The Insider

By Tony Bertuca
January 17, 2023 at 5:00 AM

Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak at several events this week.

Wednesday

Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville speaks at an Association of the United States Army event.

The Navy League hosts a discussion with Rear Adm. Tracy Hines, the Navy Cyber Security division director at the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

Senior defense officials speak at the 2023 Space Acquisition Forum.

Thursday

Gen. Laura Richardson, the chief of U.S. Southern Command, speaks at the Atlantic Council.

By John Liang
January 13, 2023 at 1:32 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on a U.S.-Japan military technology agreement, the Marine Corps' need for the Light Amphibious Warship and more.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Japan’s Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu have signed a bilateral Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Memorandum of Understanding and a Security of Supply Agreement; the former is legally binding, the latter is not:

U.S., Japan mark 'consequential moment' with agreements to increase tech cooperation

The United States and Japan -- two global technology innovation powerhouses -- are teaming up to collaborate on high-power microwaves, autonomous systems and counter-hypersonic weapons, inking new agreements to expand military research and development while advancing plans for potential collaboration on a new Aegis guided-missile interceptor.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Roger Turner, the director of operations division plans, policies and operations, spoke this week at the Surface Navy Association's National Symposium:

LAW procurement critical to closing capability gap, Marine Corps official says

The Marine Corps' largest capability gap is the absence of the Light Amphibious Warship, according to a senior service official, who said closing this gap depends upon industry's ability to expediently deliver a "sufficient quantity" of the vessels.

More Marine Corps-related news:

Marines to base new regiment with robotically controlled ship-killing vehicles in Japan

The Defense Department plans to bolster the U.S. military presence in the Pacific region by converting a unit based in Japan to a Marine Littoral Regiment, a new formation designed to fight its way onto islands and maritime choke points, deploy its own long-range strike capabilities and create anti-access challenges for Chinese forces.

. . . Plus continuing coverage of the SNA Symposium:

Frustrated with shipyard delays, Navy officials talk tough on industry

Reducing shipyard delays is a top priority for the Navy, according to the commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, who expressed deep dissatisfaction today with the performance of the defense industrial base.

5th Fleet commander details 'digital ocean' concept after TF-59 reaches FOC

Over a year after its inception, the Navy's Mideast-based unmanned task force has reached full operational capability and U.S. 5th Fleet aims to expand its presence to create a "digital ocean" in the region as threats from Iran and other malign actors remain "very real."

By Dan Schere
January 13, 2023 at 11:20 AM

The Army plans to invest billions of dollars in cybersecurity and network modernization as part of the service's effort to achieve its technological advancement goals.

According to Army Under Secretary Gabe Camarillo, the service will invest:

  • More than $290 million in cloud migration;
  • More than $2 billion in cyber and cybersecurity operations and research; and
  • More than $9.8 billion in network modernization

According to a statement from Camarillo provided to Inside Defense, the Army’s digital transformation is “daunting in scope, incredibly complex and urgent.”

“But, if you take one thing away from this discussion, it’s that we -- meaning the Army, our partners in and outside government, and the people in this room -- can succeed and we have a plan to do so.”

Camarillo made the announcement on Thursday during the Army IT Day conference in McLean, VA, hosted by Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association International, Defense News reported.

By Michael Marrow
January 12, 2023 at 7:31 PM

After three years of effort to flesh out the Space Force, its second and newest chief of space operations said the service is now sufficiently mature to tackle the challenges ahead of it.

“We're not standing up the Space Force anymore, although there’s probably still some work,” Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, who took the reins of the service Nov. 2, said during a video interview with the Space Force Association Jan. 12. “We’re here. Now it’s time to deliver, to build capabilities, start producing on some of the promises that we’ve laid out,” he added.

The Space Force has a sizeable agenda for 2023. The Space Development Agency is set to begin launching Tranche 0 missile tracking and data transport satellites in March, advancing critical initiatives for modernized sensing capabilities and an infrastructure that can support more robust data transfer. The service is also gearing up to field its long-delayed, modernized GPS ground segment and pursue new acquisitions for key programs like space launches.

