The Insider

DOD awards $30M in grants to manufacturing consortia
By Georgina DiNardo
September 25, 2023 at 4:30 PM

The Pentagon's Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation today announced $30 million in grants split across six different Defense Manufacturing Community Support Programs.

The DMCSP, which invests in long-term critical skills, facilities, workforce development, research and development and small business support, ­­­was established by the defense secretary to designate and support consortiums as Defense Manufacturing Communities and strengthen the national security industrial base.

On Aug. 16, the assistant defense secretary for industrial base policy designated six consortia as Defense Manufacturing Communities and instructed the OLDCC to ask them to submit grant applications in response to a DMCSP Notice of Funding Opportunity released on April 24 for the proposal solicitation period.

The awarded amount comes from fiscal year 2023 funds, with an additional $10 million in non-federal funds being added, for a total investment of more than $40 million.

"Delivering capabilities to our warfighters at scale depends on a resilient and robust manufacturing base," said Pentagon acquisition chief Bill LaPlante. "This year's awards will strengthen advanced manufacturing capabilities in defense-critical sectors while cultivating our most important resource: our people. I am confident that the collaboration with public, private and academic partners fostered by the Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program will have a lasting impact not only on our defense industrial base, but on our national security for years to come."

The Michigan Defense Resiliency Consortium will receive nearly $5 million to undertake a $6.3 million project to create the critical foundation for energy storage and battery manufacturing intended to support the Pentagon’s transformation from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles.

The Missouri Defense Manufacturing Community Consortium was awarded nearly $5 million for a nearly $8 million project to train and establish a steady pipeline of engineers and tradespeople skilled in modern digital advanced manufacturing technologies.

The New York Consortium for Space Technology Innovation and Development is set to receive $5 million for a project worth about $6.8 intended to address the need for advanced space technology manufacturing and supply-chain capabilities. This project will be a collaboration of universities, research institutions, industry experts and government agencies throughout New York.

The New York State Microelectronics Defense Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Workforce consortium was also awarded $5 million for a $7.8 million project to strengthen talent pipelines and improve resiliency among local suppliers in the microelectronics industry.

The Central Pennsylvania Defense Shipbuilding Talent and Innovation Defense Ecosystem will receive a nearly $5 million grant for a $6.1 million project to help the Navy try to meet its goal of increasing submarine production from one to three annually through supporting a long-term pipeline of skilled workers and increasing adoption of production automation in the submarine industrial base.

Finally, America’s Additive Foundry Consortium will receive $5 million for a $7.5 million project to address foreign supply chain issues by securing a U.S. supply of tactical alloys through additive, hybrid and intelligent manufacturing.

"These grant awards are focused [on] defense-critical sectors, from battery and energy storage to microelectronics and castings and forgings," said Laura Taylor-Kale, assistant defense secretary for industrial base policy. "These projects highlight the important innovation ecosystem that exists between public, private and academic partners, and DOD looks forward to following the progress on each of these initiatives."

The INSIDER daily digest -- Sept. 25, 2023
By John Liang
September 25, 2023 at 1:06 PM

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Space Force's command and control software acquisition strategy, sending weapons to Taiwan and more.

Keep an eye out in the next few months for the Space Force's command and control software acquisition strategy:

Space Force to submit final Space C2 acquisition strategy in next three months

Sometime in the next three months, the Space Force will submit a final software acquisition strategy for its command and control effort to Pentagon officials for review, according to a service spokeswoman.

Modifying weapons for Taiwan, especially when they weren't designed to be exported, adds time to the process, according to DOD officials:

U.S. defense industry takes heat for Taiwan weapons backlog

U.S. government officials told Congress this week that a $19 billion backlog of foreign military sales to Taiwan is due to shortcomings in the defense industrial base, but an influential business association that represents some of the largest Pentagon contractors seeks a more balanced view of the challenge.

Document: House hearing on defense cooperation with Taiwan

More Taiwan news:

House lawmakers address government shutdown and Taiwan

Two members of the House Armed Services Committee today spoke publicly about how lessons learned from Ukraine may be applied to Taiwan and the national security impact of a government shutdown.

