The Insider

The Army desires a team of vendors to develop sensor prototypes for Next Generation Combat Vehicles, designed to ease soldiers' cognitive load and make decisions more quickly.

"The goal of intelligent sensors is to automate operations key to engaging the enemy such as search, target detection and identification, sensor control and countermine and obstacle detection," the service notes in an Oct. 31 request for proposals.

Although each sensor will be developed individually using a common architecture, the Army wants an "intelligent sensor integrator" to ensure interoperability.

The Army expects to award other transaction agreements for prototypes in seven technology areas -- aided target detection/recognition algorithms, hostile fire detection and location with 360-degree situational awareness, pre-shot detection, augmented reality, a cross-platform pointer laser receiver, advanced commander and gunner sights and organic explosive hazard and obstacle detection.

Vendors will also receive awards for integration and testing.

The Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate in the service's Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center is overseeing the sensor prototype program on behalf of the NGCV cross-functional team, the notice states.

The directorate plans to first have the sensors integrated in a laboratory and then place them onto surrogate platforms on up to three manned and three unmanned vehicles.

LMI said last week it has named retired Air Force Col. Patrick Kumashiro director of its Air Force support, “overseeing development and delivery of advanced analytics, digital services, logistics, and management advisory services to USAF clients.”

He succeeds Patrick Mahoney, who will lead LMI's support to the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Kumashiro spent 27 years as an Air Force officer before departing in October 2016. He had served as chief of the maintenance division in the directorate of logistics at Air Force headquarters, LMI said.

Before joining LMI, he operated his own consulting firm.

The Navy last week awarded Perspecta a contract modification potentially worth up to $485 million to further extend the existing Next Generation Enterprise Network contract, according to a Defense Department statement.

“This modification will add a new option period that will extend the potential ordering period by eight months from Oct. 1, 2019, through May 31, 2020,” the statement said.

The Navy awarded a contract extension to Perspecta in September. At that time, Mac Curtis, the company's chief executive, told analysts he anticipated the company would receive this contract modification.

The service is in the middle of a re-competition for NGEN, which provides the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet.

Some must-reads from this week's issue of Inside the Navy:

1. The Navy in September began conducting new inspections of its supplier base supporting the Columbia-class submarine program in response to faulty welding on missile tubes found in August, according to a Navy officer overseeing the submarine program.

Full story: Navy conducting new inspections of Columbia-class submarine vendors

2. The party flip in the House following last week's midterm elections could put the Navy's already uphill battle for a 355-ship fleet on a more difficult track.

Full story: Democratic House could create new obstacles to building larger Navy

3. The Navy will begin trade studies in fiscal year 2020 to evaluate the possibilities for a second life extension program of the Trident II D5 fleet ballistic missile, according to the service's director of strategic systems programs.

Full story: Wolfe: Trade studies for second Trident D5 LEP starting in FY-20

4. The Defense Department has directed the Navy to stand up a formal program office for the U.S. military's marquee hypersonic boost-glide project, a major milestone that caps a decade-long, $1 billion technology development effort and sets the stage for the Navy to weaponize the Conventional Prompt Strike for the submarine fleet.

Full story: DOD directs Navy to stand up new hypersonic program office

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Navy's nascent use of other transaction authority, Army Secretary Mark Esper speaking at the American Enterprise Institute and more.

Other transaction authority will see increased use by the Navy:

Navy tying other transaction agreements to ANTX 2019

The Navy for the first time will have options to utilize other transaction agreements as a way to influence the technology demonstrated at its annual Advanced Naval Technology Exercise, according to a service official.

Army Secretary Mark Esper spoke this week at the American Enterprise Institute:

Esper: Rotational deployments to Europe satisfies current need

The Army's top civilian leader said Thursday the service's current rotation of forces across Europe is suitable for its training goals in the region and did not indicate a need for more permanent forces there, despite recent congressional interest in doing so.

Esper: Army pushing to get long-range fires, EW capability back in force

Army Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday he is focused on putting key capabilities that have been lost during years of counterinsurgency operations back in the force, as well as adding new ones.

The Air Force seeks "best-of-breed" tools to enable the Distributed Common Ground System to process more types of intelligence data collected from airborne, satellite and open sources:

Air Force to vet potential DCGS upgrades through 'TechFests'

Four months after the Air Force's new Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Flight Plan charted a fresh path for data-collection practices, the service now says it will hold "TechFests" where vendors can demonstrate innovative software.

The Army gave an update to industry this week on its plan to release a final request for proposals for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle:

Army lags on first phase of OMFV development

The Army's highest-priority acquisition program to modernize its combat vehicle fleet is off to a delayed start, as the service is taking more time than originally planned to refine requirements and request proposals for a future Bradley replacement.

Rear Adm. Doug Perry told attendees at the Naval Submarine League's annual conference the service's 2nd fleet would reach final operational capability in roughly one year:

Navy official: U.S. 2nd Fleet to reach IOC in spring 2019

The Navy's recently re-established 2nd Fleet will reach initial operational capability next spring, according to the director of joint and fleet operations for U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

Pentagon Chief Management Officer Jay Gibson has resigned, according to a Defense Department spokesman.

"On Monday, Nov. 5, Department of Defense Chief Management Officer John H. Gibson II submitted his resignation, effective November 30th," according to a statement from DOD spokesman Lt. Col. Joe Buccino.

Gibson’s resignation follows weeks of speculation he would leave after a report in The Wall Street Journal said he had been fired by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis for failing to perform.

Gibson’s primary effort at DOD involved finding $46 billion in efficiencies over five years. The Government Accountability Office has noted, however, that DOD has yet to demonstrate any savings.

Meanwhile, Lisa Hershman, the deputy chief management officer, will become acting CMO on Dec. 1.

"Mr. Gibson's groundbreaking work as the first-ever DOD Chief Management Officer set conditions for the department's reform initiatives," Buccino said. "His efforts to streamline processes, establish the department's Reform Management Group, and identify significant savings across the department will pay dividends in FY-19."

President Trump has appointed four people to be members of the new National Commission on Military Aviation Safety.

The commission, established by the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, is intended to investigate the causes of recent high-profile aviation mishaps.

Trump appointed Scott Donnelly, Joseph Hagin, Richard Healing and Dabney Kern. Donnelly is chairman, president and CEO of Textron. Hagin is the White House deputy chief of staff for operations. Healing is CEO and president of Air Safety Engineering, LLC and a former National Transportation Safety Board member. Kern is senior vice president for corporate homeland and national defense at CACI and a former director of the White House Military Office during the George W. Bush administration.

Earlier this week, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) and Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) made their own appointments to the commission: Thornberry appointing former Texas congressman Pete Geren (D), and Smith naming retired Air Force Gen. Raymond Johns.

Under the NDAA, the Armed Services Committee chairman and ranking member are allowed to appoint one commissioner each, while the president may appoint four.