“My priorities are not going to surprise you, because they're really a continuation of all the work that's been done,” Saltzman said when asked about his top issues for the service going forward.

“No. 1 is we are going to have resilient, ready combat credible forces,” the general said. Noting “technology is not enough,” the service will need to invest in proper training and testing so that the force can deter adversaries, he added.

Saltzman described his “second line of effort” as “amplifying the Guardian spirit,” referencing enthusiasm for joining the Space Force and the need to “empower” service members to pursue new ideas. “That means we’ve got to put structures in place to take care of them,” he observed.

Saltzman listed partnerships as his third priority, underscoring the need to strengthen ties with other military services and nations. “It's got to be a deep, rich partnership based on mutual trust, mutual benefit. Everybody's got to get something out of it. This is not transactional,” he said.

Pointing to the Space Force having more applicants than it can accommodate, Saltzman said the service will need to be selective with the Guardians it brings on, but that the bigger challenge will be getting them to stay in.

“The hard part is retaining,” the general said.

By John Liang
January 12, 2023 at 1:39 PM

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on a Marine regiment being reorganized into a Marine Littoral Regiment, Navy officials complaining about shipyard delays and more.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this week announced the 12th Marine Regiment will be reorganized into the Okinawa-based 12th Marine Littoral Regiment by 2025:

Marines to base new regiment with robotically controlled ship-killing vehicles in Japan

The Defense Department plans to bolster the U.S. military presence in the Pacific region by converting a unit based in Japan to a Marine Littoral Regiment, a new formation designed to fight its way onto islands and maritime choke points, deploy its own long-range strike capabilities and create anti-access challenges for Chinese forces.

The head of U.S. Fleet Forces Command discussed several approaches to alleviating shipyard delays at this week's Surface Navy Association National Symposium:

Frustrated with shipyard delays, Navy officials talk tough on industry

Reducing shipyard delays is a top priority for the Navy, according to the commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, who expressed deep dissatisfaction today with the performance of the defense industrial base.

More from the SNA symposium:

5th Fleet commander details 'digital ocean' concept after TF-59 reaches FOC

Over a year after its inception, the Navy's Mideast-based unmanned task force has reached full operational capability and U.S. 5th Fleet aims to expand its presence to create a "digital ocean" in the region as threats from Iran and other malign actors remain "very real."

Navy targets 75 mission-capable ships as readiness 'north star'

Working to improve surface force readiness, the Navy has set a goal of keeping 75 ships designated as "mission capable" or "full mission capable" -- a north star target that will underpin all future surface force efforts, according to service leaders.

In a new twist, the Missile Defense Agency has decided not to specify the number of interceptors in the Ground-based Midcourse Defense fleet:

DOD increases size of GMD fleet; total number of operational GBIs no longer public

The Defense Department has added a small buffer to its limited inventory of intercontinental ballistic missile-killing interceptors, growing the Ground-based Midcourse Defense program by two guided missiles after harvesting enough spare parts to assemble a pair of the most modern variants of the homeland defense interceptor.

By Tony Bertuca
January 11, 2023 at 4:51 PM

Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the former chairman and current ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said today that getting a final fiscal year 2024 appropriations package in place is likely to be a challenge, given the new Republican majority in the House that is focused on capping spending.

“The legislative hostage-takers don't seem to care if the federal government functions,” he said today at the Brookings Institution.

“So, on the debt ceiling and on the appropriations bills, they have shown a willingness to take hostages and a certain enthusiasm for executing those hostages whether necessary or not. So, that's going to be a challenge.”

House Republicans are presently debating how they would cap discretionary spending at FY-22 levels, though there is confusion about whether they would seek to slash the defense budget.

Meanwhile, some House Republicans are expected to push to increase the $858 billion defense budget by 3% to 5% above the rate of inflation.

