Our latest:
With Assurances From Top U.S. Brass, Japan Eyes $10 Billion F-35 Buy
The Defense Department this week announced a potential $10 billion sale of 42 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to Japan, a deal furthered by formal assurances made by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz to his Japanese counterpart in January that the Air Force is committed to the stealth fighter.
DOCUMENT ALERT:
DSCA Statement On Proposed $10 Billion JSF Sale To Japan
In a May 1, 2012, statement, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announces it has notified Congress of a proposed $10 billion sale of Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to Japan.
Highlights from today's Inside the Air Force:
Air Force Portion OF FY-12 Reprogramming To Pay Only Fuel, OCO Bills
The Air Force portion of the Defense Department's annual omnibus reprogramming request, set for submission to Congress in June, will propose a shift of fiscal year 2012 funding to cover "must-pay" bills dealing with fuel costs and overseas contingency operations.
NGA: Air Force Document 'Misrepresents' Governors To House And Senate
A recent Air Force assessment of the Council of Governors' force-structure proposal is a bone of contention for the National Governors Association (NGA).
NASA, Air Force Hope For Synergy In RL10 Engine Follow-On Studies
In a joint contracting effort run through NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, the Air Force and NASA are accepting industry bids to conduct multiple studies on the future of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle's upper-stage engine -- studies that will examine the feasibility of the two organizations' developing and procuring a common engine to drive down the cost of space launch.
New and noteworthy additions:
Air Force Briefing Slides On AFMC Restructuring
The March 2012 briefing slides outline how Air Force Materiel Command will be reorganized.
Air Force Weather Satellite Follow-on Industry Day Briefing Slides
On April 25, 2012, the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center held an industry day to discuss the Weather Satellite Follow-on program.
DBB 4/19/2012 Briefing Slides On 'Public-Private Collaboration'
The April 19, 2012, briefing slides provide an update of a Defense Business Board study titled "Leveraging Public-Private Collaboration to Augment the Department of Defense's Mission."
Army Memo On Supplemental Policy For UAS Ops In The National Airspace System
The Jan. 13, 2012, memo outlines the Army's policy for using unmanned aerial systems in the National Airspace System.
2013 National Guard Bureau Posture Statement
The March 2012 document outlines the National Guard Bureau's plans for fiscal year 2013.
A reminder about a conference you should know about:
IDGA’s 3rd Annual Irregular Warfare Summit
May 30 - June 01, 2012, Washington, DC
IDGA’s Annual Irregular Warfare Summit will explore the latest news and advancements in technologies and the lessons learned from recent efforts. It will also take a closer look at the process of developing asymmetric military strategies and forces that can operate within diverse threat environments.
The Army is gearing up for what could be a major helicopter effort, with a big review set for today. Our story delves deep into what's at stake -- and who's lining up to participate:
Pentagon Moves Toward Potential $6.4 Billion Helicopter Competition
The Defense Department this week is preparing to take a key step toward the start of a combat helicopter competition worth as much as $6.4 billion to aircraft makers, addressing an Army capability shortfall that has lingered since the terminations of the next-generation Comanche helicopter in 2004 and the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter in 2008.
On May 3, the Defense Acquisition Board chaired by the Pentagon's acting acquisition executive will formally consider the Army's proposal to conduct industry flight demonstrations this summer for its Armed Aerial Scout requirement, as well as carry out in-depth discussions this fall with companies that do not have flying prototypes. Both will inform a strategic decision about how to modernize the reconnaissance helicopter fleet.
At issue is whether to buy a new aircraft or extend the service life of its venerable OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters. The decision, due next next year, will determine whether the Army's marquee reconnaissance rotorcraft in 2050 resembles an airframe the service has flown since the Vietnam war.
"The Army is proposing to conduct market research through the release of a [request for information] coupled with a voluntary flight demonstration to inform a capabilities decision and an affordable and achievable material solution option recommendation," Lt. Col. Courtney Cote, armed reconnaissance helicopter product manager, told InsideDefense.com in an April 30 statement.
Today's Inside the Pentagon looks at an intriguing -- and problematic -- legislative proposal from OSD:
Pentagon Proposal To Restrict Bid Protests Faces Jurisdictional Hurdles
The Pentagon is asking Congress to tighten restrictions on bid protests filed in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, a proposal the department asserts would save millions of dollars annually -- but one that defense authorizers may avoid for jurisdictional reasons.
The idea, described in a package of Defense Department legislative proposals submitted to Congress in recent days, would "impose timeliness rules" at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims that would "mirror" those for bid protests filed with the Government Accountability Office, "thereby reducing the time to decide bid protests by avoiding unnecessarily repetitive protests," DOD writes.
A congressional source said Congress cannot include the proposal in the fiscal year 2013 defense authorization bill as the Pentagon wants because the defense authorization committees do not have jurisdiction over the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
DOCUMENT ALERT:
DOD's Sixth FY-13 Legislative Proposals Package
On May 2, 2012, the Pentagon submitted its sixth package of legislative proposals to Congress for the fiscal year 2013 defense budget.
And in case you missed any of these:
We told you about SOCOM's lone unfunded priority last week, and today we've got a deeper look at the markedly different year this has been for a longtime ritual:
Multimillion-Dollar ISR Shortfall Deemed DOD's Sole FY-13 Unfunded Need
U.S. Special Operations Command is asking Congress to fund a $143 million shortfall in the command's latest budget request to acquire significantly improved video capabilities for drones and aircraft, an urgent need endorsed by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta -- and the only unfunded requirement the department has sent to Congress this year.
