Replenishment Bill. Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) have introduced a new bill that would amend DoD’s emergency acquisition authorities to allow for quickly replenishing stockpiles of weapons provided to partner nations attacked by an adversary, to include those munitions sent Ukraine to aid in its fight against Russia’s invasion. “This bill would ensure the Department of Defense can provide aid to our allies and replenish our own defense stockpiles simultaneously, and I urge the Senate to quickly take up and pass this critical legislation,” Cornyn said in a statement. The bill would specifically allow DoD to use non-competitive procedures to more rapidly award contracts to replenish weapons stockpiles. The new authority can only be used if the U.S. is “not party to the hostilities,” the weapons being procured are the same as what was already transferred, and DoD must report to Congress within a week of deciding to use the authority, according to a summary of the bill.
Smith Advances.
The nomination of Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith to become the next commandant was approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 21 and now heads to the full Senate. It is unclear when Smith will actually lead the service because Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) is still blocking votes to approve Pentagon military promotions and DoD officials because he objects to the administration’s policy that covers travel money for armed services personnel to receive reproductive healthcare, including abortions, outside the states that have made it illegal and extremely restrictive. Such nominees can only be confirmed one by one with full votes, which takes up a very long time in aggregate. Smith would succeed Gen. David Berger as commandant, who is set to retire in July.
New Missions. As the U.S. Air Force requests a retirement of 42 A-10 close air support aircraft in fiscal 2024 and a retirement of the A-10 fleet by 2029, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly (D) says that the Senate Armed Services Committee’s (SASC) draft fiscal 2024 defense authorization bill has provisions to help Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. transition to new missions beyond the A-10. The SASC draft bill accedes to the Air Force request to retire 42 A-10s in fiscal 2024. The draft contains $5 million for a site review and planning for a new special operations power projection wing with MC-130 and light attack aircraft at Davis-Monthan; encourages the Air Force to fund training simulators to support the EC-37B Compass Call fleet to be based at Davis-Monthan; and supports the buy of Lockheed Martin HH-60W helicopters to “bring additional rescue assets to Davis-Monthan over the next three years,” Kelly’s office said. BAE Systems is the contractor for the EC-37B.
…Fighter Reduction. The SASC draft would reduce the required inventory of Air Force fighters from 1,145 to 1,112 and prohibit the service from retiring any Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Block 40 Global Hawk drones. SASC also requests a briefing from the Air Force on its plans to use equipment from retiring F-16s to upgrade other F-16s; the service’s actions on Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), including buying test CCAs and analyses of CCA mission effectiveness versus manned aircraft, and a plan to modernize the Air Force fighter force structure.
Guam Munitions. An amendment included in the House Armed Services Committee’s (HASC) markup from the subcommittee on strategic forces directs a report on munitions required for the Guam missile defense systems. The amendment says that the director of the Missile Defense Agency is to provide a report to HASC, in consultation with the commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, on the “anticipated munitions requirements for the Guam Defense System and an associated fielding schedule.” If included in the final FY ‘24 defense authorization bill, the report is due by March 1, 2024. The subcommittee’s language said it supports improving defenses of Guam but it “also wishes to gain a greater understanding of future procurement needs for the defense of Guam.”
Fourth MQ-4C. Northrop Grumman on June 21 said it delivered the fourth MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial system to the Navy ahead of initial operational capability (IOC) planned for this year. The company said the delivery “completes the set of aircraft for Unmanned Patrol Squadron 19’s establishment of the first operational orbit, while a second orbit is preparing for delivery this summer.” The Navy plans for the Triton to total three orbits around the planet to provide consistent maritime domain awareness.
China Committee Recs. The House Armed Services Committee adopted several amendments to its version of the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act during its markup on June 21 that were recommendations from the new Select Committee on China. The panel approved two amendments from Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), chair of the select committee, to include one that directs the Pentagon to deliver a strategy to Congress on its plan for long-range precision strike capabilities in the Indo-Pacific operating area and another requiring an independent assessment on the status of implementing the Pacific Deterrence Initiative. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), a member of the select committee, offered an amendment to expand technology-focused partnerships and experimentation activities in the Indo-Pacific. “We are proud of the wins in this bill, including several of the recommendations from our overwhelmingly bipartisan set of proposals to enhance Taiwan’s deterrence. These initiatives will make America safer and better prepared to deter CCP aggression, and we look forward to continued work with our colleagues on the Select Committee to build upon these efforts,” Gallagher and Select Committee Ranking Member Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) said in a joint statement.
DDG-120. The Navy plans to commission the latest Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120), during a ceremony on June 24 in Baltimore, Md. The ship is named after the former longest service senator from Michigan who served as the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. Carl Levin (D) died in July 2021. The ship will be homeported at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. DDG-120 will be the 72nd overall Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, with 17 more under contract. This ship is a Flight IIA variant.
