The Insider

Navy to hold October industry day for torpedo countermeasures system
By Nick Wilson
September 12, 2024 at 3:27 PM

The Navy will hold an industry day next month as it prepares to initiate a contract competition for a torpedo countermeasures system, the AN/SLQ-25E NIXIE, according to a Thursday service announcement.

Organized by Naval Undersea Warfare Division Newport, the Oct. 22 industry day will provide interested companies with technical information on the system’s requirements while gathering industry feedback.

The Navy plans to award an eventual contract for the system in June 2026, the announcement indicates.

Massachusetts-based company Ultra Electronics Ocean Systems is the system’s incumbent producer. In December 2020, the Navy awarded Ultra a $186 million production contract, the company announced at the time.

The AN/SLQ-25E NIXIE is used by U.S. and ally Navy ships for protection against torpedo attacks. Towed behind a warship, the decoy device emits simulated ship noises to catch the attention of a torpedo’s sonar and draw it to the device rather than the ship itself.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Sept. 12, 2024
By John Liang
September 12, 2024 at 2:19 PM

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on Anduril unveiling a new family of cruise missiles, a couple of Space Force missile warning programs passing certain reviews and more.

Anduril today unveiled a new family of cruise missiles:

Anduril debuts new family of autonomous cruise missiles as a low-cost and 'mass-producible' option

Anduril Industries today unveiled its new "Barracuda" strain of software-defined, air-breathing cruise missiles that are described as similar in performance to one-way drones but would cost significantly less than comparable systems and be easy to build at scale, according to company officials.

The Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Polar and Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution programs both passed certain reviews late last month, a significant step toward fielding the capabilities:

Next Gen OPIR Polar and FORGE pass critical design review

Two of the Space Force's missile warning programs have completed ground-critical design and system-critical integration reviews, Space Systems Command announced today.

DIU awarded the agreements in January to vendors Ditto, Syntiant and HarperDB, who “demonstrated project capabilities” in line with its Common Operational Database initiative:

DIU awards three prototypes for uncrewed Navy platform operations

The Defense Innovation Unit announced today that three prototype agreements were awarded to vendors earlier this year for commercial technology meant to enable a database that allows uncrewed Navy systems to "operate effectively in disconnected, denied intermittent and/or limited bandwidth environments."

The National Industry Security Program -- a partnership between federal agencies and the private sector aimed at safeguarding classified information -- allows agencies to evaluate the foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI) of an entity seeking partnership with or contracts and awards provided by the federal government:

DOD seeks to adopt NISP process to better assess foreign ownership risks

The Pentagon is seeking to adopt a process used across the federal government to collect information on the foreign ownership of entities seeking government contracts, arguing the move would create more consistency in efforts to evaluate foreign interest-related risks, according to a Federal Register notice scheduled to be published tomorrow.

Facing financial constraints imposed by the 2023 Fiscal Responsibility Act, the Air Force in FY-25 sought to slash its planned buy of MH-139s nearly in half, from 80 to 42 helicopters:

Air Force to 'buy back' 14 Grey Wolf helos starting in FY-26, lessening Nunn-McCurdy breach

The Air Force will narrowly reduce cost growth for its MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopter program from "critical" to "significant" status as the Pentagon allows the service to purchase additional aircraft in the fiscal year 2026 budget "to support mission requirements," according to a recent Selected Acquisition Report.

Document: DOD modernized SAR on the Air Force's Grey Wolf program

Air Force awards Raytheon $1.19 billion for additional AMRAAM production
By Vanessa Montalbano
September 12, 2024 at 2:01 PM

The Air Force yesterday awarded missile-maker Raytheon $1.19 billion in an "incentive modification" to produce Lot 38 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, making it the largest AMRAAM award to date, the company said.

“This modification adds additional production of the AMRAAM missiles, AMRAAM telemetry system, initial and field spares and other production engineering support hardware and activities,” the Pentagon’s contract announcement states.

The buy wields nearly $324 million in fiscal year 2024 procurement funds from the Pentagon’s budget, about $262 million from the Navy’s FY-24 weapon’s procurement budget and roughly $603 million in foreign military sales, among additional funds for research and development and operations and maintenance.

