The Insider

By Vanessa Montalbano
December 10, 2024 at 3:12 PM

The Air Force Scientific Advisory Board is scheduled to meet next month to conduct midterm reviews of studies directed by the service secretary for fiscal year 2025, according to a filing posted in the federal register today.

Leaders of each of the four studies will report on their progress for the efforts, likely focused on modernization programs.

The meeting, planned for Jan. 30 and Jan. 31, 2025, will be closed to the public because members are expected to discuss classified matters. It will be hosted at the Gen. Jacob E. Smart Conference Center at Joint Base Andrews, MD.

By Abby Shepherd
December 10, 2024 at 2:47 PM

The Navy intends to expand its partnerships with industry to bolster unmanned aircraft capabilities, with Naval Air Systems Command planning an industry day to present current capabilities in the area, according to a Monday government notice.

NAVAIR is interested in obtaining contractor-owned, contractor-operated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, and the reliable delivery of sensor data during land-based and ship-based operations. These services “will support domestic and coalition military partners in combat and contingency operations,” according to the notice.

“Contractors would be responsible for providing all resources to produce sensor data including trained personnel, non-developmental UAS equipment, associated certifications, operation and maintenance, spares and product support,” the notice states. “Contracted services would be in direct support of ISR missions requiring around the clock imagery and other sensor capabilities.”

The program office requires ISR services for unmanned aircraft systems have a technology readiness level of eight, an operational range of up to 75 nautical miles, the ability to operate in degraded GPS and adverse weather conditions and have multi-intelligence capabilities such as a full motion video sensor and an electronic warfare type sensor.

The industry day is set for Jan. 8, and the program office plans to release two requests for information shortly after to assess qualified vendors for current and future ISR requirements.

By John Liang
December 10, 2024 at 2:09 PM

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on a missile defense intercept test that took place in Guam, plus extensive coverage of the House and Senate FY-25 defense authorization conference bill.

We start off with a big missile defense intercept test that took place today over Guam:

DOD conducts Guam missile defense test, key step toward hardening island against China

The U.S. military today executed the first-ever ballistic missile defense test from Guam -- a technical achievement that validated a small step toward integrating legacy technology in support of fielding a new 360-degree defense of the American territory in the Western Pacific against advanced Chinese threats.

Anduril has announced the availability of a software development kit for its artificial intelligence-powered, open software integration platform:

Anduril pulls back curtain on 'Lattice' AI system

When Anduril announced Tuesday it would expand the company's Lattice family of offerings with a software developer kit, the company also shed light on how everything under the Lattice name forms an ecosystem of interoperable, decentralized solutions enabling reliable communications in contested environments.

Of course, the defense policy conference bill has language related to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program:

Defense policy bill would fence some F-35 deliveries, again add six F-15EX to fighter mix

Some deliveries of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter would be temporarily fenced under the proposed fiscal year 2025 defense authorization conference bill until Lockheed Martin, the Joint Program Office and the incoming defense secretary create a plan to resolve any outstanding hardware and software deficiencies hamstringing the program.

Navy-related coverage of the defense policy conference bill:

Authorization bill supports new destroyer construction, unmanned tech testing and foreign vessel purchases

House and Senate authorizers have agreed to use incremental funding to enter a contract for the construction of a new USS Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, according to the joint fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill, which approves $895 billion for national defense priorities.

Authorization bill supports restrictions on frigate and LSM construction

House and Senate authorizers have agreed to include provisions imposing construction limitations on the Constellation-class frigate and Landing Ship Medium programs, in addition to slashing frigate funding, in their joint fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill.

Army-related coverage of the bill:

Congress asks Army for report on ground combat vehicle protection systems

House and Senate lawmakers are asking the Army to produce a report on its strategy for ground combat vehicle protection systems.

A missile defense provision in the conference bill:

Conference bill directs East Coast site, setting stage for $5B U.S. missile defense expansion

Congress is poised to finalize legislation that could lead to a $5 billion expansion of the United States' homeland missile defense system, mandating construction of a third missile defense site on the East Coast and likely setting up a new round of debates over where to build the new missile field.

A Space Force provision in the conference bill:

Air National Guard space units likely to be transferred to Space Force

The fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill is set to allow the Space Force to absorb certain Air National Guard units that perform space missions, a move which the National Guard Association of the United States and National Governors Association oppose.

