The Insider

Army awards first of four multiyear contracts for increasing artillery production
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.

The INSIDER daily digest -- August 7, 2023
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

Cyber workforce plan sets five-year goals for meeting warfighting demands
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.”

Army acquisition chief says last Abrams tanks destined for Ukraine have been produced
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.

The week ahead
By John Liang
August 7, 2023 at 5:00 AM

With Congress out of session, senior Pentagon officials will speak at various industry events this week.

Tuesday

Senior defense officials speak in-person and virtually at the annual Space and Missile Defense Symposium that runs through Thursday.

Defense One hosts a virtual "DOD Cloud Workshop."

Wednesday

Missile Defense Agency Executive Director Laura DeSimone speaks at a Defense News webcast.

Thursday

National Security Agency Director Gen. Paul Nakasone speaks at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event.

The INSIDER daily digest -- August 4, 2023
By John Liang
August 4, 2023 at 4:07 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on Navy amphibious ships, the acting Marine Corps commandant's latest guidance and more.

Signaling the Navy's intent to procure at least three more of the Flight II San Antonio-class amphibious ships, a notice published this morning comes amidst a continuing debate over amphibious warship requirements and uncertainty as to how many more LPDs the sea service will procure:

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' 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

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.

Some CMMC news from our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity:

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.

Pentagon offers sneak peak into CMMC requirements for level three in draft model update

The Defense Department is providing a long-awaited preview into its plans for level three of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, in a draft update to an overview publication that describes "security requirements" as defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

HII held its quarterly earnings call this week:

HII revenue grows on demand for aircraft carriers, submarines

Higher demand for design and construction of aircraft carriers and submarines in Newport News, VA, buoyed revenue growth at HII, according to second-quarter earnings reported Thursday.

More news from this week's Air Force Life Cycle Industry Day:

USAF is expecting to release Cloud One Next RFP by end of this month

DAYTON, OH -- The Air Force is expecting to release a request for proposals for the Cloud One Next program by the end of August and will award the contract next spring, according to a senior Air Force officer.

Read our full coverage from the event.

As McConville's tenure wraps up, Austin warns of readiness issues caused by military nomination holds
By Dan Schere
August 4, 2023 at 11:33 AM

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated concerns about the blanket hold on more than 300 military nominees in the Senate Friday, during a sendoff for outgoing Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville.

McConville relinquished the position he has held for the past four years Friday during an official “relinquishment of responsibility” ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, VA.

Gen. Randy George, most recently the service’s vice chief, has been nominated by President Biden to be the Army’s next chief of staff and will serve in an acting capacity until confirmed.

George’s nomination along with that of Gen. Eric Smith, the nominee to be the next commandant of the Marine Corps, and 301 nominations for general and flag officers are being held up by Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-AL) blockade, stemming from his opposition to the Pentagon’s leave and travel reimbursement policies for servicemembers seeking abortion services.

Austin said during Friday’s ceremony that “orderly and prompt transitions” of military leaders are needed to ensure U.S. security.

“The failure to confirm our superbly qualified senior uniformed leaders undermines our military readiness. It undermines our retention of some of our very best officers. And it is upending the lives of far too many of their spouses, children and loved ones,” he said.

Austin praised McConville for his leadership in modernizing the Army with capabilities that have included long-range precision fires, next-generation combat vehicles and missile defense.

“The Army also has brought its doctrine into the 21st century. And you’ve created new organizations that can provide more and better capabilities to combatant commanders, and strengthen our partnerships around the world, and sustain the fight wherever and whenever needed,” he said.

Air Force foreign sales up 10% over average
By Shelley K. Mesch
August 4, 2023 at 10:59 AM

DAYTON, OH -- Compared to the previous five-year average, Air Force foreign military sales are up more than 10% with two months still left in fiscal year 2023, officials told reporters this week.

The average had been $18 billion per year, Col. Elwood Waddell said here at Life Cycle Industry Days, but totals by July showed sales of $20 billion with that number still increasing.

“We’ve seen an increase in sales, particularly in the European [area of responsibility] but other places as well,” Waddell said.

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter sales saw the biggest increase of any single segment, Waddell said.

Army awards contract to Lockheed for air-to-ground missile system
By Nickolai Sukharev
August 3, 2023 at 4:11 PM

The Army awarded a $500 million contract to Lockheed Martin to manufacture an air-to-ground missile system as part of a foreign sale, according to a Defense Department announcement.

Lockheed Martin will manufacture the air-to-ground missile system in Orlando, FL, for all the services as well as Australia, France, India and the Netherlands, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2026, the announcement says.

The contract follows earlier announcements that the Army approved Lockheed's Joint-Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) for full-rate production.

The JAGM has a multipurpose warhead designed to simultaneously acquire multiple targets, including those that are stationary, moving, seaborne and airborne. It can be launched from the MQ-1C UAV, the Army’s Apache helicopters and the Marine Corps’ Viper helicopters.

