The Insider

Navy taking next step on DDG(X) propulsion system
By Audrey Decker
May 24, 2022 at 4:38 PM

The Navy is asking industry for information on the service's next-generation destroyer's electric propulsion system.

The DDG(X) program will leverage the DDG-51 Flight III combat system and feature an Integrated Power System for power and propulsion, according to a notice published May 12.

Last summer, the Navy conducted a DDG(X) IPS industry day. The May 12 notice states that a key theme from the industry day was the service’s intent to use non-developmental technologies for IPS to reduce risk.

The Navy’s fiscal year 2023 budget documents allocate $195.5 million in research and development funding for the DDG(X) program -- $145.8 million for power and propulsion risk mitigation and demonstration.

DDG(X) will replace older Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and the Navy’s Ticonderoga-class cruisers. The service wants to procure the first DDG(X) in FY-30.

Commission proposes removing Confederate names from nine Army bases
By Ethan Sterenfeld
May 24, 2022 at 3:38 PM

A bipartisan commission announced potential new names today for nine Army bases that are currently named for Confederate officers, which it will officially send to Congress by Oct. 1.

The fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act directed the Pentagon to create a "Naming Commission" to review military bases and other equipment that honor the Confederacy. Authority to rename the bases lies with the Defense Department, which is supposed to implement the changes by Jan. 1, 2024.

The following bases will be renamed, according to the commission’s plan:

  • Ft. Benning, GA, would be renamed Ft. Moore
  • Ft. Bragg, NC, would be renamed Ft. Liberty
  • Ft. Gordon, GA, would be renamed Ft. Eisenhower
  • Ft. A.P. Hill, VA, would be renamed Ft. Walker
  • Ft. Hood, TX, would be renamed Ft. Cavazos
  • Ft. Lee, VA, would be renamed Ft. Gregg-Adams
  • Ft. Pickett, VA, would be renamed Ft. Barfoot
  • Ft. Polk, LA, would be renamed Ft. Johnson
  • Ft. Rucker, AL, would be renamed Ft. Novosel

Ft. Belvoir, VA, did not meet the criteria for renaming established by Congress, according to the commission. But the commission “will recommend the Department of Defense conduct its own naming review of the post.”

National Guard installations are under state control, so the commission does not plan to recommend new names for those that honor Confederate leaders.

The final report to Congress will include naming recommendations for two Navy vessels, “along with many other items,” according to the Naming Commission.

“Today’s announcement highlights the Commission's efforts to propose nine new installation names that reflect the courage, values, sacrifices, and diversity of our military men and women,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement today.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) also praised the commission’s work.

“This list is but a first step in addressing Confederate symbolism in the U.S. military, a process that is more than symbolic,” Smith said. “This process has created a new opportunity to foster a more inclusive environment for our service members by remembering and acknowledging our country’s history while honoring the valor and sacrifice of our service members and their families.”

Defense Policy Board to meet on Ukraine
By Tony Bertuca
May 24, 2022 at 3:34 PM

The Defense Policy Board is slated to meet in closed session June 7 and June 8 to receive classified briefings from senior Pentagon officials about the conflict in Ukraine, according to a Federal Register notice issued this morning.

The board, a key Pentagon advisory group, will be addressed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks and Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl.

“The board will receive classified briefings on (1) implementation of the National Defense Strategy and integrated deterrence; (2) a current intelligence briefing on Ukraine; (3) a discussion on the Ukrainian security environment; (4) a budget priority briefing and (5) discussions on the briefings in a classified session with the Secretary, and the Under Secretary of Defense,” the notice states.

The board was re-established last September following a “zero-base” review and allegations that former President Trump had removed members and installed political loyalists.

The board’s current membership includes former Defense Secretary Ash Carter, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy, retired Army four-star Jack Keane and others.

The previous chairman of the board was former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who died in March. A new chair has not yet been named.

Army plans to raise JLTV trailer contract ceiling
By Ethan Sterenfeld
May 24, 2022 at 2:53 PM

The Army plans to increase the number of Joint Light Tactical Vehicle trailers it can buy under its existing contract with Oshkosh Defense by 2,021, according to a May 23 notice.

This will allow the military to buy up to 5,562 trailers under the existing contract, compared to the previously allowed 3,541, according to the notice.

The Army announced in 2020 that it would increase the production ceiling in the current JLTV contract to 23,163 vehicles, but it did not say at the time how many extra trailers it could buy. Other services that use the JLTV buy their vehicles and trailers through the Army’s contract.

Lower-than-expected unit costs and a delay to a follow-on contract led to raising the vehicle procurement ceiling, the program manager responsible for the JLTV said last year. Costs per vehicle were about 17% below earlier government projections.