The incoming top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee is looking to increase the defense budget:

GOP senator working defense increase into budget reconciliation proposal

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), who is slated to become Senate Armed Services Committee chairman when the GOP ascends to the majority next year, said today he is unhappy with current defense legislation because it doesn't do enough to increase military spending.

The Navy's top civilian wants to bolster the maritime industrial base:

Navy secretary expects Congress to introduce SHIPS for America Act in coming days

Congress is likely to introduce a new bipartisan, bicameral piece of legislation intended to bolster the commercial and military maritime industrial base in the coming days, according to Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro.

The V-22 Osprey won't be flying anytime soon:

V-22 fleet operationally paused following precautionary landing

Following a recent precautionary landing of a CV-22 Osprey aircraft, all V-22 variants are operationally paused as of Dec. 6, Naval Air Systems Command told Inside Defense this week.

By John Liang
December 9, 2024 at 1:57 PM

The bulk of this Monday INSIDER Daily Digest features coverage from this weekend's Reagan National Defense Forum in California.

We start off with the thoughts of the top Republican House and Senate defense appropriators:

Top House defense appropriator sees FRA levels for FY-25, eyes FY-26 for spending surge

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- House Appropriations defense subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA) said today he believes the upcoming budget will be funded at levels mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act, though he hopes the Trump administration will be able to work with Congress to boost spending for fiscal year 2026.

McConnell plans for defense approps subcommittee to help 'restore' U.S. primacy, hard power, boost budget

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the next Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee chairman, delivered a forceful call for massive increases in Pentagon spending on Saturday -- warning the United States must be prepared for the growing threat of simultaneous conflicts and advance a roadmap to "restore" U.S. primacy through alliances and re-invigorated deterrence.

Hypersonic defense news:

Shyu: DOD developed, deployed classified counter-hypersonic capabilities

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- The U.S. military rapidly developed and deployed still-classified means to defeat hypersonic missiles, the fruit of a focused effort the Pentagon's top technology official spearheaded to find ways to defeat a new class of ultra-fast maneuvering weapons deemed a "huge success."

More from the Reagan Forum:

DOD announces new APFIT projects

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- The Defense Department today announced five projects receiving funding from the Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program, making them the first to be selected in fiscal year 2025.

Defense contractors urged to volunteer their own DOGE cuts

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE), a senior Senate Armed Services Committee member, today urged executives from the nation's largest defense companies to identify cuts to their own military programs in preparation for the "Department of Government Efficiency" review set to be run by tech billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy at the behest of President-elect Trump.

Another piece of big news out of the weekend was House and Senate conferees releasing their negotiated fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill:

House and Senate negotiators unveil defense policy bill that honors FRA

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- House and Senate lawmakers have released a fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill that would approve $895 billion for national defense, sticks to the spending cap mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act but includes funds for an additional Virginia-class submarine.

Document: House, Senate FY-25 defense policy conference bill

Anduril and Palantir say they plan to expand their artificial intelligence partnership to other industry partners:

Palantir and Anduril join forces on defense AI

LOS ANGELES -- Defense technology companies Palantir and Anduril announced today they are teaming up on artificial intelligence, joining their Maven and Lattice AI systems and launching a new consortium with plans to include other contractors.

Coverage of the Army's Gray Eagle uncrewed aircraft system:

Newest common sensor payload for Gray Eagle 'potential game changer' for coordinate seeking weapons

The Army will receive the third version of its Common Sensor Payload for the MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aerial system in June, the system’s product manager announced at a media day at Ft. Belvoir Tuesday. The latest iteration comes with a new, more precise targeting system for Coordinate Seeking Weapons.

A joint exercise taking place this month is drawing on available technologies, used by companies in commercial offshore industries like intercontinental communications and oil and gas, to improve U.S., U.K. and Australian navies' ability to locate, monitor and manipulate objects on the ocean floor:

AUKUS allies look to civilian industries for a seabed warfare advantage

NORFOLK, VA -- On a blustery December day at Naval Station Norfolk, sailors from the United States, United Kingdom and Australia were busy preparing a small fleet of robotic and unmanned undersea systems for two weeks of offshore experimentation intended to expand subsea and seabed warfare capabilities under AUKUS Pillar II.