The command's chief, Adm. William McRaven, described the need in an April 9 reply to the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), who requested fiscal year 2013 unfunded-requirements lists from the command and all of the armed services.
Panetta's approval was needed before SOCOM could send Congress its unfunded requirement, according to the command, but the Pentagon maintains the defense secretary merely asked to be briefed.
McRaven's letter, first reported on April 26 by InsideDefense.com, states that Panetta "approved one emerging, unfunded requirement" enabling SOCOM to address a "critical capability shortfall" in support of DOD's new strategic guidance that places an even greater focus on counterterrorism and advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The High Definition Full Motion Video (HD FMV) with electro-optical, infrared and shortwave infrared (EO/IR/SWIR) is an urgent requirement that was not fully quantified until after the FY-13 president's budget request was finalized, McRaven writes, noting the estimated investment cost for FY-12 and FY-13 is $37.1 million and $143 million, respectively.
And in case you missed it:
SOCOM's FY-13 Unfunded Requirements Letter To Congress
In an April 9, 2012, letter to House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA), U.S. Special Operations Command chief Adm. William McRaven asks Congress to fund a $143 million shortfall in the command's fiscal year 2013 budget request to acquire improved video capabilities for manned and unmanned aircraft.
Our latest:
House Panel Calls For Quarterly Cyber Briefings, Report On Authorities
A House panel is seeking quarterly briefings on the Pentagon's cyber operations and a report on related legal authorities.
In its mark-up released last week, the House Armed Services emerging threats and capabilities subcommittee calls for the defense secretary to provide quarterly briefings to lawmakers on "all offensive and significant defensive military operations in cyberspace carried out by the Department of Defense during the immediately preceding quarter." This first briefing would take place by March 2013.
A congressional source said the Pentagon provides requested information, but this legislation would help ensure a more "regularized information flow" on cyber issues.
"It really just raises the visibility for cyber and it gets the department into more of a regular habit of coming over and talking," the source said. "And it's two-way, because I think that there will be some give and take in terms of what they actually come over and talk about."
And this sure does seem timely:
DOD IG Eyes Army's Cybersecurity, Use Of Portable High-Tech Devices
The Defense Department's inspector general has launched a review of Army cybersecurity, particularly the risks posed by portable high-tech devices.
The audit of Army "portable electronic devices and removable media security controls" will determine whether the service has an effective cybersecurity program that "identifies and mitigates risks surrounding portable electronic devices and removable media," according to an April 10 memo signed by Alice Carey, the assistant inspector general for readiness, operations and support. The memo is addressed to the Pentagon's chief information officer, the Army's auditor general and acting Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall.
"Specifically, we will verify that Army officials are appropriately tracking, configuring and sanitizing portable electronic devices," the memo states. "Additionally, we will determine whether the Army uses authorized removable media on its network."
DOCUMENT ALERT:
DOD IG Memo On Army Cybersecurity Audit
In an April 10, 2012, memo, the Defense Department inspector general's office announces the start of an audit on Army cybersecurity and the use of portable electronic devices.
More stories and documents of note:
DOD Hopes To Complete Euro BMD Cost Analysis By 'This Summer'
U.S. officials are hoping the Pentagon's cost assessment and program evaluation office will complete a cost analysis of the Obama administration's proposed missile defense effort in Europe by this summer.
Schwartz Calls For More Flexibility To Export Unarmed ISR Platforms
The Air Force's top military official today urged policymakers to loosen export-control restrictions and allow the Defense Department to share more of its unarmed and unmanned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms with international partners.
Memo: DOD Falling Behind In Reporting On Contractors' Past Performance
New data shows the Defense Department falling behind in preparing required assessments of contractors' past performance despite major efforts to fix shortcomings in this area, according to a Pentagon memo.
Navy Awards Final Batch Of Next-Gen Jammer Tech Maturity Contracts
The Navy has plunked down $80 million to extend contracts for four companies that are developing technologies for a Next-Generation Jammer, a move intended to finalize the maturity of key components.
DOCUMENT ALERT:
NAVAIR Justification And Approval Memo On The NGJ Program
On April 30, 2012, the Naval Air Systems Command posted a justification and approval memo on Federal Business Opportunities regarding the Next-Generation Jammer program.
DOD Memo On Contractor Past Performance Assessment Reporting
In an April 26, 2012, memo, Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy Director Richard Ginman shows how well or poorly various Pentagon agencies have complied with completing contracts in a timely manner.
GAO Report On The F-22A Fighter
The May 2, 2012, Government Accountability Office report concludes that the F-22A Raptor modernization program "faces cost, technical and sustainment risks."
Rep. McKeon's Letter To Governors On Sequestration
In an April 30, 2012, letter to the heads of the National Governors Association and Council of Governors, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-CA) seeks their input on cuts resulting from sequestration.
Senators' Letter To White House On Nuclear Weapons Modernization
In an April 25. 2012, letter, Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), John Hoeven (R-ND), Ron Johnson (R-WI), John Boozman (R-AR), Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Rob Portman (R-OH) call on the Obama administration to add funding for nuclear weapons modernization.
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