The missile is a successor to the military’s Hellfire family of missiles.

Army awards truck contract to Oshkosh
By Nickolai Sukharev
August 3, 2023 at 4:04 PM

(Editor's Note: An earlier announcement from the Defense Department incorrectly stated the trucks would be sent to Ukraine. The Army informed Inside Defense of this error, and the article has been updated accordingly.) 

The Army awarded Oshkosh a $200 million contract to manufacture and procure medium trucks, according to a Defense Department announcement.

Oshkosh will build the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles, a set of logistics trucks manufactured by the company, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2025, the announcement said.

The contract follows a Defense Department announcement that details $9.7 billion to replace weapons being sent to Ukraine as part of a military assistance initiative, as Inside Defense previously reported.

The trucks come in numerous variants, including several cargo vehicles, dump trucks and tractor trailers. They can be transported by cargo planes and perform resupply, maintenance, recovery and other support missions, according to the Army’s Acquisition Support Center.

They also have a commonality in parts and are designed to reduce the logistics burden as well as operational and support costs.

Rogers demands DOD comply with SPACECOM HQ investigation
By Tony Bertuca
August 3, 2023 at 3:01 PM

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL), angered by President Biden's recent decision to keep U.S. Space Command headquartered in politically blue Colorado instead of moving it to deep-red Alabama, is demanding that senior Pentagon officials comply with his requests for documents and interviews as he launches an investigation into the matter.

Rogers, in a new letter to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and SPACECOM chief Gen. James Dickinson, alleges that both officials have failed to adequately respond to his previous oversight requests involving the SPACECOM decision.

“Your refusal to abide by the committee’s repeated requests for responsive documents and transcribed interviews can only be considered obfuscation and purposeful delay, highlighted by the fact that the basing decision was decided while the committee’s requests are outstanding,” he wrote. “This is unacceptable.”

Rogers said it “now appears you have something to hide, otherwise a forthright response to the committee’s patient and numerous requests would have already come.”

The chairman tells the senior DOD officials if they don't comply with his request for documents and transcribed interviews, he will seek a subpoena -- and their appearance before the committee -- to compel their cooperation.

The Pentagon did immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the letter, Rogers says the documents DOD has provided thus far are unsatisfactory.

“Regrettably, this most recent document production remains unresponsive to the committee’s multiple requests,” he wrote. “This is now the fifth request for documents related to USSPACECOM’s mission or headquarters requirements.”

Rogers says Kendall and Dickinson have also failed to respond to the committee’s request to schedule transcribed interviews of them by August 18. He asks the officials to provide a timeline by which they will deliver “responsive documents” and schedule their transcribed interviews by Aug. 9.

The Pentagon announced Monday that SPACECOM would remain headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, reversing an earlier decision made in the final days of the Trump administration that would have based it in Huntsville, AL.

The command, which is on track to reach full operational capability later this year, is anticipated to bring in 1,400 troops and their families, along with civilian employees and contractors -- nearly 65% of which are currently in Colorado.

Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Defense Department’s chief spokesman, released a statement after the news broke saying the decision was made after “a thorough and deliberate evaluation process.”

But Rogers and other lawmakers from GOP-dominated Alabama have alleged that “far-left” politics are at play involving abortion policy and the previous presidential contest in which Colorado’s electoral college votes went to Biden.

However, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), along with Colorado lawmakers, felt differently about the announcement that would keep SPACECOM based in his home state.

“I commend the Biden administration for prioritizing national security above political interests and keeping USSPACECOM in its rightful home at Peterson Air Force Base,” he said in a statement. “This decision aligns with the best military advice of countless senior military leaders who all agree that Peterson Space Force Base is the most viable option for USSPACECOM to reach full operational capability the fastest and is the best permanent home for its long-term operations.”

The INSIDER daily digest -- August 3, 2023
By John Liang
August 3, 2023 at 2:08 PM

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news from the Air Force Life Cycle Industry Day conference and more.

We start off with coverage of this week's Air Force Life Cycle Industry Days:

Cropsey looks to simplify DAF Battle Network/JADC2 solutions before expanding complexity

DAYTON, OH -- The Air Force is beginning to discuss specific requirements for the Department of the Air Force Battle Network with industry in classified meetings, Brig. Gen. Luke Cropsey said Tuesday.

Senior Air Force official has positive approach to HACM

DAYTON, OHIO -- The hypersonic attack cruise missile has been in development for about a year and is progressing positively on the middle-tier acquisition development plan, according to Brig. Gen. Jason Bartolomei, program executive officer for armament.

Air Force planning on carrying two vendors through NGAD engine prototype

DAYTON, OH -- The Air Force will fund prototypes of the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion engine from both General Electric and Pratt & Whitney, a change from the previous plan of prototyping just one engine.

The Navy awarded some big destroyer contracts this week:

Navy awards nine Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in five-year contracts

HII and Bath Iron Works have been awarded multiyear contracts to build nine Arleigh Burke-class destroyers over the next five years.