The "Protecting AI and Cloud Competition in Defense Act of 2024" also requires that those competitive processes include requirements for modular open system frameworks and consider “multi-cloud technology where feasible and advantageous,” according to the bill text:

Bipartisan Senate duo introduces bill encouraging competition for DOD AI, cloud contracts

Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Eric Schmitt (R-MO) introduced legislation Thursday requiring the Defense Department to conduct "competitive award processes" for cloud computing and artificial intelligence-related contracts.

By John Liang
December 9, 2024 at 5:00 AM

Senior military officials speak at various defense industry events this week.

Tuesday

The Space Force Association holds its annual Spacepower Conference that runs through Thursday.

Air Force acquisition chief Andrew Hunter speaks at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event.

Wednesday

The Association of Old Crows holds its annual international symposium and convention, which runs through Friday.

Thursday

The Hudson Institute holds an event on "Accelerating Replicator and Fielding Technologies for Today’s Fight."

Friday

AFCEA NOVA holds its 2024 Air Forces IT Day.

By Tony Bertuca
December 7, 2024 at 8:32 PM

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), noting her experience as a sexual assault survivor, said today she wants Pete Hegseth, whom President-elect Trump has nominated to be defense secretary, to continue to have a thorough vetting process including an FBI background check.

“I'm excited to have the opportunity to sit down with him again but there will be a very thorough vetting as he moves forward,” she said.

Ernst has met with Hegseth once and has plans to meet with him again next week.

Hegseth, a former Fox News host and National Guard veteran, has come under fire in recent weeks, facing questions about allegations of sexual assault, mismanagement of funds at a veteran’s organization he ran and drinking on the job. Hegseth has denied all the allegations and Trump has said he is fully behind his nomination.

Ernst said she is relying on an upcoming FBI background check to provide lawmakers with additional information.

“I think there are ways that the FBI will vet this and present it to the committee,” she said. “I do trust in our vetting process and I look forward to that opportunity. I'm going to continue to meet with Mr. Hegseth and we're going to continue to work through those issues.”

Ernst said she wanted to hear more from Hegseth on the issue of sexual assault in the military, women in combat and the Pentagon’s failure to pass an audit.

Hegseth has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017. He has denied all wrongdoing and no charges were ever filed. He later entered into a financial settlement and non-disclosure agreement with his accuser.

“I am survivor of sexual assault, so I've worked very heavily on sexual assault measures within the military,” Ernst said. “So, I'd like to hear a little more about that. I'd like to hear about the role of women in our great United States military. . . . I want to make sure that he has a fair process and that we're vetting him thoroughly.”

By Tony Bertuca
December 7, 2024 at 6:21 PM

House and Senate negotiators have released the text of the fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill.

Watch Inside Defense for further reporting.

By Tony Bertuca
December 7, 2024 at 4:48 PM

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin today announced a $1 billion security aid package for Ukraine, including drones and rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.

The Pentagon said the package, which will be provided via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, would include:

  • Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS); and
  • Equipment, components, and spare parts to maintain, repair, and overhaul artillery systems, tanks, and armored vehicles.

Austin, speaking here at the Reagan National Defense Forum, said the new package brings the total of U.S. security assistance to Ukraine since February 2022 to more than $62 billion.

The Biden administration, Austin said, has “made its choice.”

“So has a bipartisan coalition in Congress,” he said. “The next administration must make its own choice.”

President-elect Trump has been critical of U.S. aid to Ukraine in its fight against an ongoing Russian invasion and has said he plans to seek a quick end to the war, alarming Kyiv and many of its supporters in Washington.

“As I said in October in Kyiv,” Austin said, “we are seeing a sneak preview of a world built by tyrants and thugs -- a chaotic, violent world carved into spheres of influence; a world where bullies trample their smaller neighbors; and a world where aggressors force free people to live in fear.”

Austin, who attended today’s conference to receive a “Peace through Strength” award alongside Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), noted the senator’s steadfast support for Ukraine on Capitol Hill.

McConnell, during a speech, said the United States should not retreat from the global stage.

“At both ends of our politics, a dangerous fiction is taking hold -- that America’s primacy and the fruits of our leadership are self-sustaining,” he said. “Even as allies across NATO and the Indo-Pacific renew their own commitments to hard power, to interoperability, and to collective defense, some now question America’s own role at the center of these force-multiplying institutions and partnerships.”

