The Insider

DOD announces $425M aid package for Ukraine, cleaning out long-term assistance fund
By Tony Bertuca
November 3, 2023 at 12:39 PM

The Pentagon today announced a $425 million military aid package for Ukraine, with $125 million accounting for immediate weapons transfers from U.S. stocks and the remaining $300 million exhausting what is left of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative meant for long-term defense needs.

The weapons transfer package funded via presidential “drawdown” authority includes:

  • Additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS);
  • Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
  • 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds;
  • Tube-Launched, Optically Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
  • Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
  • More than 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenades;
  • Demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing;
  • M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel munitions;
  • 12 trucks to transport heavy equipment;
  • Cold weather gear; and
  • Spare parts, maintenance, and other field equipment.

The USAI portion of the package, which includes contracts for “additional laser-guided munitions to counter Unmanned Aerial Systems,” makes use of $300 million provided under a continuing resolution that Congress recently passed and “exhausts the remaining USAI funds currently available to support Ukraine,” according to the Pentagon.

Senior defense officials said the department’s weapons transfer authority is also nearly spent.

“The administration continues to call on Congress to meet its commitment to the people of Ukraine by passing additional funding to ensure Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself against Russia's brutal war of choice,” the Pentagon said.

Congress, meanwhile, has not yet approved additional aid for Ukraine as some House Republicans oppose it.

House passes Israeli aid bill amid Senate opposition and veto threat
By Tony Bertuca
November 3, 2023 at 10:40 AM

The House has passed a $14.3 billion Israeli military aid bill that would cut funding from the Internal Revenue Service, despite drawing a veto threat from President Biden and Democrats saying the legislation is dead-on-arrival in the Senate.

The bill separates Israeli aid from a larger national security supplemental request submitted by the White House and doesn't provide military aid to Ukraine.

The House voted yesterday 226-196 to pass the Israeli aid bill, with 12 Democrats breaking ranks to join 214 Republicans, while two Republicans opposed the bill alongside 194 Democrats.

The bill is seen as a first legislative test for new House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who has pledged to pay for the Israeli aid by “offsetting” the cost elsewhere in government. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, however, says the bill would actually add to the federal deficit as cutting the IRS would decrease government revenue over time.

Both Democratic and Republican senators, meanwhile, say they are moving toward a bipartisan supplemental spending package that would include funding for Israel, Ukraine, security at the southern border and the U.S. submarine industrial base.

Senate confirms Mahoney as assistant commandant
By Nick Wilson
November 2, 2023 at 3:41 PM

The Senate voted 86-0 today to confirm Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney as Marine Corps assistant commandant days after Commandant Gen. Eric Smith was hospitalized following an undisclosed medical emergency, leaving the service with no Senate-confirmed No. 2 officer.

Although Mahoney was nominated in July, the post of assistant commandant has been vacant due to a blanket hold on military nominations and promotions by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who is blocking the Senate’s normal confirmation process in opposition to the Pentagon’s leave and travel policies for servicemembers seeking abortion services. Tuberville voted in favor of Mahoney’s nomination today.

With no Senate-confirmed assistant commandant, Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl, deputy commandant for combat development and integration and commanding general of Marine Corps Combat Development Command, has been performing the duties of commandant while Smith recovers. The job falls to Heckl because he is the most senior officer at Marine Corps Headquarters, according to a service press release.

According to a Wednesday Marine Corps release, Smith is in stable condition and is recovering in a Washington, DC hospital. While the service has not disclosed the nature of the medical emergency, other media outlets have reported it was a heart attack.

Earlier today, senators confirmed Adm. Lisa Franchetti as the new chief of naval operations and Gen. David Allvin as the next Air Force chief of staff. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) filed cloture on the three nominations on Tuesday, bringing them to the Senate floor for individual votes.

Senate confirms Allvin as Air Force chief of staff
By Shelley K. Mesch
November 2, 2023 at 2:52 PM

The Senate confirmed Gen. David Allvin as the Air Force chief of staff today by a 95-1 vote.

Allvin succeeds Gen. Charles “C.Q.” Brown, who was confirmed as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in September.

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) was the only nay vote for Allvin. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) was among those who voted for it.

