The Insider

By John Liang
March 8, 2024 at 11:12 AM

The bulk of this Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news from the annual McAleese and Associates conference in Washington.

Let's start off with what the deputy defense secretary, Pentagon acquisition chief and comptroller had to say:

Hicks touts data quality to drive AI countering China's influence

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks is touting the superiority of the Defense Department's data to power the artificial intelligence that will counter China's efforts for global dominance, while stressing the Pentagon's commitment to human control of emerging AI uses.

DOD acquisition chief predicts surge in counter-drone production; investment protected in FY-25

Pentagon acquisition chief Bill LaPlante said today that he wants to move about half of the department's approximately 40 counter-drone prototypes into production, noting that the programs have been protected from scheduled fiscal year 2025 procurement cuts.

DOD comptroller says FY-25 will emphasize 'innovation,' notes inflation is easing

Pentagon Comptroller Mike McCord said today that the fiscal year 2025 defense budget request slated to be rolled out on Monday will emphasize innovation by continuing the Defense Department's focus on investments in emerging technologies, despite a 1% topline cut driven by a congressional spending agreement reached last year.

Moving on to Air Force leaders' remarks:

Allvin: Air Force FY-25 request likely to be 'unsatisfying'

The Air Force's fiscal year 2025 budget request that will be announced Monday will be "unsatisfying," Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said today, as the service looks to modernize for what it calls "great power competition" amid congressional calls for fiscal moderation.

Air Force leaders preview FY-25 fighter force mix, again eye F-22 divestment

As the Air Force envisions a future fighter fleet, it wants to divest aging Block 20 F-22 Raptor jets to instead fund the modernization of more recent F-22 configurations, according to top service officials.

. . . and Army:

Army is 'OK' with non-standard buys

The Army is willing to buy "non-standard equipment" and let units experiment with new technologies, according to a senior Army official.

. . . Then Navy:

Del Toro: U.S. shipbuilding stands to benefit from foreign investment

The United States shipbuilding industry could benefit from foreign investment, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said today, indicating a "cash infusion" from an international shipbuilder could boost production capacity, drive down prices and inject competition into the domestic market.

. . . And last but not by no means least there was missile defense:

U.S., Japan finalizing co-development agreement for hypersonic-killing missile interceptor

The governments of the United States and Japan are finalizing a formal agreement to co-develop a next-generation, ship-launched guided-missile interceptor designed to defeat long-range, hypersonic weapons during the glide phase, according to a senior U.S. military official.

By Jason Sherman
March 7, 2024 at 4:53 PM

Missile Defense Agency Director Lt. Gen. Heath Collins revealed today the agency had no role in the decision to break a more-than-two-decade-long tradition of publicly discussing a new spending request as part of the Pentagon's annual budget rollout.

“I was told that MDA wasn’t briefing,” Collins said at the McAleese conference in Washington today. “Any other questions on why will have to go to the [Defense D]epartment.”

For more than 20 years, Pentagon leaders have included a separate briefing on missile defense projects in addition to new fiscal year budget requests by the Office of the Secretary of Defense along with the Army, Navy and Air Force. But that tradition appears set to end on March 11 when DOD rolls out its FY-25 budget request.

By John Liang
March 7, 2024 at 2:03 PM

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Pentagon's plan to reform its budget planning and execution process, coverage from today's McAleese conference and more.

Within hours of the Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution Reform Commission releasing its final report, the Defense Department has issued an implementation plan of its own:

Pentagon moves to implement 'near-term' budget planning system overhaul

The Pentagon, in response to "near-term" recommendations released today by a bipartisan congressional commission, has formulated a new implementation plan to enact more than a dozen structural reforms to its decades-old budget planning and execution process.

Document: DOD's PPBE reform implementation plan

Senior service officials spoke this morning at the annual McAleese and Associates conference. Here's our preliminary coverage:

Army preparing to stand up deep sensing cross functional team

The Army is getting ready to stand up a cross functional team devoted to deep sensing, Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George said today.