By John Liang
December 6, 2024 at 1:26 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on Russian and Chinese activities in the Arctic, the Air Force's mobility fleet receiving a fresh connectivity suite and more.

Iris Ferguson, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Arctic and global resilience, spoke this week at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event:

Hybrid activity 'hot spot': Russia and China's affair in the Arctic is cause for concern, senior official says

Russia and China's mounting Arctic partnership has led to a rise in joint military operations between the two nations and transformed the region into a hybrid activity "hot spot" in need of investment, a senior Defense Department official said Thursday.

Air Mobility Command at the end of September finalized a yearlong contract with an unnamed manufacturer to provide a "one-stop-shop" for "peer-to-peer communication at the tactical edge" by enabling real-time access to commercial, unclassified and secret networks even when forward deployed:

Air Mobility Command slowly but surely taking on connectivity, starting with GTPaaS

Part of the Air Force's mobility fleet will be tapped to receive a fresh connectivity suite, dubbed the Global Transport Platform-as-a-Service, as early as the end of calendar year 2024 or spring 2025, Inside Defense has learned.

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party held a hearing this week:

House lawmaker says Chinese mineral export bans threaten U.S. defense supply chain

China's recent ban on rare mineral exports to the U.S. is the latest warning sign the U.S. military could be left without the necessary tools to deter or defeat adversaries if the domestic supply chain isn’t shored up, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) argued during a House panel Thursday.

The Next Generation Air Dominance way-ahead decision will be deferred to the next administration:

Trump administration tapped to make final NGAD decision

The fate of the Air Force's embattled Next Generation Air Dominance platform will now be determined by the Trump administration, the service indicated this week.

In June, the Navy proposed a shift of $49 million from aircraft procurement accounts into research and development accounts for the service's Stingray UAS program, which was approved months later in September:

Revised acquisition program baseline approved for Navy's MQ-25 Stingray

The Navy is making progress on the MQ-25 Stingray's development with the recent approval of a revised acquisition program baseline and $50 million in recently reprogrammed money, following redesign efforts and a slash in procurement funding from appropriators.

Document: DOD modernized SAR on the Navy's MQ-25 Stingray program

By Vanessa Montalbano
December 6, 2024 at 1:07 PM

Recognizing adversary drone swarms as "the most significant threat at this time," the Pentagon is aiming to unify the military around a cohesive approach to address the challenge now and in the future, according to a Thursday DOD news release.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday signed the secretive Strategy for Countering Unmanned Systems, meant to bolster department-wide defenses against autonomous platforms in the air, at sea and on land.

It comes as wars waged in the Middle East, Ukraine and across the globe are increasingly seeing the use of sophisticated yet affordable autonomous systems, making it difficult for friendly forces to hide, concentrate, communicate and maneuver, according to an unclassified fact sheet discussing the new strategy. These drones also allow adversaries to more easily surveil, disrupt or attack U.S. forces, assets, and installations, potentially without attribution and with more precise strike capabilities, DOD added in the document.

"In recent years, adversary unmanned systems have evolved rapidly. These cheap systems are increasingly changing the battlefield, threatening U.S. installations, and wounding or killing our troops,” Austin said in a statement. “Drones and other unmanned systems will increasingly transform the security environment. Tackling these threats will not be easy. But the United States military is unrivaled in our ability to adapt to new challenges, and the department is moving out on making this strategy's vision a reality. The character of war is changing, and we will change with it."

Each of the military services are also pursuing ongoing efforts to research, develop and field kinetic and electronic warfare technologies to dismantle enemy drones, particularly in the homeland. The new strategy in particular branches off other high-profile DOD efforts to build a layered response to the threat, including the Joint Counter-Small UAS Office, the Warfighter Senior Integration Group and comes on the heels of the second phase of the Replicator initiative.

The Pentagon has established five “strategic ways” it will implement the counter-drone roadmap, the fact sheet states, including:

  • Deepening DOD’s battlefield awareness, detection and understanding of unmanned trends and threats.
  • Disrupting and degrading the networks that foster the proliferation of unmanned threats.
  • Protecting and defending U.S. assets and interests against threats posed by autonomous systems.
  • Bringing robust active and passive solutions to counter unmanned threats to scale through a next-generation acquisition style and expanded budget agility.
  • Developing counter-drone capabilities as a mainstay in the future force design.