The individual vote on Allvin came as Tuberville continues to prevent large block votes on military nominations due to his opposition to Pentagon policies on expenses and leave for servicemembers seeking abortions.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) also filed cloture on nominations for Adm. Lisa Franchetti as the chief of naval operations and Lt. Gen. Christopher Majoney for assistant Marine Corps commandant.

Franchetti was confirmed earlier today.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Nov. 2, 2023
By John Liang
November 2, 2023 at 2:15 PM

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Air Force's KC-46A airborne refueling tanker program, the newly minted House speaker floating an idea to keep the government open beyond the current continuing resolution and more.

The Air Force is working on a plan for the Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness certification of "commercial-off-the-shelf cameras" for the KC-46A's Remote Vision System 2 which is the "final critical action item" that, once approved, will complete the system's critical design review:

Air Force to complete KC-46A's RVS 2.0 critical design review before end of year

The Air Force is expecting to close the KC-46A's Remote Vision System 2.0 critical design review before the end of the calendar year, a service spokeswoman told Inside Defense.

The House's recently elected speaker is floating a new idea to keep the government open beyond the current continuing resolution:

Johnson floats idea of 'laddered' stopgap funding to keep government open

Newly minted House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said today that among Republican lawmakers there is growing recognition Congress needs to pass another stopgap funding patch to avert a government shutdown in two weeks, adding the GOP is considering a "laddered" continuing resolution that would involve individual appropriations bills.

HII executives discussed the company's quarterly earnings this morning:

HII exceeds annual hiring goal with over 5,000 new personnel

Shipbuilder HII has exceeded its annual hiring goal with over 5,000 new hires through the third quarter of 2023, according to company executives, who said they are still working to improve retention rates.

New legislation would prohibit the federal government from using U.S. taxpayer dollars to purchase commercial drones from countries like China:

House lawmakers propose bill to ban federal drone purchases from China

Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Joe Courtney (D-CT) introduced a bipartisan bill today that would ban the federal government from buying commercial drones made in countries, like China, that are listed as possible national security threats.

Document: American Security Drone Act of 2023

Lockheed Martin recently demonstrated a 5G network:

Lockheed touts successful 5G demo with commercial tech companies

Lockheed Martin today announced the completion of a successful demonstration of its Hybrid 5G-Tactical Mesh Network, noting new collaboration with leading commercial technology companies like Microsoft, Verizon and Intel, partnerships Lockheed's CEO recently told House lawmakers will be vital for the future of the defense industry.

Air Force investigating Minuteman III test launch anomaly
By Shelley K. Mesch
November 2, 2023 at 1:48 PM

The Air Force is investigating an anomaly from a test launch of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile early yesterday morning.

The unarmed missile launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA just after midnight and had to be terminated over the Pacific Ocean because of the unspecified anomaly, according to an announcement from Air Force Global Strike Command.

“Since anomalies may arise from many factors relating to the operational platform itself, or the test equipment, careful analysis is needed to identify the cause,” the announcement states.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) noted in a written statement that the Minuteman system, which was fielded in the 1970s, has been in service well past its originally intended lifespan.

“It has served our country well and we will continue to depend on it to deter nuclear war until the 2030s,” he said, “but this week’s test is a stark reminder that nothing lasts forever,” he said.

A team of representatives from AFSGC, the 377th Test and Evaluation Group, the 576th Flight Test Squadron, Space Launch Delta 30 Safety Office and the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center will investigate the cause of the problem.

AFGSC regularly runs test launches of unarmed Minuteman missiles to be able to “identify and correct” any problems that may arise with the aging nuclear system, it stated.

The Minuteman’s replacement, the LGM-35A Sentinel, is in development but won’t reach full operational capability until the mid-2030s, according to the Air Force. The service is committed to keeping Minuteman as a viable deterrent until that time.

Rogers criticized what he called “far-left disarmament community” moves to delay recapitalization efforts and extend the life of the Minuteman system.

“This debate has grown increasingly detached from reality; further life extension is simply infeasible, and 50-year-old missiles are not the answer to China and Russia’s expanding nuclear arsenals,” he said. “We must modernize our aging nuclear deterrent and replace the Minuteman III missile -- as well as the rest of our nuclear enterprise -- with modern systems.”

Some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have criticized the $98 billion program’s cost and schedule risks, 217537 but the program has continued to receive funding each year from Congress.

