The Insider

Brent Ingraham was sworn in as the Army's next assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology Monday, the service announced in a news release.

Ingraham was nominated for the role in April and appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee in late June.

The Senate confirmed Ingraham Sept. 18 by a 51-47 vote that was along party lines, with two senators not voting, according to a congressional notice.

In advance policy questions sent to the committee prior to his June 26 hearing, Ingraham wrote that Army requirements must be “agile, flexible and adaptable,” as opposed to being so prescriptive that they tie acquisition programs to “unachievable or outdated technology.”

Ingraham also said he would ensure requirements are properly vetted for cost, schedule and performance risks, and use a series of acquisition panels to ensure this is adhered to.

Ingraham’s answers to the committee echoed service Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and Secretary Dan Driscoll’s calls to get away from long-term programs of record and divest from technology that is no longer relevant on the battlefield.

Ingraham most recently had been performing the duties of deputy under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, in which he handled matters “pertaining to acquisition, contract administration, logistics and materiel readiness, installations and environment, operational energy” as well as other areas, according to the Army. Prior to that role, he served as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for platform and weapon portfolio management, in which he managed “major platforms and weapons capability portfolios,” across the Pentagon.

As acquisition chief, Ingraham will oversee more than 550 acquisition programs totaling about $170 billion. He succeeds Jesse Tolleson Jr, who had been serving in the role in an acting capacity during the Trump administration, and Doug Bush, who served as acquisition chief during the Biden administration.

Raytheon has completed a major review of a new Advanced Electronic Warfare prototype for the Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, that comes as the Navy prepares to test prototype systems in fiscal year 2026.

The prototype, or ADVEW, will replace electronic warfare systems currently in place on Super Hornets across the fleet, increasing the aircraft’s overall defensive capabilities and survivability, according to a company news release today.

In 2023, the Navy awarded Raytheon $80 million to create an ADVEW prototype to replace the existing AN/ALQ-214 integrated defensive electronic countermeasure and the AN/ALR-67(V) 3 radar warning receiver, according to another company announcement.

Raytheon is currently in competition with L3Harris Technologies for the final contract. In November 2024, L3Harris announced it had completed critical hardware checks and capability demonstrations for its own version of the technology.

According to FY-26 budget justification documents, the cost of ADVEW’s Middle Tier of Acquisition effort totals $179 million -- including research, development, test and evaluation of prototype units.

"Our ADVEW prototype continues to showcase significant progress in both hardware and software that will improve the aircraft's ability to detect and counter electronic threats," Daniel Theisen, president of advanced products and solutions at Raytheon, said in the announcement. "We are on track with our fast-paced schedule and will continue developing the system to meet all necessary requirements on the U.S. Navy's accelerated fielding timeline."

Raytheon also recently completed a test plan working group that ensures ADVEW’s in-flight performance is coordinated and streamlined, the release added.

The Super Hornet fleet is in the process of aging and is set to stop production by 2027. The Navy’s next-gen fighter -- F/A-XX -- is the planned successor to the Super Hornet, though questions currently surround the Navy’s commitment to the program.

The Navy is seeking submissions for participation in the 2026 Silent Swarm experiment -- a series of events focusing on early development Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations capabilities that can be utilized on attritable, multidomain unmanned systems, according to a recent posting.

The two-week Silent Swarm event will take place next July and will focus on the effects of distributed electromagnetic attack, deception and concealment, alternative position, navigation and timing, resilient communications and electromagnetic warfare support with geolocation, the government notice states.

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division -- in support of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering -- is looking for technology that is scalable and adaptive; modular, coordinated, coherent and reactive; highly portable; capable of multidomain operability and integration; and capable of remote or autonomous operation.

Ideally, technologies in the Technology Readiness Level two to five range are desired, the notice adds.

“Silent Swarm provides an experimentation venue and environment for rapid technology exploration and innovation, provides an opportunity for teaming and direct feedback from technical and operational [subject matter experts],” the notice states.

NSWC Crane plans to host a virtual industry day on Oct. 14 “to provide a forum for industry and government stakeholders to better understand the Silent Swarm goals, requirements and the process for submitting proposals,” according to the posting. Submissions are due no later than Oct. 31.

Additionally, those selected to participate will be expected to attend planning workshops, including a virtual workshop scheduled for Dec. 2-4.

Engine-maker Pratt & Whitney is developing a new family of engines intended to power munitions and the Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft, spanning a thrust class of 500 to 1,800 pounds, the company announced today.

