Wiggle Room. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall earlier this month at the Reagan National Defense Forum said the service’s collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) program will “be fielding aircraft by the end of the FYDP,” referring to the Future Years Defense Program that outlines defense spending for the next five years. That would likely mean the first CCAs are deploying in fiscal year 2027, assuming that Kendall was using FY ’23 as the initial year in the FYDP. Asked for clarity, an Air Force spokeswoman told Defense Daily
last week the “CCAs are expected to begin delivery by the end of the decade.” The unmanned CCAs would be paired with advanced manned combat aircraft, incorporating artificial intelligence and autonomous technologies to operate as “loyal wingmen” to the manned aircraft.
Replicator Talks. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks last week visited Silicon Valley, including the Defense Department’s Defense Innovation Unit, to view technology demonstrations, meet with commercial technology companies, and discuss the Replicator Initiative, a rapid effort to start buying thousands of unmanned systems for a future fight in the Indo-Pacific region. “It’s clear that the character of warfare is changing,” she said. “Replicator is part of how at DoD we’re putting our thumb on the scale to make sure America, not our strategic competitors and adversaries, are the ones who see, drive, and master the future character of warfare.” After visiting DIU, Hicks visited two nearby companies, Kodiak Robotics, which is developing technology for autonomous ground vehicles, and Skydio, a developer and manufacturer of autonomous small unmanned aircraft systems.
Bomber Task Force Mission. U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit bombers from Whiteman AFB, Mo., linked up with United Kingdom Royal Air Force (RAF) F-35 fighters over the North Sea during a Bomber Task Force mission on Dec. 13, United States Air Forces Europe (USAFE) said. The mission “provided combined integration with Allied fifth-generation aircraft intended to enhance multi-domain interoperability and continue development of fifth-generation tactics, techniques and procedures,” USAFE said.
Romania FMS. The State Department has approved a potential $80 million foreign military sale with Romania for Javelin anti-tank missiles. Along with Romania’s request for 263 Javelins, built by the Lockheed Martin and RTX joint venture, the country would also receive 26 Javelin Light Weight Command Launch units, missile simulation rounds and technical assistance services. “The proposed sale will improve Romania’s capability to meet current and future threats by building its long-term defense capacity in line with its national defense requirements,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
Poland FMS. The State Department has also approved a potential $255 million FMS case with Poland for communications equipment, specifically L3Harris’ AN/PRC-117G, AN/PRC-152A, AN/PRC-158, AN/PRC-160, AN/PRC-163 and AN/PRC-167 radios. The deal also includes GPS receivers, support equipment and spare parts. “The proposed sale will improve Poland’s communications capability and contribute to its military goals of updating capability while further enhancing interoperability with the United States and other allies,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
Singapore Arrangement. The Pentagon on Dec. 5 signed a new bilateral, non-binding Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) with Singapore. The department said the agreement “will enable both the U.S. and Singapore to acquire the industrial resources they need to quickly meet defense requirements, resolve unanticipated disruptions that challenge defense capabilities, and promote supply chain resiliency.” Singapore is now the U.S.’ 17th SOSA partner, the Pentagon noted. “This SOSA is an important step forward and further strengthens the relationship between Singapore and the United States,” Bill LaPlante, the Pentagon’s acquisition chief, said in a statement. “By enabling us to better meet supply chain challenges, we also strengthen our respective defense industrial bases.”
Karlin To Depart. Mara Karlin, a top Pentagon policy official who had a key role in crafting the Biden administration’s National Defense Strategy, is leaving the department next week. Karlin will step down as the acting deputy under secretary of defense for policy and is returning to academia after three years at DoD, the Pentagon noted. “I deeply appreciate Dr. Karlin’s dedication, strategic acumen, and her profound commitment to public service. Her contributions significantly strengthened the department’s strategic approach and preparedness for future security challenges. As Dr. Karlin embarks on her next chapter, we wish her the very best and are confident that her impact on national security will continue to resonate for years to come,” Sasha Baker, acting under secretary of defense for policy, said in a statement. During her time at DoD, Karlin also served as acting assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs and assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans and capabilities.
