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Berger: Marine Corps focusing on evolving training to match Force Design efforts
By Aidan Quigley
December 14, 2021 at 3:36 PM

The Marine Corps is looking to adjust its training to ensure Marines are ready and able to operate under the new concepts established in the service's force design work, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger said Tuesday.

Berger, speaking at a Center for a New American Security event Tuesday, said the service is rapidly changing how it trains and manages its personnel.

“Otherwise, all the concepts and capabilities in the world aren’t going to work with the current systems that we have for how we manage our people, develop them, and how we train ourselves,” he said. “Now my shoulder is into those two parts, the training part and the human part, to match the velocity with how we are adjusting our organization.”

The Marine Corps is in the midst of Force Design 2030, Berger’s effort to transition the service from a ground-based Middle East focus to a more maritime focus in the Pacific. The service recently released a guidance calling for forming low-signature but lethal and mobile stand-in forces.

Berger said the Marine Corps is currently experimenting with the operating concepts laid out in the force design work and said new capabilities will start to come onboard starting in 2023.

“Beginning in 2023 really, we’ll have the capabilities in the hands of the commanders they need,” he said.

Berger said he foresees the service fielding ground-based, anti-ship missiles in 2023, with the Light Amphibious Warship joining the fleet as fast as possible. Advancements to radars are also on the horizon, he said.

“All of these things are coming pretty rapidly,” he said.

The Marine Corps wants more funding in upcoming budgets for the LAW in order to support the stand-in forces concept, Berger said earlier this month at the Reagan National Defense Forum.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Dec. 14, 2021
By John Liang
December 14, 2021 at 2:19 PM

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has coverage of a Naval Audit Service report on the Marine Corps' CH-53K helicopter program and more.

Inside Defense recently obtained a Naval Audit Service report on the Marine Corps' CH-53K helicopter program:

CH-53K program failed to properly implement IP strategy, Naval Audit Service finds

The Marine Corps' CH-53K program did not properly implement its intellectual property strategy, which will limit competition during the sustainment phase of the program, a recent Naval Audit Service report found.

Document: Naval Audit Service report on the CH-53K IP strategy implementation

A Pentagon inspector general's report released this week is the result of an audit lawmakers requested the IG conduct of TransDigm's business model, which has come under fire in the past for alleged price gouging:

Watchdog wants DOD to make TransDigm repay more 'excess profit'

The Defense Department inspector general recommends the Pentagon seek at least a $20.8 million refund from TransDigm Inc., stating in a recent report that the company took the money as "excess profit" on 150 contracts.

Document: DOD IG audit of Transdigm's impact on spare parts pricing

Inside Defense recently interviewed the head of the Army's ground combat systems programs:

Not all Abrams to be upgraded to SEPv3 before SEPv4 production begins

The Army does not plan to upgrade all of its M1A2 Abrams tanks to the SEPv3 standard before it begins production of the SEPv4, Brig. Gen. Glenn Dean, the program executive officer for ground combat systems, said in a Dec. 9 interview.

This year's combatant commanders' priority lists are being assessed as the Pentagon primes the pump on a new prototyping process that aims to roll out waves of new technology experiments:

DOD vetting 2021 capability gaps; FY-23 POM funds two new experimentation 'sprints' annually

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- Pentagon leaders are vetting combatant command high-priority, 2021 capability shortfalls as part of an annual plea for new -- and sometimes novel -- technology to address gaps in the current weapons inventory that put at risk their respective war plans.

Six contractors have received the go-ahead to sell Platform One's Big Bang -- an infrastructure-as-code or configuration-as-code package that facilitates the deployment of a custom software factory -- and container registry Iron Bank:

With Platform One resell agreement comes 'a new model for how government does business'

Leveraging "a new model for how government does business," Platform One officials are hoping their recent agreement allowing six companies to resell two products core to the Air Force's software development effort will bolster availability, spur more DevSecOps environments and help inform whether and how other services are commercialized in the future.

Brigade testing AMPV will also have newest Abrams, Bradley, Paladin
By Ethan Sterenfeld
December 14, 2021 at 1:45 PM

The brigade that conducts operational testing next year on the Army's new armored personnel carrier will be the first to have the most recent versions of all of the service's ground combat vehicles.