It follows a June 2023 Lot 37 award for $1.15 billion.

“Air dominance is critical to staying ahead of increasingly advanced adversary threats,” Paul Ferraro, president of Air & Space Defense Systems at Raytheon, said in a statement. “AMRAAM is the most advanced, combat-proven missile system, and this contract ensures we continue to provide our warfighters with the cutting-edge technology they need.”

AMRAAM Lot 38 marks the sixth production lot of missiles developed under the Form, Fit, Function Refresh, or F3R, Raytheon said.

F3R is a modification which features improved guidance circuitry and new software, according to the company. It includes a fresh processor to support more advanced algorithms and upgrades to 15 circuit cards in the missile’s guidance section.

Production work will take place in Tucson, AZ and should be completed by Dec. 31, 2028. Wednesday’s contact allows for foreign military sales to Bahrain, Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

Navy S&T board meeting today to review new recommendations
By Abby Shepherd
September 12, 2024 at 10:57 AM

The Navy's Science and Technology Board will meet today to review recommendations for innovation, ship maintenance, additive manufacturing and electronic warfare, according to a Federal Register notice.

The meeting will consist of an open, public session in the morning, then move to a closed session due to classified topics.

The S&T board launched in September 2023, and advises the Navy on acquisition practices and manufacturing, among other areas. In April, the Navy also released its S&T strategy, which heavily emphasized the bolstering of unmanned systems and the shipbuilding industrial base.

Army selects Anduril, Performance Drone Works for first tranche of company-level SUAS requirement
By Dan Schere
September 12, 2024 at 9:39 AM

The Army has selected Anduril Industries’ Ghost X and Performance Drone Works’ C-100 for the first tranche of the service’s new company-level small uncrewed aircraft system directed requirement, the Program Executive Office for Aviation announced Wednesday.

The Army approved the directed requirement in June 2023 to “deliver immediate, commercially available capability to meet operational requirements” in support of brigade combat teams, according to the service.

The small UAS directed requirement enables maneuver companies to “conduct multiple tasks with rapidly reconfigurable, attritable, modular payload capabilities to execute reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition missions.”

The directed requirement is based on recent observations made during the Ukraine and Gaza wars, according to Gen. James Rainey, commanding general of Army Futures Command.

“This requirement describes the importance of considering the UAS as a system, not just an air vehicle, and also highlights the importance of adaptability,” he said in a statement.

The award has a value of $14.4 million and uses the Defense Logistics Agency’s Tailored Logistics Support 10-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract, according to the Army.

Both the Ghost X and the C-100 are on the Defense Innovation Unit’s blue list for commercial drones -- those that have been vetted in accordance with compliance requirements set by the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. Additionally, the Army received funding from DIU to “accelerate” the company level SUAS program.

Soldiers experimented with Ghost drones during the Army’s recent Transformation in Contact exercise at Ft. Johnson, LA last month -- a new Army approach in which soldiers experiment with and give feedback on new technologies, including drones. Alex Miller, the chief science and technology adviser to the chief of staff, said at the time the Ghost is an example of the type of drone the Army was considering for equipping the company level.

Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George said in a statement Wednesday that this recent award is an example of how the service intends to transform in contact.

“Transforming in contact is the way our Army can adapt its formations and get new technology in the hands of soldiers to experiment, innovate, learn, and change at the pace required. The Company Level Small UAS Directed Requirement effort is a great example of how we are achieving this,” he said.

Future Tactical UAS prototypes undergo MOSA, flight tests
By Dan Schere
September 11, 2024 at 4:43 PM

The prototypes of the two competing vendors in the Army's Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft System program have undergone Modular Open System Approach (MOSA) "conformance evaluations" as well as flight tests, the service announced today.

FTUAS, among the Army’s Future Vertical Lift modernization initiatives, will help brigade combat teams conduct reconnaissance and surveillance to assist the BCT commander during multidomain operations. Capabilities of the aircraft include vertical takeoff and landing, as well as “on-the-move" command and control and the ability to keep pace with technology by conducting “rapid capability insertions” through MOSA.

