The Insider

The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments plans to hold a "congressional discussion" next week to talk about how the Defense Department measures readiness.

The Capitol Hill event, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 9, will be centered on an article published in the fall 2014 issue of the "Strategic Studies Quarterly" magazine titled "Rethinking Readiness."

The major tenets of the article, according to CSBA, are:

DOD's current method for resourcing readiness starts with the wrong metrics, lacks experimental data to isolate causal effects, and does not have a continuous feedback loop to update and refine readiness theories and models.

The military could be significantly overfunding or underfunding readiness without knowing it.

Todd Harrison, the study's author, "will explain how the DOD currently measures readiness and offer his recommendations on a more effective allocation of resources to achieve the readiness required by one’s strategy," according to a CSBA announcement.

The Congressional Research Service this week completed an updated report on conventional prompt global strike weapons and long-range ballistic missiles, giving lawmakers a typical CRS-style rundown on various issues and posing possible questions for Congress to ask:

When Congress reviews the budget requests for CPGS weapons, it may question DOD's rationale for the mission, reviewing whether the United States might have to attack targets promptly at the start of or during a conflict, when it could not rely on forward-based land or naval forces. It might also review whether this capability would reduce U.S. reliance on nuclear weapons or whether, as some critics have asserted, it might upset stability and possibly increase the risk of a nuclear response to a U.S. attack. This risk derives, in part, from the possibility that nations detecting the launch of a U.S. PGS weapon would not be able to determine whether the weapon carried a nuclear or conventional warhead. Congress has raised concerns about this possibility in the past.

Inside the Pentagon this week took a look at an element of CPGS in the aftermath of a test failure:

The recent termination of the Advanced Hypersonic Weapon test flight shortly after liftoff will be a setback to the faster-than-the-speed-of-sound program designed to strike faraway and fleeting targets, according to experts and officials tracking the program.

The Army Space and Missile Defense Command was unable to evaluate the AHW during its Aug. 25 test because a booster rocket experienced an anomaly after liftoff, and caused authorities to terminate the flight for safety reasons (DefenseAlert, Aug. 25). James Acton, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment, told InsideDefense.com Monday that the test termination "appears to say more about the booster than anything about the glider."

Although the test failure can't be blamed on the AHW itself, the whole program faces a setback, said aerospace consultant Leon McKinney, who tracks hypersonics programs. Because the test was terminated shortly after launch, no test data was able to be recovered.

"While the saying 'you learn something with every flight, even failed flights' is always true, this sort of failure doesn't provide much positive learning related to AHW," McKinney said, suggesting that the only lesson learned relates to more carefully checking the launch vehicle used.

The Congressional Research Service this week completed an updated report on conventional prompt global strike weapons and long-range ballistic missiles, giving lawmakers a typical CRS-style rundown on various issues and posing possible questions for Congress to ask:

When Congress reviews the budget requests for CPGS weapons, it may question DOD’s rationale for the mission, reviewing whether the United States might have to attack targets promptly at the start of or during a conflict, when it could not rely on forward-based land or naval forces. It might also review whether this capability would reduce U.S. reliance on nuclear weapons or whether, as some critics have asserted, it might upset stability and possibly increase the risk of a nuclear response to a U.S. attack. This risk derives, in part, from the possibility that nations detecting the launch of a U.S. PGS weapon would not be able to determine whether the weapon carried a nuclear or conventional warhead. Congress has raised concerns about this possibility in the past.

Inside the Pentagon this week took a look at an element of CPGS in the aftermath of a test failure:

The recent termination of the Advanced Hypersonic Weapon test flight shortly after liftoff will be a setback to the faster-than-the-speed-of-sound program designed to strike faraway and fleeting targets, according to experts and officials tracking the program.

The Army Space and Missile Defense Command was unable to evaluate the AHW during its Aug. 25 test because a booster rocket experienced an anomaly after liftoff, and caused authorities to terminate the flight for safety reasons (DefenseAlert, Aug. 25). James Acton, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment, told InsideDefense.com Monday that the test termination "appears to say more about the booster than anything about the glider."

Although the test failure can't be blamed on the AHW itself, the whole program faces a setback, said aerospace consultant Leon McKinney, who tracks hypersonics programs. Because the test was terminated shortly after launch, no test data was able to be recovered.

"While the saying 'you learn something with every flight, even failed flights' is always true, this sort of failure doesn't provide much positive learning related to AHW," McKinney said, suggesting that the only lesson learned relates to more carefully checking the launch vehicle used.

The Navy yesterday released a request for proposals launching a new competition for the Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle (RMMV), a centerpiece of the service's $1.4 billion Remote Minehunting System program.

A decision on who will build the vehicle, designed to be a mission package intrinsic to Littoral Combat Ship operations in contested waters, is expected next spring.

More on the program from our story last week:

The Navy is deferring key actions on the Remote Minehunting System until the third quarter of fiscal year 2015 following the delay of a crucial Office of the Secretary of Defense review that was scheduled for May 2014.

That review is needed to validate four years of remedial engineering work and win back approval for low-rate production, which was rescinded in 2010 in a bid to halt mushrooming cost growth.

Naval Sea Systems Command spokesman Dale Eng said in an email statement to InsideDefense.com that the May Defense Acquisition Board milestone C review of the RMS program did not happen as the Navy had previously planned and has not yet been rescheduled. On July 1, though, the panel conducted an "in-process review" of the RMS program, Eng added; the Navy is "waiting for OSD direction" following that event.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel released a statement this morning marking the change of command between Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford and Army Gen. John Campbell at the International Security Assistant Force in Afghanistan.