A new U.S.-Canada Cloud-Based C2 system modernizes battle management and command and control functions by replacing existing systems with modern cloud-based applications, enhanced by artificial intelligence and machine learning to create a common operating picture:

U.S.-Canada ready new domestic airspace C2 system for ops; first major upgrade since post-9/11

The United States and Canada are close to declaring initial operational capability of Cloud-Based C2 -- a new homeland defense battle management, command and control system to replace a tool established after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks -- that top brass say is needed to defend North America from modern threats and is a likely candidate to be part of a future domestic cruise missile defense system.

A new Government Accountability Office report finds that the Defense Department, Army and Navy "need to reassess the future sustainment strategy" for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program:

GAO: Assessment needed on F-35 sustainment

The Defense Department needs to reassess its approach to F-35 Joint Strike Fighter sustainment to boost its mission-capable rates to program goals, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Thursday.

Document: GAO report on F-35 sustainment

Army Science Board to discuss two studies in closed session
By Nickolai Sukharev
September 25, 2023 at 9:20 AM

The Army Science Board will convene in a closed meeting on Tuesday to discuss two studies, according to a Federal Register notice.

Members of the ASB will review, deliberate and vote on the findings and recommendations presented for two fiscal year 2023 studies on Sept. 26 from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in Arlington, VA.

The first study, “Testing, Validating, and Protecting Army use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Models,” contains controlled unclassified information and will be presented in a closed session from 8:45 - 10:00 a.m.

The second study, “Advanced Concepts to Support Army Warfighting Functions in the Indo-Pacific,” also contains controlled unclassified information and will be presented in a closed session at 10:15 - 11:30 a.m.

Earlier this month, the ASB released a study assessing the future threats to fifth-generation ground vehicles.

Oshkosh awarded additional JLTV contract
By Nickolai Sukharev
September 25, 2023 at 9:15 AM

The Army has awarded Oshkosh an additional contract for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, the Defense Department announced Friday.

Costing $31.1 million, Oshkosh will produce the JLTV at the company's facility in Oshkosh, WI, by June 30, 2025, the announcement says.

The award follows previous contracts announced in August.

Designed to replace a portion of the Army’s humvees, the JLTV is a family of four wheeled trucks designed to transport personnel and payloads across the full range of military operations.

The JLTV has a four-seat combat tactical variant and two-seat combat support variant. The combat tactical variant has subvariants with a machine gun turret and a cargo hold designed to carry heavier weapons. The combat support variant is designed to haul cargo or shelters.

The JLTV will also feature lithium-ion batteries to reduce fuel consumption and minimize engine noise.

In June, the Government Accountability Office denied Oshkosh’s protest of the Army’s decision to award the next production phase of the JLTV to AM General.

The Army is slated to procure 49,099 JLTVs, according to service budget documents for fiscal year 2024.

The Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force will also procure smaller portions of JLTVs.

The week ahead
By Tony Bertuca
September 25, 2023 at 5:00 AM

Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak around the Washington area this week, including at a congressional hearing to discuss the Biden administration's decision to keep U.S. Space Command in Colorado, rather than relocate it to Alabama.

Tuesday

The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts a discussion with Pentagon acquisition chief Bill LaPlante on maritime security.

Wednesday

The House Armed Services military personnel subcommittee holds a hearing on military housing.

Defense News hosts a webcast featuring the Pentagon's deputy director of manufacturing technology.

Thursday

The House Armed Services Committee holds a hearing with senior Pentagon officials on the Biden administration's decision to keep U.S. Space Command in Colorado.

The Senate Armed Services Committee hosts a hearing to consider the nominations for under secretary of defense for policy and assistant secretary of defense for acquisition.

Gen. Paul Nakasone, chief of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, speaks at the National Press Club.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee holds a hearing on counterterrorism and Authorization for the Use of Military Force reform.

The House Foreign Affairs Indo-Pacific subcommittee holds a hearing on "Lasers and Water Cannons: Exposing the Chinese Communist Party's Harassment in the South China Sea."

The INSIDER daily digest -- Sept. 22, 2023
By John Liang
September 22, 2023 at 1:51 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on a nascent U.S.-Canadian homeland defense battle management, command and control system, a recent GAO report on the F-35 program and more.