“This strategy marks a critical next step in the Department of Defense’s efforts to counter unmanned systems, but much work lies ahead,” the fact sheet notes. “The department will establish clear metrics and measures of effectiveness to track progress in achieving outcomes. Although the rapidly evolving nature of the threats posed by adversary use of unmanned systems means that the department will need to continually reassess our efforts, this strategy sets a foundation for action to meet this challenge.”

DOD will collaborate with defense industrial partners, overseas allies, Congress and other interagency partners to prioritize urgency in rolling out the counter-drone strategy, according to the Thursday statement.

By Theresa Maher
December 6, 2024 at 11:41 AM

Defense technology contractors Booz Allen Hamilton and Palantir are entering a "co-creation partnership to accelerate defense mission innovation and help the U.S. maintain superiority against its adversaries," the companies announced Friday.

The move will build on previous “strategic collaborations” between Palantir and Booz Allen, and its initial focus will center on two “critical components,” the release said.

Those include driving information infrastructure modernization and secure interoperability, as well as the rapid acceleration of integrated warfighting operations through data-centric systems improving combined mission planning with U.S. allies and partners, according to the release.

“We’re partnering with Booz Allen Hamilton to create a future where AI-infused hardware keeps our allies safe and our enemies scared,” Alex Karp, Palantir co-founder and CEO, said in a statement accompanying the release.

Horacio Rozanski, chairman, CEO and president of Booz Allen, also praised the effort merging both companies’ comparative advantages and specializations in the defense contracting industry.

“Alex and I are creating new mission capabilities that leverage our companies’ unique technologies and expertise to close mission gaps at the speed of now. Our joint team created a prototype in only 45 days,” Rozanski said in a statement accompanying the release.

By Theresa Maher
December 5, 2024 at 4:05 PM

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed a classified strategy unifying the Defense Department's counter-drone efforts earlier this week, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters during a briefing Thursday.

The strategy looks at DOD’s counter-unmanned aerial systems approach through a multidomain lens that spans across characteristics and timeframes, according to Ryder.

“With this singular strategy for countering unmanned systems, in conjunction with other major DOD initiatives like the Joint Counter-Small UAS Office and Replicator 2, the DOD is orienting around a common understanding of the challenge and a comprehensive approach to addressing it,” the Pentagon spokesperson told reporters.

Ryder broke the overall approach down into three parts -- the first focused on ensuring the department is “prepared to conduct” counter-unmanned system operations.

The second will evaluate responses to drone incursions “by pulling together subject-matter experts and resources,” and the third will focus on tracking counter-drone equipment, according to Ryder.

“It enables the department to approach this in a way that’s comprehensive, cohesive and holistic,” he said.

The announcement comes nearly three months after Austin’s September memo revealing the secretive Replicator program would turn its attention in its second iteration toward capabilities to counter small drones.

Ryder also emphasized Austin’s continued commitment as defense secretary toward counter-drone efforts in the Pentagon.

“Throughout his tenure, Secretary Austin has prioritized the development and rapid fielding of capabilities to counter the urgent and growing threat posed by unmanned systems,” he said.

The Pentagon press secretary told reporters that while the strategy itself remains classified, DOD will provide an unclassified fact sheet on the approach.

By John Liang
December 5, 2024 at 2:55 PM

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Space Force's Proliferated Low-Earth Orbit satellite-based services contract, the Army's Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program and more.

The Space Force's Proliferated Low-Earth Orbit satellite-based services contract value has been raised by a significant amount:

Space Force boosts pLEO spending cap from $900 million to $13 billion

The Space Force raised the ceiling on its Proliferated Low-Earth Orbit satellite-based services contract to $13 billion from $900 million, a senior official said during a Pentagon briefing.

The Army's Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program won't be compliant with the acquisition program baseline's estimate for full operational capability until a new APB is announced:

JLTV rebaselining delayed, acquisition report blames inadequate funding

The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program has yet to rebaseline, an Army spokesperson said Wednesday, despite planning to do so this past June. Rebaselining has become common for the program in the past five years, which blames its woes on budget funding deficits.

Document: DOD modernized SAR on the Army's JLTV program

The Biden administration's outgoing national security adviser spoke this week at the Center for Strategic and International Studies:

Sullivan previews upcoming move to loosen missile technology exports

Outgoing national security adviser Jake Sullivan said today the Biden administration is putting the finishing touches on a last-minute effort to reform regulations governing the exportation of critical missile technologies to key U.S. allies.