Air Force to make KC-46A follow-on decision this summer

The Air Force will reveal this summer how it plans to fill the gap period between the end of production for current KC-46A tankers in 2028 and the planned delivery of the Next Generation Air Refueling System in the late 2030s, a senior service official said today.

Last ARRW test to inform Air Force hypersonic strategy

The Air Force is waiting on the last test of the all-but-killed Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon, and data from the program will help inform the mix of hypersonic capabilities the service looks for, acquisition chief Andrew Hunter said today.

Senior Army officials were on Capitol Hill this week, talking about their helicopter development efforts:

Money spent on FARA was not a 'waste,' Army officials tell lawmakers

Despite spending more than $2 billion on development of the now-canceled Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft program, Army officials told Congress during a hearing today that the effort was not all for naught due to key takeaways that will help inform the service's pivot in its aviation modernization strategy.

For the first time in over two decades, the Missile Defense Agency won't be doing its traditional briefing on its upcoming budget request:

FY-25 rollout sidelines Missile Defense Agency, 'de-emphasizing' budget day

The Missile Defense Agency is not slated to publicly explain its expected $11 billion fiscal year 2025 request next week, breaking an annual practice that reaches back uninterrupted to at least 2000 that provides Pentagon reporters a once-a-year, carte blanche opportunity to ask agency leaders about program status, policies and more.

Keep an eye out for the Air Force's installation infrastructure action plan:

Air Force to release installation infrastructure action plan this spring

In the coming days, the Air Force will release an installation infrastructure action plan to bolster bases against energy-related vulnerabilities, such as cyberattacks and extreme weather events, a senior service official said today.

By Nickolai Sukharev
March 6, 2024 at 4:51 PM

The Army received its first prototype of an Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle featuring a turret armed with a 120mm mortar, BAE Systems announced Wednesday.

“Handing this remarkable capability over to the Army for evaluation is an important step in creating broader multipurpose options for Soldiers to maintain combat overmatch on the battlefield,” said Bill Sheehy, BAE Systems AMPV program director.

The prototype features the Patria NEMO remote-controlled 120mm turreted mortar system atop an AMPV chassis and can be used for direct and indirect fire, according to a company press release.

“By using a fielded and fully-qualified asset like the AMPV chassis, it gives the Army options to field combat capabilities -- such as the Patria NEMO -- to Soldiers who need them at a much faster pace and reduced cost,” the release adds.

The Patria NEMO can be fitted to armored personnel carriers, such as the Patria AMV, an eight-wheel-drive vehicle. In 2010, the Swedish Navy installed the Patria NEMO on a quick attack water vessel.

Currently, the Army is procuring the M1287 Mortar Carrier Vehicle, which is an AMPV armed with the M121 Mortar System, a variant of the Israeli-made Soltam K6 120mm mortar.

The M1287 replaces the M1064, an M113 variant armed with a 120mm mortar.

Instead of featuring a turret, the M1287 has a large round opening atop the vehicle from which the mortar operates.

“This new AMPV Turreted Mortar prototype offers a significant enhancement that would not only allow for increased capabilities and force protection, but also keep Soldiers completely under the armor protection provided by the vehicle,” the release adds.

In January, BAE delivered a turreted AMPV prototype to the Army that featured the ExMEP top plate, a system designed to counter unmanned aerial systems.

By Nick Wilson
March 6, 2024 at 4:34 PM

Drone company Saildrone today announced it has launched the first aluminum Surveyor unmanned surface vehicle from shipbuilder Austal USA's production line, marking a step forward for a strategic partnership between the two contractors that aims to meet growing demand for uncrewed systems.

The companies formed this partnership in 2022 to scale up production of autonomous USVs like Surveyor -- a 65-foot medium USV designed for ocean mapping and maritime domain awareness. Now, Austal is producing one Surveyor every six weeks and has “the ability to scale up production as demand requires,” the Saildrone announcement states.