Aegis Poland. On Dec. 7 Rear Adm Douglas Williams told a House panel that Aegis Ashore Poland was delivered to the Navy on Oct. 1 for operational use and maintenance. In written statements when he was still serving as acting director of the Missile Defense Agency, Williams said the Navy will next formally accept Aegis Ashore Poland into the inventory on Dec. 15, completing the original EPAA Phase 3 established in 2009. The Navy will next install upgrades to the site through May 2024 before being transferred to NATO in July 2024 for command and control of the system.
THAAD Deliveries. Lockheed Martin announced on Dec. 7 that it delivered the 800th Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor to the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). Previously, in April MDA awarded the company with a $180 million contract for more interceptors and one-shot devices in the 15th lot of THAAD interceptors.
Navy 3D Prints. The Navy said 3D printers at the Southeast Regional Maintenance Center (SERMC) are adding the capability to manufacture “intricate replacement parts” on-site to help meet naval deadlines and increase a ship’s presence at sea. The service noted one example when the USS Farragut (DDG-99) was finishing a maintenance period at SERMC they discovered an irregularity in the radar system due to a malfunctioning part. Officials decided to make a replacement part with the center’s 3D printers. A SERMC official reverse-engineered the part in 40 minutes, added the data to a computer design program for the printing, then the replacement part was ready after 3.5 hours of total work. The Navy printed one extra part for the ship to hold while at sea.
KC-135 Center Console Refresh. The U.S. Air Force Materiel Command’s Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) expects to release a solicitation for the KC-135 Center Console Refresh (CCR) program next month or in February. Last year, AFLCMC outlined the need to build up to 75 CCRs per year. Under CCR, the Air Force would replace the KC-135s’ fuel management and flight display systems. A number of companies may be interested in a CCR bid, including Boeing, RTX’s Collins Aerospace, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, L3Harris Technologies, and Field Aerospace. AFLCMC recently reduced a CCR electromagnetic interference hardening requirement. “The original KC-135 CCR hardening requirement was established at Level 2 for both the Flight Display System (FDS) and the Fuel System (FS),” AFLCMC said in a business notice this week. “However, we anticipate the removal of the hardening requirement for the FDS and reduction of the hardening requirement to Level 3 (threshold) and Level 2 (objective) for the FS. Thus, the government supports commercial solutions for the FDS, but expect the FS will require major modifications to meet requirements.”
Emerging AIT Competitor. Rohde & Schwarz last week said the Transportation Security Administration awarded the company an $11 million contract to supply its QPS201 ultra-high-definition advanced imaging technology (AIT) body scanner to airport screening checkpoints. TSA told Defense Daily the contract is for 68 of the units. The award was competitive, the agency said. TSA’s AIT inventory is nearly entirely the ProVision system supplied by Leidos. The agency said the R&S systems will not be replacing ProVisions that are deployed. The QPS201 is the first new body scanner qualified by TSA in more than a decade. Unlike the ProVision, which requires travelers to raise their hands above their heads, the QPS allows for a hands down scan. The system also features an open design.
People News. Peraton has named Ken Sharp as its new chief financial officer, effective immediately. Most recently, Sharp was CFO at global information technology services company DXC Technology. He succeeds John Kavanaugh, who is retiring at the end of the year. Retired Navy Vice Adm. Nancy Norton, who most recently served as director of the Defense Information Systems Agency and commander of the Joint Forces Headquarters Department of Defense Information Network, will join the board of Leidos on Jan. 1, 2024. She retired from the Navy in 2021. AeroVironment last week said Paul “Church” Hutton has joined as vice president of government relations, reporting to CEO Wahid Nawabi. Hutton previously led government relations at defense electronics contractor Mercury Systems.
Volt Typhoon. The Washington Post last week reported on an ongoing cyber campaign by China to infiltrate about two dozen critical infrastructure networks in the U.S. and elsewhere, including Guam, to preposition hacking capabilities to help stymie any U.S. response during a potential conflict with China. The targeted entities include water and electric utilities, telecommunications firms, a West Coast port, and an oil and gas pipeline. Dubbed Volt Typhoon, the cyber campaign has also targeted the aviation sector, Jeffrey Troy, president and CEO of the Aviation-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (A-ISAC), told Defense Daily last week. The A-ISAC includes airlines, airports, and other aviation stakeholders to share cybersecurity intelligence about their sector. He declined to name specific targets.