The Insider

American Rheinmetall adds $32 million to Michigan facilities
By Dominic Minadeo
September 11, 2025 at 12:05 PM

American Rheinmetall is pouring $32 million into its Michigan manufacturing base to merge work being done at two facilities into a new headquarters under one roof.

The company made the announcement yesterday as it looks to further boost its defense work in the United States, including its ongoing competition with General Dynamics Land Systems for the Army’s XM30 program, the combat vehicle designed to replace the Bradley.

“This expansion represents a major step forward in strengthening our ability to deliver critical defense technologies to the U.S. military,” Matt Warnick, CEO of American Rheinmetall, said in the announcement.

The American subsidiary of German-based defense group, Rheinmetall AG, right now lists its headquarters at its Sterling Heights, MI, location. But the company will merge that facility’s existing work with operations at its Troy, MI, campus under a new 168,000 square foot facility in Auburn Hills, MI, according to the announcement.

The new project will yield 450 new jobs in the area, according to the announcement, which Michigan won in a competition against eight other states.

“Michigan continues to be an exceptional partner for American Rheinmetall as we grow our U.S. footprint to support critical defense programs,” Warnick said in part of a statement included in a press release from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office.

Last year Rheinmetall bought out Ohio and Michigan-based company Loc Performance Products for $950 million, picking up four new facilities.

Rheinmetall’s U.S.-based companies span across Arkansas, Maine, Michigan, Ohio and Virginia, according to the company.

House passes defense policy bill
By Tony Bertuca
September 10, 2025 at 6:17 PM

The House voted 213 to 196 to pass its version of the annual defense authorization bill that will need to be reconciled with the Senate.

The bill authorizes $896 billion in total national defense spending and contains key bipartisan legislation that would reform the Pentagon acquisition process.

The bill was passed out of the House Armed Services Committee by a vote of 55-2 but lost most of its bipartisan support on the floor following politically controversial amendments sought by the GOP.

Only 17 Democrats voted for the bill, while only four Republicans opposed it.

Many Democrats said they opposed the bill because it included measures blocking gender-affirming medical care for servicemembers.

Meanwhile, the bill includes an amendment that would repeal the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for the use of military force for Iraq.

Other amendments were unsuccessful, like ones proposed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) that would have blocked U.S. aid to Ukraine and Taiwan.

Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, thanked Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) for his bipartisanship during the writing of the initial bill but blamed GOP leadership for sidelining Democrats in the amendment process.

“For the third year running, Republican leadership cast aside that time-honored tradition and strong bipartisan work, placing politics above the needs of our troops and our national security,” Smith said. “They included countless partisan amendments that sought to score points in a right-wing culture war rather than focus on the real needs of our service members and their families. And they refused to include meaningful amendments offered by Democrats, silencing debate of critical issues including the Trump administration’s politicization of our military and executive overreach that threatens our constitutional democracy, which undermines the authority of the Congress. That is why I voted against final passage today.”

Rogers said the bill has a strong, bipartisan “core,” highlighting acquisition reform.

“The FY-26 [defense authorization bill] cuts red tape, streamlines bureaucracy, and refocuses acquisition on its most important mission: getting our warfighters what they need when they need it,” he said. “In addition to modernizing our military and accelerating innovative technologies, the FY-26 [bill] invests in the men and women who serve our country, with a 3.8% payraise for all servicemembers and improved schools, housing, and access to healthcare.”

The bill must now advance to a conference committee with the Senate, which is also considering its version of the bill on the floor this week.

Pentagon zero-trust head says 'Version 2.0' of strategy expected near year's end
By Theresa Maher
September 10, 2025 at 5:33 PM

The Defense Department official leading a zero-trust implementation initiative across the enterprise says his office will come out with a new strategy to guide the effort, which could come as soon as December.

“At the end of the year -- I'm hoping December, January -- we'll come out with a new zero-trust strategy. We’re calling it ‘Version 2.0,’” Randy Resnick, director of the DOD’s zero-trust portfolio management office, told attendees at the annual Billington Cybersecurity Summit today.

It would mark the first update since 2022, when the Pentagon’s zero-trust strategy was first published. That guidance set expectations for full implementation and adoption of zero-trust principles for information technology systems by the end of fiscal year 2027.

Resnick’s office has a different update coming even sooner, though -- he's expecting to roll out guidance on zero-trust applications for operational technology by the end of October.