Oshkosh is expected to face competition for a JLTV follow-on production contract, which could be worth $7.3 billion over a decade. Bids for that contract are due July 15, and the Army plans to announce a winner on Dec. 22.

Procurement costs could grow at the beginning of the follow-on contract, according to the Army’s fiscal year 2023 budget request. That request would include an increase in the Army’s JLTV procurement spending, to $703 million, after multiple years of cuts.

The INSIDER daily digest -- May 24, 2022
By John Liang
May 24, 2022 at 1:41 PM

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on military energy consumption reduction, the Navy's new climate action plan and more.

The Marine Corps is the service with the first installation to stop drawing electrical power from its off-base utility provider:

Marine Corps base Albany is first DOD installation to achieve net zero status

Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, GA, officially declared 'net zero' status today -- the Defense Department's first installation to meet this milestone.

The announcement comes one day after the Navy released its new climate action plan, the service's first holistic strategy to prevent the most catastrophic impacts of climate change:

Navy aims to become climate-ready through new action plan

As coastal installations face rising sea levels, recurring flooding and other disastrous impacts of climate change, the Navy has outlined its course of action to build a climate-ready force by 2030.

Document: Navy's climate action 2030 plan

The House Armed Services Committee's top Democrat spoke this week at the Center for Foreign Policy in Washington:

Smith predicts 'tough fights' over planned nuke cuts

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) said today he knows he's "100% lost" his previous battle to eliminate the ground-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad but predicted there are still "tough fights" ahead in this year's defense policy bill when it comes President Biden's proposed termination of a developmental submarine-launched cruise missile and the retirement of the B-83 megaton gravity bomb.

The Army wants to spend more money developing big trucks:

Army FY-23 request boosts truck research funding

The Army would increase development spending on its medium and heavy tactical vehicles by tens of millions of dollars under its fiscal year 2023 budget request, including programs to bring limited electrification and autonomy to cargo trucks.

Missile Defense Agency Director Vice Adm. Jon Hill said this week that the source-selection process for the Glide Phase Interceptor program is in its final stages:

MDA contemplating range of GPI development scenarios, including pursuing three concepts

The Missile Defense Agency is nearing a decision on how many hypersonic-busting missile designs to pursue, retaining the option to concurrently develop as many as three competing blueprints for a Glide Phase Interceptor or narrow the current contest among Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies and Northrop Grumman.

Moran joins Castellum's advisory board
By John Liang
May 24, 2022 at 9:55 AM

Former Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) has joined Castellum's advisory board, the company announced today.

"Castellum's Advisory Board seats experienced business leaders and senior cybersecurity/information technology (IT) executives with business, government, and technical expertise useful in fostering the growth of the company," according to a statement.

Moran served in Congress for 24 years before retiring.

The INSIDER daily digest -- May 23, 2022
By John Liang
May 23, 2022 at 1:27 PM

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the nascent Guam Defense System, the Army's Multidomain Task Force and more.

We start off with the latest on the Missile Defense Agency's efforts to set up a system to defend Guam against ballistic missile attack:

DOD eyes 42 mobile launchers to deter, defeat potential Chinese attack against Guam

The Defense Department is eyeing a distributed air and missile defense system for Guam that would arm 42 mobile platforms with Standard Missile-3 and Standard Missile-6 interceptors to give the U.S. territory roughly the equivalent of two-and-a-half Aegis destroyers to counter Chinese ballistic, cruise and hypersonic threats.

The Army's Multidomain Task Force doesn't have a website or social media accounts, which service officials say contributes to the unit's operational security:

Army MDTFs fly below radar amid great power competition

The Army’s 1st Multidomain Task Force, the first of a new unit that will field hypersonic and ship-killing missiles, deliberately shares less information about itself than other military units, according to its commander.

The Air Force's Life Cycle Management Detachment 12, known as Kessel Run, recently announced it received approval to use a new software system:

Kessel Run receives approval to use faster Software Acquisition Pathway

A crucial software development arm of the Air Force received approval to use a relatively new Software Acquisition Pathway that will allow it to advance technology to warfighters more quickly.

The Government Accountability Office has generally good things to say about DOD cybersecurity:

GAO: DOD mostly meets cybersecurity requirements in key CUI areas

While the Defense Department has taken steps to safeguard sensitive data, it has yet to fully implement cybersecurity requirements surrounding its controlled unclassified information across the military's components, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

Document: GAO report on protecting CUI systems

Although the Navy currently has 11 operational aircraft carriers, at least two CVNs are regularly unavailable for deployment due to routine or scheduled maintenance or repair:

Navy proposes legislation to move from 10 to 9 carrier air wings

The Navy has sent legislation to Congress that would reduce the number of carrier air wings to nine until additional aircraft carriers can fully support a 10th air wing.

