As the Air Force eyes a materiel development decision this week to kick-start its wideband satellite communications analysis of alternatives, the Air Force's deputy under secretary for space said Tuesday the service does not have a completion time line in mind, but is instead focused on starting well.
C4ISR Watch
December 13, 2016 |
The Trump transition team officially announced Monday the nomination of retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly to be the next homeland security secretary, a pick that emphasizes the incoming administration's focus on the department's border security and immigration mission, over other wide-ranging responsibilities such as data protection.
December 12, 2016 |
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) today announced his support for a congressional investigation into Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election through hacking and other tactics, suggesting the Armed Services and Intelligence committees are appropriate venues for such a probe.
December 08, 2016 |
Inside the Air Force
As part of a larger effort to improve cybersecurity across its entire portfolio of weapon systems, the Air Force is in the process of evaluating 50 of its legacy platforms to identify cyber vulnerabilities and develop plans to mitigate those gaps.
December 07, 2016 |
The Air Force on Dec. 7 successfully launched its eighth Wideband Global Satellite Communications space vehicle, which brings double the bandwidth capacity of previous satellites in the constellation at a time of increasing warfighter demand.
December 07, 2016 |
House appropriators have proposed granting the Pentagon a rare exception to standard rules guiding stopgap spending bills, carving out special permission for one high-priority, weapon-system program each for the Navy and Air Force and two for the Army in the name of sparing unnecessary disarray caused by temporarily extending the limits on new-start projects and production increases.
December 05, 2016 |
The Army is seeking input from academia and the private sector on a key intelligence capability at the battalion level, according to a notice on Federal Business Opportunities.
December 05, 2016 |
President-elect Donald Trump's selection of retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis to be defense secretary offers few particulars on the four-star general's record regarding cybersecurity, but Mattis' views on an evolving military role to address emerging threats appears consistent with Trump's call for a more active approach to defending critical industries from cyber attacks.
December 01, 2016 |
The Pentagon is facing a set of capability gaps in its aim to ensure dominance in the electromagnetic spectrum, according to officials overseeing the efforts.
November 29, 2016 |
U.S. Strategic Command may conduct an analysis of alternatives to find ways to better address electronic warfare across the services, Brig. Gen. Edward Sauley said at an Association of Old Crows conference Tuesday. While the responsibility for electronic warfare lies with STRATCOM for now, Sauley speculated that U.S. Cyber Command could take over that field in the next two decades.
November 23, 2016 |
Inside the Air Force
An Air Force inspection of five E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft revealed two maintenance errors on two jets, a service official told Inside the Air Force this week.
November 23, 2016 |
Inside the Air Force
The Air Force Research Laboratory is offering companies nearly $50 million across five years to move unmanned aircraft closer to being capable of autonomy, waging cyber warfare and more, according to a Nov. 10 broad agency announcement on the Federal Business Opportunities website.
November 23, 2016 |
President-elect Trump appears likely to assign a more active role for the Pentagon in protecting critical industries, such as power plants and chemical facilities, in an apparent response to longstanding industry concerns about defending against cyber attacks by nation-state aggressors.
November 22, 2016 |
The decision by House and Senate leaders to delay action on a full-year fiscal year 2017 spending bill until the spring could restrain Pentagon plans to increase funding across a wide range of modernization programs, including the entire strategic weapon system recapitalization portfolio and marquee projects critical to each military service.
November 21, 2016 |
The Army is seeking industry input on a potential two-channel handheld radio for leaders at and below the company level, according to a Federal Business Opportunities notice.
November 11, 2016 |
Inside the Navy
The Marine Corps has started a baseline review of its cyber personnel and capabilities, as the service looks to ensure it has the right-sized information technology workforce for the future, according to officials.
November 08, 2016 |
The Army is adjusting its acquisition strategy for the handheld Rifleman radio to incorporate a two-channel variant, altering a program worth up to $3.88 billion to contractors.
November 04, 2016 |
The Air Force has approved plans for a major upgrade of F-15C and F-15E fighter aircraft, directing Boeing to proceed with engineering and manufacturing development of the Eagle Passive/Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS), an estimated $5.9 billion program to outfit the twin-engine fleet with a new electronic warfare system developed and built by BAE Systems.
November 03, 2016 |
Inside the Air Force
The Defense Department's inspector general this week found the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System contracting officer paid out $7.6 million in unallowable award fees to Northrop Grumman by failing to maximize the cost-effectiveness of the company's sustainment support contract, according to a program audit report released Nov. 3.
November 03, 2016 |
The Air Force is taking a wait-and-see posture toward incorporating small satellites into its architecture, but some companies are looking to the classified realm as a proving ground for those capabilities.