The Insider

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Pentagon moving to implement several multiyear procurement contracts for a variety of missile systems, plus the Air Force's efforts to replace the venerable C-5 cargo aircraft and more.

The Pentagon recently issued a list of "large lot procurement" programs that are slated for multiyear contracts, including the Guided MLRS Rocket, PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement, Navy Strike Missile, Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile, Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles for the Navy and Air Force as well as the RIM-174 Standard Missile-6:

DOD outlines 'large lot procurement' plans for key missile systems

The Defense Department has released new details about its plans to use "large lot procurement" to buy several missile systems that are slated for multiyear contracts and have been deemed critical to potentially aiding Taiwan in a possible conflict with China, according to budget documents submitted to Congress.

Document: DOD's multiyear procurement of missile programs

In its FY-24 budget request, the Air Force says it will use the funding to support an initial study of capabilities it terms Next Generation Airlift:

Air Force expects to begin C-5 replacement studies in 2024

The Air Force will begin to study options in fiscal year 2024 for replacing the C-5 aircraft, which has been in service for more than 50 years. The service is requesting a minimal budget to get several studies underway.

The Missile Defense Agency is completing work on a homeland cruise missile defense system:

MDA begins homeland cruise missile defense project, plans August live-flight event

The Missile Defense Agency has demonstrated the first of a planned three-part project to prove technical linkages that could be relevant to a future domestic cruise missile defense system as part of an effort slated to culminate this summer with a live-flight test.

The Defense Department this week released the findings of its Defense Contract Finance Study, "an effort to comprehensively assess the effect that DOD contract financing and profit policies have on the defense industry":

DOD readies contractor financing changes following new study

The Pentagon is preparing to move out on policy recommendations governing how defense contractors are paid, including revising progress payment rates for large companies that were made more generous at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a long-awaited financing study released this week.

Document: DOD's defense contract finance study

Last but certainly not least, a look at Coast Guard funding for polar icebreakers:

Polar security fleet funding request underscores U.S. Arctic interests

With concern growing about upholding U.S. interests in Arctic waters, the Coast Guard is seeking $170 million in fiscal year 2024 to continue developing its tiny polar security cutter fleet. The cutters monitor sea traffic in a thawing Arctic, among other duties.

The Navy will hold an industry day later this month before opening a contract competition for the design and construction of a new class of submarine tenders intended to support Virginia- and Columbia-class boats.

According to a March announcement, Naval Sea Systems Command will host the industry event on April 18 to provide an overview of the Navy’s draft requirements before launching an open contract competition in the fall for the production of up to two of the new AS(X) vessels.

The Navy’s fiscal year 2024 budget request includes $1.7 billion for the first boat in this new-start program. The budget anticipates the procurement of a second tender in FY-26 for $1.1 billion, resulting in a total of two vessels across the five-year future years defense program.

The tenders will perform intermediate-level repair, resupply, rearming and other support for forward-deployed submarines, according to budget documents. The tenders will also be capable of reloading torpedoes and Tomahawk missiles and performing radiological emergency response.

The service plans to award a contract for the first vessel in May 2024, targeting delivery in June 2031, budget justification books indicate. A contract award for the second vessel is planned for May 2026 with delivery in September 2032.

Last week, Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson indicated the company is working on a tender design under a study contract, Defense News reported. Wilkinson said this design may be based upon the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, which the company produces.

Presently, the Navy has two tenders -- Emory S. Land (AS-39) and Frank Cable (AS-40) -- which are based in Guam and perform maintenance in the Pacific. The new tenders will eventually replace these aging vessels, which have each been in service for more than 40 years.

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the possibility of setting up another combatant command, Sikorsky losing its Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft contract protest and more.

A new combatant command could be in the offing:

DOD debates possibilities for new Joint Futures Command; Milley lends horsepower

Inside the Pentagon, a small team of experts is preparing to brief Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on options for addressing the future of warfare amid rapid technological change, which could lead to the creation of a new “Joint Futures Command.”

Sikorsky has lost its protest of a multibillion-dollar, next-generation helicopter contract:

GAO denies Sikorsky's protest of Army's FLRAA decision

The Government Accountability Office has denied Sikorsky's protest of the Army's decision to award the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft to competitor Bell, clearing a hurdle for the multibillion-dollar program to move forward.

Lockheed Martin will increasing the number of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles and Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles the company produces:

DOD increasing JASSM and LRASM production quantities

The Defense Department is increasing the production quantities of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles and Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles, which will cover JASSM production Lots 22-26 and LRASM Lots 9-12 for quantities up to 5,010 in various configurations and variants, according to a government notice.

Many of the Navy's platforms were not designed with sustainment in mind, according to senior service officials:

Navy faces uphill battle curtailing maintenance delays, service officials say

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- Service officials gathered this week at the Navy League's annual Sea-Air-Space conference to chronicle their efforts expediting submarine and surface ship repairs and recapitalizing aging public infrastructure -- presenting a snapshot of measured progress with an uphill battle ahead.

The Space Force's Rapid Capabilities Office has a new component:

Space Force stands up rapid resilient command and control office

The Space Force stood up a Combined Program Office in February for its Rapid Resilient Command And Control effort, according to a request for information on the program posted last week.