“These first Surveyors are contracted to the U.S. Navy for the initial testing and evaluation of Surveyor-class vehicles in multiple environments,” the notice adds, indicating Navy applications include surface and undersea intelligence for mission sets including anti-submarine warfare.

Earlier this week, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Assistant Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Christopher Mahoney visited the shipyard to view Surveyor production in addition to Austal’s newly constructed steel line and the future Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship Kingsville (LCS-36), according to a separate Navy release.

“Using unmanned assets helps put more players on the field by freeing up manned assets for more specific and important tasks,” Franchetti said in a statement included in the Navy release. “It’s good to see high-tech industry partnering with the traditional shipbuilding industrial base to rapidly deliver cutting-edge products at scale.”

Last month, the CNO said the Navy is making progress in experimentation and prototyping efforts for unmanned systems and is on pace to begin the widespread integration and operationalizing of unmanned platforms as early as fiscal year 2029.

By Nick Wilson
March 6, 2024 at 3:28 PM

The Marine Corps has officially awarded contracts to Textron Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems to design and produce 30mm autocannon Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle prototypes, according to a Wednesday service announcement indicating the prototype vehicles will be delivered in fiscal year 2025.

According to a separate Feb. 29 Pentagon contract announcement, Textron received $11.8 million while General Dynamics was awarded $10.9 million for this work. The awards cover the production of a single prototype vehicle per contractor, with an estimated completion date for both listed as Sept. 24, 2024.

The awards mark a continuation of the Marine Corps’ competitive prototyping approach for the ARV. Both contractors have already delivered initial ARV prototypes that went through a gauntlet of government testing in FY-23. The Marine Corps also evaluated a modified version of BAE Systems’ Amphibious Combat Vehicle but decided to cut BAE from the competition in favor of the Textron and GDLS vehicles.

While the initial prototypes were designed to deliver command, control, communications and computer/uncrewed aerial systems (C4UAS) capabilities, the new ARV-30 prototypes aim to provide Marines with mobile protected firepower.

In addition to the 30mm medium-caliber cannon, the new prototypes will be equipped with features including “anti-armor capability, modern command-and-control systems, and a full range of advanced sensors,” the Marine Corps notice states.

“The ARV-30 aims to combine the turret and weapon system found on the ACV-30,” said Light Armored Vehicles Program Manager Steve Myers in a statement included in the release. “Ensuring commonality is crucial, especially for the Marine Corps' capacity to maintain weapon systems with limited fleets. The prototyping of the ARV-30 allows the government to test and confirm the requirements before entering the engineering and manufacturing development phase.”

The Marine Corps anticipates releasing a request for proposals in the second quarter of FY-25 and awarding an EMD contract in the second quarter of FY-26. The service’s FY-24 budget request includes $63.6 million in continuing research and development funding for the program and projects procurement to begin in FY-28.

In February, the Marine Corps announced it would postpone an ARV industry day, first scheduled for Feb. 29, to an undisclosed date later in FY-24. At the industry day, the Marine Corps is expected to provide information on the upcoming EMD phase.

The ARV will succeed the legacy Light Armored Vehicle and become a primary platform supporting the service’s new Mobile Reconnaissance Battalions. The Marine Corps plans to procure a family of six mission role variants including organic precision fires, logistics, counter-UAS and recovery variants in addition to the ARV-30 and C4UAS versions.

By Nickolai Sukharev
March 6, 2024 at 3:01 PM

The United Arab Emirates Armed Forces conducted off-road tests to determine if the Infantry Squad Vehicle meets their technical and tactical needs, GM Defense announced Wednesday.

"GM Defense's ISV completed phases of the Summer Trials, which included traveling nearly 2,000 kilometers across highways, sand dunes, soft sand tracks and rocky walls,” according to a company press release.