Smith said he thinks there will not be a $1 trillion defense budget in FY-24.

“I think it's highly unlikely we're going to be looking at a $1 trillion defense budget this year,” he said. “I mean, the biggest challenge we have in that regard is just to have a budget.”

Smith said he ultimately supported an $858 billion defense topline for FY-23 even though he thought the Pentagon could get by with less because he didn’t want to hold up the National Defense Authorization Act, which has been passed into law every year for more than six decades.

“I believe in democracy more than I believe in my own opinion,” he said. “You don't have to burn the house down just because they didn't give you what you want.”

Todd Harrison, managing director of Metrea Strategic Insights and previously an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, recently told Inside Defense in an email that he see sees “a lot of similarities” between the political climate of 2023 and 2011 when it comes to the debate over spending cuts.

“While I don't think we will end up with something exactly like the Budget Control Act and sequestration, I am increasingly seeing signs that we are headed in the same general direction,” he said. “Twelve years ago, it was disagreements over how to reduce overall federal spending (not defense specifically) that led to both sides taking the defense budget hostage. It didn't work out well for defense then, and I don't see why this time around would be any different. One can only hope that enough people in Congress and the executive branch still have scar tissue from the BCA that they won't let things go in that direction again.”

Harrison pointed out that, at the time, DOD was able to skirt BCA spending caps by placing tens of billions of dollars annually in its now defunct Overseas Contingency Operations account.

“This time around there would be no easy way to get around the budget caps like the OCO loophole,” he said.

By Tony Bertuca
January 11, 2023 at 2:00 PM

A new commission to assess the National Defense Strategy has been named, according to a Senate Armed Services Committee announcement.

The commission will be chaired by former Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), while Eric Edelman, a former ambassador and Pentagon policy chief who is currently a counselor at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, will be vice chair.

Other commissioners include retired Army four-star John “Jack” Keane, CSBA president and CEO Thomas Mahnken, Executive Vice President for Policy at the Center for American Progress Mara Rudman, Microsoft’s Mariah Sixkiller, Cloudfare Inc.’s Alissa Starzak and Roger Zakheim, the Washington director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.

The commission is required by Congress in the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.

Among other things, the commission is tasked with providing “an evaluation of the resources necessary to support the strategy, including budget recommendations.”

The previous NDS commission produced an influential report that eventually became the basis for GOP lawmakers seeking to annually increase defense spending between 3% and 5%.

Edelman, Keane, Mahnken and Zakheim all served on the previous commission, though Edelman was previously co-chair.

By John Liang
January 11, 2023 at 1:37 PM

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on whether House Republicans would stomach defense spending cuts, coverage of the Surface Navy Association's annual conference and more.

Now that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is in place, information is beginning to emerge concerning what kind of deals he had to strike and what sort of promises he had to make to win a historically contentious speaker's election:

GOP's ascension to House majority drives confusion over possible defense cuts

Depending on which senior House Republican you ask, defense spending cuts are either "on the table" or "have not been discussed."

Navy 5th Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Brad Cooper spoke this week at the Surface Navy Association's annual symposium:

5th Fleet commander details 'digital ocean' concept after TF-59 reaches FOC

Over a year after its inception, the Navy's Mideast-based unmanned task force has reached full operational capability and U.S. 5th Fleet aims to expand its presence to create a "digital ocean" in the region as threats from Iran and other malign actors remain "very real."

More from SNA:

Navy targets 75 mission-capable ships as readiness 'north star'

Working to improve surface force readiness, the Navy has set a goal of keeping 75 ships designated as "mission capable" or "full mission capable" -- a north star target that will underpin all future surface force efforts, according to service leaders.

In a new twist, the Missile Defense Agency has decided not to specify the number of interceptors in the Ground-based Midcourse Defense fleet:

DOD increases size of GMD fleet; total number of operational GBIs no longer public

The Defense Department has added a small buffer to its limited inventory of intercontinental ballistic missile-killing interceptors, growing the Ground-based Midcourse Defense program by two guided missiles after harvesting enough spare parts to assemble a pair of the most modern variants of the homeland defense interceptor.