The Army down selected Textron Systems and Griffon Aerospace as the final two competitors for the program last year.

During the MOSA evaluations, conducted in Huntsville, AL in May, the prototypes’ mission computers were replaced with a third-party surrogate mission computer, and a “mix of third-party and vendor software,” the Army stated Wednesday in a press release. This allowed an assessor to measure the “openness and modularity” of the hardware and software systems to analyze compliance with MOSA objectives.

The evaluation “demonstrated early implementation of and alignment with required MOSA functional boundaries,” according to the service.

The Army then conducted flight demonstrations at Redstone Test Center with both company prototypes, with each demonstrating VTOL, reduced acoustic signature, on-the-move C2 and flight performance, according to the service.

Each vendor will continue its prototype development and incorporate lessons learned for future prototypes that will be used in government testing at Redstone. Those future tests will ultimately inform the Army’s final selection in the competition before FTUAS becomes a program of record.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Sept. 11, 2024
By John Liang
September 11, 2024 at 1:57 PM

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Air Force's effort to replace Huey helicopters at its ballistic missile silo fields, congressional defense modernization caucuses and more.

Facing financial constraints imposed by the 2023 Fiscal Responsibility Act, the Air Force in FY-25 sought to slash its planned buy of MH-139s nearly in half, from 80 to 42 helicopters:

Air Force to 'buy back' 14 Grey Wolf helos starting in FY-26, lessening Nunn-McCurdy breach

The Air Force will narrowly reduce cost growth for its MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopter program from "critical" to "significant" status as the Pentagon allows the service to purchase additional aircraft in the fiscal year 2026 budget "to support mission requirements," according to a recent Selected Acquisition Report.

Defense modernization caucuses in both congressional chambers will focus on innovative technologies and ways to bolster national security:

New Senate Defense Modernization Caucus calls for 'rational' risks

Directors for research and development and procurement in the Defense Department need to take "rational" risks, said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), co-chair of the newly formed Senate Defense Modernization Caucus.

By attaching munitions to the Air Force's upcoming robot wingmen, the service has said it can take more risks without putting pilots directly in harm's way:

RTX working with Anduril, General Atomics to fit AMRAAM onto CCA prototypes

As the Air Force prepares to field Collaborative Combat Aircraft by the end of the decade, it is turning to Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles and other munitions otherwise fitted onto manned platforms to equip the drones for battle, according to Jon Norman, head of air power requirements and capabilities at Raytheon.

A new Government Accountability Office report recommends the Defense Department "identify: roles and responsibilities for providing data needed to model DOD's requirements for all critical materials and report all shortfalls, the risks associated with unmodeled materials, and the status of previous stockpiling recommendations":

GAO: DOD failing to provide sufficient info on critical stockpile risks

The Defense Department has not collected or provided Congress with sufficient information to address risks or shortfalls in the supply chain for materials deemed critical for national defense, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.

Document: GAO report on the national defense stockpile

News on air and missile defense for Guam:

Pentagon seeks 'integrated battle manager' for new Guam air and missile defense

The Guam Defense System Joint Program Office, an Army-led shop established earlier this year now beginning its work in earnest, is asking industry for ideas on developing a cutting-edge battle management system that can integrate seamlessly with existing integrated air and missile defense command and control systems.

Johnson forced to delay CR vote after GOP defections
By Tony Bertuca
September 11, 2024 at 12:57 PM

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), lacking the support of key Republicans, has decided to withdraw a stopgap continuing resolution today that proposes to avert a partial government shutdown for the next six months beyond the looming Sept. 30 deadline and would require proof of U.S. citizenship to vote in federal elections.

The speaker told reporters that the CR and the attached voting security bill would be pulled from the House floor schedule today to give the GOP time to “build consensus” over the weekend, according to a transcript provided by Johnson’s office.