“So probably six weeks-ish, we’re going to be coming out with what we call a ‘fan chart’ on secure ZT for operational technology,” Resnick said.

That comes nearly five months after Resnick first hinted at the effort to expand zero-trust implementation to operational technology used across the department, during an April symposium on DOD zero-trust adoption.

That guidance on zero trust for operational technology will also play a part in the overall Version 2.0 strategy coming out later, which Resnick called “essentially a global update.”

“It’s been many years since [2022]. We’ve learned a lot for zero trust for IT. We’ll include zero trust for OT and just bring everything modernized and up to date and make it more focused,” he said.

Army taps G 3/5/7 officer to lead new CUAS interagency task force
By Dan Schere
September 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George has chosen Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, currently assigned to the G-3/5/7, to lead the new counter-drone Joint Interagency Task Force 401 announced by Pentagon leadership last month.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo Aug. 27, establishing JIATF 401, which will report directly to the deputy defense secretary and have acquisition and procurement authority. This new task force, once established, will dissolve the Pentagon’s current joint counter-drone office.

Lt. Gen. Joseph Ryan, the Army deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and training, told attendees at the Maneuver Warfighting Conference at Ft. Benning, GA Wednesday that Ross would be running the task force, calling him a “particularly talented individual.” Ross was most recently the deputy commander for maneuver of the 3rd Infantry Division, Ft. Stewart, GA.

Among the other federal agencies that will be a part of JIATF 401 will be the CIA, FBI, NSA and Federal Aviation Administration, Ryan added.

The number 401 in the name of the task force refers to the need for the Defense Department to coordinate with “all kinds of different interagencies to figure out how we’re going to shoot things down,” when drones are flying at more than 400 feet, George explained during the conference Tuesday.

George and other top officials within the Army have consistently said the United States must close the gap with adversary nations when it comes to producing cheap drones en masse -- a point Ryan reiterated Wednesday.

Ryan said Wednesday that the U.S. military “can’t win” when it is shooting down $10,000 drones using missiles that cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce.

“Our adversaries are ahead of us here. The Ukrainians are ahead of us here. We're watching it in real time every day, and we're trying to take some of those lessons, because that Ukraine-Russia battlefield is a living laboratory of everything we're seeing and learning about the effects that a counter UAS system must have,” he said.

Eureka Naval Craft proposing USV design for Navy's MASC
By Nick Wilson
September 10, 2025 at 3:13 PM

Defense technology company Eureka Naval Craft is submitting its AIRCAT Bengal-MC uncrewed surface vessel as a candidate for the Navy's Modular Attack Surface Craft requirement.

The Texas-based company is partnering with Louisiana-based shipyard Bordelon Marine Shipbuilders to construct a “module carrier” version of its Bengal USV in addition to a separate manned landing craft, the two companies announced today.

The MASC effort was born from a merger of the Navy’s pre-existing medium and large USV programs, envisioned as streamlined craft that can be prototyped and fielded quickly.

In July, the Navy released a MASC solicitation seeking three separate USV solutions -- a base model, a high-capacity MASC and a single-payload MASC -- each with different requirements largely centered on payload capacity.

The Bengal-MC’s listed payload capacity is 40 tons, meaning Eureka Naval Craft is likely eying the base MASC requirement which has a minimum desired carrying capacity of two 40-foot equivalent unit (FEU) containerized payloads weighing in at 36 metric tons.

The “production-ready” Bengal-MC has an air-cushion catamaran design measuring 36 meters in length, with a cruise speed of 38 knots and a “sprint capability” of up to 50 knots, today’s announcement states. The vessel is optionally manned, supporting a crew of five to seven personnel, but can also operate autonomously.

The USV can also “be adapted to combat narco-terrorism” for the Homeland Security Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, the announcement states.

The new agreement with Bordelon Marine Shipbuilders follows a similar memorandum of understanding signed last month between Eureka Naval Craft and Singapore-based shipbuilder Strategic Marine to produce the Bengal-MC in Asia.

The INSIDER daily digest -- September 10, 2025
By John Liang
September 10, 2025 at 2:03 PM

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on some of the defense programs the White House wants included in a potential continuing resolution, plus the Navy seeking a second builder for its Landing Craft Utility program and more.

The White House has submitted a list of "anomalies" it wants included in a continuing resolution -- if it's needed -- to keep the government funded:

White House seeks submarine stopgap funding as Congress eyes CR

The Trump administration is seeking billions to begin building an additional Columbia-class submarine in the likely event Congress is forced to pass a stopgap continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown on Oct. 1, according to a list of "anomalies" sent to Capitol Hill.