“This new family of engines prioritizes development speed and affordability,” Jill Albertelli, president of Pratt & Whitney’s military engines business, told reporters during a briefing last week. The company has not yet decided on a name designation for the new combat drone and munition engine series, she added.

Since the engine class will be scalable from 500 to 1,800 pounds it will help foster a common architecture among the systems which reduces production timelines and “will help us be able to really take lessons learned from one to another, but also to have it available for several different applications,” Albertelli said.

Additionally, this particular type of engine could lend itself to a variety of uses for the CCA program, she said, based on conversations with Air Force, Navy and international customers.

“Is it something that they want to return and come back? Is it something that is actually, you know, deploying effects, or is it something that's out there and, you know, creating collecting information, creating sense, sensory scrambles, etcetera, is it something that's not going to return?” Albertelli said. “So, we really have studied this and worked with the customer to be able to provide to them whichever way they go.”

Citing classification, she would not name which, if any, partnerships are already established for this engine type.

The new CCA engine series will use additive manufacturing to help tamp down costs and keep the engine readily available, Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of RTX, said in its news release.

Initial testing for the engine family is set to begin later this year, Albertelli said, with a second series of tests expected to run in early 2026 to further validate key design features.

The engine family will be available for Pratt & Whitney’s domestic and international customers, Albertelli said.

The Defense Innovation Unit today announced the formation of a new group that will evaluate drone platforms as part of the Blue UAS initiative.

The group of third-party assessors includes the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, Dark Wolf Solutions, Edgesource Corp., Legion X, Modern Technology Solutions and SpiderOak.

The announcement arrives as DIU seeks to evolve Blue UAS -- the unit’s effort to rapidly vet and adopt commercial unmanned aerial system technology. In May, former DIU Director Doug Beck told the House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee of an overhaul of Blue UAS, to “rapidly vet a much broader set of UAS platforms and components at speed, and year-round.”

In June, DIU issued the call for outside organizations capable of assessing drone platforms and components for compliance with legislation -- specifically legislation that requires a supply chain separate from Chinese parts and capital.

“The primary focus is to enable the timely and secure evaluation of commercial drone platforms and components for potential inclusion to the Blue List,” according to today’s announcement. “Once a submission has been received through the Blue Portal, the Recognized Assessors will be able to provide a cost estimate and timeline to conduct the assessment, and the submitter can determine which proposal makes sense for their situation."

Specifically, these third-party assessors will conduct NDAA compliance assessments, verify all ownership and interest stakes, review supply chain provenance, produce standardized assessment reports and in most cases will contract directly with companies that seek Blue UAS Cleared List inclusion, according to the announcement.

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on a proposed high-altitude missile detection sensor system, plus Navy shipbuilding funding, the Army deploying a Typhon missile system to Japan and more.

The Missile Defense Agency issued a solicitation this week seeking prototype demonstrations for a High-Altitude Infrared Search and Track program, or HAIRST:

MDA seeks high-altitude infrared sensor to better manage high-volume missile raids

The Missile Defense Agency is seeking industry proposals for a new high-altitude infrared sensor system that can scan wide swaths of the sky for large numbers of incoming missiles and generate high-resolution tracking data.

Document: MDA's HAIRST solicitation

It looks like additional funding for shipyards might still be available:

Navy official: SAWS proposal not dead, cites complications

The Navy's proposal to free up additional funding to boost shipyard wages is not quite dead, an official told reporters Thursday, despite debate earlier this year between lawmakers and the White House Office of Management and Budget over implementing the funding mechanism.

China isn't exactly happy with the U.S. deploying a Typhon missile system to Japan:

3MDTF debuts Typhon in Japan, draws Chinese rebuke

The Army for the first time has deployed its Typhon missile system on Japanese soil, sparking an incensed reply from the Chinese government, which sees the move as a threat to regional stability.

James Mazol testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee this week on his nomination to be deputy defense under secretary for research and engineering:

DOD tech deputy nominee wants private capital to expand industrial base

Private capital markets should be tapped to support the development and scaling of technologies critical to national security, the nominee to be the Pentagon's deputy technology chief told lawmakers this week.

Document: Senate hearing on DOD IG, CIO, R&E, SOLIC nominations

Our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity interviewed the head of the Pentagon's Cyber Accreditation Body this week:

CMMC accreditation body expects to update assessment process guide in December

A new acquisition final rule for the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program is accelerating the work of the independent accreditation body responsible for meeting the demand for assessments and providing guidance to assessors, according to Cyber AB CEO Matthew Travis.