Cloud-Based C2, which became a program in May 2022, is set this fall to replace the Battle Control System-Fixed which achieved initial operational capability in October 2006 in support of Operation Noble Eagle -- North American Aerospace and Defense Command's activities to protect the two nations' domestic airspace initiated after the September 2001 terrorist attacks:

U.S.-Canada ready new domestic airspace C2 system for ops; first major upgrade since post-9/11

The United States and Canada are close to declaring initial operational capability of Cloud-Based C2 -- a new homeland defense battle management, command and control system to replace a tool established after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks -- that top brass say is needed to defend North America from modern threats and is a likely candidate to be part of a future domestic cruise missile defense system.

A new Government Accountability Office report finds the Defense Department, Army and Navy "need to reassess the future sustainment strategy" for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program:

GAO: Assessment needed on F-35 sustainment

The Defense Department needs to reassess its approach to F-35 Joint Strike Fighter sustainment to boost its mission-capable rates to program goals, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Thursday.

Document: GAO report on F-35 sustainment

The House Armed Services Committee held a hearing this week on defense cooperation with Taiwan:

U.S. defense industry takes heat for Taiwan weapons backlog

U.S. government officials told Congress this week that a $19 billion backlog of foreign military sales to Taiwan is due to shortcomings in the defense industrial base, but an influential business association that represents some of the largest Pentagon contractors seeks a more balanced view of the challenge.

Document: House hearing on defense cooperation with Taiwan

Reps. Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Pat Ryan (D-NY), noted at an S4G Summit this week that even with a possible government shutdown, they will be not working this weekend as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has sent everyone home for the weekend:

House lawmakers address government shutdown and Taiwan

Two members of the House Armed Services Committee today spoke publicly about how lessons learned from Ukraine may be applied to Taiwan and the national security impact of a government shutdown.

The new Navy Science and Technology Board is scheduled to hold its first meeting today:

Ex-Pentagon and Navy officials anchor new technology board

A new science and technology advisory board launched to support the Navy and Marine Corps will strive to bring insight and perspective to operational risks and benefits of emerging platforms, software and systems.

Biden announces $325M aid package for Ukraine 
By Tony Bertuca
September 21, 2023 at 6:24 PM

President Biden today announced a $325 million security assistance package for Ukraine that will transfer additional air defense systems and munitions directly from U.S. stocks, according to the Pentagon.

The package, funded via presidential “drawdown” authority and coincides with the Washington visits of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, includes:

  • AIM-9M missiles;
  • Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
  • Avenger air defense systems;
  • .50 caliber machine guns to counter Unmanned Aerial Systems;
  • 155mm artillery rounds, including the Dual-purposed improved conventional munitions;
  • 105mm artillery rounds;
  • Tube-Launched, Optically Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
  • Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
  • Over three million rounds of small arms ammunition;
  • 59 light tactical vehicles;
  • Demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing; and
  • Spare parts, maintenance, and other field equipment.

The announcement is the 47th tranche of equipment the Biden administration has provided Ukraine since August 2021.

“This package includes additional capabilities to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses as it faces brutal aerial assaults from Russia, dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICM) which are helping Ukraine on the battlefield, anti-tank weapons, and other equipment to meet Ukraine’s critical needs and to help Ukraine counter Russia’s ongoing war of aggression,” the Pentagon said.

Army selects four companies for Robotic Combat Vehicle
By Nickolai Sukharev
September 21, 2023 at 3:39 PM

Four companies will design and build Robotic Combat Vehicle prototypes for the Army, the service announced Wednesday.

McQ, Textron, General Dynamics Land Systems and Oshkosh received contracts for an approximate combined value of $24.72 million to build and deliver two prototypes by August 2024 in the first phase of the Army Robotic Combat Vehicles program, the announcement reads.

The Army will then select one of the four contractors for Phase II in 2025 to build and deliver nine prototypes in 2026 with fielding expected in 2028, the announcement states.

RCVs are a family of tracked and wheeled combat vehicles designed to be operated remotely and will accompany manned combat vehicles as scouts or escorts.

The vehicles will come in light, medium and heavy variants with the ability to carry modular payloads for electronic warfare and counter-unmanned aerial systems, according to the Congressional Research Service.

In 2023, the Army decided to prioritize development of the light variant, CRS said.

Previously, the Army suggested the RCVs could share parts with the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle, now called the XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle.

The RCVs are part of the Army’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle program, which includes replacements of the Abrams main battle tank and the Bradley Fighting Vehicle as well as the adoption of the M10 Booker Mobile Protected Firepower and the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle.