A brigade at Ft. Stewart, GA, will begin training in January to use and maintain the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, Brig. Gen. Glenn Dean, program executive officer for ground combat systems, said in a Dec. 9 interview with Inside Defense. Initial operational testing will begin in March.

But in addition to the AMPV that it will test, the brigade has the M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams, Bradley A4 infantry fighting vehicle and M109A7 Paladin self-propelled howitzer, Dean said.

“That will be the first armored brigade with all the latest generations of platforms,” he said. “So that’s a decade of modernization behind us that is now delivering.”

The AMPV will replace the Vietnam-era M113 in armored brigades. After production delays, the vehicle has reached low-rate initial production levels at BAE Systems’ York, PA, plant.

Senate committee advances Grady's nomination
By Tony Bertuca
December 14, 2021 at 1:29 PM

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted today to advance the nomination of Adm. Christopher Grady to become vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Grady’s nomination now moves to the full Senate for a confirmation vote.

Grady is currently commander of U.S. Fleet Forces. If confirmed, he would succeed retired Gen. John Hyten as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and serve a four-year term.

During his Dec. 8 confirmation hearing, Grady said he intends to insert speed wherever he can in the Pentagon's labyrinthine acquisition process, while also guarding against military "parochialism."

Senate readies defense policy bill for final passage
By Tony Bertuca
December 14, 2021 at 12:35 PM

The Senate voted 86-13 to end debate today on the annual defense authorization bill, signaling the bill will likely pass this week with a lopsided majority and be sent to President Biden soon after.

The House has already voted to pass the compromise version of the bill, clearing the way for it to be signed into law for the 61st consecutive year.

The bill authorizes $768 billion in national defense spending. It does not include an additional $10 billion outside of the legislation's jurisdiction that is set to be appropriated elsewhere, which would bring total defense spending to about $778 billion for fiscal year 2022.

The bill includes $740 billion specifically for the Pentagon, which is $25 billion more than President Biden requested earlier this year. The bill also authorizes about $28 billion for the Energy Department's nuclear weapons programs.

Lawmakers direct SCO to establish pilot program to close capability gaps in 'high-priority theaters'
By Jaspreet Gill
December 14, 2021 at 12:22 PM

House and Senate lawmakers are directing the Pentagon's Strategic Capabilities Office to establish a pilot program oriented around broad missions to close significant capability gaps in "high-priority theaters" with funding sourced from private investment resources.

The SCO would act as the mission manager “to integrate any commercially provided mission capabilities with existing programs, systems, capabilities and processes necessary to implement mission solutions,” according to the compromise fiscal year 2022 defense policy bill.

The SCO would also develop metrics to assess the progress of the program and frequently report to Congress about whether to continue or expand the pilot program.

According to the joint explanatory statement, the pilot program would be oriented around broad missions or operational challenges like “maintaining the ability to conduct air operations from Guam or to conduct joint logistics and resupply missions, all amid rapidly worsening threats.”

The provision directs that funding for the pilot program would be sourced through private investment resources, like equity of venture capital, “and such capabilities should be used to integrate existing Department of Defense platforms and capabilities.”

“The pilot should be structured to accommodate and balance risks and rewards for both the government and the private sector,” according to the joint explanatory statement. “The private sector investors and performers would assume the risk of up-front investment in capability development and realizing substantial profit by solving hard problems at far less expense than the government could achieve by traditional program management processes.”

Additionally, the pilot program’s proof of efficacy must be demonstrated within three years “such that an operational capability can be delivered within [five] years.”

Northrop to modify retired Global Hawks for SkyRange hypersonic test efforts
By Briana Reilly
December 14, 2021 at 11:08 AM

Northrop Grumman is working with the Defense Department's Test Resource Management Center to reconfigure a handful of retired Global Hawks to support ongoing hypersonics system testing efforts through the SkyRange program, the company announced this week.

The four RQ-4 Block 20 unmanned aircraft, which had been converted to the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node variant, were transferred to the center in fiscal year 2021 by the Air Force, according to the report accompanying the Senate Appropriations Committee's mark of the FY-22 defense spending bill.

Northrop's press release announcing receipt of the DOD task order noted modifications of the four aircraft would include adding "sensors to demonstrate an alternative data collection support system," with work expected to occur at the company's Grand Sky facility in North Dakota.

The company is beginning engineering and planning work, the release added, but didn't include details on the effort or the timeline for completing it.

Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) said in a press release today the contract marks "an important step" for advancing the SkyRange effort in his state.

"With divestment of the Global Hawk Block 20s, we've worked to secure a real opportunity to leverage the expertise we've built at Grand Sky and repurpose these aircraft to support hypersonic missile testing," Hoeven said.

The Air Force's FY-22 budget request included plans to retire the Block 20 and Block 30 RQ-4s, leaving the Block 40 airframes for high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Hoeven this fall had called on the Air Force to transfer all 20 of the Block 30s, once divested, to North Dakota's Grand Sky business and aviation park, and to base the SkyRange effort there.

The goal of SkyRange, according to the Senate Appropriations Committee's report, is to use "unmanned aerial systems-based range sensors to support hypersonic flight tests." The push leverages high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles to bolster or replace the fleet of ships used for hypersonic flight testing and other traditional data collection assets, according to an Arnold Engineering Development Complex press release from last fall.

Biden taps nominees for key Navy, Air Force jobs
By Tony Bertuca
December 14, 2021 at 10:11 AM

President Biden has announced nominees for Navy under secretary and Air Force comptroller, according to a White House announcement.

Biden intends to nominate Erik Raven for Navy under secretary. Raven is currently majority clerk of the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee.

“Prior to joining the appropriations committee in 2007, he served as national security adviser and legislative director to Senator Robert C. Byrd, fellow to Senator Ted Kennedy, in several positions for Senator Dianne Feinstein, and as an English teacher in China,” the White House said.

Biden also intends to nominate Kristyn Jones to be assistant secretary of the Air Force for financial management and comptroller.

Jones is currently a managing director in KPMG’s federal advisory practice.

“Prior to her current role, she served as the deputy assistant secretary of the Army for financial information management,” the White House said. “Previously, Jones held a variety of positions in DOD and in industry. From June 2007 to 2008, Jones was special assistant to the assistant secretary of the Army (financial management and comptroller) for cost management transformation.”

Reagan Forum coverage -- Part 3
By John Liang
December 13, 2021 at 4:20 PM

Here is the third portion of our coverage from last week's Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, CA, now available to all.

DOD contemplating revised spending plan that strips nearly $40 billion from FY-22 expectation

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- Political dysfunction in Congress is driving Pentagon leaders to contemplate a major internal budget drill to craft a second, parallel plan for fiscal year 2022 that would wring nearly $40 billion from expected spending plans and prepare for major setbacks across the weapon system modernization portfolio.

Senior DOD official: Additional Patriot force structure may be needed to meet demand

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- Pentagon leaders are concerned about the health of the Army's Patriot force, particularly the stress that high operational tempo and limited deployment predictability is having on readiness, driving soldiers to leave units that provide the cornerstone of air and missile defense for deployed forces and allies.

New amphibs face budget shortfall; big decks now eyed as unmanned 'motherships

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- The Marine Corps needs more money in fiscal years 2023 and 2024 to buy Light Amphibious Warships, critical to service plans to establish new littoral units that can nimbly move shore-to-shore inside China's striking range, while contemplating a radical new use for its big-deck combatants: "Motherships" to unleash unmanned air and undersea systems.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Dec. 13, 2021
By John Liang
December 13, 2021 at 2:19 PM

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on defense budget planning and more.

The U.S. military is looking to draw from the playbook of the early years of the sequester provision of the 2011 Budget Control Act when gridlock forced the Obama administration to prepare budget plans embedded with two parallel -- and dramatically different -- resource scenarios:

DOD contemplating revised spending plan that strips nearly $40 billion from FY-22 expectation

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- Political dysfunction in Congress is driving Pentagon leaders to contemplate a major internal budget drill to craft a second, parallel plan for fiscal year 2022 that would wring nearly $40 billion from expected spending plans and prepare for major setbacks across the weapon system modernization portfolio.

Resellers Booz Allen Hamilton, BrainGu, IndraSoft, Novetta, RevaComm and Seed Innovations have received the go-ahead to sell Platform One's Big Bang -- an infrastructure-as-code or configuration-as-code package that facilitates the deployment of a custom software factory -- and container registry Iron Bank:

With Platform One resell agreement comes 'a new model for how government does business'

Leveraging "a new model for how government does business," Platform One officials are hoping their recent agreement allowing six companies to resell two products core to the Air Force's software development effort will bolster availability, spur more DevSecOps environments and help inform whether and how other services are commercialized in the future.