Senate confirms Franchetti as CNO
By Nick Wilson
November 2, 2023 at 1:02 PM

The Senate voted 95-1 today to confirm Adm. Lisa Franchetti as the next chief of naval operations, breaking a months-long hold that left Franchetti serving as the acting CNO while awaiting senate confirmation.

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) was the only senator to vote against the nomination. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) was among those who voted for it.

Franchetti was nominated for the position in July and has been performing the duties of both the Navy’s No.1 and No. 2 positions since previous CNO, Adm. Michael Gilday, reached the end of his term in August. Franchetti is the first woman to become the Navy’s top officer.

Tuberville maintains a blanket hold on over 300 military nominations and promotions in opposition to the Pentagon’s leave and travel policies for servicemembers seeking abortion services. The hold prevents the Senate from using its usual process for approving nominees in large blocks.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) filed cloture on Franchetti’s nomination on Tuesday along with two additional senior military nominations -- Gen. David Allvin for Air Force chief of staff and Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney for assistant Marine Corps commandant. The Senate is likely to vote on the additional two officials in the coming days.

In September, Schumer used the same workaround, holding individual votes to confirm Gen. Eric Smith as Marine Corps commandant, Air Force Gen. Charles “C.Q.” Brown as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Gen. Randy George as Army chief of staff.

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

Leidos reshuffles executive leadership team
By John Liang
November 2, 2023 at 10:38 AM

Leidos today announced a realignment of its operating groups and changes to its corporate leadership structure and personnel, effective Jan. 1, 2024.

The company will be organized into five sectors, with the National Security Sector being led by President Roy Stevens. Leidos has hired Cindy Gruensfelder to be Defense Systems Sector president.

"Gruensfelder joins Leidos bringing decades of extensive Aerospace and Defense platform engineering and program management experience," the company said in a statement. Leidos Dynetics will continue to be led by Steve Cook.

Liz Porter will lead the Health and Civil Sector, while Vicki Schmanske will oversee the Commercial and International Sector. The Digital Modernization Sector will be led by Steve Hull.

Additionally, Leidos said it is making changes to its corporate leadership structure and personnel:

  • "Gerry Fasano, current Defense Group president, will become Chief Growth Officer, responsible for fusing strategy, marketing, sales, government affairs, and communications into one cohesive force for growth.
  • "Carly Kimball, current Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller, will become Chief Performance Officer, responsible for driving Leidos operational excellence, bringing together program execution, real estate, security, IT, and procurement."

Other members of the executive leadership team will continue in their current roles:

  • Jim Carlini, chief technology officer
  • Jerry Howe, general counsel and corporate secretary
  • Maureen Waterston, chief human resources officer
  • Chris Cage, chief financial officer
Army releases new digital weapons handbook
By Nickolai Sukharev
November 1, 2023 at 3:04 PM

The Army released a digital weapons handbook cataloguing current and future weapon systems, the service announced Wednesday.

Dubbed the Acquisition Program Portfolio, the document details each of the weapon systems the Army currently uses and intends to procure ranging from small arms to battlefield surveillance systems.

Published by the Army’s Acquisition Support Center, which oversees the service’s acquisition and procurement programs, the portfolio also details the organization of the agencies, such as the numerous program executive offices.

“This portfolio is the successor to the U.S. Army Weapon Systems Handbooks, which have been periodically issued for more than three decades,” the service announced on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Clickable links allow navigation through the chapters, and the page design lets the user view the document on mobile devices.

The portfolio contains three chapters: the organization of the Army’s procurement offices, science and technology efforts and individual program portfolios. Each chapter is divided into subchapters, that offer details on programs or offices.

For subchapters covering weapons or vehicles currently in service, the portfolio outlines any current or proposed upgrade program, such as the M2A4 Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

Subchapters that cover the program executive offices outline their scope and purpose.

The Science and Technology subchapter outlines numerous development and experimentation efforts, such as the Next Generation Combat Vehicle and the Future Vertical Lift programs.

Prior versions of the portfolio, called U.S. Army Weapon Systems Handbooks, didn't contain clickable links and were issued in PDF or print form.

The INSIDER daily digest -- Nov. 1, 2023
By John Liang
November 1, 2023 at 1:45 PM

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Biden administration threatening a veto of House GOP lawmakers' proposed stand-alone bill to aid Israel, the Navy's MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft program and more.