The week ahead
By Tony Bertuca
May 23, 2022 at 5:00 AM

(Editor's note: Additional events have been added to the weekly schedule.)

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

Monday

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) speaks at the Council on Foreign Relations.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts a discussion on the Missile Defense Agency’s budget for fiscal year 2023.

Wednesday

                  The Atlantic Council hosts a discussion on the future of artificial intelligence and national security.

Thursday

The Senate Armed Services Committee holds a nomination hearing for Gen. Christopher Cavoli, whom President Biden has picked to become chief of U.S. European Command and the supreme allied commander of NATO.

The Senate appropriations defense subcommittee holds a hearing on the Navy and Marine Corps budgets.

Friday

The Hudson Institute hosts a discussion on the future of the Defense Department’s electromagnetic spectrum.

Senate Armed Services Committee to debate defense bill June 15
By Tony Bertuca
May 20, 2022 at 3:32 PM

The Senate Armed Services Committee will meet in closed session to mark up its version of the fiscal year 2023 defense authorization bill on June 15 and, if needed, June 16.

Subcommittees are slated to begin their work earlier in the week on June 13. The only subcommittee marks open to the public will be readiness and management support and personnel, which are scheduled to meet June 14.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) said in a statement he is “committed to upholding our tradition of robust deliberation and bipartisan collaboration.”

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), the committee’s ranking member, said the FY-23 defense authorization bill is the most important measure Congress passes every year.

“I look forward to continuing this committee’s long tradition of bipartisanship and comity as we have a robust and productive debate at the markup, and I thank Chairman Reed for his leadership and his partnership on this year’s mark,” he said. “While we don’t agree on every last provision, we are very aligned where it matters most: defending this country and taking care of our troops.”

Subcommittees will mark on the following dates:

Monday, June 13:

-5:30 PM – Subcommittee on Strategic Forces – SR-232A (CLOSED)

Tuesday, June 14:

-9:30 AM – Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support – SD-562 (OPEN)

-11:00 AM – Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities – SR-232A (CLOSED)

-2:00 PM – Subcommittee on Cybersecurity – SR-232A (CLOSED)

-3:30 PM – Subcommittee on Personnel – SD-562 (OPEN)

-5:00 PM – Subcommittee on Seapower – SR-232A (CLOSED)

-5:30 PM – Subcommittee on Airland – SR-232A (CLOSED)

The full committee will mark on the following dates:

-Wednesday, June 15, 9:30 AM – SR-222 (CLOSED)

-As required: Thursday, June 16, 9:30 AM – SR-222 (CLOSED)

Air Mobility Command announces details for Summer Industry Preview
By Michael Marrow
May 20, 2022 at 1:34 PM

Air Mobility Command’s 2022 Summer Industry Preview will be held at Scott Air Force Base between July 12-13, according to an AMC release.

The SIP will be a “symposium-like atmosphere” where industry partners can study current challenges facing the AMC, the release says. The program aims to offer an opportunity for providers to prepare solutions to present at the subsequent Airlift/Tanker Association Industry Interface Day scheduled for October 27. Details for the interface day have yet to be announced.

The event’s venue will be the Gen. Duane H. Cassidy Conference Center and the Scott AFB flight line/Hanger 1, the release says. Attendees will participate in a threat brief, Rehearsal of Concept drill and immersive flight line demonstrations to learn pain points of mission crews, according to the program’s schedule.

Registration for the event opens May 23 and closes June 27.

The INSIDER daily digest -- May 20, 2022
By Thomas Duffy
May 20, 2022 at 12:30 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest starts off with GAO’s look at Defense Department cybersecurity, the Navy is making an argument for cutting the number of carrier air wings it has, a Navy plan to buy destroyers in bulk, and we wrap up with good news about the Space Force’s acquisition process.

The Government Accountability Office has generally good things to say about DOD cybersecurity:

GAO: DOD mostly meets cybersecurity requirements in key CUI areas

While the Defense Department has taken steps to safeguard sensitive data, it has yet to fully implement cybersecurity requirements surrounding its controlled unclassified information across the military's components, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

The Navy says it can save money by trimming its carrier air wings:

Navy proposes legislation to move from 10 to 9 carrier air wings

The Navy has sent legislation to Congress that would reduce the number of carrier air wings to nine until additional aircraft carriers can fully support a 10th air wing.

And the service wants to go shopping for new destroyers:

Navy seeks multiyear deal for nine destroyers plus an option ship

The Navy will submit a legislative proposal to Congress that will include nine destroyers in a multiyear contract plus an option ship to "provide flexibility," according to a senior service official.