“Nope, no vote today because we're in the consensus-building business here in Congress with small majorities,” he said. “That's what you do. That's what I've been doing since I became speaker. We're having thoughtful conversations, family conversations within the Republican conference, and I believe we'll get there. So, people have concerns about all sorts of things. That's how the process works, and sometimes it takes a little more time.”

Several Republicans, including House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL), said earlier this week that they did not support Johnson’s six-month CR proposal because it would hurt the Defense Department. Under the CR, DOD’s budget would be frozen at the level Congress enacted in fiscal year 2024 and it would be prohibited from spending on new modernization programs or increasing weapons production.

House Democrats also oppose the CR and the voting bill, leaving Johnson with a thin margin of error on the vote.

Meanwhile, the Democrat-controlled Senate is demanding a “clean” CR free of the voting security bill Johnson has attached to it. The White House has also said that President Biden intends to veto Johnson’s CR proposal if it were to somehow arrive at his desk.

Johnson, however, said he would continue to work to pass both bills.

“Congress has a lot of responsibilities, but two primary obligations responsibly fund the government and make sure that our elections are free and fair and secure,” he said. “And that's what we're working on. And we'll continue and we'll keep you posted.”

Earlier this week, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin sent a letter to Congress detailing the ways in which the six-month CR would harm military readiness and weapons modernization.

“A six-month CR would set us significantly behind in meeting our pacing challenge highlighted in our National Defense Strategy -- the People’s Republic of China (PRC),” he wrote. “The PRC does not operate under CRs. Our ability to execute our strategy is contingent upon our ability to innovate and modernize to meet this challenge, which cannot happen under a CR.”

Navy awards NGJ-LB EMD contract to L3Harris
By Abby Shepherd
September 11, 2024 at 12:45 PM

(Editor's Note: This has been updated to reflect an L3 Harris statement released on Sept. 12.)

The Navy recently awarded L3Harris Technologies a contract worth over $587 million for the engineering and manufacturing development of the Next Generation Jammer Low Band system, part of the plan to replace the current ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System used on the EA-18G Growler aircraft.

“NGJ-LB will meet current and emerging electronic warfare threats and increase the lethality of 4th and 5th generation platforms and strike weapons,” Program Executive Officer for Tactical Aircraft Programs Rear Adm. John Lemmon said in a Navy news release. “The Navy will partner with L3Harris to get this key capability into the hands of the warfighter.”

NGJ-LB is scheduled to reach early operational capability in 2029 according to the Navy. The system is the service’s plan to recapitalize its airborne electronic-attack capabilities. L3Harris plans on delivering eight operational prototype pods to the Navy for "fleet assessment and additional test assets for airworthiness and design verification over the next five years," according to a Sept. 12 company statement.

The system’s contract was originally awarded to L3Harris for over $544 million in 2020 yet faced opposition at the time. Northrop Grumman alleged to the Government Accountability Office that L3Harris had conflicts of interest, but GAO dismissed these charges.

This was followed by another Northrop Grumman filing to GAO, which was sent to the Court of Federal Claims, prohibiting the Navy from moving the EMD award forward. In 2022, all three parties agreed in a Justice Department settlement to re-open the competition, with a goal to determine a source by early 2023.

“The contract award is a major step for our fleet as well as the" Royal Australian Air Force, Airborne Electronic Attack Systems Program Office Manager Capt. David Rueter said in the news release. “Our partnership with Australia to develop the newest AEA jamming capability exhibits our joint commitment to ensure continued superiority over the electromagnetic spectrum.”

BlueForge awarded $951 million for continued submarine industrial base work
By Nick Wilson
September 11, 2024 at 10:51 AM

The Navy has awarded Texas-based non-profit BlueForge Alliance a $951 million contract for submarine industrial base work, according to a Pentagon announcement.

Under the sole-source award, BlueForge will “support planning, resourcing, coordinating, and uplifting the U.S. Submarine Industrial Base and Foreign Military Sales requirements,” the Tuesday announcement states.

The Navy has already tapped BlueForge to oversee various efforts to strengthen the submarine industrial base. Founded in 2022, The organization has run advertising campaigns to attract workers to the industry, including television ads and the recruiting website buildsubmarines.org.

