Army

The Pentagon has launched a new initiative to improve how it approaches the exportability of defense technology to allied and partner countries.

A group representing a range of U.S. companies and industry associations opposes a variety of measures in the House and Senate defense authorization bills, including several provisions that would demand domestic sourcing for U.S. weapons programs and force companies to cut ties with Chinese suppliers.

The Missile Defense Agency is pressing ahead with a project to develop a speed-of-light weapon to knock down maneuvering hypersonic vehicles, awarding Raytheon $9.7 million to advance work originally proposed two years ago on a Hypersonic Defense Weapon System concept and setting the project on a path to a potential Microwave Technology Testbed.

Boeing today disclosed that it is teamed with General Atomics and Aerojet Rocketdyne for the Next Generation Interceptor, offering what a company official said is "freshness" to the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system modernization competition by pulling in two established defense industry suppliers that haven't previously had high-profile, missile defense accounts.

A new report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies finds the ratio of spending on procurement compared to research and development is on the decline, a discovery it notes could have "business-altering dynamics."

The Army plans to reproduce for combatant commanders around the world the package of improvements now being fashioned to enhance integration of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 systems in response to urgent requests in 2017 from top brass in South Korea for improved ballistic missile defenses.

The Army has updated its draft request for proposals for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle, deleting a provision that would have allowed a service organization to submit a proposal.

The Trump administration is balking at four missile defense provisions advanced by the Senate Armed Services Committee's mark of the fiscal year 2021 defense authorization bill, asking lawmakers to reconsider a funding cut and increase to the Next Generation Interceptor and Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii programs, respectively.

The White House has sent the Senate Armed Services Committee a list of provisions in the fiscal year 2021 defense authorization bill it does not like, but chose to lead with one President Trump has said would make him veto the entire must-pass bill -- the re-naming of U.S. military bases that currently honor Confederate leaders.