The new Space Force is doing a good job on the acquisition front:

Space Force proceeding 'much faster' with acquisitions, official says

As the Space Force works to rapidly field new capabilities to maintain space dominance, the service's interagency coordination and commercial partnerships have resulted in "dramatic increases" in the speed of acquisitions, according to Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations, Cyber, and Nuclear Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman.

Raytheon unveils advanced technology business unit
By Michael Marrow
May 20, 2022 at 12:25 PM

Raytheon Intelligence & Space announced a new name for its secretive advanced technology division, according to a company press release.

The branch, whose work is largely classified, has been relatively anonymous for the past two decades and was previously known as Advanced Concepts and Technology, the release says. It will now be called Department 22.

“This team is designed to go fast, learn along the way, take big risks and chase what others call impossible,” RI&S President Roy Azevedo said in the release. “They are at the forefront of innovation, operating on the edge of discovery with one goal in mind -- making the world a safer place.”

Department 22 will develop a mix of technologies ranging from sensors to autonomous missions systems and spearhead research in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and synthetic biology, the company says.

The team is headquartered in McKinney, TX, according to the announcement, and is planning to hire over 400 engineers, scientists and technologists before the year’s end.

Navy seeking information on air-delivered maritime mine
By Audrey Decker
May 20, 2022 at 12:23 PM

The Navy is asking for industry’s input on an air vehicle that can accurately deliver a maritime mine.

The service is looking to field the Long-Range Aerial Delivered Maritime Mine “in the shortest practical timeline,” according to a notice released today.

“Combatant commanders require the capability to precisely and accurately emplace maritime mines in contested environments from an extended standoff range,” the notice states. “Existing mine laying aircraft must fly directly over each planned minefield at low altitude and speed to deliver mines, leaving the aircraft vulnerable to adversary air defense systems.”

The vehicle needs to deliver an explosive payload of at least 1,000 lb, according to the service. The minimum distance required for the system’s powered flight is classified.

“The LRADMM system shall at a minimum be capable of launching from U.S. Air Force and Navy aircraft external munition stores stations with internal munitions stores stations as an option,” the notice states.

DOD sends new $100M weapons package to Ukraine
By Tony Bertuca
May 19, 2022 at 3:26 PM

The Defense Department is transferring $100 million in U.S. weapons to Ukraine, including 18 155 mm howitzers with 18 towing vehicles, and three AN/TPQ-36 counter-artillery radars.

The announcement, made by Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, is the 10th transfer of U.S. weapons to Ukraine using presidential “drawdown authority” since August 2021.

The announcement follows Congress’ passage of a $40 billion emergency supplemental bill to aid Ukraine.

The Pentagon noted the United States has now committed approximately $4.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration, including approximately $3.9 billion since the beginning of the ongoing Russian military invasion.

The INSIDER daily digest -- May 19, 2022
By John Liang
May 19, 2022 at 2:07 PM

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on a potential new delay to the Air Force One replacement effort, the Army canceling its 1,000-mile cannon program and more.

The Air Force's presidential aircraft replacement program faces a new delay:

Hunter: New Air Force One could now be delayed another year

The Air Force One replacement could now be delayed up to 36 months, potentially adding another year to the embattled program's timeline, the Air Force acquisition chief said Thursday.

Army officials were concerned about the cost of developing a 1,000-mile cannon at the same time the service develops missiles that can reach the same ranges:

Army nixes 1,000-mile cannon program

The Army has ended its effort to develop a cannon that can fire 1,000 miles, which had been one of its 35 priority modernization programs, according to service acquisition executive Doug Bush.

Initially, the Navy said it would mitigate the strike fighter shortfall by 2025. However, that timeline has been pushed out to 2031, according to the service's top uniformed official:

Navy wants to shorten service life extension timeline for strike fighters

The Navy hopes to drive down service life extension work for existing strike fighters from 18 months to 12 months by 2024 to reduce risk during the service's strike fighter shortfall, according to the chief of naval operations.

The Navy's fiscal year 2023 budget request pushes the LHA-10 amphibious assault ship out to 2031, which is about a nine- or 10-year gap in production from LHA-9:

Stefany: Gap in LHA production poses cost increase and industrial base impact

The gap in production between the LHA-9 and LHA-10 amphibious assault ships will result in a cost increase for the Navy and impact the industrial base, according to a service leader.

The Army has existing capabilities in place to stave off diseases, but its "medicine chest" needs improvement, according to John Dye, a top virologist at the Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases:

Official recommends changes to Army's infectious disease practices

The Army can play a leading role in staving off the next pandemic, but it will need to upgrade its practices to do so, a service infectious disease official said Tuesday.