The Insider

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Army's HADES intelligence aircraft program, Navy submarine procurement and more.

HADES is intended to be an advanced military aircraft system designed to gather critical intelligence from the air, helping the Army stay ahead of high-level threats:

Army eyes 'emerging requirement' for HADES ISR aircraft armed with launched effects

The Army is exploring plans to arm its High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft with new launched effects, seeking industry input on mounting released assets to a high-flying, fast-moving plane.

The CEO of HII spoke to reporters this week about submarine procurement:

Finalizing 17-sub buy will require a 'SAWS-like approach,' HII CEO says

Finalizing the delayed contract award for 17 new nuclear-powered submarines will require a "SAWS-like approach," HII CEO Chris Kastner said today, referring to a Navy proposal intended to combat submarine schedule delays and cost growth by restructuring how the vessels are paid for.

Inside Defense chatted this week with the Army's No. 2 civilian official:

Army under secretary says all-electric vehicles may still be a bit down the road

Outgoing Under Secretary Gabe Camarillo says the Army wants to prioritize hybrid electric drive vehicles and suggested recently that it may be too soon to move forward in developing an all-electric combat vehicle.

Based on his experience in the first Trump administration, during which time he worked at the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation then the National Space Council, Jared Stout said the incoming administration may take some steps to break down existing burdens on vendors with national security-related space businesses:

Former Trump official: Regulation, acquisition process stymieing space innovation

Though the Defense Department continues to talk about supporting commercial innovation and speeding acquisition, a former Trump administration official said space programs won’t be able to match the speed of technological advancement with the current acquisition and regulatory processes.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was in Germany this week, where he presided over his last meeting of the multinational Ukraine Defense Contact Group:

Austin moves final tranche of Ukraine aid amid political uncertainty and Trump's arrival

The Biden administration announced what is expected to be its final military aid package for Ukraine today, authorizing $500 million in weapons transfers and leaving nearly $4 billion in spending authority unused and at the disposal of President-elect Trump, who has been critical of U.S. aid to Kyiv.

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on space innovation, Ukraine military aid, the future of irregular warfare and more.

Based on his experience in the first Trump administration, during which time he worked at the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation then the National Space Council, Jared Stout said the incoming administration may take some steps to break down existing burdens on vendors with national security-related space businesses:

Former Trump official: Regulation, acquisition process stymieing space innovation

Though the Defense Department continues to talk about supporting commercial innovation and speeding acquisition, a former Trump administration official said space programs won’t be able to match the speed of technological advancement with the current acquisition and regulatory processes.

The announcement of the Biden administration sending its final military aid package to Ukraine this week coincides with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's trip to Germany, where he is presiding over his last meeting of the multinational Ukraine Defense Contact Group:

Austin moves final tranche of Ukraine aid amid political uncertainty and Trump's arrival

The Biden administration announced what is expected to be its final military aid package for Ukraine today, authorizing $500 million in weapons transfers and leaving nearly $4 billion in spending authority unused and at the disposal of President-elect Trump, who has been critical of U.S. aid to Kyiv.

The United States might have the higher-quality people and technology to outmatch adversaries, but only if it doesn't get bogged down in requirements and rigid funding rules:

Operator-led procurements are needed to keep up with adversaries, assistant defense secretary says

As the future of irregular warfare shifts, innovation also needs to change, Christopher Maier, assistant defense secretary for special operations and low-intensity conflict, argued this week.

The Army reallocated more than $1 billion in planned future funding from the Stryker Upgrade program in its fiscal year 2025 budget request documents:

'Balance the books': Stryker program stalls to fund other Army initiatives

The Stryker Upgrade program is getting gutted, and outgoing Army Under Secretary Gabe Camarillo blames years of flat funding.

The Government Accountability Office this week released its Dec. 23, 2024 redacted decision on L3Harris' protest of an Army spy plane contract:

GAO: L3Harris bid for HADES award lacked necessary technical detail

An ultimately unsuccessful bid by L3Harris for the Army's High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) spy plane program failed due to a lack of technical detail the company provided in its proposal, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Document: GAO decision on L3Harris protest of Army HADES contract award to Sierra Nevada

The Army issued a request for information today seeking aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance Launched Effects capabilities that can be integrated on medium/high-altitude aerial platforms.