Keep an eye out early next year for a draft request for proposals for the next phase of the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle program:

Draft OMFV RFP going to industry next month

The Army will send a draft request for proposals to industry next month for the next phase of the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle competition, according to Maj. Gen. Ross Coffman, director of the Next-Generation Combat Vehicle Cross-Functional Team.

Northrop Grumman is back in the running for the Air Force's Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar program:

Northrop reveals 3DELRR offering based on new radar design

More than a year after demonstrating its offering for the Air Force's Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar competition, Northrop Grumman has revealed details about its proposal, a software-defined, hardware-enabled radar system the company has dubbed 3D Advantage.

Establishing the 1st Fleet and re-naming Fleet Forces Command were put on hold while the Global Posture Review was underway, according to a Navy spokeswoman:

Navy sidelines Trump-era plans to launch Indo-Pacific 1st Fleet, rename Fleet Forces Command following Global Posture Review

The Navy is not moving forward with Trump-era plans to re-launch the 1st Fleet in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and rename Fleet Forces Command as the Atlantic Fleet following the conclusion of the Global Posture Review, according to a service spokeswoman.

Industry will be able to build a simulator for the Navy's proposed Light Amphibious Warship:

Navy confirms industry ability to build Light Amphibious Warship simulator

The Navy received five submittals in response to its request for information for a Light Amphibious Warship simulator, according to a service spokesman.

Navy's Task Force 59 launches Saildrone USV
By Audrey Decker
December 13, 2021 at 12:28 PM

The Navy's 5th Fleet has begun operationally testing the Saildrone unmanned surface vessel in the northern Red Sea as part of exercise Digital Horizon.

Saildrones use machine learning and artificial intelligence to enhance maritime domain awareness, according to today's press release.

The USV is used to collect three types of data: weather forecasting, ocean mapping and MDA intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, Saildrone CEO Richard Jenkins told Inside Defense in an interview earlier this month.

The Navy has not purchased any vessels from Saildrone because the company operates vehicles for customers and provides data in real time, Jenkins said.

"Ongoing evaluations of new unmanned systems in U.S. 5th Fleet help drive discovery, innovation and fleet integration. The U.S. Navy is learning important lessons that will inform future operational employment," the press release states.

The Navy's 5th Fleet launched Task Force 59 in September to integrate unmanned systems and artificial intelligence.

Saildrone is a part of a larger Navy effort to bring more unmanned systems into the U.S. Central Command arena after the establishment of Task Force 59, which was funded with $6.5 million in fiscal year 2021.

The week ahead
By Tony Bertuca
December 13, 2021 at 5:00 AM

The Senate returns to Washington this week to vote on a final defense authorization bill. Meanwhile, senior defense officials are slated to speak at several events.

Monday

The Air Force Association hosts a discussion with the commander of U.S. Air Forces, Europe, Africa and Allied Air Command.

AFA also hosts a discussion on the National Nuclear Security Administration.

The Association of the United States Army hosts a webinar on "growing the force for tomorrow's Reserve."

The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts a discussion on modernizing intelligence in the gray zone.

Tuesday

The Center for a New American Security hosts a conversation with Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger.

Wednesday

The Washington Space Business Roundtable hosts a discussion with the director of staff headquarters for the Space Force.

Thursday

CSIS hosts a discussion with Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro and other senior defense officials.

The Heritage Foundation hosts a discussion on vaccine mandates and the defense industrial base.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Dec. 10, 2021
By John Liang
December 10, 2021 at 2:20 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Army's network modernization effort, the Naval Aviation Fleet Infrastructure Optimization Plan and more.

Four capability sets are intended to gradually modernize the Army’s network capabilities:

Army's network modernization moves forward with pilot program

The Army will conduct a pilot of new technological capabilities for its armor brigade units early next year, as the service continues to move forward with its network modernization efforts, according to a service spokesman.

Operating under continuing resolutions isn't helping to advance Army modernization priorities:

Budget delay slows upgrades to AMPV industrial base, other Army modernization priorities at risk

Production line upgrades in support of one of the Army's priority modernization programs have already been delayed by the lack of a fiscal year 2022 defense appropriations bill, and more delays will come if continuing resolutions extend far into the second quarter, according to the Army.