Document: DOD's CR 'anomalies' list

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the York Space Systems space vehicles from Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA at about 7 a.m. local time today:

SDA's first operational satellites launched

After about a year delay, the Space Development Agency today launched the first satellites for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture that are suitable for operations.

The Navy is seeking companies capable of producing at least two LCUs per year and plans to release an official request for proposals next spring:

Navy seeks second builder for Landing Craft Utility program

The Navy is looking for a second shipyard to build vessels for its Landing Craft Utility program, according to a new sources-sought notice signaling a renewed push to expand output of the amphibious connectors 18 months after the service terminated its original LCU-1700 production contract.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George spoke this week at the Army's 2025 Maneuver Warfighting Conference:

Four next-gen tanks rolling out next year, Army chief says

The Army wants to build its next-generation tank faster -- and will have four prototypes to mess with as soon as next year, according to the service's chief of staff.

Steve Russell, vice president and general manager of Edison Works at GE, spoke at a Mitchell Institute event this week:

GE exec rejects notion industrial base can't handle F-47, F/A-XX engine production simultaneously

The advanced propulsion industrial base can handle two separate supply chains to produce an engine for both the Air Force's F-47 sixth-generation fighter jet and the Navy's F/A-XX, according to a senior GE Aerospace executive.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) this week called for treating economic vitality as central to security, launching a Manhattan Project-style initiative for AI and creating a Cyber National Guard to protect Americans on the digital frontlines:

Senator presses for national security overhaul to address economic and tech threats

A sweeping reorganization of the United States' national security institutions is needed to confront threats defined not by missiles and tanks but by economic decline, artificial intelligence and cyberattacks on civilians, a Democratic senator with deep national security credentials argued in a major address.

The INSIDER daily digest -- September 9, 2025
By John Liang
September 9, 2025 at 1:50 PM

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Pentagon's efforts to foster a U.S. critical minerals industrial base, plus the Army working on counter-drone lasers and more.

While interest in domestic mining activity has ramped up in recent years, that’s only a first step in creating a U.S.-based critical mineral supply chain. Refining -- which includes purifying and separating mined or extracted raw materials -- begins the midstream phase of that supply chain, which also includes processing:

DOD awards $2M to refine critical minerals, rare-earth elements

The Defense Department awarded $2 million to ReElement Technologies Corp. for its technology to separate and purify critical minerals and rare-earth elements for national security applications, the company announced today.

AeroVironment last week announced it had delivered two ISVs paired with its LOCUST weapon system, a 20 kilowatt-class laser designed to track, target and take out aerial threats:

Army to test AeroVironment's counter-drone laser from the back of ISVs

The Army has received two Infantry Squad Vehicles fitted with a directed-energy prototype designed to take down drones, marking a step toward improved mobility with counter unmanned aerial systems.

A new Defense Department inspector general's report "assess[es] the effectiveness of the Navy's management of the MQ‑4C Triton unmanned aircraft program's operational capabilities":

Navy's MQ-4C Triton retains deficiencies that could threaten mission success, DOD IG warns

The Navy failed to effectively manage the operational capabilities of its MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft, according to a Defense Department inspector general program audit, which found the service declared initial operational capability in spite of deficiencies that could prevent the aircraft from performing its mission.

Document: DOD IG report on Navy's management of Triton UAS

The next iteration of the Army's mixed-reality goggle program is now under contract:

Army awards contracts to Anduril, Rivet for next iteration of IVAS

The Army has awarded other transaction agreements to Anduril Industries and Rivet Industries for prototypes of the next iteration of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System, now formally known as the Soldier Borne Mission Command system (SBMC), the service’s Program Executive Office Soldier announced this week.

Gurpartap Sandhoo, who was recently named as the Space Development Agency's deputy director, will serve as acting director, while Chief Program Officer Mike Eppolito will serve as acting deputy director:

Tournear leaving SDA, Sandhoo named acting director

Space Development Agency Director Derek Tournear is leaving the organization he's been leading since it was first established, according to an SDA announcement.

Bipartisan bill proposes space partnerships with Australia, India and Japan
By Shelley K. Mesch
September 9, 2025 at 1:28 PM

Bipartisan lawmakers in both chambers introduced yesterday a bill that would direct the defense secretary to work with Australia, India and Japan on space issues through the Quad partnership.