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

Pentagon plans to formally propose changes to CMMC program ahead of official launch

Full implementation of the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program for defense contractors will likely shift to 2024 based on revised estimates from the Defense Department in the fall 2022 unified agenda, which indicates two proposed rules are expected for release in the coming months.

By Audrey Decker
January 11, 2023 at 1:14 PM

Lawmakers from the House Armed Services Committee have sent a letter to President Biden backing the tripartite AUKUS agreement after two senators voiced bipartisan concern that the security pact could harm the U.S. submarine industrial base.

A key feature of the AUKUS agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States is that Australia would be provided access to sensitive U.S. nuclear submarine propulsion technology. AUKUS members are expected to unveil the path for Australia to purchase a nuclear-powered submarine in March. The plan forward is much anticipated as Australia has no nuclear sector -- and the U.S. continues to face its own submarine industrial base challenges.

In December, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) sent a letter with now-retired Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) cautioning Biden that the AUKUS agreement is a “zero-sum game” that could stress the U.S. submarine industrial base to its “breaking point.” Reed and Inhofe’s letter was first reported by Breaking Defense.

In response to those concerns, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) released a letter yesterday in support of the pact, noting AUKUS is crucial for the security of the nation and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region.

In addition to Courtney, the letter was signed by a bipartisan group of lawmakers: Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Adam Smith (D-WA), Mike Rogers (R-AL), Trent Kelly (R-MS), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Rob Wittman (R-VA), Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Blake Moore (R-UT). Rogers has been named chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and Gallagher chairman of the Select Committee on China.

“Far from a zero-sum game, the potential for the United States to provide or build new submarines under AUKUS, should that be the recommendation of the trilateral consultation, could very well be a ‘rising tide that lifts all boats,’” House lawmakers state.

While the COVID-19 pandemic strained the submarine industrial base, those challenges will not remain “static” in the coming decades for AUKUS, according to the letter.

The three AUKUS countries are nearing the end of an 18-month consultation period which began in the fall of 2021 with the announcement of the security pact.

“Any proposals that come from the completion of the consultation process will require and receive close congressional scrutiny, balancing out our undersea needs here at home, the strategic security goals of AUKUS and the health and future of our industrial base. We do not, however, see these as mutually exclusive aims,” the House lawmakers said in their letter.

After blowback from Reed and Inhofe’s letter, Reed took to Twitter on Jan. 9, writing that he supports AUKUS. Successful implementation of the pact will require “responsible oversight and a stable industrial base,” he said.

By Tony Bertuca
January 10, 2023 at 2:16 PM

As soon as next week, about 100 Ukrainian troops will begin training at Ft. Sill, OK, to use the Patriot air defense system, which is expected to take several months, according to the Pentagon.

The move follows a U.S. announcement in December to send one Patriot battery to Ukraine.

Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said efforts will be made to accelerate the training but stressed it would not be shortchanged.

“These instructors will be the same instructors that already conduct training for U.S., allied and partner forces that go through Ft. Sill,” he said. “Once the training is complete, then the Patriot will be delivered so that then they can employ it. We'll continue to work as quickly as we can.”

Ryder said the training, first reported by the Washington Post, will cover not only the operation but also the maintenance of the Patriot system.

“If I give you a piece of equipment, I’m simply giving you a piece of equipment,” he said. “But if I give you the equipment and I give you the training, I now give you a capability.”

The Pentagon last week announced its largest aid package to Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion last February, a $2.85 billion package that included 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, anti-tank missiles and additional ammunition.

Ryder said the United States and Ukraine would “keep the dialog open” in terms of future training for Ukrainians on U.S. soil.

