The Insider

House authorizers want the Missile Defense Agency to take a second look at the Sea-Based X-Band Radar.

The report accompanying the House Armed Services Committee's draft mark of the fiscal year 2017 defense authorization bill released this week states:

The committee is aware that the platform has been under-utilized and encourages the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to more fully employ the SBX to address increasing threats and provide support to a greater number ongoing operations and testing events, if required and cost-effective. Further the committee understands that for what could be a small investment in software updates and technology refresh, the SBX could provide a more robust sensor capability for homeland defense.

Therefore the committee directs the Director of the Missile Defense Agency to provide a briefing to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives not later than January 15, 2017, on MDA's historical utilization rates for SBX; the requirements, if any, for increased operational vailability, and resultant costs of such increase; and hardware and or software improvements MDA may pursue to address obsolescence and modernization needs of the SBX, and to obtain enhanced sensor capability (and costs and schedule for such improvements) to address warfighter requirements, if any.

SBX was developed by MDA and in December 2011 the agency transferred responsibility for the vessel's management and physical security to the Navy's Military Sealift Command. MDA retains responsibility for communications, the X-band radar and mission integration.

The floating radar tracks, discriminates and assesses long-range ballistic missiles as a component of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system.

MDA Director Vice Adm. James Syring said in 2014 that the SBX would eventually be moved to the East Coast once the Long-Range Discrimination Radar was developed and deployed.

The head of Pentagon services contracting wants to explore a new policy that would mandate the creation of special small business set-asides for all services contracting administration work.

Ken Brennan, the deputy director of services acquisition, said the Defense Department's ongoing effort to more widely establish Service Requirement Review Boards (SRRBs) had uncovered data indicating that most DOD purchasers of administrative services procure it in "little chunks."

"I'm actually contemplating and working through the potential development -- I don't want to get too far out ahead of this; it's not endorsed through the decision process -- but, the kinds of things I'm thinking about are issuing a policy guidance memo that says, 'Hey, if you're going for admin, you really ought to be going only small business, it ought to be local and it ought to likely be a set-aside or within the small-business rules,'" he said Monday during a joint event hosted by the Professional Services Council and Inside Defense.

"There is probably some real benefit there to do a strategic sourcing or category management for that capability and create a vehicle that meets those things I just mentioned -- small business," he continued. "We'll see how that goes; that's the kind of thing that would definitely go out for public comment. That's the kind of mindset I'm thinking though."

Brennan participated in Monday's event in an aim to explain in greater detail DOD's recent policy changes for services contracting, which stem from a desire to get a better handle on managing the area. The Pentagon spent $145 billion on services in FY-15, and the contracts typically account for half of DOD's acquisition budget.

A key aspect of the new policy is the broad establishment of SRRBs, which are expected to save $3 billion over the next five years, according to the Pentagon's FY-17 budget submission. Various "tripwires" that trigger SRRB intervention include labor rates and performance, bridge contracts, use of subcontractors, single-bid procurements and best-value, source-selection premiums.

Brennan said recent policy changes to establish greater DOD oversight on services contracts were only in the early stages of a process that could take more than a decade.

"It's a 15-year effort that we're about three years into," he said. "There's a lot of room for growth yet, but it's going to be a decade at least. My goal is that services becomes less of a standalone and more part of general culture and policy. We'll see if I'm successful on that."

Alan Chvotkin, the executive vice president and counsel of the Professional Services Council who appeared alongside Brennan, said he hoped DOD could institutionalize its process a lot sooner, given the rapidly changing nature of the commercial marketplace where many services companies also work.

"I hope it doesn't take 15 years to memorialize this," he said. "The nature of services changes a lot. I'm really concerned it'll take much too long, and want to see what we can do to accelerate it if at all possible."

The House Armed Services Committee is proposing legislation that would eliminate the Quadrennial Defense Review in favor of a new commission tasked with making recommendations for national security strategy.

The QDR -- also known as the Defense Strategy Review -- would be replaced with the “Commission on National Defense Strategy for the United States,” according to a provision in the committee chairman's mark obtained by Inside Defense.

Lawmakers have long derided the QDR for being inadequate to address the rapidly changing global security environment.

“The committee notes that the strategic environment has evolved since the current defense strategy, as outlined in both the 2012 Defense Strategic Guidance and 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review, was formulated,” according to mark. “For example, the strategy does not reflect a resurgent Russian Federation, the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or the fragile security environment in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.”

The new, bipartisan commission would be composed of 12 members: six (three each) determined by the House and Senate Armed Services Committee chairs and six (three each) determined by the ranking minority members of each committee.

“The committee believes that the nation will benefit from such a bipartisan consensus on national security and that a new administration can leverage the work of the commission in its own defense strategy and posture development,” the mark states.

The April 2016 document contains the full bill and report language accompanying the House Armed Services Committee's fiscal year 2017 defense authorization legislation.

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

1. A plan laying out a new path forward for the Littoral Combat Ship's mine countermeasures mission package is nearly complete, as House lawmakers propose forbidding the Navy from retiring its older anti-mine ships until the LCS capability is ready.

Full Story: Navy finalizing new plan for LCS mine countermeasure developments

2. The Navy for the first time has detailed how it would use a congressionally created fund and its special acquisition authorities to pay the tab for the Ohio-class submarine replacement program, which officials now say carries an estimated $122 billion in procurement costs.

Full Story: Navy detaiils envisioned use of National Sea-Based Deterrence Fund

3. BAE Systems has made one modification to its next-generation amphibious vehicle offering before building prototypes it will deliver to the Marine Corps next spring -- a new engine that provides an additional 150 horsepower.

Full Story: BAE Systems installs new engine for next-gen amphib vehicle offering

4. House authorizers are concerned the Navy's amphibious ships may act as a limiting factor for the Marine Corps to leverage the full capability of the Joint Strike Fighter.

Full Story: House authorizers concerned amphib fleet may limit F-35 capabilities

Leading the Friday update are a few items from the front page of today's Inside the Air Force.

USAF expects enterprise ground migration in next five years

The Air Force is moving forward with its implementation plan for a new space Enterprise Ground Services concept, and expects to release a request for information later this month that will allow industry to help set standards and shape future ground system architecture.

USAF Scientific Advisory Board completes directed energy maturity study

The Air Force Scientific Advisory Board completed its fast-track study on directed energy April 19 and will brief the service's top leadership May 2, according to the board's chair.


Nellis AFB testers to complete F-35A IOC readiness tests by end of month

The test units tasked with conducting a key F-35 initial operational capability assessment are poised to complete test exercises by May after wrapping up a series of tests meant to demonstrate the Joint Strike Fighter's operational performance.

And before we punch out, two more:


Army is tasked to weigh new missiles forbidden under U.S.-Russia treaty

Lawmakers have adopted legislation tasking the Army to envision fielding new missile types currently banned under a landmark disarmament treaty with Russia.

DBB: Law creating new business management secretary should be changed

Legislation that requires the Pentagon's deputy chief management officer and chief information officer to be consolidated and elevated into a new position starting next February will not achieve its desired results and should be changed, an influential advisory panel concluded.