Reps. Jeff Crank (R-CO) and Jason Crow (D-CO) and Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) proposed the bill -- dubbed the Quad Space Act -- so the nations can work together to form best practices in space, share space situational awareness and cooperate on space industrial policy, according to a news release from Crank’s office.

"The Quad Space Act reinforces America’s role as a leading voice in international space policy," Crank said. "By strengthening cooperation with Japan, Australia and India, it advances our shared commitment to preventing Chinese dominance in outer space and promotes a free and open space domain for all."

The bill is separate from the fiscal year 2026 defense policy bill, a spokesperson for Crank confirmed.

The Colorado delegation represents many stakeholders in space as it is home to three out of six Space Force bases as well as headquarters or manufacturing facilities for several space-related businesses.

U.S. Space Command is currently based in Colorado Springs, CO, but President Trump announced last week that it would move to Redstone Arsenal, AL.

“The treaties and conventions that govern space are outdated. We must strengthen our work with allies to address modern challenges and keep America safe,” Crow said. “Colorado will continue to play a key role in protecting the homeland, with Buckley Space Force Base, a talented defense workforce, and leading defense, space, and aerospace businesses.”

The bill would direct the defense secretary to start discussions on space through the Quad within 180 days of enactment and would order a report on discussions -- including potential areas of mutual interest and potential steps to formalize cooperation -- within 270 days, according to the bill text.

DOD announces final rule on CMMC implementation
By Tony Bertuca
September 9, 2025 at 10:39 AM

The Defense Department today announced the final Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement rule for implementing the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Program.

The final rule will ensure DOD procurements “will include CMMC assessment requirements that ensure defense contractors properly safeguard the Department’s Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI),” according to a Pentagon announcement.

The CMMC program, the Pentagon said, is intended to provide defense contractors and the government with a “a consistent methodology” for assessing the department’s cybersecurity requirements.

“We expect our vendors to put U.S. national security at the top of their priority list. By complying with cyber standards and achieving CMMC, this shows our vendors are doing exactly that,” said Katie Arrington, who is performing the duties of DOD’s chief information officer.

Rules Committee sends defense bill to House floor
By Tony Bertuca
September 9, 2025 at 10:33 AM

(Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA).)

The House Rules Committee voted 9-4 to advance the annual defense authorization bill, approving around 300 amendments for debate, with floor consideration slated for later today.

The bill, known as the "Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026," began with more than 1,000 proposed amendments.

Democratic lawmakers argued that a defense bill free of divisive “culture war” amendments would garner broad bipartisan support, such as when the measure first passed out of the House Armed Services Committee.

The bill, however, includes amendments to block gender-affirming medical care, which is set to cost it the support of some Democrats, including Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, who listed several objections to the actions of the Trump administration including its use of the U.S. military for domestic law enforcement, the firings of senior military leaders, eliminating inspectors general, and cutting the jobs of cyber experts via downsizing at the Pentagon.

“I will be voting no on the passage of the rule for the FY26 NDAA and standing in strong opposition to its failure to provide meaningful debate on core policy disagreements with the Trump administration," he said. "Furthermore, there are a number of problematic amendments included in the rule that focus on divisive topics rather than strengthening our national security. Should these amendments be adopted, I will vote against final passage of the bill."

Additionally, the bill does not contain any standalone amendments proposed by Democrats.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) said the bill’s initial show of bipartisan support out of committee can be attributed to its focus on national security.

“We keep the focus on the warfighter and making sure we give them what they need to be successful and safe,” he said. “That is our focus. It always has been. We still have our robust debates around some small measure of issues but generally the focus is where it should be and that is our national security.”

Smith predicted the bill, if it were allowed to proceed to the floor largely free of divisive amendments, could easily win 360 or 370 votes. He noted, however, that the “principal risk” facing the measure would be culture war debates.

Along with other measures that will be debated, the bill contains a bipartisan amendment to repeal the 1991 and 2002 laws authorizing the use of military force, which has been unsuccessful in previous years.

The bill also includes an amendment authored by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) that would bar U.S. military aid to Ukraine.

The House Armed Services Committee has set up a floor amendment tracker to follow the debate in real time.

Watch Inside Defense for further coverage.

Air Force picks ARA to build Next Generation Penetrator
By Vanessa Montalbano
September 8, 2025 at 6:42 PM

Defense firm Applied Research Associates will design and build a prototype for the Air Force's Next Generation Penetrator bomb, the company and the service announced over the weekend.