Called the 2023 UAE Armed Forces Summer Trials, the tests included continuous driving with maximum payload capacities and are designed to test vehicle capability in rugged combat conditions, including extreme climate and diverse terrain, the release adds.

The ISV also went through two days of field repairs testing as well as maintenance and recovery evaluation “to help potential customers assess ease of repairs and sustainability.”

“This was GM Defense’s first time sending a vehicle to UAE Summer Trials, and our successful completion is a testament to the strength of our ISV and to the expertise and dedication of our team,” Steve duMont, GM Defense president, said in the release.

Designed to motorize infantry squads, the ISV is a four-wheeled open vehicle that transports soldiers and their equipment around the battlefield.

The vehicle entered full-rate production in 2023 and the Army intends to procure 143 vehicles in fiscal year 2024, according to service budget documents.

According to the 2021 Director for Operational Test and Evaluation report, the ISV was “not operationally effective for employment in combat and engagement, security cooperation and deterrence missions against a near-peer threat.”

The 2022 and 2023 DOT&E reports concluded the vehicle “demonstrated a significant improvement.”

By John Liang
March 6, 2024 at 2:04 PM

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news from an independent commission's final report on reforming the 1960s-era Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution system and more.

In its final report, the Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution Reform Commission makes 28 individual recommendations:

Key reform commission's final report looks to restructure DOD's 60s-era budgeting system

A bipartisan legislative commission has released long-awaited recommendations to reform the Defense Department's 1960s-era planning and budgeting system, seeking specifically that Congress grant the Pentagon greater spending flexibility while ensuring appropriate oversight.

Document: PPBE reform commission's final report

As part of a major aviation restructure announcement on Feb. 8 that saw the cancellation of the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft program, the Army also said it would "end uncertainty" over the future of the CH-47F Block II helicopter program by formally entering it into production, putting it on a path to full-rate production "in the future":

Army targeting FY-25 for milestone C on Chinook Block II

The Army intends to enter milestone C, or full-rate production, in fiscal year 2025 for the CH-47F Block II helicopter, according to a service official.

Our colleagues from Inside Cybersecurity with the latest on the Pentagon's CMMC program:

Tech group encourages Pentagon to expand CMMC program beyond DOD when finalized

The Information Technology Industry Council sees an opportunity for the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program to become a standard across the federal government, according to a filing from the trade association on the first CMMC proposed rule.

PSC seeks information from DOD on CMMC program costs, implementation needs

The Professional Services Council is calling for the Defense Department to do further analysis on potential costs for contractors and their suppliers to comply with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program before finalizing proposed regulations.

In case you missed it, here's our deep dive into the work of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division, now available to all:

Inside the Navy's $2B plan to surge solid-rocket motor production and revitalize a historic arsenal

As demand for munitions surges amid heightened global tensions, the Navy has launched a multibillion-dollar plan to fill critical industrial base gaps by revitalizing the government-run production of solid-rocket motors and other key energetics at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division.

By Nick Wilson
March 6, 2024 at 11:56 AM

As demand for munitions surges amid heightened global tensions, the Navy has launched a multibillion-dollar plan to fill critical industrial base gaps by revitalizing the government-run production of solid-rocket motors and other key energetics at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division.

This story is now available for all to read.

By Nick Wilson
March 6, 2024 at 11:14 AM

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith has returned to full duty status following an Oct. 29 heart attack and a subsequent open-heart surgery and four-month recovery period, according to a March 5 announcement from the service.

Assistant Commandant Gen. Christopher Mahoney, who has shouldered the duties of both the Marine Corps’ No. 1 and No. 2 positions during Smith’s recovery, will continue to serve as assistant commandant.

Prior to the cardiac arrest, Smith had been performing the duties of both commandant and assistant commandant due to Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-AL) blanket hold on military nominations and promotions, which prevented Mahoney’s confirmation until after Smith’s emergency occurred.