If all options are exercised, the value of the contract could climb to over $980 million, the announcement continues, indicating $503 million of the Navy’s fiscal year 2024 funding will be obligated at time of the award.

The award comes amid continued Navy efforts to improve submarine production to a sustained rate of at least one Columbia- and two Virginia-class boats per year. With both programs running behind schedule, the Navy’s FY-25 budget proposes a $3.9 billion single-year submarine industrial base investment and $11.1 billion over the next five years.

However, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has warned that a six-month stopgap spending package proposed by House Republicans would compromise these efforts and lead to further delays for the Columbia program.

DOD backs senior Army nominee being blocked by Tuberville
By Tony Bertuca
September 10, 2024 at 5:03 PM

The Pentagon is urging the Senate to confirm Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark as the top Army commander in the Pacific amid a hold put in place by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who is blocking the nomination over concerns that Clark played a role in the secrecy surrounding Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's hospitalization earlier this year.

Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s top spokesman, said today the Senate should confirm Clark to be the Army’s top general in the Pacific -- the Defense Department’s “priority theater” -- as he is “a highly qualified senior officer” who has served in numerous leadership positions throughout his career.

“He's exactly the kind of leader we need,” Ryder said. “I just can't speak highly enough of [Lt. Gen.] Clark and his qualifications for this position.”

Blocking DOD nominees is nothing new for Tuberville, who faced criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike last year for holding scores of DOD nominations and promotions over his opposition to the department’s travel and leave policy for servicemembers seeking abortion services. He eventually relented, lifting a blanket hold on more than 400 military nominees.

Tuberville’s office told the Washington Post that the senator is concerned that Clark, while he served as a senior aid to Austin, did not immediately alert the White House about the defense secretary’s condition.

Ryder said the Pentagon’s own internal review found “it was clear that at no time was there a gap in the chain of command” while Austin was hospitalized. The review, however, has been criticized by GOP lawmakers and the DOD inspector general has launched its own investigation into the matter. The IG’s office did not immediately respond to a request for information on the status of the review, which was announced in January.

Austin has testified before Congress and apologized for the secrecy surrounding his hospitalization, which was related to a urinary tract infection following surgery to treat prostate cancer.

Meanwhile, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) told Politico he may work with other lawmakers to override Tuberville’s hold on Clark, who was first nominated in July.

Back at the Pentagon, Ryder said the Senate should also consider the disruptions Tuberville’s previous holds had on the military.

“We would urge the Senate to confirm all of our qualified nominees and, as we’ve seen before, these kinds of holds can really undermine our military readiness,” he said.

Third INDUS-X summit announces updated MOU between U.S., Indian defense innovation hubs
By Theresa Maher
September 10, 2024 at 3:20 PM

The third India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) Summit on Monday featured the signing of an “upgraded” memorandum of understanding between the Defense Innovation Unit and its Indian counterpart, according to a Defense Department announcement today.

The MOU signed by DIU and the Indian Ministry of Defense’s Defense Innovation Organization “demonstrates a shared commitment to expanding cooperation on defense innovation between DIU and DIO to expand their respective militaries’ access to cutting-edge technologies through non-traditional processes,” the release said.

The summit, held in Silicon Valley, CA, also saw the release of a new INDUS-X webpage outlining the program’s goals, partnership opportunities, participating companies and upcoming events, according to DOD.

The Senior Advisory Group, a group of U.S. and Indian officials, also hosted their third meeting at the summit, along with the Senior Leaders Forum. Both meetings focused on establishing new initiatives and furthering the progress of current activities under INDUS-X.

The summit comes seven months after the second, held in New Delhi, India, during which DOD and the Indian Ministry of Defense announced the winners of the first two INDUS-X challenges focusing on leveraging commercial technology for military use.

In conjunction with the second summit in February, the Pentagon also released an INDUS-X fact sheet to outline the initiative’s accomplishments to date and its near-term priorities.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Sept. 10, 2024
By John Liang
September 10, 2024 at 1:27 PM

Coverage of a proposed GOP-led stopgap continuing resolution dominates this Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest.

