charges that go behind the shells. The Army’s current rate of production is 24,000 rounds per month, and Bush said that will soon increase to 28,000 per month. By FY-25, the service aims to get to between 80,000 and 85,000 rounds per month, he said.

“If you do the math on the 80,000 to 85,000 a month, I mean that’s a million a year. So, between supporting Ukraine, replenishing ourselves and supporting other allies, we expect to use that capacity. That’s the overall reason we’re doing it,” he said.

By John Liang
August 7, 2023 at 1:22 PM

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the missile defense of Guam, the Navy's plans to buy fewer flight II Landing Platform Dock amphibious warfare ships and more.

Defense Department leaders are working to finalize a memorandum of agreement that codifies roles and responsibilities for the missile defense of Guam:

DOD still working to sort out defense of Guam organizational roles and responsibilities

Pentagon leaders are working to clarify lanes of responsibility for the defense of Guam, an unusually complex project -- even for the Defense Department -- that involves many intertwined organizational, functional and technological dimensions in a high-stakes, quick-moving project deemed crucial to defending, if necessary, Taiwan from China beginning in 2024.

While the Navy initially planned to buy 13 of the flight II Landing Platform Dock amphibious warfare ships, its fiscal year 2023 budget proposed truncating production after just three vessels:

Navy signals intent to procure at least three more LPDs

The Navy is planning to issue a solicitation to shipbuilder HII for long-lead-time materials and detail, design and construction of three amphibious warships -- LPD-33, LPD-34 and LPD-35, according to a presolicitation notice published Friday.

The Marine Corps is strengthening its defenses against small drones:

Small drone defense at Marine Corps sites to grow

The Marine Corps is enhancing five small unmanned aerial system defense platforms fielded at undisclosed U.S. military sites, with plans to add the high-tech equipment at other installations.

Our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity have the latest on the Pentagon's implementation plans for its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program:

DOD provides early look at assessment process for upcoming CMMC rulemaking

The Pentagon has outlined its expectations for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification assessment process in a recent filing to the White House Office of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs that provides details on estimated costs for compliance for small business entities and other companies in the defense industrial base.

The Marine Corps' top uniformed officer issued his guidance to the service even though he hasn't been confirmed by the Senate yet:

Smith issues interim Marine Corps guidance as nomination hold drags on

Acting Commandant Gen. Eric Smith today published a Marine Corps force guidance letter affirming the service will continue on its Force Design 2030 trajectory and outlining accelerated modernization, naval integration and organic mobility as warfighting priorities.

Document: Smith's Marine Corps force guidance letter

By Linda Hersey
August 7, 2023 at 12:08 PM

The Defense Department has released a five-year blueprint for stepping up recruitment, development and retention of the military's cyber workforce.

The goal of the fiscal 2023-2027 Cyber Workforce Strategy Implementation Plan is to grow and strengthen the cyber workforce to meet the demands of the current and future warfighting environment, DOD said in the plan’s introduction.

“Successful execution” of the plan is expected to have a “profound impact” on major initiatives currently underway that span zero-trust architecture, joint warfighter cloud capability and joint all-domain command and control, said John Sherman, DOD chief information officer, in the foreword to the plan.

The plan also calls for working with partner nations to enhance U.S. cyber warfare capabilities and interoperability.

The five-year roadmap brings focus to attaining consistency in capabilities across services, developing an enterprise-wide talent management program and facilitating collaboration to strengthen outcomes.

Initiatives involve creating workforce requirements that support identified needs for cyber warfighters and aligning training pipelines with in-demand roles.

A talent development funding program would be established. The “cyber workforce professional development fund” will be fully integrated into planning and execution activities by fiscal year 2027, the plan states.

DOD also seeks to develop an apprenticeship program that will involve “dedicated employment exchanges with the private sector.”

By Dan Schere
August 7, 2023 at 11:27 AM

Doug Bush, the Army's top acquisition official, told reporters Monday morning that the last of the 31 M1 Abrams tanks the United States has committed to Ukraine have been produced.

The Pentagon announced in January that it would be sending the 31 tanks to aid Ukraine in its war with Russia. On Monday, Bush said of this initial set of Abrams, the last has been produced and is ready to be shipped.

“They are done. Now they have to get to Europe and to Ukraine, along with all of the things that go with it. Ammunition, spare parts, fuel, equipment, repair facilities. So, it’s not just tanks, it’s the full package that goes with it,” he said.

Bush said “early fall” remains the estimated timeframe for when the tanks will arrive in Ukraine, and Ukrainian forces will be able to use them.