Following the heart attack, Smith underwent surgery to repair a bicuspid aortic valve -- a congenital heart abnormality that caused the cardiac arrest, according to the Marine Corps. Throughout the recovery period, Smith has repeatedly signaled his intent to return to the role of commandant.

“Gen. Smith and his family appreciate the full support of Congress, the leadership at the Department of Defense, Department of the Navy, the Joint Force and all who extended them their well wishes during his recovery,” the Marine Corps notice states.

By Dan Schere
March 6, 2024 at 9:55 AM

The Army has selected Palantir to develop 10 prototypes for the Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node (TITAN) ground station, the service announced today.

TITAN is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance ground station that will use artificial intelligence and machine learning to “rapidly process sensor data received from space, high-altitude, aerial and terrestrial layers,” according to the Army. It will provide intelligence used for targeting, reducing the sensor-to-shooter timeline and enabling multidomain operations.

TITAN will be the first Army intelligence ground station enabled by AI/ML and is meant to close a deep sensing capability gap by accessing data from multiple sensors across several layers.

Palantir had been competing with RTX during the competitive prototyping phase, and the Army made its selection after the company delivered an advanced prototype that incorporated operational requirements and user feedback from soldier touchpoints.

The next phase will include further maturing the selected prototypes through soldier touchpoints, Program Executive Officer for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors Brig. Gen. Ed Barker said in December.

By John Liang
March 5, 2024 at 2:25 PM

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news from a recent visit to the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division, plus satellite systems run by the Space Development Agency and more.

We start off with a deep dive into the work of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division, which our Navy reporters recently visited:

Inside the Navy's $2B plan to surge solid-rocket motor production and revitalize a historic arsenal

As demand for munitions surges amid heightened global tensions, the Navy has launched a multibillion-dollar plan to fill critical industrial base gaps by revitalizing the government-run production of solid-rocket motors and other key energetics at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division.

A variety of military services and combatant commands are seeking to use various satellite systems managed by the Space Development Agency:

Army C5ISR, Navy MTC in agreement to use SDA constellations

Army and Navy offices along with some combatant commands signed agreements to use the Space Development Agency's constellations of missile tracking and data transport satellites once the system is operational, according to SDA Director Derek Tournear.

Our colleagues at Inside AI Policy and Inside Cybersecurity have the latest on the Pentagon's artificial intelligence and cybersecurity efforts:

Public Citizen draws attention to uncertainty around U.S. use of autonomous weapons

A new report from the consumer group Public Citizen is highlighting the Defense Department's refusal to say whether it has tested any fully autonomous lethal weapons while pushing for a commitment against the use of such instruments, amid a rush of lobbying for the government to invest more in artificial intelligence technologies for warfighting.

PSC seeks information from DOD on CMMC program costs, implementation needs

The Professional Services Council is calling for the Defense Department to do further analysis on potential costs for contractors and their suppliers to comply with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program before finalizing proposed regulations.

CMMC accreditation body proposes changes to appeals process, conflicts-of-interest policy

The accreditation body behind the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program is suggesting changes to the proposed rule to implement the major initiative, including involving the Defense Department in the assessment appeals process and establishing consistency in conflict-of-interest requirements.

By Dan Schere
March 4, 2024 at 3:15 PM

The Army's Joint Targeting Integrated Command and Coordination Suite (JTIC2S), which will provide an automated fires targeting capability, is moving into development, the service announced today.

JTIC2S will give commanders “rapid data, situational awareness and visualization to successfully deliver fires,” according to a Monday announcement from the service. It will provide fires targeting capability and a “joint fires targeting common operational picture” for the joint force.

JTIC2S will link sensors and shooters “without the need for specific hardware,” according to the Army. The software program will provide data for both friendly and enemy units, and will be interoperable with joint, intelligence community and coalition forces systems, according to the service.