New RS-25 Engines. Aerojet Rocketdyne and NASA have completed a series of 12 certification tests at Stennis Space Center, Miss. for the company’s new RS-25 engines for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rockets for Artemis missions, Aerojet Rocketdyne said. Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO Eileen Drake last Friday said in a statement that the dozen tests were a “major milestone in our RS-25 production restart program.” The SLS core is to have four RS-25s, each able to generate more than 500,000 pounds of thrust. “Like Artemis I, the next three SLS flights are using heritage Space Shuttle main engines that have been upgraded with modern flight controllers, while subsequent missions will have newly built RS-25 engines that have been redesigned for improved performance and lower costs and feature simplified component designs that take advantage of 3D printing and other manufacturing advances,” Aerojet Rocketdyne said.
…Advanced Propulsion. Separately, Aerojet Rocketdyne said on June 21 it’s working on an advanced propulsion solution for Lockheed Martin’s Long Range Maneuverable Fires (LRMF) concept, which is being developed to inform the design of a future extended range version of the Army’s new Precision Strike Missile (PrSM). “Aerojet Rocketdyne propulsion has powered U.S. Army systems for decades, and we look forward to leveraging that experience and our talented workforce to develop next-generation missiles with significantly extended range,” Drake said in a statement. Lockheed Martin, which is currently producing PrSM Increment 1 missiles for the Army, announced its working on LRMF in late March and said its design for LRMF will “employ unique design elements and key technologies to address size and endurance challenges” to meet the goal for reaching significantly extended ranges. The Army has also selected Raytheon Technologies to develop an LRMF concept.
Satellite Life. Northrop Grumman said that its Space Logistics subsidiary has sold its third Mission Extension Pod (MEP)—a propulsion “jet pack”—to extend the service life of an Intelsat geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) communications satellite “by at least six years.” A Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) is to install the MEP on the Intelsat bird. Rob Hauge, the president of SpaceLogistics, said in a Northrop Grumman statement that the third MEP sale “completes the launch manifest for our first tranche of MEPs.” MRV and MEP have finished critical design reviews and are to be tested before a planned launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in early 2025, Northrop Grumman said. “Once on orbit, the MRV will provide a persistent robotic servicing capability in GEO that paves the way for missions including satellite inspection, relocation and repair,” the company said. “By attaching specialty tools to the ends of its robotic arms, the MRV will be able to adapt to emerging mission needs.”
MDA Cyber. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) awarded Rothe Development Inc. and ARES JV, LLC a new $96 million competitive cost-plus contract to provide cybersecurity services across the agency’s systems. The contractor will provide support including conducting cybersecurity test and risk assessment services across all MDA information systems, their connections and associated test events in support of Agency Security Control Assessors. The contract requirement covers the development, implementation, sustainment, and execution of Agency Risk Management Framework functions and processes including cybersecurity controls validation, software assurance, cybersecurity risk assessment, and cybersecurity training. Work will occur in Huntsville, Ala.; Ft. Belvoir, Va.; and Colorado Springs, Colo. and runs from July 2023 to January 2030. The announcement notes there were six proposals.
Mynaric Subbing to RTX. Mynaric last week said it will supply Raytheon Technologies with optical communications terminals for the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Tranche 1 Tracking Layer program. Mynaric is already subcontracting to Northrop Grumman for satellites for SDA’s Transport and Tracking Layers. Raytheon is building seven satellites for the SDA, each featuring three Mynaric Condor Mk3 terminals. Deliveries are expected in 2024.
J.F. Lehman Deal. J.F. Lehman & Co. portfolio company Trident Maritime Systems last week said it has acquired the assets of Custom Alloy Corporation, a vertically integrated provider of highly specialized alloyed forgings, fittings, and pipe to defense and industrial end users. Custom Alloy is a supplier to the Navy on nuclear submarine and aircraft carrier programs. J.F. Lehman says that Trident was the prevailing bidder in a Section 363 bankruptcy auction for the assets of Custom Alloy. Trident says the acquisition expands its presence on key Navy nuclear vessel programs, which is part of its growth strategy.
Naval Ed Strategy. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro released his Naval Education Strategy on June 23. It includes three lines of effort: implement a learning continuum for the entire force; integrate education into talent management frameworks for more precise and agile talent management; and strengthen the Naval University System. The department intends to evolve naval education to develop a culture that sees learning at the individual and organizational level as a key enabler for warfighters. The strategy specifically provides guidance and vision for naval education in the five to 10 year range.
New ONR Chief. Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus was sworn in as the new Chief of Naval Research, leading the Office of Naval Research (ONR) on June 16. A change of command ceremony took place at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. Rothenhaus previously served as program executive officer, Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (PEO C4I). He succeeds the retiring Rear Adm. Lorin Selby.
…AUKUS Office. Capt. Lincoln Reifsteck relieved Rear Adm. Dave Goggins as Program Manager of the AUKUS Integration and Acquisition Direct Reporting Program Management office on June 20. “Lincoln is an exceptional submariner, operator, and leader. He has been instrumental in guiding the Navy through the 18-month consultation phase that resulted in the development of the Optimal Pathway for delivering conventionally armed, nuclear-powered attack submarines to Australia,” Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition Jay Stefany said as he presided over the ceremony.