We start off with the White House threatening to veto the continuing resolution proposed by the House speaker:

Johnson preps for vote on six-month CR, Biden threatens veto

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is planning to schedule a Wednesday vote on a proposed six-month continuing resolution that faces bipartisan opposition and has drawn a veto threat from the White House.

Document: Statement of administration policy on House GOP's CR

We also have additional coverage of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's letter detailing the problems a CR would mount for the Navy:

Austin: Six-month CR further jeopardizes Columbia schedule

The six-month continuing resolution proposed by House Republicans would delay funding for several Columbia-class submarines, driving further cost growth and schedule challenges for the already-strained program and jeopardizing modernization of the sea-based leg of the nuclear triad, according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The Air Force:

Austin: Six-month CR may again derail Air Force Operational Imperatives

After finally getting the go-ahead in the fiscal year 2024 budget to kick-off several key Air Force projects as part of its Seven Operational Imperatives, a proposed six-month temporary spending bill for FY-25 is again threatening to delay the service's swift modernization and readiness plans, according to a new letter Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has sent to Capitol Hill leadership.

. . . and the Army:

Austin says proposed CR would push GMLRS production lead time from 24 to 30 months

Production lead time for the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System would increase from 24 to 30 months under a six-month continuing resolution that House Republicans have proposed, according to a letter from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

A new Government Accountability Office report finds the Defense Department "has made some progress developing the necessary ground, space, and user equipment to use M-code. But DOD faces challenges with all 3 segments":

Air Force delays risk pushing Pentagon GPS modernization into 2030s

The Air Force is facing space-related program delays that could push the entire Defense Department effort to modernize the Global Positioning System into the 2030s, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.

Document: GAO report on GPS modernization

Planned for launch in 2026, a small satellite dubbed Q4S will be the first to test some quantum entanglement swapping capabilities from space:

Boeing planning 2026 demo of quantum communications on-orbit

Boeing plans to launch a first-of-its-kind quantum communication satellite within two years to demonstrate capabilities needed for a global quantum internet, according to the program's chief engineer.

Space Force awards $188 million follow-on for CJADC2-enabling program
By Shelley K. Mesch
September 10, 2024 at 12:34 PM

Space Systems Command awarded a $188 million follow-on production contract to Sev1Tech to expand the meshONE-Terrestrial network, the command announced today.

Under the contract, meshONE-T services will become available in more than 85 locations, according to SSC, with around-the-clock managed transport services and enterprise-wide upgrades.

Designed as a scalable, resilient and cybersecure Wide Area Network, meshONE-T supports the Space Force and the Defense Department’s broader Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control effort by connecting data producers and users and providing diversified communication paths.

Sec1Tech won the first award for a meshONE-T prototype for $46.5 million through the Space Enterprise Consortium in September 2021.

Army SBIR contracting for FY-24 expected to surpass previous year's total, acquisition chief says
By Dan Schere
September 10, 2024 at 12:22 PM

Army acquisition chief Doug Bush said today that he expects the Army will have awarded $350 million in contracts under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program by the end of fiscal year 2024, surpassing last year's total.

SBIR, established by Congress more than 40 years ago, aims to increase the participation of innovative small businesses within the federal government. Bush, speaking at a small business summit on the campus of George Mason University Tuesday, said the Army awarded about $317 million and 368 contracts under the SBIR program in FY-23.

The acquisition chief said the Army has been focusing more lately on improving the speed of contracting for small businesses. He noted SBIR prototyping awards are now made in 30 days on average, whereas a normal timeframe in the past would have been six months.

“Small businesses, especially new ones, exist in a highly competitive marketplace. It moves faster every day. We know that. So, speed to contract was one of the main things we focused on,” he said.

Bush also pointed to the establishment of the Army SBIR Contracting Center of Excellence three years ago as a factor in improving the speed of contracting.

“We have, through just reorganizing ourselves and focusing talent, dramatically moved the dial on speed to [contracting], although I’m sure [there are] examples where we could’ve done better,” he said.