“The training school for U.S. and allied forces on Patriots is at Ft. Sill already,” he said. “So, they’ll be falling in on an existing capability in order to expedite the training and, again, get the system back into Ukraine so that they can use it to defend themselves.”

By John Liang
January 10, 2023 at 1:31 PM

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news from an interview with the head of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, contractors with "documented performance issues," the latest on the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program and more.

Inside Defense interviewed Fleet Forces Commander Adm. Daryl Caudle this week:

How the Navy's 'One Atlantic' initiative aims to deliver more presence to Europe

U.S. Fleet Forces Command is working on an initiative to "dissolve" the operational line in the Atlantic Ocean between U.S Northern Command and European Command -- allowing the Navy to deliver more capacity to NATO without having to send forces on full deployments.

Pentagon acquisition chief Bill LaPlante said analysis from the Pentagon's defense pricing and contracting team has concluded that DOD has a good record when it comes to awarding incentive fees to contractors:

DOD touts record for not rewarding contractors with 'documented performance issues'

The Defense Department, in response to concerns raised by Senate appropriators, has concluded after an "in-depth analysis" that it has not improperly awarded any incentive fees to contractors with "documented performance issues," according to a new report sent to Capitol Hill.

Document: DOD report on incentive fees, contractor performance

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

Pentagon plans to formally propose changes to CMMC program ahead of official launch

Full implementation of the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program for defense contractors will likely shift to 2024 based on revised estimates from the Defense Department in the fall 2022 unified agenda, which indicates two proposed rules are expected for release in the coming months.

Sensors developed by Boeing and Raytheon Technologies passed critical design reviews in November, though it wasn’t clear whether Space Systems Command would move forward with prototypes from both or push down to a single vendor:

SSC picks Boeing, Raytheon to move forward with Missile Track Custody prototypes

The Space Force has selected teams from Boeing's Millennium Space Systems and Raytheon Intelligence & Space to proceed with building prototypes for the service's Missile Track Custody program, according to a Space Systems Command official.

The Navy plans to outfit each of its three DDG-1000 destroyers with hypersonic strike missiles, removing the Advanced Gun System the service planned to field on the warship:

HII solidifies sole-source contract for hypersonic weapon install on Zumwalt

Shipbuilder and defense technology company HII has been awarded an advanced planning contract to upgrade the Navy’s stealth destroyer Zumwalt (DDG-1000), which will include adding long range hypersonic missiles to the ship class.

By Audrey Decker
January 10, 2023 at 1:02 PM

The Defense Information Systems Agency is asking for industry input on writing a "strategic roadmap" for next-generation electromagnetic spectrum development.

The Defense Department is developing the EMS roadmap, according to a Jan. 4 request for information. The Senate Armed Services Committee asked for an EMS plan in a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last summer and requested it again in the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.

Used for communications, radar and navigation, EMS will be an enabler in the Pentagon's Joint All-Domain Command and Control effort.

“The modern electromagnetic operating environment is increasingly congested, contested and constrained. This jeopardizes the U.S. military’s ability to sense, command, control, communicate, test, train, protect and project force effectively. Without the capabilities to assert spectrum superiority, the nation’s economic and national security will be exposed to undue and significant risk,” the RFI states.

The DOD is interested in “leap-ahead” spectrum-based technologies from industry that will benefit military operations as well as the entire EMS ecosystem, according to the department.

DISA outlined five goals for the DOD to focus on: “develop superior spectrum capabilities; evolve to an agile and fully integrated spectrum infrastructure; pursue total force readiness in the spectrum; secure enduring partnerships for spectrum advantage; and establish effective spectrum governance.”

The announcement added that the EMS planning process must consider the “rapid pace of emerging threats within the EMS from our near-peer adversaries including China and Russia.”

Responses from industry are due Feb. 10.

By John Liang
January 10, 2023 at 10:51 AM

Leidos has hired retired Navy Vice Adm. Frank Pandolfe to be vice president and strategic account executive for the Navy and Marine Corps.