On July 28, the office of the assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy published a notice asking industry for proposals to help develop strategies to manage risks and costs across the fledgling hypersonic industrial base supply chain:

New ICAM team launches project to wring up to 80% from cost of hypersonic weapons

The Pentagon has established an Innovation Capability and Modernization team to spearhead an effort to forge a hypersonic industrial base -- directing government investments to prop up fledgling suppliers in an ambitious goal to eventually wring as much as 80% of the estimated production cost of long-range, ultra-fast, maneuvering strike systems.

Four Arleigh Burkes get service life extensions
By Linda Hersey
August 3, 2023 at 12:27 PM

The service lifespan of four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers -- two homeported in Virginia and two in Japan -- will be extended, after a review showed the vessels are “well-maintained and in good material condition,” the office of the chief of naval operations, Surface Warfare division, announced today.

Approvals follow a March decision to grant the first-of-its-class destroyer Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) five more years of extra service life beyond its scheduled retirement of fiscal year 2026. Currently, the Navy has 73 active Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

All five ships have received Aegis baseline upgrades through the DDG modernization program, which updates technology and other systems.

The service life extensions for the additional ships will be four or five years beyond their estimated working lifespan. They are as follows:

  • Mitscher (DDG-57), Norfolk, VA, set to retire in FY-30, will operate to FY-34. The ship was constructed in 1988 and commissioned in 1994.
  • Ramage (DDG-61) Norfolk, VA, set to retire in FY-30, will operate to FY-35. It was constructed in 1993 and commissioned two years later.
  • Milius (DDG-69), Yokosuka, Japan, set to retire in FY-31, will operate to FY-35. It was built in 1995 and commissioned in 1996.
  • Benfold (DDG-65), Yokosuka, Japan, set to retire in FY-31, will operate to FY-36. The ship was built in 1993 and commissioned in 1996.

“Adding 23 years of service life cumulatively over the last six months is a significant investment in surface warfare,” Rear Adm. Fred Pyle, director of Surface Warfare (N96) said, offering capability and capacity “in an affordable manner.”

Army holding Project Convergence industry day this month
By Dan Schere
August 3, 2023 at 11:15 AM

The Army is holding an industry day this month for participants interested in the service's Project Convergence exercise, according to a notice posted Thursday.

The Army has held Project Convergence, the service’s campaign of learning and experimentation with the joint and multinational force, since 2020. The next event is scheduled for the spring of 2024.

According to the notice, the industry day is scheduled for Aug. 22, and will focus on addressing challenges such as “reconnoitering and securing far side of wet gap crossing,” autonomous delivery of large quantities of supplies, management of autonomous systems, erosion control in wet gap crossing and the ability to defeat targeting and delivery capabilities of precision munitions.

Army Under Secretary Gabe Camarillo said earlier this week at a Potomac Officers Club meeting that the next Project Convergence will take place at the theater level and will include ballistic missile defense. The exercise, he said, will feature more participants than in prior years including with joint services and more partners and allies.

“And it will incorporate the ability to experiment with emerging technology in really fundamentally creative and innovative ways,” he said.

Camarillo said the Army wants to experiment with technology in a way that is more collaborative with industry going forward, saying this is a campaign of learning that is not a “discreet, standalone, isolated Army effort.”

Camarillo added that Army Futures Command is expected to deliver drafts either by the end of this year or early next year “to facilitate more of what they refer to as a campaign of deep learning and experimentation across the Army.” Going forward, requirements will need to be written in a way that focuses more on how technology evolves, and more feedback from soldier touchpoints will need to be incorporated, he said.

“All of this to say, rather than starting programs, we want to experiment with technology, we want to learn, we want to iterate on concepts, and most importantly we want to do it as part of the joint force,” he said.

BAE focused on continuing profitability in combat vehicle portfolio
By Dan Schere
August 2, 2023 at 4:45 PM

BAE Systems President and CEO Tom Arseneault says after a positive first half of 2023 in the combat vehicles area, the company expects part of the business to remain profitable.

Order intake in BAE’s platforms & services sector, which includes combat vehicles, weapons and munitions, was $5.1 billion in the first half of 2023, compared with $2 billion in the first half of 2022, according to a company earnings statement. Sales in the sector were $2.3 billion in the first half of 2023, compared to $2.1 billion in the first half of 2022.

According to the company, much of the order intake has been driven by the awards of the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle to the U.S. Army, as well as awards of the CV90 fighting vehicle in Europe and the BvS10 to multiple European nations and the United States.

Arseneault said Wednesday during a company earnings call that the company was disappointed in the Army’s decision not to move forward with BAE in the down select of the XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle -- the eventual successor to the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Instead, the company plans to focus on “what’s been a buildup and backlog for the combat vehicles business,” he said.

“That business has been on a good margin expansion journey. We expect that to continue,” he said.

Arseneault also touted the Army’s recent decision to move the AMPV program to full-rate production, and said BAE expects a contract in the second half of the year.