The Insider

The Army's WIN-T program leads off this Friday INSIDER Daily Digest.

A sneak peek at Monday's issue of Inside the Army:

Army demos WIN-T capability to link network with aircraft, extend range of battlefield ops

The Army in June concluded demonstrations of a new capability for the service's mobile internet network, assessing a new waveform with potential to support networking with aircraft and significantly extend the range of operations on the battlefield, according to the service.

Army Science Board set to review findings of five FY-16 studies

The Army Science Board on July 27-28 will review findings of five studies that are part of a collective effort to recommend bold, transformational ideas on new options to give the future force a disruptive advantage against potential adversaries.

Army National Guard lays out activation plan for Cyber Protection Teams

The Army National Guard has laid out activation plans for all 10 of its Cyber Protection Teams, which will happen in three tranches over the next three years.

Spending on infrastructure in Afghanistan continues to haunt the Pentagon:

Pentagon still haunted by '$43 million gas station'

Earlier this year the Defense Department refuted charges that it spent $43 million building a single gas station in Afghanistan, but now an influential senator alleges DOD "opened a real can of worms" while defending itself and is demanding additional information.

Document: Sen. Grassley's memo to DOD on Afghanistan gas station cost

Some news from today's Inside the Air Force:

Air Force urges caution in expanding service chiefs' acquisition authorities

While praising acquisition reform measures included in the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, the Air Force is cautioning Congress not to move too swiftly in its attempt to give more authority to service chiefs, noting that a major shift could over-burden chiefs of staff and blur the lines between the roles of the chief and the service secretary.

Document: Air Force report on acquisition-related authorities of the service's chief of staff

AFRL to release close-air-support capabilities roadmap this year

The Air Force expects to release a roadmap this year outlining ongoing Air Force Research Laboratory efforts to develop new close-air-support capabilities.

Document: Air Force report on A-10 and close air support policy

Air Operations Center 10.2 milestone C may be delayed two more years

Continued schedule breaches and performance issues in the development of the Air and Space Operations Center Increment 10.2 upgrade have triggered a critical change report and will likely push an already-delayed milestone C decision two years to the right -- from June to a tentative date of summer 2018.

Defense business news from the past couple days:

Novetta executive: Contractor 'can't bury our head in the sand' on Silicon Valley advances

Following private-equity firm the Carlyle Group's purchase of Novetta, a longtime defense contracting executive has taken on the task of fully integrating and growing the company's federal work.

Boeing reports $393 million charge related to tanker program

Boeing said Thursday it would recognize a $393 million after-tax charge on the KC-46 tanker program, reflecting "higher costs associated with previously announced program schedule and technical challenges."

DBB approves plan to advise new presidential administration for Pentagon transition

In the midst of a tumultuous election season, an influential defense advisory panel has approved a plan on how to advise the next president-elect on how to best transition the Pentagon to a new administration.

The Defense Department today released an updated "law of war" manual, originally issued in June 2015, which contains additional guidance when dealing with journalists in a combat zone.

"The updated manual released today contains a substantial revision to the section on journalists as well as minor updates to other sections," a Pentagon statement reads, adding: "The journalism changes reflect input provided by the news media."

"After the manual's release last year, DOD lawyers heard concerns brought forward by media organizations and engaged in a productive, thoughtful dialogue with journalists that helped us improve the manual and communicate more clearly the department's support for the protection of journalists under the law of war," DOD General Counsel Jennifer O'Connor said in the statement. "The department's mission is to defend the very freedoms that journalists exercise. We have learned a lot during this process, and the department and the manual are better off for the experience."

The U.S. Navy recently tested Aegis Weapon System interoperability with the Spanish Navy in the first-ever test of Aegis Baseline 9.C1 with a foreign ship.

This was the first combined systems ship qualification trial with the Spanish Navy since 2007. The destroyer Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) and the Spanish frigate Cristobol Colón (F-105) participated in the air defense test exercises July 20-21, according to a July 22 Naval Sea Systems Command statement.

"While our Combat Systems suites are slightly different, the way we operate and execute missions are quite similar," Arleigh Burke Commanding Officer Cmdr. Tom Myers said in a statement. "My crew and I are grateful for the opportunity to deepen our operational relationship with our Spanish allies and enhance interoperability initiatives between our two navies. The professionalism and proficiency of the Cristobol Colón crew was top notch and it was an honor to work with them."