The new contract -- which spans 24 months and includes the production and test of sub-scale and full-scale prototype munitions -- was awarded by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Eglin Munitions Directorate.

ARA will serve as the lead designer for the development of a bunker-buster, air-to-ground munition prototype, while Boeing will build the NGP’s tail kit.

“This effort will evaluate capabilities against hard and deeply buried targets that pose critical challenges to U.S. national security,” ARA wrote in its news release. “Leveraging decades of experience in guided and penetrating munitions, ARA will lead design maturation, while Boeing will drive tail kit development and support all-up-round integration.”

Boeing is the manufacturer of the Air Force’s other munition intended to destroy hard-to-hit and deeply buried targets, called the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator. That weapon was used for the first time in June to strike Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities.

NGP is a follow-on, secretive program the Air Force introduced in fiscal year 2025 to develop an advanced munition weighing no more than 22,000 lbs. able to be carried by various aircraft.

The project potentially includes the addition of advanced fuze technology to the penetrating weapon system to better ensure it can reach a precise aim point even when other satellite navigation systems go offline, the service wrote in its FY-25 budget request documents.

The service has also floated the idea of adding a rocket motor to the next bunker-buster iteration to increase its standoff capability. The MOP, in contrast, is unpowered, meaning it needs to be released close to the target.

In FY-26, the service is requesting $73.7 million for NGP research, development, test and evaluation to “execute varied validation activities to include: modeling and simulation, test and evaluation, ground test support for sub-scale sled testing and full-scale static testing.”

ARA will likely be required to deliver about “10 subscale and 3-5 full-scale warheads 18-24 months from contract award,” according to a February 2024 request for information.

Prototype demonstration for the NGP program is planned to be complete by the end of FY-27, per Air Force budget documents.

The INSIDER daily digest -- September 8, 2025
By John Liang
September 8, 2025 at 1:22 PM

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Army's mixed-reality goggle program, plus the Space Development Agency getting new leadership and more.

The next iteration of the Army's mixed-reality goggle program is now under contract:

Army awards contracts to Anduril, Rivet for next iteration of IVAS

The Army has awarded other transaction agreements to Anduril Industries and Rivet Industries for prototypes of the next iteration of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System, now formally known as the Soldier Borne Mission Command system (SBMC), the service’s Program Executive Office Soldier announced.

The Space Development Agency has new leadership:

Tournear leaving SDA, Sandhoo named acting director

Space Development Agency Director Derek Tournear is leaving the organization he's been leading since it was first established, according to an SDA announcement this morning.

More SDA-related news:

SDA delays planned September contract awards for Tranche 3 Transport Layer

The Pentagon is pushing back a contract award for the next phase of its proliferated low-Earth orbit communications network, raising questions about the possibility of a major new plan for the multibillion-dollar Transport Layer effort following a nearly $500 million cut by the Trump administration.

In July, the Pentagon's acting comptroller asked lawmakers -- as part of an FY-25 omnibus reprogramming request -- to reallocate previously appropriated money into the Army's counter-drone account to finance a new radar competition and upgrades to the Ku-band Radio Frequency System (KuRFS):

Army to launch new mobile radar competition in 2026 as part of cUAS push

The Army is preparing to stage a Mobile Flat Panel Radar Sense-Off Competition in the summer of 2026, a move aimed at reducing costs and boosting performance of sensors used to defend against drones.

Navy Secretary John Phelan is calling for setting up a new deputy Navy assistant secretary for robotic and autonomous systems as well as a related program executive office and portfolio acquisition executive:

Navy to establish new robotic and autonomous systems program office, consolidate existing efforts

Navy Secretary John Phelan has directed the establishment of a new program executive office for robotic and autonomous systems (PEO RAS) and the creation of a corresponding portfolio acquisition executive position as well as a deputy assistant Navy secretary for robotic and autonomous systems position, according to a Sept. 3 memo obtained by Inside Defense.

Document: Navy memo on new robotic, autonomous systems program office

The week ahead
By Tony Bertuca
September 8, 2025 at 5:00 AM

A key nomination hearing is scheduled for this week, while the House and Senate debate passage of their annual defense authorization bills.

Monday

The House Rules Committee will meet to discuss the annual defense authorization bill.

The Mitchell Institute hosts a panel on defense industry insights.