News on the Naval Aviation Fleet Infrastructure Optimization Plan:

Beginning results of FIOP look promising for Navy aviation depots

The Navy's new Fleet Infrastructure Optimization Plan to modernize aviation depots has started to reach the service's bases.

The Air Force's top civilian spoke this week during an online Defense One forum:

Kendall: USAF's plans for combat drones demonstrate commitment to leveraging UAV technology

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall says in-the-works efforts to develop a program pairing combat drones and B-21 bombers showcase officials' commitment to leveraging unmanned aerial vehicles and partially serve as an answer to past criticism the service has received "for not moving fast enough and for not being innovative enough."

More coverage from this past weekend's Reagan National Defense Forum in California:

Senior DOD official: Additional Patriot force structure may be needed to meet demand

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- Pentagon leaders are concerned about the health of the Army's Patriot force, particularly the stress that high operational tempo and limited deployment predictability is having on readiness, driving soldiers to leave units that provide the cornerstone of air and missile defense for deployed forces and allies.

(Read our full coverage.)

Requirements for the Army's new water tank include a 500-gallon threshold and a 600-gallon objective:

Army selects four companies to prototype new water trailer

Oshkosh Defense, Navistar Defense, Isometrics and Schutt Industries have been selected to build prototypes of a new water tank and trailer that the Army will use to support company-sized units.

AMC approves KC-46 for more operational refueling taskings
By Courtney Albon
December 10, 2021 at 1:52 PM

Air Mobility Command has approved the KC-46 Pegasus for an additional mission set, a move that makes the new tanker available to refuel the AC-130J, HC-130J, MC-130J, C-5M and E-3G for U.S. Transportation Command missions.

To date, the KC-46 has been approved for four interim capability releases to allow TRANSCOM to leverage the aerial refueler before it is officially designated as combat-ready -- a milestone that has been pushed to 2024.

According to an AMC press release this week, the Pegasus can now support almost 70% of all receiver aircraft that rely on TRANSCOM refueling support.

The newest ICR follows a decision in October to allow the tanker to refuel F-15 and F-16 fighter aircraft.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Dec. 9, 2021
By John Liang
December 9, 2021 at 1:17 PM

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Pentagon's establishment of a chief digital and artificial intelligence officer and more.

A new chief digital and artificial intelligence officer, who will serve under the deputy defense secretary, will aim to meet the pacing threat of China in areas like AI “in a way that drives capabilities to the warfighters as fast as we can,” according to a senior defense official:

Pentagon stands up new chief data and AI officer

The Pentagon is creating a new centralized office responsible for accelerating and strengthening the integration of artificial intelligence and data functions, a senior defense official told reporters today.

Document: DOD memo on CDAO establishment

The compromise defense policy bill requires the Army secretary to report on "system reliability, network adequacy, power duration, terrain data sufficiency, and plans for iterative improvements" related to the service's new virtual-reality system:

Congress will withhold IVAS funding until Army submits report on functionality

Congress will seek to withhold 25% of funds for the Army's virtual reality headsets until the service secretary submits to the congressional defense committees a report on the program after operational testing, according to the compromise fiscal year 2022 defense policy bill.

The bill does, however, include approval for Army multiyear procurement contracts for certain helicopter programs:

Compromise policy bill includes Army legislative proposals on helicopters, IFPC

Army proposals to award multiyear helicopter procurement contracts and delay a cruise missile defense system were included in a compromise fiscal year 2022 defense authorization bill, which the House approved Tuesday night.

The Senate Armed Services Committee this week held a hearing on the nomination of Adm. Christopher Grady to be the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

Grady pledges JROC 'discipline' to counter military 'parochialism'

Adm. Christopher Grady, nominated to be the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told senators today that, if confirmed, he intends to insert speed wherever he can in the Pentagon's labyrinthine acquisition process, while also guarding against military "parochialism."

Document: Grady answers to advance policy questions

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger spoke this past weekend about his service's need for new amphibious warships:

New amphibs face budget shortfall; big decks now eyed as unmanned 'motherships'

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- The Marine Corps needs more money in fiscal years 2023 and 2024 to buy Light Amphibious Warships, critical to service plans to establish new littoral units that can nimbly move shore-to-shore inside China's striking range, while contemplating a radical new use for its big-deck combatants: "Motherships" to unleash unmanned air and undersea systems.