The software will process multiple data formats and utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning to “aid commanders and forces in the decision-making process,” the Army stated Monday. Instead of using Excel files and PowerPoints, the data will be displayed through 4-D visualization.

JTIC2S is among the efforts within the Army to modernize its network and make it more mobile and agile -- among Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George’s main transformation priorities for the force. The software program is currently in the engineering and manufacturing development phase. The Army will next develop the first iteration, test it in the field, incorporate soldier feedback and solicit industry for further development.

JTIC2S will ultimately replace the Joint Automated Deep Operations Coordination System (JADOCS), however the new program will be “backwards compatible” with JADOCS so that joint forces using the old system will still be able to communicate, according to Lt. Col. Timothy Godwin, product manager for the Program Executive for Office Command, Control, Communications-Tactical’s Fire Support Command and Control.

“We know that theaters fight differently. Developing JTIC2S as a software only program will help us integrate into any network, and as technology enhances, we can make changes without a lot of time and money,” Godwin said in a statement.

JTIC2S is a new start for fiscal year 2024, with the Army having requested $9.2 million for development, according to budget justification materials. In December, Defense One reported that prototyping activities would not be able to begin until Congress passes an FY-24 budget. Last week, Congress approved another continuing resolution that runs through March 22 for the Defense Department.

By John Liang
March 4, 2024 at 2:01 PM

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on amphibious ship funding, a nascent Cyber Operational Readiness Assessment program and more.

House Armed Services seapower subcommittee Chairman Trent Kelly (R-MS) and tactical air and land forces subcommittee Chairman Rob Whittman (R-VA), in a letter to the head of the Pentagon's cost assessment and program evaluation office, "underscore our shared understanding of future amphibious shipbuilding cost saving opportunities":

Lawmakers question CAPE on amphib requirement, urge multiship procurement in FY-25 budget request

In a letter addressed to the Pentagon's director of cost assessment and program evaluation, two senior members of the House Armed Services Committee urged the inclusion of multiship procurement authority for amphibious warships in the Defense Department's soon-to-be-released fiscal year 2025 budget request.

Document: Lawmakers' letter to CAPE on amphibious ship funding

Some recent cyber defense news:

New cyber operational assessment program launched

An element of U.S. Cyber Command has established a new Cyber Operational Readiness Assessment program, which aims to bolster Defense Department cybersecurity through re-occurring assessments.

CMMC accreditation body proposes changes to appeals process, conflicts-of-interest policy

The accreditation body behind the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program is suggesting changes to the proposed rule to implement the major initiative, including involving the Defense Department in the assessment appeals process and establishing consistency in conflict-of-interest requirements.

Industry groups raise concerns over CMMC compliance costs, program capacity needs

A coalition of industry groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is seeking flexibility when it comes to implementing requirements in the Pentagon’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, arguing that it is needed to address compliance costs as work to finalize regulations gets underway.

A new unmanned aircraft system was flown last week:

Air Force flew XQ-67A combat sensing drone for first time

The Air Force Research Laboratory on Wednesday flew General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' XQ-67A autonomous sensing aircraft for the first time, paving the way for "other aircraft 'species' to be rapidly replicated," the service said in a news release.

By Tony Bertuca
March 4, 2024 at 5:00 AM

Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak at several events this week in advance of the scheduled March 11 release of the fiscal year 2025 budget request.

Tuesday

The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts a discussion on defense industrial cooperation between the United States and Australia.

Wednesday

The House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee holds a hearing on the Army’s aviation rebalancing plan.

The Planning, Programming, Budget, and Execution Reform Commission releases its final report. Watch Inside Defensefor coverage.

Thursday

Senior defense officials speak at the McAleese Defense Programs Conference.

The Senate Armed Services Committee holds a hearing on U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command.

The Atlantic Council hosts a discussion on special operations forces in an era of strategic competition.

Friday

The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts a discussion with the Planning, Programming, Budget and Execution Reform Commission.