Dalton picked to be Air Force under secretary
By Tony Bertuca
September 21, 2023 at 3:01 PM

President Biden intends to nominate Melissa Dalton to be Air Force under secretary, according to a White House announcement today.

Dalton currently serves as the assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and hemispheric affairs.

Dalton, like more than 300 defense nominees, is scheduled to run into Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-AL) ongoing nomination blockade. Tuberville has vowed to keep his blanket hold in place unless the Defense Department changes its travel and leave policies for servicemembers seeking abortions. The Senate, however, has begun moving some senior DOD nominees on an individual basis.

Previously, Dalton served as principal deputy assistant defense secretary for strategy, plans and capabilities from January 2021 to March 2022.

Prior to joining the Biden administration, Dalton was an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Sept. 21, 2023
By John Liang
September 21, 2023 at 2:58 PM

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on artificial intelligence, the AUKUS agreement, the Missile Defense Agency's Next-Generation Interceptor program and more.

Mara Karlin, assistant defense secretary for strategy, plans and capabilities, who is also performing the duties of the deputy defense under secretary for policy, reiterated at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington this week that the Pentagon seeks to counter China by investing in cutting-edge technology like artificial intelligence:

Pentagon official speaks about DOD's artificial intelligence goals

A senior Pentagon official spoke Wednesday about steps the Defense Department is taking to advance artificial intelligence.

The latest AUKUS news:

Australian official calls for easing of U.S. export controls on AUKUS Pillar II

The United States must loosen its export control system to enable closer collaboration under the AUKUS security partnership, an Australian defense official said today, underscoring "congressional changes" within all three nations as a key step to implementing the agreement's technology-focused second pillar.

The Missile Defense Agency is scheduled this month to conduct a preliminary design review of Lockheed Martin's NGI proposal and a corollary review of the Northrop Grumman-Raytheon NGI design is slated to begin as soon as January, according to the agency’s most recent published schedule:

DOD gears up for major review of Next Generation Interceptor designs; Lockheed up first

The Defense Department is set to begin reviewing Next Generation Interceptor designs, a major mid-point assessment in the $17 billion contest between Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman that will determine whether the respective proposals are sufficiently mature to proceed with developing prototype intercontinental ballistic missile killers.

The House Armed Services cyber, information technologies and innovation subcommittee held a hearing this week on industry perspectives on defense innovation and deterrence:

Defense industry execs outline innovation concerns for House lawmakers

Top defense industry executives appeared before House lawmakers today to list steps they believe the Pentagon should take to streamline weapons system development and acquisition.

Document: House hearing on defense innovation and deterrence

The Pentagon this week set up a "Microelectronics Commons":

CHIPS Act DOD 'Microelectronics Commons' awardees announced

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks today unveiled the Pentagon's plans to create a stronger U.S. microchip industrial base by awarding several contracts to fund the establishment of eight "Microelectronics Commons" regional innovation hubs for prototyping, manufacturing and producing at scale.

Senate confirms Smith as next Marine Corps commandant
By Nick Wilson
September 21, 2023 at 2:38 PM

The Senate voted 96-0 to confirm Gen. Eric Smith to become the next Marine Corps commandant, filling the service's top post after Sen. Tommy Tuberville's (R-AL) continuing hold on military nominations left the position vacant for more than two months.

While Tuberville continues to block the Senate’s normal confirmation process, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) scheduled individual votes for Smith and two other senior Defense Department officials this week, also confirming Air Force Gen. Charles "C.Q." Brown as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Gen. Randy George as the Army chief of staff.

Smith has served as the Marine Corps’ acting commandant since former Commandant Gen. David Berger retired in July at the conclusion of his four-year term. In this role, Smith has juggled the responsibilities of the service’s top two positions, shouldering the duties of commandant while continuing to manage the responsibilities of his prior role as assistant commandant.

Smith, who was initially nominated to serve as the 39th commandant in May, has said performing both roles at once is not sustainable and indicated the growing list of unconfirmed officials is a drag on Marine Corps readiness.

In an interim guidance published in August, Smith committed to continuing the Marine Corps’ Force Design 2030 trajectory and outlined accelerated modernization, naval integration and organic mobility as warfighting priorities.