In a statement of administration policy issued this week, the White House threatens a veto of House Republicans' proposed stand-alone bill to aid Israel:

Biden threatens to veto House GOP's bill to aid Israel

President Biden intends to veto the House GOP's standalone bill to aid Israel in the unlikely event Congress passes it because it doesn't include funds for Ukraine and is contingent upon cutting the Internal Revenue Service, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Document: Statement of administration policy on House GOP's supplemental spending bill

Related:

House GOP moves to fund Israeli aid by cutting IRS

House Republicans have put forth a standalone bill that would provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel in its war against Hamas by cutting the Internal Revenue Service, something Democrats have said they will oppose.

The Pentagon's latest Selected Acquisition Report on the Navy's MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft program has information on the service's splitting the effort in two:

Navy to designate two MQ-4C subprograms as it seeks capability improvements

The Navy is splitting its MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft program into two subprograms as it seeks capability upgrades for “Increment 2” systems while slashing overall procurement quantities.

Document: DOD's selected acquisition report on the MQ-4C Triton program

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee this week on the administration's multibillion-dollar supplemental spending request for Ukraine and Israel:

Austin, Blinken spotlight industrial base investments in emergency spending request

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Senate appropriators today that approving the $106 billion national security spending package sought by President Biden would pour significant funding into the U.S. defense industrial base, resulting in not just the support of key allies Ukraine and Israel, but also a surge in American jobs.

Document: Senate hearing on supplemental spending request

Army Brig. Gen. Frank Lozano, who leads the service's Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space, spoke at a recent panel hosted by the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance:

General stresses importance of laser weapons alongside missile deployments

With the U.S. facing China and Russia as adversaries, one Army general last week stressed the need for laser weapons to be deployed alongside the nation's missile defenses.

Senate to vote on senior military nominations following Smith's hospitalization
By Nick Wilson
November 1, 2023 at 11:31 AM

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) advanced the nominations of three senior military officials on Tuesday, seeking to fill key Defense Department positions that have been left vacant due to a blanket hold by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).

Schumer filed cloture on the nominations of Gen. David Allvin for Air Force chief of staff, Adm. Lisa Franchetti for chief of naval operations and Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney for assistant Marine Corps commandant.

The move follows the hospitalization of Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith, who experienced an undisclosed medical emergency on Sunday evening.

With no Senate-confirmed assistant commandant, Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl, deputy commandant for combat development and integration and commanding general of Marine Corps Combat Development Command, is performing the duties of commandant while Smith recovers.

The job falls to Heckl because he is the most senior officer at Marine Corps Headquarters, according to a service press release.

“In typical Marine fashion, I am the next Marine up. This is what we do, as so many have done before us throughout the history of our Corps,” Heckl said in a Tuesday statement, adding that all orders remain in effect.

During an appearance at the Military Reporters and Editors conference last week, Smith said without a No. 2 officer, he is forced to handle the workload of the service’s top two positions.

Mahoney, who currently serves as the deputy commandant for programs and resources, was nominated for the post of assistant commandant in July.

Adm. Lisa Franchetti, who is also doing two jobs at once as the Navy’s vice chief of naval operations and acting CNO, was also nominated to serve as Navy service chief in July.

Tuberville is blocking the Senate’s typically streamlined process for advancing military nominations because he is opposed to the Pentagon’s leave and travel policies for servicemembers seeking abortion services. The blockade has stalled more than 300 nominations and promotions.

Lockheed Martin awarded $1B to build nuclear reentry vehicle for Sentinel ICBM
By Shelley K. Mesch
November 1, 2023 at 11:27 AM

The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin close to $1 billion to build a reentry vehicle for the Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile System, the Defense Department announced Monday.

The $996 million contract for the Mk21A will be used for engineering, manufacturing and design work to “provide a low technical risk and affordable RV for Sentinel,” according to the announcement.

Mk21A is a modification of the legacy Minuteman III’s Mk21 vehicle, and it will carry Sentinel’s W87-1 warhead.

Work under this contract is expected to be completed by the end of October 2039, according to the announcement. The Air Force has previously said initial operational capability is expected in fiscal year 2030.

At the time of the award, $27 million was obligated from FY-24 funds for research, development, test and evaluation.

The contract is a sole-source acquisition, which was announced in April last year.