The Air Force is looking into adding money to programs funded under Middle Tier Acquisition authorities:

Air Force assessing funding shortfalls for MTA programs

The Air Force is assessing options to address funding shortfalls for Middle Tier Acquisition programs, according to service budget documents.

A Pentagon legislative proposal submitted to Congress would decrease the number of Navy carrier wings required to nine until additional carriers can support a 10th air wing:

Navy seeks to clip carrier wing mandate to nine

The Navy once again is asking Congress to remove the Title 10 requirement for standing up a 10th carrier air wing (CVW) by Oct. 1, 2025.

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has continuing coverage of this year's Sea-Air-Space Symposium, as well as the Army's proposed unified data reference architecture and the Missile Defense Agency's hypersonic defense system development effort.

We start off again with coverage from this year's Sea-Air-Space Symposium:

CNO: Columbia lags accelerated 78-month delivery timeline, not 84-month schedule

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday today provided clarification on the delivery schedule for the Columbia-class submarine program, saying the lead boat is approximately 10% behind the Navy's accelerated 78-month delivery schedule, lagging by roughly 7.6 months.

ONR doubles down on key tech investments

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- The Office of Naval Research is doubling down on key technology investments, seeking to inform a strategy that can contend with new global threats and environmental challenges in a rapidly changing world.

Meier: 'I need carriers to come out on time'

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- Navy Rear Adm. John Meier, speaking at the Sea-Air-Space conference Tuesday, called the capacity for shipyards to meet construction and delivery dates a "national imperative."

Pentagon seeking trustworthy, reliable AI

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- Senior defense officials say they are prioritizing trustworthiness and reliability as they search for new artificial intelligence capabilities.

Navy to expand unmanned operations to 4th Fleet

​NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- The Navy plans to expand unmanned operations to the 4th Fleet, drawing on experimentation efforts that it has pioneered with Task Force 59 in the 5th Fleet.

Integrated warfighting moving away from 'metal-on-metal solutions'

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- A modernized approach to integrated fighting is transforming strategies and the mindset for future maritime combat operations, according to a panel of Navy and Marine Corps leaders speaking Tuesday at the Sea- Air-Space conference.

BAE looks to expand vehicle offerings with ARV competition

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- BAE Systems is looking to the Marine Corps' next-generation Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle as an opportunity to expand its product line, competing for an ARV contract with a modified version of its amphibious combat vehicle.

Read our full Sea-Air-Space Symposium coverage.

Unified data reference architecture is a decentralized, data-mesh-based architecture the Army has been developing, Jennifer Swanson, the service's deputy assistant secretary for data engineering and software, told reporters this week:

Army standing up 'innovation exchange' lab

The Army is standing up an "innovation exchange" lab at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, to test the implementation of the service's planned unified data reference architecture framework.

The Missile Defense Agency's FY-24 budget request details for the first time a development schedule for the GPI program, which aims to develop a new guided-missile interceptor to thwart an ultra-fast maneuvering glide vehicle in the “glide” phase, or midcourse, of flight:

DOD sets 2034 fielding target for Hypersonic Defense system; 17-year development path

The Pentagon plans to field a hypersonic defense system in fiscal year 2034, a target date that falls 17 years after Congress directed the Missile Defense Agency to begin work on the project and a schedule that doesn't appear to reflect the accelerated plans associated with nearly $300 million in additional funding lawmakers gave to the Defense Department's FY-23 budget for the Glide Phase Interceptor.

Satellite communications company iDirect Government announced today that Tim Winter has been named interim president by the iDirect Government Proxy Board, replacing John Ratigan as president as of April 3.

Previously vice president of global accounts and global government and defense at ST Engineering iDirect, the parent company of iDirect Government, Winter managed its strategic global account engagements and captured pursuits for international defense opportunities. Prior to joining ST Engineering iDirect, Winter managed businesses across the defense industry at L-3 Communications and Northrop Grumman.

Before his work in the defense industry, Winter was a naval aviator, flying P-3 Orion aircraft and the BAMS-D unmanned aerial vehicle through 2022. He retired from the Navy with the rank of commander in 2022.

Ratigan served as president of iDirect Government for 20 years, managing the Defense Department business "and was instrumental in the company’s growth, bringing advanced satellite communications used for voice, video, Internet, imagery and data to military, homeland security, first responders and other government users," according to a company statement.

The United States "has not yet begun" to train Ukrainian troops on how to use the Abrams tank, according to a senior Defense Department official.

"We're still working on the equipment procurement so we have not yet begun the training, but I would expect that that will happen relatively soon," the official told reporters today during a background briefing.

DOD announced late last month that it would accelerate the delivery of Abrams tanks to Ukraine by several months, now planning for the tanks to arrive sometime this fall.

Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon's chief spokesman, said March 21 that the department was able to speed up the delivery because, rather than delivering the M1A2 tank variant as originally planned, DOD will now be providing Ukraine with the M1A1 variant.

"This is about getting this important combat capability into the hands of the Ukrainians," he said.

Ryder said last month that the timeline could be compressed because the M1A1s will be built using "excess hulls in our inventory that we will refurbish."

The U.S. has trained more than 7,000 Ukrainian soldiers since the beginning of Russia's invasion last year, the senior defense official said today. Of those, more than 4,000 have been trained to use Bradley and Stryker combat vehicles at the U.S. Army's Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany, the official added.