DoD AI Strategy. The Pentagon on Nov. 2 released the new 2023 DoD Data, Analytics, and AI Adoption Strategy, which it said “unifies previous strategic guidance to scale advanced capabilities across the enterprise.” The new document builds on the DoD’s first AI strategy published in 2018 and 2020’s Data Strategy, and focuses on how the department will “accelerate adoption of data, analytics and AI in a manner that is repeatable by all DoD components.” “From the standpoint of deterring and defending against aggression, A.I.-enabled systems can help accelerate the speed of commanders’ decisions and improve the quality and accuracy of those decisions, which can be decisive in deterring a fight and in winning a fight,” Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said during a briefing detailing the new strategy. “And from the standpoint of managing across the world’s largest enterprise, since our vast scale can make it difficult for DoD to see itself clearly, spot problems and solve them, leveraging data and A.I. can help leaders make choices that are smarter, faster and even lead to better stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”
…Data For AI.
Craig Martell, head of the Pentagon’s Chief Digital and AI Office, told reporters his organization is leading implementation of the new strategy and cited the data component as critical for meeting AI initiatives. “So, the strategy really is about how do you get that data right, how do you make that data accessible and how do you make that data easily discoverable so that anybody can bring what tools they have and build an AI model? Because I want to be really clear, you cannot build an AI model if you don’t have high quality data, that’s a nonsensical statement or a fool’s errand, pick either one,” Martell said during a briefing on the new strategy. The Pentagon’s new document follows the Biden administration’s recently rollout of a new AI-focused executive order.
Intel Budget. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has disclosed that the total appropriated National Intelligence Program budget for fiscal year 2023, including supplemental funding, was $71.7 billion. The Pentagon on Oct. 30 noted the Military Intelligence Program (MIP) budget for FY ‘23 was $27.9 billion. “The department has determined that releasing this top line figure does not jeopardize any classified activities within the MIP. No other MIP budget figures or program details will be released, as they remain classified for national security reasons,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
Lithuania Agreement. The Pentagon on Oct. 27 signed a new bilateral, non-binding Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) with Lithuania. The department said the agreement “will enable both the U.S. and Lithuania to acquire the industrial resources they need to quickly meet defense requirements, resolve unanticipated disruptions that challenge defense capabilities, and promote supply chain resiliency.” Lithuania is now the U.S.’ 15th SOSA partner, the Pentagon noted. “This Security of Supply Arrangement is a significant step forward in bringing our two nations even closer together,” Bill LaPlante, under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said in a statement. “Not only will this strengthen both U.S. and Lithuanian national defense supply, but it will also strengthen our commitment to expanding future collaborations between DoD and the [Lithuanian] Ministry of National Defence.”’
More Triton Drones. The Navy awarded Northrop Grumman a $543 million modification on Oct. 31 for production and delivery of four Low-Rate Initial Production Lot Six MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft Systems. This covers three UAS for the U.S. Navy and one for Australia as well as one main operating base for the Navy with associated support services. The work is expected to be finished by January 2028. Funding obligated at the time of award was split between $411 million in the Navy fiscal year 2023 aircraft procurement account, almost $1 million in FY ‘22 Navy aircraft procurement, and $40 million in Royal Australian Air Force cooperative funds.
NAVSEA Small Business. Naval Sea Systems Command’s Small Business office hosted the 2023 NAVSEA Small Business Industry Day in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 26. The event aimed to have government and industry leaders strengthen a competitive small business industrial base. The Navy said this kind of event aligns with the Secretary of the Navy’s call to remove barriers and make advances via small business opportunities. During the event, NAVSEA Executive Director Giao Phan said in FY ‘22 NAVSEA awarded $3.9 billion in prime small business obligations while in 2023 the Navy awarded another $4.1 billion. “The increase in small business awards at NAVSEA isn’t about checking a box, it’s about delivering capability to the fleet on-time and on-cost. If you can do that, if you can deliver capabilities that keep our adversaries on their heels, then I want you on our team,” Phan said.
F-35 Test. An F-35B performed the first night shipborne rolling vertical landing (SRVL) aboard the U.K. Royal Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales (R09), on Oct. 29. The landing occurred off the U.S. eastern seaboard while the ship is deployed for WESTLAND 23 carrier qualification trials. The SRVL test is specifically part of developmental test phase 3.
More Aussie Nuke Sailors. A second group of three Royal Australian Navy officers graduated from the U.S. Navy’s Nuclear Power School on Oct. 27. This training is occurring as Australia ramps up its ability to ultimately field and build its own nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) under the AUKUS agreement with the U.K. and U.S. This second cohort of officers started at the school in April and came after the first group graduated in July. Like the first set of graduates, this cohort will move on to further training in an operating nuclear propulsion plant, complete a Submarine Officer Basic Course and then get assigned to a U.S. Navy Virginia-class SSN to continue training and qualifications. Also the initial Australian officer cohort arrived in Charleston, S.C., to start training at Naval Nuclear Power Training Command. The U.S. Navy said over 15 Australian officers and sailors will be enrolled in nuclear training by the end of the year.