Dunford is leaving to become commandant of the Marine Corps.

"As commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, President Obama and I have relied on Joe's extraordinary ability and judgment as America responsibly transitions out of our longest war,” Hagel's statement reads. “We will continue to count on Joe's distinguished leadership as he assumes his new role as 36th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps. The American people are grateful to Joe and his wife Ellyn for their continued service to our country.”

Before taking command in Afghanistan, Campbell was the Army's vice chief of staff.

“As General John Campbell assumes command of ISAF -- John's third tour of duty in Afghanistan -- I want to thank him and his wife Anne for their service as well,” Hagel statement reads. “John's leadership comes at a defining moment, as Afghanistan undertakes a historic political transition, and the United States and our coalition partners transition from combat to training and support for Afghan forces. President Obama and I have the highest confidence in John, and we look forward to working closely with him in the months ahead."

The Air Force has selected Moody Air Force Base in Georgia to host an A-29 Super Tucano aircraft schoolhouse for Afghan Air Force personnel, the service said on Aug. 22.

The decision comes after a draft environmental analysis, published in July, found that light-attack aircraft training at Moody AFB would have no significant adverse impact.

The training beddown supports the Pentagon's $427 million acquisition of 20 Super Tucano light-attack aircraft for the Afghan Air Force.

Air Education and Training Command considered three possible locations -- Moody, Mountain Home in Idaho and South Carolina's Shaw base. In June, the service announced Moody as the preferred alternative because of airfield, airspace and facility availability.

“Additionally, the overall cost to complete the beddown in the time frame required to initiate the training program made Moody [AFB] the best choice,” Timothy Bridges, the Air Force's deputy assistant secretary for installations, said in an Aug. 22 statement.

With the selection process complete, the Air Force can begin preparing for the arrival of the first aircraft and Afghan students.

In July, service spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told InsideDefense.com that A-29 prime contractor Sierra Nevada Corp. was on track to deliver the first Afghan Super Tucano aircraft in September.

According to a summary of the July draft environmental assessment (EA) document, the schoolhouse would provide training for about30 Afghan pilots and 90 Afghan maintainers through 2018. Once that initial requirement is met, an organic training program will be established in Afghanistan and the training unit at Moody AFB will be inactivated.

Training is due to commence in February 2015. The schoolhouse is expected to eventually support up to 45 students at a time, the EA states. Training will involve simulator and flight training as well as the use of practice ordnance, rockets and .50-caliber practice rounds.

“The AAF needs the A-29 aircraft and trained pilots because the current fleet of AAF air-to-ground aircraft reaches the end of its service life in January 2016,” the document states, referring to the country's Russian Mi-35 helicopter gunships.

In July, the head of Air Force operations in Afghanistan and Afghan Minister-Counsellor Mirwais Nab, who handles military affairs at the Afghan Embassy in Washington, told InsideDefense.com that the Super Tucano program is important because it equips the AAF with a close-air-support capability as Operation Enduring Freedom ends.

Air Combat Command has loaned a Block 40 RQ-4B Global Hawk to the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, CA, to support testing activities there.

According to an Aug. 22 Air Force statement, the aircraft will be incorporated into the Global Vigilance Combined Test Force's (CVCTF) Global Hawk group. The group already has Block 40 and Block 20 aircraft, and the addition of one Block 40 from ACC will support testing of a diminishing manufacturing source and INMARSAT satellite communications upgrades.

Both upgrades are vital to continued Global Hawk operations as the program moves from development and production to the sustainment phase.

One upgrade deals with parts obsolescence issues and the other supports changes to the INMARSAT system from the existing I-3 system to the more advanced I-4 Aero-M service. Existing INMARSAT users must make equipment and software changes to comply with the new system by late 2016.

“The importance of INMARSAT testing is that in the end of calendar year 2016, if we don't make these modifications across the fleet, our fleet faces potential grounding,” CVCTF Global Hawk Program Manager Teresa Bennett said in the Aug 22 statement.

The 412 Test Wing's existing Block 40 Global Hawk aircraft is supporting NATO's $1.7 billion Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) program. The United States is a member of the 13-nation group procuring the aircraft for surveillance and target-indication operations over Europe.

The group is buying five Global Hawk Block 40 aircraft and activities at Edwards AFB support testing of maritime modes on the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) sensor, a primary Block 40 payload.

Global Hawk program officials plan to conduct an initial operational test and evaluation of the Block 40 MP-RTIP system in early fiscal year 2015. That test was slated to occur in FY-14 but was pushed back due to development issues.

“There are a lot of projects using our current air vehicle; that's all the more reason why it's so valuable to have another air vehicle to allow deconfliction,” Bennett said.

According to the Air Force statement, the 412th Test Wing did have a Block 30 system but that asset was returned to Air Combat Command to support operational needs.

The Block 20 aircraft feature a Global Hawk RQ-4B airframe but carry a different sensor payload.

The Global Hawk produced by Northrop Grumman. Earlier this month the Air Force awarded Northrop a $241 million production contract for its last order of Block 30 aircraft, due for delivery between 2016 and 2017.

The Air Force has 11 Block 40 Global Hawks in its inventory, but service officials are considering retiring the fleet if there is no relief from sequestration in FY-16.