The Air Force also plans on funding research for the Next Generation Reentry Vehicle beginning this fiscal year, according to budget request documents released in March. Congress has yet to pass an FY-24 budget, but the service requested $15.5 million in RDT&E funding for the effort.

Granger won't seek reelection
By Tony Bertuca
November 1, 2023 at 11:22 AM

House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX) has announced that she will not run for reelection in 2024.

Granager, who was first elected to Congress in 1996 and is the first female Republican House appropriations chair, said she plans to serve out the remainder of her term.

Over the years, Granger, who has also served as chair of the committee’s defense panel, has been known as a key supporter of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter -- and the Lockheed Martin facility located in her district that manufactures it.

“Although I am not running for re-election,” she said, “I plan to serve out the remainder of my term and work with our new speaker and my colleagues to advance our conservative agenda and finish the job I was elected to do.”

There remains plenty for Granger to do as the federal government faces a possible shutdown on Nov. 17 when a stopgap continuing resolution is set to expire.

The House, still reeling from weeks of chaos after the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who Granger supported, is also trying to move appropriations bills under new Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), including a standalone bill to aid Israel by cutting the Internal Revenue Service that the president has threatened to veto.

Army seeking Aerial Target System
By Nickolai Sukharev
November 1, 2023 at 8:49 AM

The Army is soliciting industry proposals for a targeting system designed for training and testing, according to a public announcement.

Issued as a pre-solicitation, the announcement asks industry to develop the Aerial Target Systems 3 “that can be used to replicate aerial threats for use in research, development, test and evaluation and training environments.”

Aerial Target Systems can replicate aerial threats U.S. forces would face on the battlefield, which can be used for training and testing, according to the Army’s Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation.

The system includes unmanned aerial targets, unmanned aerial systems, subsystems, components and other aerial systems and equipment that can be used to replicate aerial threats for use in research, development, test and evaluation and training environments, according to the announcement.

“These systems may be controlled using traditional ground control stations, cellular communication networks or may operate autonomously,” the announcement reads.

The Army currently uses several unmanned aerial systems, two of which can reach speeds of up to 575 mph at altitudes of up to 40,000 feet, or 10,000 feet higher than the average cruising altitude of a Boeing 747 airliner.

According to the announcement, the Army anticipates issuing a formal request-for-proposals in the next 45 days with a five-year contract being awarded to multiple offerors in fiscal year 2024.

SSC assigns 21 launch service missions for FY-24
By Apurva Minchekar
October 31, 2023 at 3:03 PM

Space Systems Command has assigned 21 launch service missions for Phase 2 of space launch services for fiscal year 2024, the command announced today.

According to the announcement, this is the “fifth and final order” of the National Security Space Launch Phase 2 after completing the NSSL Mission Assignment Board’s process for FY-24 launch service awards.

“Over the five-year Phase 2 contract, we will have ordered a total of 48 missions, a significant increase over the 34 missions originally estimated leading up to Phase 2,” Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, the assured access to space program executive officer, said in the announcement.

“The increase in launch tempo is a clear reminder of how vital space-based capabilities are in providing our warfighters and our nation’s decision-makers with the information needed to stay ahead of and to deter adversarial forces,” she said.

The United Launch Alliance will deliver 11 mission launch services and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) will deliver 10 mission launch services, which the command is expecting to launch over the next two to three years with a focus on different mission areas.

The 11 mission launch services by ULA will include Global Positioning System III-9, National Reconnaissance Office Launch- 73; NROL-56; Space Test Program-5; SILENTBARKER-2/NROL-118; GPSIIIF-1; NROL-100; United States Space Force-95; NROL-109; Space Development Agency Tranche 2 Transport Layer Beta variant; and USSF-25.

At the same time, the 10 mission launch services by SpaceX will include SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer -F; SDA Tranche 1 Tracking Layer- A; USSF-57; NROL-77; SDA T1TR-E; GPS III-10; USSF-75; SDA T2TL-Alpha; SDA T2TL- Gamma; and USSF-70.

“We maintain a close partnership with our mission customers and our domestic launch industry to protect our nation,” Col. Chad Melone, SSC’s Mission Solutions Space Acquisition Delta senior materiel leader, said.

“Under our Phase 2 contract, ULA and SpaceX have been committed partners, and our combined team remains dedicated to delivery of critical assets to our warfighters as we complete this phase of the NSSL program and embark on NSSL Phase 3 starting in FY25,” he continued.