The Insider

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news from the Sea-Air-Space symposium, senior defense officials lobbying lawmakers to pass the supplemental spending bill and more.

We start off with continuing coverage of this year's Sea-Air-Space conference:

Navy has a plan to tackle shipbuilding delays, SECNAV says, though details remain scant

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- The Navy does indeed have a plan to remedy shipbuilding challenges, the service's top official said today, providing the first public indication that there is a strategy to tamp down widespread delays identified across its most critical ship and submarine programs.

DARPA's 'No Manning Required, Ship' to transfer to Navy in 2025

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- A long-endurance autonomous vessel currently under development with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is slated to transition to the Navy in 2025 following an initial round of testing, according to Capt. Scot Searles, program manager for unmanned maritime systems.

The Pentagon's top civilian told the Senate Armed Services Committee this week that trying to get the supplemental passed is the Defense Department's "most pressing priority":

DOD looks to rally support for supplemental spending amid partisan debate over capped budget

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown told senators Tuesday that the U.S. defense industrial base would benefit to the tune of $50 billion if Congress would pass a supplemental security spending package that would, among other things, provide weapons to Ukraine and replenish U.S. stocks, further surging domestic weapons production.

There's not much support in the Air Force for setting up a Space National Guard:

Kendall, Saltzman oppose standing up Space National Guard

The Air Force is "definitely not interested" in creating a separate Space National Guard, service Secretary Frank Kendall told lawmakers Tuesday. His remarks follow pushback from the National Guard Bureau over the proposed transfer of Air National Guard space units into the Space Force.

The Pony Express 2 demonstration, which consists of four payloads on two satellites launched in early March, are in final check-out before beginning operations that will be able to connect systems and direct communications:

Lockheed Martin launches Pony Express 2 demo satellites

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- Lockheed Martin launched two satellites to demonstrate an autonomous mission testing system intended to fit into the Defense Department's Joint All-Domain Command and Control effort, the company told reporters this week.

U.S. Africa Command recently submitted its latest unfunded priorities list to Congress:

AFRICOM sends Congress $500M unfunded list seeking more counter-drone systems

U.S. Africa Command has sent Congress an unfunded priorities list totaling more than $500 million, highlighting the need to counter armed drones in the region as -- according to a document obtained by Inside Defense -- it is “only a matter of time before U.S. forces in East Africa are attacked” by enemy drones or missiles.

Document: AFRICOM's FY-25 unfunded priorities list

The Defense Writers Group hosted an event this week with officials from the Energy Department's Center for AI Security Research:

AI experts' main security goals are stopping data poisoning and targeting existing vulnerabilities

Leading experts from the Energy Department's artificial intelligence research center believe the most pressing risk areas revolving around AI today are possible data poisoning of Large Language Models and the possibility of adversaries exploiting existing vulnerabilities in systems.

To be held over a four-month period starting this summer at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, a scheduled demonstration follows an April 3 industry day that provided an overview of the self-propelled howitzer performance demonstration:

Army to host howitzer demonstrations this summer following ERCA cancellation

The Army is inviting industry manufacturers to demonstrate the capabilities of existing 155mm howitzer systems, pivoting in its acquisition approach after the cancellation of the Extended Range Cannon Artillery program.

The Army will host a planning briefing later this month at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland to discuss contracting opportunities on future capabilities, according to a public notice.

“The APG [Advance Planning Briefing to Industry] will identify potential contracting opportunities that are aligned with the roadmaps of each respective organization, specifically focusing on Fiscal Years 2025–2026,” the April 8 notice reads.

Focusing on four areas -- command and control, research, testing and chemical and biological defense -- the briefing intends to help industry better understand future Army capabilities and help inform “internal development efforts.”

Scheduled for April 23-25, speakers will be from the Army Development Command, the program executive office for integrated electronic warfare and Defense Logistics Agency and other service and Defense Department agencies.

The Army is developing Project Convergence, the service’s contribution to the Pentagon's Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control initiative, which aims to integrate all the services into a combined operating force in combat environments.

Army projects include the Integrated Battle Command System, designed to connect the service’s missile defense system into one command-and-control system and efforts to improve the mobility of battlefield command posts.

The service is also implementing open architecture approaches in vehicles and fire control systems to allow for easier and quicker software upgrades.

The Defense Innovation Unit and the Naval Postgraduate School announced a partnership at the Sea-Air-Space Conference today aimed at speeding up commercial, dual-use technology solutions adoption and education.

DIU Director Doug Beck and retired Navy Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau, NPS president, unveiled a memorandum of understanding which attempts to strengthen innovation efforts, while educating defense leaders to maintain a leading edge.

“The MOU will build upon past successes and existing relationships between DIU and NPS to expand complementary efforts and future opportunities targeting education, research, and innovation through student fellowships at DIU, personnel exchanges, collaborative experimentation, and projects with the Naval Innovation Center (NIC) at NPS,” DIU said today.

The NIC was established at NPS in December 2022 by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro.

“I look forward to witnessing the vision for the Naval Innovation Center coming to life at NPS,” Del Toro said. “The NIC will provide an educational opportunity and venue unavailable anywhere else in the world, where industry and academic partners will work side-by-side with our NPS students to research and discover advanced warfighting solutions.”

The partnership also attempts to bolster relationships with industry and academia that are leading the innovation game.

“DIU partners with many Silicon Valley organizations, from tech icons to start-ups as well as universities, and NPS is a natural fit given its defense focus,” Beck said. “Through this partnership we will connect companies with NPS talent and technology leaders, providing a catalyst for their learning and applied research to deliver innovative solutions for the joint force.”