Thursday

The Senate Armed Services Committee holds a nomination hearing for Gen. Christopher Mahoney to be vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Trump authorizes 'Department of War' as a secondary title for DOD
By Tony Bertuca
September 5, 2025 at 5:06 PM

President Trump today signed an executive order authorizing the use of "Department of War" as a secondary title for the Defense Department.

Some GOP lawmakers are pushing to codify the name change into law as only Congress can rename federal agencies, but Trump today authorized the use of “secretary of war” and “Department of War” for public communication.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also updated his social media handle on X to be @SecWar following a signing ceremony in the Oval Office. The department’s official X account was also updated.

“WE ARE THE WAR DEPARTMENT,” the account declared.

The Pentagon’s official website www.defense.gov has also been changed to www.war.gov.

Hegseth, speaking alongside Trump in the Oval Office, said the name changes reflect the administration’s priorities.

“We're going to go on offense not just on defense,” he said. “Maximum lethality -- not tepid legality. Violent effect, not politically correct. We're going to raise up warriors. Not just defenders. This War Department, Mr. President, just like America, is back.”

Trump said “Defense Department” -- which remains the department's legal name -- is too “politically correct” and “wokey.”

“It has to do with winning,” he said. “We should have won every war. We could have won every war. We really chose to be a very politically correct or wokey and we just fight forever.”

Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee Chairman Mitch McConnell (R-KY) responded on X, criticizing the size of the Trump administration’s fiscal year 2026 defense spending request.

“If we call it the Dept. of War, we'd better equip the military to actually prevent and win wars,” he wrote. “Can't preserve American primacy if we're unwilling to spend substantially more on our military than Carter or Biden. ‘Peace through strength’ requires investment, not just rebranding.”

The U.S. Department of War was created in 1789, reorganized in 1947 as the National Military Establishment and then renamed the Department of Defense in 1949.

The INSIDER daily digest -- September 5, 2025
By John Liang
September 5, 2025 at 1:58 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on an Army effort to develop a counter-drone radar, the Navy setting up a nascent robotic and autonomous systems program office and more.

In July, the acting Pentagon comptroller asked lawmakers -- as part of an FY-25 omnibus reprogramming request -- to reallocate previously appropriated money into the Army's counter-drone account to finance a new radar competition and upgrades to the Ku-band Radio Frequency System (KuRFS):

Army to launch new mobile radar competition in 2026 as part of cUAS push

The Army is preparing to stage a Mobile Flat Panel Radar Sense-Off Competition in the summer of 2026, a move aimed at reducing costs and boosting performance of sensors used to defend against drones.

In a memo issued this week, Navy Secretary John Phelan calls for setting up a new deputy Navy assistant secretary for robotic and autonomous systems as well as a related program executive office and portfolio acquisition executive:

Navy to establish new robotic and autonomous systems program office, consolidate existing efforts

Navy Secretary John Phelan has directed the establishment of a new program executive office for robotic and autonomous systems (PEO RAS) and the creation of a corresponding portfolio acquisition executive position as well as a deputy assistant Navy secretary for robotic and autonomous systems position, according to a Sept. 3 memo obtained by Inside Defense.

Document: Navy memo on new robotic, autonomous systems program office

In a July request to Congress, the Defense Department sought to shift $2 million from the Space Force’s Space Technology Development and Prototyping account to a higher-priority military intelligence project:

SDA delays planned September contract awards for Tranche 3 Transport Layer

The Pentagon is pushing back a contract award for the next phase of its proliferated low-Earth orbit communications network, raising questions about the possibility of a major new plan for the multibillion-dollar Transport Layer effort following a nearly $500 million cut by the Trump administration.

A recent Government Accountability Office report "reviewed how well the Army kept track of ammunition being repaired at sites that contractors own and operate. This included Stinger air defense missiles, Javelin anti-tank missiles and more":

GAO: Army did not properly account for 95% of ammunition at contractor-owned, contractor-operated sites

The Army did not properly account for the vast majority of ammunition at its contractor-owned, contractor-operated (COCO) sites as of July 2024, according to a new government watchdog report.

Document: GAO report on Army ammo at COCO sites

GAO also had a report on the Pentagon's unfunded priorities lists, in case you missed it:

DOD unfunded priorities lists surged 73% between FY-20 and FY-25

The Defense Department's annual submission of unfunded priorities lists to Congress totaled $134 billion between fiscal years 2020 and 2025, an increase of 73%, according to the government's top watchdog agency.

Document: GAO report on UPLs