Pandolfe will be responsible for strengthening the company's relationships with the Navy "and advancing opportunities that drive growth throughout the enterprise," according to a Leidos statement.

Before joining Leidos, Pandolfe was president of international operations for Owl Cyber Defense and Acuity International LLC in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Pandolfe served 37 years as a U.S. naval officer, leading Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO as well as the Navy 6th Fleet.

By Tony Bertuca
January 10, 2023 at 10:29 AM

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) has been named chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, marking the first time a member of Congress from Alabama will helm the panel, according to a statement from his office.

Rogers' advancement to the chair follows two years he spent as the committee’s ranking member when Democrats held the House majority.

“I am honored to have been selected by my House Republican colleagues to serve as chairman of the House Armed Services Committee,” he said in a statement. “Our nation faces unprecedented threats from China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. In order to deter these threats and remain the most feared force in the world we must ensure that our military focuses on lethality and capability. Over the next two years, the House Armed Services Committee will provide our warfighters with the resources and weapons they need to deter and, if necessary, defeat any adversary anywhere in the world.”

Rogers also said he plans to target “misguided” Biden administration policies that serve a “social agenda.”

“Those in charge of these initiatives will come before the committee to explain how they will protect our national security,” he said. “We will leave no stone unturned in holding the Biden administration accountable.”

Meanwhile, Rogers statement comes after a contentious election for House speaker in which he had to be physically restrained after lunging toward Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Rogers later apologized.

However, the speaker’s election, which Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) ultimately won by cutting various deals with a small number of Republican holdouts, has led to concerns that the GOP will cut defense spending in the coming year.

Rogers and Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), who is expected to chair the House Appropriations Committee, have said they will not stand for any cuts to national security spending.

By Michael Marrow
January 10, 2023 at 10:22 AM

A Virgin Orbit rocket carrying nine satellites failed yesterday evening, a setback for the company and a blow to the United Kingdom's first ever orbital launch attempt.

Mounted on a modified Boeing 747, the rocket was released from the aircraft and climbed to space but failed to reach its intended orbit, Virgin Orbit announced shortly after disclosing that an “anomaly” had occurred during flight. The rocket’s failure meant the loss of all nine satellites on board, including U.S. and U.K. government payloads.

“We have shown the U.K. is capable of launching into orbit, but the launch was not successful in reaching the required orbit,” U.K. Space Agency Director of Commercial Spaceflight Matt Archer said in the company’s release.

The LauncherOne system, as the rocket is called, previously failed in its first launch attempt in 2020 but has since achieved successful consecutive flights, the most recent being in July 2022. The rocket was intended to demonstrate resilient space launch operations as a collaboration between U.S. and U.K. defense agencies.

Two of the satellites mounted on LauncherOne were jointly developed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and the U.K. Ministry of Defence’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory to “measure the ionosphere and radiation environment from multiple vantage points,” Space Systems Command stated in a Jan. 9 press release.

The cubesats, called Coordinated Ionospheric Reconstruction Cubesat Experiment (CIRCE) satellites, were procured by the Space Test Program office in partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit to support STP’s Rapid Agile Launch Initiative, the press release added. According to Virgin Orbit, the launch itself had been procured by the National Reconnaissance Office.

Two other U.K. government payloads, cubesats called Prometheus-2, were also mounted on the rocket and were designed to advance remote sensing capabilities and the development of ground systems. Another satellite was meant to be Oman’s very first orbital mission and pave the way for a future constellation, according to a manifest shared by Virgin Orbit. The other four disclosed payloads were commercial.

“While we are very proud of the many things that we successfully achieved as part of this mission, we are mindful that we failed to provide our customers with the launch service they deserve,” Virgin Orbit Chief Executive Officer Dan Hart said in the company’s release announcing the failed launch.

“We will work tirelessly to understand the nature of this failure, make corrective actions, and return to orbit as soon as we have completed a full investigation and mission assurance process,” he added.