EMS-2. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro on Oct. 27 announced the future second Bethesda-class expeditionary medical ship will be named the USNS Balboa (EMS-2). The ship will be named in honor of Navy doctors, nurses and staff at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. These EMS ships are variants of the Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport (EPF) ships, designed with providing hospital-level care including three operating rooms, a medical laboratory, radiological capability, blood bank, dental care, primary care, rapid stabilization and follow-on evacuation of multiple casualties and combat search and rescue. The ship is designed to travel at up to 30 knots and travel up to 24 knots for over 5,500 nautical miles. The EMS is primarily designed to be a high-speed forward-deployed medical ship and to respond to requirements at a faster pace than the older hospital ships USNS Mercy and Comfort.
T-AO 208. The Navy launched and christened the USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO 208) on Oct. 28, the fourth and newest John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oiler. The ship will be operated by Military Sealift Command to provide underway replenishment fuel to U.S. Navy and allied ships at sea as part of the Combat Logistics Force. The Navy awarded General Dynamics NASSCO a $3.2 billion contract in 2016 for the first six John Lewis-class ships. Ships T-AO 207-210 are under construction while T-AO 2022-213 are under contract. The Navy plans to ultimately procure 20 ships in the class.
DHS HQ Award. General Dynamics last week said its Information Technology business received a potential seven-year $712 million task order to continue providing IT infrastructure in support of the ongoing modernization of the Department of Homeland Security’s St. Elizabeth Campus headquarters. GDIT will provide cybersecurity, technology refresh, operations and maintenance, and logistics support services. The contract was awarded in August by the General Services Administration and has a one-year base period and six one-year options.
US Titanium Award. The Defense Department has awarded metal technologies company IperionX $12.7 million through the Defense Production Act Investment (DPAI) Program to increase titanium powder production for defense supply chains by re-shoring the capability in U.S. The DPAI grant follows an $11.5 million letter of interest (LOI) the North Carolina-based company received from the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of the U.S. for the development of IperionX’s titanium production facility in Virginia. Production is expected to begin in 2024. The company has seven years to repay the EXIM Bank financing. The DPAI is overseen by DoD’s Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Program.
FMD Adds Solutions. Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) last week said it acquired American Fan, a supplier of shipboard axial and centrifugal fan technologies to the Navy, further building out the company’s turnkey marine parts and service solutions. “American Fan has a long track record of delivering high-quality products to the U.S. Navy, and its addition to our portfolios strengthens our ability to meet the continually evolving needs of our military and marine customers,” said George Whittier, FMD’s CEO. Ohio-based American Fan’s products are on 30 Navy shipbuilding programs such as destroyers, frigates, Littoral Combat Ship, amphibious assault and transport dock ships. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Bank of America Securities was the financial adviser on the deal to Arcline Investment, which owns FMD.
People News. Naval and commercial ship repair company Colonna’s Shipyard will have a new CEO, Randall Crutchfield, who is currently the Virginia-based company’s chief operating officer. Crutchfield will succeed President and CEO Tom Godrey who will retire on Dec. 31. Jordan Webb, Colonna’s executive vice president of shipyard operations, will become president and general manager. In addition, Phillips O’Brien, a professor at the Univ. of St. Andrews in the United Kingdom, has joined the Center for Strategic and International Studies as non-resident senior adviser with the International Security Program. O’Brien is an expert on war and military strategy and has been providing keen analysis of the Russo-Ukraine war via his X account.
Counter Ransomware Summit. The White House last week convened the third International Counter Ransomware Initiative resulting in new deliverables, including launching two new platforms to quickly share threat indicators and developing the first policy statement of the members that their governments should not pay ransoms. Estimated global costs of ransomware in 2021 were $20 billion and are projected to rise to $71 billion in 2026, a senior administration official told reporters. In the 12 months that ended in June, the government estimates U.S. victims paid $1.5 billion in ransom, the official said. “So, fundamentally, if we want to impact the disruptive impact of ransomware we have got to discourage and press for not paying ransoms,” the official said.
Space Force to Rocket Lab Board. The Long Beach, Calif.-based Rocket Lab, the maker of Electron, said that the company has appointed retired U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. Nina Armagno as a Rocket Lab board member. Armagno retired in July after serving more than 35 years, including as U.S. Strategic Command’s director of plans and policy, director of space programs for the U.S. Air Force acquisition chief, and, in her final position, as the Space Force’s director of staff. Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said in a statement that Armagno strengthens the company’s board line-up, “as we continue to scale our launch and space systems businesses.” Rocket Lab said that, since 2018, it has launched 171 payloads into orbit–the second highest number behind SpaceX.
U.S. Air Force Autonomy Testing. Tests are underway at Eglin AFB, Fla.’s new Autonomy, Data, and AI Experimentation (ADAx) Proving Ground, which hosted its first autonomy developer for a week of testing by Eglin’s 96th Test Wing on Oct. 23-27, Air Force Materiel Command said. ADAx is an initiative by the Pentagon’s chief digital and artificial intelligence office and the Air Force’s AFWERX innovation arm. The first tests were of the eight-foot Griff 135 drone by Near Earth Autonomy to demonstrate autonomous object detection and landing.