The 2023 Naval Education Strategy calls for naval education to include innovative methods in line with national security priorities.

“Our students are warrior-scholars, and they come to NPS to learn and make a difference,” Rondeau said. “NPS provides a venue to challenge assumptions, try new ideas, and with our industry partners, we serve as an innovation hub to rapidly adapt research concepts into prototype applications and capabilities. This new partnership with DIU will greatly enhance the impact our students can have on the fleet and force through expanded collaborations and greater access to emerging technologies.”

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on a deployment delay of the Marine Corps' CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter, the Space Force proposing the absorption of Air National Guard units with space functions and more.

The Marine Corps' CH-53K helicopter will be deployed a little later than originally thought:

Marine Corps pushes initial CH-53K deployment to 2026

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- The Marine Corps is now planning to launch its initial CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter deployment in calendar year 2026, program manager Col. Kate Fleeger said today, marking a delay of roughly a year compared to the 2025 deployment date previously listed by the service.

(Complete Sea-Air-Space coverage.)

A new Defense Department legislative proposal, sent to Congress late last month, would allow the Space Force to absorb Air National Guard units with space functions, deactivate such units or assign them new federal missions:

National Guard leaders oppose Air Force plan to transition state space units into Space Force

A legislative proposal from the Air Force to shift National Guard space operations directly into the Space Force would create a significant strategic and tactical gap in national security, top National Guard officials said this week.

A recent exercise, which took place off the Southern California coast from March 4-15, was a way for the Navy to observe industry multidomain unmanned systems solutions for possible future integration to fleet operations:

Anduril software integrated into unmanned vehicles during Navy exercise

Anduril Industries announced today that its Lattice system was used as the primary integration software for testing unmanned vehicles across multiple domains at the Navy's Integrated Battle Problem 24.1 exercise.

A joint statement from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, U.K. Secretary of State for Defence Grant Shapps and Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles said “collaboration opportunities” may exist with Japan:

AUKUS officials consider adding Japan to security pact

Defense officials from the U.S., U.K. and Australia said today they are considering including Japan in Pillar II of the AUKUS security agreement, which supports developing and fielding emerging weapons technologies focused on the Indo-Pacific region.

Funding proposed by the White House would aim to strengthen domestic microchip and semiconductor production while helping speed up artificial intelligence development in areas like consumer electronics, high-performance computing and automotive:

Biden seeks $6.6 billion in CHIPS and Science Act funding for new chip factory

The Biden administration announced today a proposed $6.6 billion in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act to be directed to a preliminary agreement between the Commerce Department and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to build a third chip factory in Arizona.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier John C. Stennis (CVN-74) has finished the dry dock portion of its refueling and complex overhaul, HII announced Monday.

This dry dock phase consisted of significant upgrades, including defueling and refueling the power plant, upgrading aircraft launch and recovery equipment, painting the ship’s hull, restoring propeller shafts and installing refurbished propellers and rudders, according to HII’s news release.

“Witnessing Stennis leave the dry dock and return to the water is a testament to the hard work of our shipbuilders, the crew and our government partners,” Rob Check, Newport News Shipbuilding vice president of in-service aircraft carrier programs, said in a statement. “We remain laser focused on the work ahead during this RCOH period and look forward to preparing this mighty aircraft carrier for the next half of its operational life.”

The carrier will now receive the rest of its RCOH work and testing, which includes the overhaul and installation of major components, as well as the testing of electronics, combat and propulsion systems. Crew living spaces, galleys and mess desks will also be improved.

“Our focus remains steadfast to get our ship back into the fight and to foster the professional and personal development of our sailors,” Capt. J. Patrick Thompson III, the ship’s commanding officer, said in a statement. “We look forward to continue working with our industry partners to complete remaining production and test work and redeliver Stennis back to the fleet.”

Stennis is the seventh Nimitz-class aircraft carrier to undergo RCOH work and was originally delivered to the Navy in 1995. The Navy awarded the overhaul contract to HII in 2021 -- a contract worth $3 billion.

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- Lockheed Martin and Intel subsidiary Altera have been contracted by the office of the under secretary of defense for research and engineering to develop an electronic defense capability that could eventually be equipped on the Navy’s MH-60R helicopter fleet, according to a Monday announcement published ahead of the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space conference.

According to the release, Lockheed aims to develop a "low size, weight and power (SWaP), Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) aligned airborne electronic defense system,” that will rely on Altera’s “multi-chip package” composed of domestically produced semiconductors.

The final product is intended to eventually serve as an upgrade to the MH-60R’s existing ALQ-210 electronic support measures (ESM) system used for threat identification and situational awareness, company executives told reporters last week.

The $7.7 million contract was awarded “through the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division Strategic & Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S2MARTS) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) vehicle and will be managed by the National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL),” the announcement states.

The initiative is part of the Pentagon’s Stimulating Transition for Advanced Microelectronics Packaging (STAMP) program -- an initiative launched in 2022 to rapidly field microelectronics modernization prototypes.

“As a STAMP awardee, Lockheed Martin will advance the progression of technology to enable a defense system that detects and identifies threats with greater speed and accuracy at a significantly reduced SWaP and cost, freeing space for equipment to support other missions,” the announcement states.

“While initially designed for the Sikorsky MH-60R helicopter, STAMP technology applies to platforms across all domains, including air, land and sea,” the release adds.

Work will extend through the next 18 months with the companies first integrating their technologies before beginning testing with the MH-60R program toward the end of this window. Company officials were unable to specify when the system may be fielded to the fleet.