The Aegis Weapon System is a centralized, automated, command-and-control weapons control system that was designed as a total weapon system from detection to engagement. The heart of the system is the AN/SPY-1 radar, which is an advanced, automatic detect and track, multifunction phased-array radar. This high-powered radar is able to perform search, track, and missile guidance functions simultaneously with a track capacity of more than 100 targets.

Both ships combined with E-2 aircraft shared a common tactical picture using the AN/SPY-1 radar and tactical data links.

"The complex, multiparticipant interoperability testing between DDG-51, F-105, Land Based Test Sites, E-2C and E-2D aircraft as well as challenging IAMD and AD test scenarios demonstrate the impressive capability of the Aegis Combat System that is delivered to the hands of our sailors," Capt. Todd Boehm, major program manager for Aegis fleet readiness said in the same statement.

Spanish Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jaime Muñoz-Delgado and Defense Minister Pedro Morenés were on board Cristobal Colón during the live fire events.

"These international relationships form the backbone of a vibrant, interoperable naval power network," Rear Adm. Jon Hill, program executive officer for integrated warfare systems said in the same statement." As we expand our combat capabilities, our allies look to us for leading edge technologies and battlespace advantage -- and this enhances our distributed lethality network."

Commercial electric power has been restored to a key U.S. air base in Incirlik, Turkey, which has been using a backup generator since an attempted military coup last week.

Incirlik is home to 2,700 U.S. personnel serves a key base of operations for airstrikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The base is also widely believed to house tactical nuclear weapons.

“The base was without power since July 16 and was operating on backup generator power,” according to a Pentagon statement. “We will retain this capability should the power be interrupted again.”

Meanwhile, Turkey declared a three-month state of emergency on Thursday as the government continues to deal with the aftermath of a failed military coup.

Rear Adm. William Galinis officially became the program executive officer for ships during a July 20 ceremony at Washington Navy Yard.

Galinis relieved Rear Adm. David Gale who had led the office since June 2014. PEO Ships is responsible for Navy shipbuilding for surface and amphibious vessels, logistics support ships, support craft and related foreign military sales.

Gale is now head of Navy Regional Maintenance Command.

Welcome to Throwback Thursday, Inside Defense's occasional look back at what was happening on or around this day in years past.

On this day in 1949, the Senate voted to ratify the North Atlantic Treaty that established NATO.

Which is interesting because this week, during an interview with The New York Times, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said the following about NATO:

TRUMP: If we cannot be properly reimbursed for the tremendous cost of our military protecting other countries, and in many cases the countries I'm talking about are extremely rich. Then if we cannot make a deal, which I believe we will be able to, and which I would prefer being able to, but if we cannot make a deal, I would like you to say, I would prefer being able to, some people, the one thing they took out of your last story, you know, some people, the fools and the haters, they said, "Oh, Trump doesn't want to protect you." I would prefer that we be able to continue, but if we are not going to be reasonably reimbursed for the tremendous cost of protecting these massive nations with tremendous wealth -- you have the tape going on?

SANGER: We do.

HABERMAN: We both do.

TRUMP: With massive wealth. Massive wealth. We’re talking about countries that are doing very well. Then yes, I would be absolutely prepared to tell those countries, "Congratulations, you will be defending yourself."

Read the full interview transcript.

A Defense Business Board meeting being held this week leads off this Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest.

The Defense Business Board will meet on Thursday:

DBB to discuss proposals to help Pentagon transition after election

The Defense Business Board intends to spend the bulk of its quarterly meeting Thursday discussing proposals to help ease the Pentagon transition to a new administration following the presidential election in November.

The Army's DCGS-A schedule has been pushed back:

Army: No DCGS-A Increment 2 award before Sept. 1

The Army, faced with a lawsuit over its flagship suite of intelligence applications, says its procurement will not occur as originally scheduled.

Document: DOD filing on DCGS-A award delay

Booz Allen Hamilton loves playing games:

Booz Allen sees opportunity in wargaming business

With more than 70 employees in its wargame and exercise unit, Booz Allen Hamilton is expanding the type of simulations it handles as well as the purpose of these exercises.

Lowest-priced, technically acceptable contracts can be good or bad, depending on their purpose:

DISA, Army officials offer input on LPTAs

A number of government officials weighed in last week on the considerations of and risks posed by the use of lowest-priced, technically acceptable contracts.

It may be a while before the Navy's MUOS-5 satellite is in its proper orbit:

MUOS-5 orbital transfer maneuver halted due to 'anomaly'

The Navy's newest communications satellite, successfully launched into space late last month, experienced an "anomaly" during the transfer to its planned orbit location, forcing the service to halt the maneuver indefinitely, according to Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command.