In the Senate, Tuberville has unilaterally stalled more than 300 nominations across the Defense Department in opposition to a policy that provides leave and travel assistance for servicemembers seeking abortion services.

Until this week, Schumer resisted bringing individual nominations to the floor for consideration, warning the move could set a precedent that slows the nomination process further.

A Congressional Research Service report found it would take more than 30 days of around-the-clock work -- over 700 continuous hours -- for the Senate to confirm all of these nominees by individual vote, or about 89 days if Senators worked for eight hours a day.

Meanwhile, the Navy still lacks a confirmed service chief, with assistant Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti serving as the acting CNO while her nomination awaits Senate approval. The Air Force is also without a confirmed leader with Gen. David Allvin’s nomination pending.

Senate confirms George as Army chief
By Dan Schere
September 21, 2023 at 12:54 PM

The Senate confirmed Gen. Randy George as the Army's 41st chief of staff Thursday afternoon by a 96-1 vote.

George was nominated by President Biden in April to succeed former Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville, who retired in early August. However, George’s nomination, along with that of more than 300 military nominations, was held up due to Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-AL) blockade, based on the senator’s objections to the Pentagon’s leave and travel reimbursement policies for servicemembers seeking abortions.

With the Senate’s confirmation of George, he becomes the second military officer to be confirmed over Tuberville’s blockade. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), on Wednesday, scheduled individual votes for Air Force Gen. Charles “C.Q.” Brown, Biden’s nominee to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, George and Gen. Eric Smith -- the nominee to be the Marine Corps’ next commandant.

The Senate confirmed Brown on Wednesday evening 83-11, and a vote on Smith’s nomination is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

Lt. Gen. James Mingus, the director of the Joint Staff, was nominated in July to serve as the service’s next vice chief.

Since becoming acting chief following McConville’s retirement last month, George has essentially been doing two jobs due to Tuberville’s blockade, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth noted this week at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“The role of the chief and the role of the vice are both more than full-time jobs, and we have multiple examples of our general officers who are doing that,” she said.

George has served as the Army’s vice chief of staff since August 2022. His service also includes working as a military assistant to the secretary of defense, and tours of duty in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

GOP's House defense spending bill goes down -- again
By Tony Bertuca
September 21, 2023 at 12:10 PM

House Republicans have again failed to advance the fiscal year 2024 defense appropriations bill, with several members of the GOP siding with Democrats to help to sink it by a vote of 212-216.

Today marks the third time in recent days that the House was unable to begin debate on the bill, which would provide $826 billion for the Pentagon, in line with the overall $886 billion for national defense -- which includes funding for other government agencies, like the Energy Department -- sought by President Biden. The House lost a similar vote yesterday and had to pull the bill from consideration last week because it lacked support.

The failure of the measure comes despite previous media coverage saying that Republican lawmakers believed the bill would be successful this time because GOP hardliners had been appeased.

Because Democrats uniformly oppose the bill as they say it is filled with conservative “culture war” provisions, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who is having difficulty gaining support from the far-right of his party, has only a slim margin by which legislation can be passed by his own caucus. Thus far, he has been unable to win the support of several Republicans who demand deep cuts to non-defense spending. At least one holdout, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), has said she wants the bill to block military aid for Ukraine.

McCarthy has also been unable to muster the 218 votes required to pass a stopgap continuing resolution required to stave off a government shutdown on Oct. 1.

Prior to the vote, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), the ranking member of the House Rules Committee, compared the process to the film “Groundhog Day,” where star Bill Murray is relegated to re-living the same day over and over again.

House Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) said he believes the process, though chaotic at the moment, will eventually result in a compromise between House Republicans -- and then between the GOP-led House and Democrat-led Senate -- ultimately bringing both sides together. The government, however, may shutter before that can happen.

Cole noted, however, that “Groundhog Day” had a “happy ending.”

"Everybody learned some lessons and they got where they needed to be,” he said. “I think we may be involved in a process something like that.”

Senate confirms Brown amid Tuberville's ongoing blockade
By Tony Bertuca
September 20, 2023 at 8:22 PM

The Senate has voted 83-11 to confirm Air Force Gen. Charles "C.Q." Brown to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff after months of being stalled by Sen. Tommy Tuberville's (R-AL) ongoing hold on military nominations.