The Army is developing three Launched Effects variants:

• Short Range (range of 40 to 125 km)
• Medium Range (range of 100 to 500 km)
• Long Range (range of 200 to 1,000 km)

According to today’s notice, the Special Electronic Mission AC Product Directorate within the Fixed Wing Project Office has an emerging requirement for a Launched Effects Capability to be integrated on a medium/high-altitude, higher airspeed aerial-ISR aircraft. An operational capability is to be demonstrated in the “Fiscal Year 2026 timeframe.”

The Launched Effects systems would be integrated onto an aircraft that can operate at altitudes higher than 41,000 feet above mean sea level and above 400 knots “true airspeed” for more than seven hours, according to the notice.

The LE would be carried and deployed from “pylons at the inboard or outboard wing hardpoint stations” of the aircraft in a “non-pressurized environment,” according to the Army.

Vendors are asked to submit questions about the RFI by Jan. 15 and must submit synopsis responses and comments by Feb. 7.

The National Nuclear Security Administration has completed the last production unit of the B61-12 Life Extension Program, according to a Tuesday announcement.

The last of the modified gravity bombs was completed in December, the announcement stated, extending the service life of the air-delivered nuclear weapon for at least 20 more years.

“Completing the B61-12 on schedule is the latest example of what we’ve been saying for several years now: NNSA is delivering capabilities at the pace and scale needed by our Department of Defense partners and our deterrence requirements,” said Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security and NNSA Administrator Jill Hruby.

The life extension program delivered the first production unit in November 2021 and completed the program in just over three years.

“The B61-12 balances greater accuracy provided by the modern tail kit assembly with a substantial reduction in yield with no overall change in military characteristics,” the notice said.

NNSA will now transition to producing the B61-13 nuclear bomb with the first production unit expected in fiscal year 2026. The organization is also working on six other warhead modernization programs and modernizing manufacturing capabilities.

Mercury Systems this week announced the departure of Roger Krone from its board of directors and the appointment of Jean Bus as its new independent director.

Since joining Mercury’s board, Krone has been appointed as president and CEO of the Boy Scouts of America "and is planning to focus his time on the Boy Scouts and other business matters," according to a company statement.

Bus is the chief financial officer of NetScout Systems, a network performance and cybersecurity solutions company. She will serve on the board's audit and government relations committees, according to Mercury.

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) has officially been named chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Wicker, who previously served as the committee’s ranking member before the GOP won the Senate majority, recently proposed legislation seeking new Pentagon acquisition reforms. He is also working on a proposal to increase defense spending via an upcoming Republican budget reconciliation package.

Wicker is a long-time advocate for increasing U.S. defense spending, arguing it should be 5% of the gross domestic product.

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest starts off with an Air Force decision to update the fleets at several Air National Guard units, DOD identifies more Chinese military companies, a new report says the Navy’s shipbuilding budget will grow quite a bit in the years to come, and the Navy is looking to buy a new landing ship.

A few ANG units will get new aircraft:

F-15EX, F-35A to replace some Air National Guard F-15C/D squadrons

The Air Force last month approved a plan to replace old F-15C/D Eagle jets with newer aircraft considered more combat capable at three Air National Guard squadrons, according to a record of decision posted today in the Federal Register.

The Defense Department has added to its list of ‘Chinese military companies’:

DOD unveils latest list of ‘Chinese military companies’

The Defense Department has updated its list of “Chinese military companies” operating directly or indirectly in the United States, adding several large tech firms associated with artificial intelligence, battery manufacturing and gaming, according to a new Federal Register notice.

A congressional report says to look for increased shipbuilding costs in the decades ahead:

CBO: Shipbuilding costs over next 30 years could climb 17% past Navy’s estimates

Total shipbuilding costs for the Navy over the next 30 years could average $40 billion -- 17% more than the service estimated -- largely due to cost growth among various programs, the Congressional Budget Office found.

The Navy is looking for an off-the-shelf landing ship:

Navy seeks non-developmental landing ship with new RFI

Naval Sea Systems Command published a request for information today seeking domestic shipbuilders capable of producing a non-developmental landing ship with the ability to onload and offload cargo during shore-to-shore beaching operations.