A new collaboration is set to integrate OpenAI's AI models with Anduril's defense systems, as well as the latter’s Lattice open software integration platform:

OpenAI, Anduril to partner for delivery of 'improved' C-UAS capabilities to warfighter

Defense contractor Anduril and artificial intelligence startup OpenAI are entering a "strategic partnership" aimed at delivering improved counter-drone capabilities to the U.S. and allied militaries, the companies announced Wednesday.

A newly acquired metal fabrication facility will prioritize constructing submarine modules first, followed by aircraft carrier modules, according to an HII spokesperson:

HII acquires metal fabrication company's assets to meet 'generational demand' for subs

Shipbuilder HII announced today that it will acquire metal fabrication facilities and equipment from South Carolina-based company W International.

Last but by no means least, the latest CMMC news from our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity:

CMMC accreditation body drives toward December launch of several deliverables to formally kick off program

The accreditation body behind the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program is working to achieve several milestones ahead of the Dec. 16 effective date for the first rulemaking that will formally launch the initiative.

By Shelley K. Mesch
December 4, 2024 at 4:20 PM

The Air Force Research Laboratory will hold an industry day on electromagnetic spectrum warfare in the new year, according to a service notice issued today.

AFRL’s Sensors Directorate Spectrum Warfare Division will host the industry event Jan. 16. Division leaders, technologists and program managers will provide briefings at the event.

Attendees, who will require secret clearance, should register by Jan. 6.

AFRL intends for this to be the first of annual such industry days going forward, according to the post.

By John Liang
December 4, 2024 at 1:30 PM

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on Japan's efforts to develop an upgraded Aegis-equipped warship and more.

On Nov. 27, the Missile Defense Agency awarded Lockheed Martin a contract modification that adds to previous awards of $963 million on behalf of the Japan Ministry of Defense for a new Aegis system:

Japan expands scope of Lockheed work on new Aegis vessel to $1.5 billion

Japan's project to defend its territory from ballistic missile attack with a new Aegis-equipped ship is now a $1.5 billion project for Lockheed Martin after the Missile Defense Agency on Tokyo's behalf last week awarded a potential $579 million contract modification to extend development efforts by two years.

A Government Accountability Office report issued this week "examines the extent to which (1) the Navy and Marine Corps are addressing challenges with fleet availability; (2) the Navy is addressing maintenance challenges; and (3) the Navy is positioned to meet its fleet size requirements into the future":

GAO: 'Poor condition' and reduced availability of amphibious ships poses risk for Navy, Marine Corps

With half of the Navy's amphibious fleet in "poor condition," the ships are not on track to meet their expected service lives, according to the government's top watchdog.

Document: GAO report on the Navy's amphibious ship fleet

American Rheinmetall Vehicles, a subsidiary of Rheinmetall based in the United States, will manage the recently acquired Loc Performance Products:

Rheinmetall acquires Loc Performance Products, moves further into U.S. ground vehicles market

Rheinmetall AG officially closed on its $950 billion purchase of Loc Performance Products, LLC on Nov. 29, a move aimed at strengthening the Düsseldorf-based vendor's hand in the United States' ground vehicles market, according to a Monday announcement.

Another recent GAO report finds "the Air Force plans to eventually deploy an entire wing from an airbase rather than individuals from multiple wings and airbases. But it hasn't assessed whether bases will have enough staff to operate when units deploy -- to fill jobs like guarding entrances or providing security. Also, it hasn't set timeframes for its efforts":

GAO: Air Force AFFORGEN process still a work in progress

The Air Force has not wrung out all the wrinkles in its new force generation model which seeks to change the way the service deploys to be better prepared to deter China in a potential conflict, according to the government's top watchdog.

Document: GAO report on Air Force unit deployment readiness

OMB has submitted "anomalies" lists that include spending exemptions related to Ukrainian military aid and the U.S. submarine industrial base:

Ukraine and submarines headline Pentagon's CR 'anomalies' request

The White House is seeking tens of billions of dollars in spending exemptions related to Ukrainian military aid and the U.S. submarine industrial base when Congress returns from its break to begin debating passage of a stopgap continuing resolution to avert a partial government shutdown slated for next month, according to a document obtained by Inside Defense.

Document: OMB's CR anomalies lists