In advance of the vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said he decided to schedule individual votes for Brown and two other senior defense nominees, even though the chamber often advances such picks through a speedier, bipartisan process that Tuberville is blocking over his opposition to the Pentagon’s leave and travel policies for servicemembers seeking abortions. His hold covers more than 300 military nominations.

The other two nominees, who are scheduled to receive confirmation votes tomorrow, are Gen. Randy George to become Army chief of staff and Gen. Eric Smith to become Marine Corps commandant.

“Due to the extraordinary circumstances of Sen. Tuberville’s reckless decisions, Democrats will take action,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “Democrats have said all along that these promotions should move forward together, as these nominations have for decades in the past. They should have happened a long time ago; they should have happened the way these promotions have been done in the Senate until Sen. Tuberville arrived.”

Schumer had previously said he did not want the Senate to confirm the nominees individually as it could set a precedent in the future that could further slow the nomination process.

Meanwhile, a Congressional Research Service report found that it would take the Senate more than 30 days to confirm the nominees impacted by Tuberville’s hold if lawmakers worked 24 hours per day without stopping. It would take 89 days if the Senate worked eight hours a day on the nominations, CRS said.

Tuberville, using a privilege granted to senators, is holding up the speedy consideration of the nominations over his opposition to a DOD policy that provides leave and travel assistance for servicemembers seeking abortions if they are stationed somewhere the procedure is outlawed or cannot be obtained. The Biden administration established the policy following the June 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Democrats and Republicans alike have criticized Tuberville’s blanket hold, while defense officials have said for months it threatens national security.

Brown’s confirmation as chairman comes as Gen. Mark Milley prepares to retire from the post at the end of this month.

Following the news that Schumer would allow the three nominees to be considered individually, Tuberville took to X, formerly Twitter, to vow that he would never give up his holds unless DOD changed its abortion policy.

“One of us was bluffing. It wasn't me,” Tuberville wrote. “Democrats are taking the same action they could've taken months ago. As long as the Pentagon keeps the unlawful elective abortion policy in place, my holds will remain.”

The INSIDER daily digest -- Sept. 20, 2023
By John Liang
September 20, 2023 at 2:16 PM

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the influence of the Ukraine war on U.S. Army training, the potential impact of the looming government shutdown on the military services and industry, the proposed creation of a new critical infrastructure sector for space and more.

The Army's top civilian and uniformed officials spoke this week at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies:

Acting Army chief, SECARMY say Ukraine war is shaping training

Acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and Secretary Christine Wormuth say the Russian invasion of Ukraine is transforming the way the U.S. Army trains, particularly when it comes to unmanned systems.

The Army's acquisition chief added his voice to the growing chorus of DOD officials warning of the perils of a government shutdown:

Army acquisition head says potential shutdown would hurt contracting workforce

If fiscal year 2024 begins with a government shutdown, one of the biggest negative impacts to the Army would be on the contracting workforce, service acquisition chief Doug Bush told reporters Tuesday.

More shutdown news:

Business group tells defense contractors to prep for government shutdown

An influential Washington business association that represents Pentagon contractors said today that companies should prepare for all contingencies related to a possible government shutdown on Oct. 1, even if they believe their work is fully funded.

AIA President and CEO Eric Fanning sent a letter to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan opposing the creation of a new critical infrastructure sector for space:

AIA urges NSC to conduct 'cost-benefit' analysis on space sector designation

The Aerospace Industries Association is asking the National Security Council to conduct a "cost-benefit" analysis when considering whether to designate any specific space capabilities as critical infrastructure, and to consider "space" itself as a domain, rather than creating a new critical infrastructure sector.

Keep an eye out tomorrow for a new solicitation seeking contractors interested in working on putting the Navy's nuclear missile submarine communication system onto a C-130 aircraft:

Navy RFP advances Super Hercules as E-6B TACAMO replacement

Naval Air Systems Command will issue a request for proposals Thursday for integrating "take charge and move out" (TACAMO) mission systems into a modified C-130J-30 Super Hercules transport aircraft.

Last but by no means least, more coverage from last week's Air, Space, Cyber conference:

Air Force moving ahead with Agile Combat Employment in Indo-Pacific

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- The Air Force's Agile Combat Employment concept for basing will need more funding for logistics as it aims to improve resiliency in the Indo-Pacific, Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach told reporters.