Missile Defense

The first production unit in the multibillion-dollar life extension program of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb will be delayed by about 16 to 18 months, according to a senior official at the National Nuclear Security Administration.

The Missile Defense Agency is winnowing industry proposals for a Hypersonic Defense Weapon System, identifying four projects so far -- from a batch of 21-- to be fleshed out during a nine-month concept development phase, with the winning projects to date each featuring a new kinetic interceptor.

The White House has sent a 21-page list of "anomalies" to Congress seeking exemptions for a variety of federal spending priorities -- including the establishment of a Space Development Agency, continued development of hypersonic weapons and new background investigations -- in the likely event lawmakers pass a stopgap continuing resolution.

The head of the newly established U.S. Space Command said he recently reached a "new agreement" with the National Reconnaissance Office stipulating that both organizations will collaborate equally until the "higher stages of conflict," at which point NRO will answer to SPACECOM.

The Missile Defense Agency notched a significant achievement in the effort to bolster defenses against North Korea's medium-range ballistic missile threats during a test today, assessing a new government designed launcher for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system that promises to extend THAAD's defensive reach.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper was sidelined in recent weeks as Pentagon leaders decided the fate of the Redesigned Kill Vehicle program, an intentional recusal from the eventual decision to terminate the failed $1.2 billion project in which Esper's former employer Raytheon played a major role.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper today heralded a new internal budget review as a chance for the Pentagon to "make tough decisions" that better align resources with the National Defense Strategy, which calls for greater focus on China and Russia.

Pentagon acquisition chief Ellen Lord today revealed a series of new reforms and initiatives aimed at blocking China's influence on the U.S. defense industrial base, including the establishment of a new congressionally directed intellectual property regime.

The Missile Defense Agency is launching the Next Generation Interceptor program with a "Kick Off Industry Day" this Thursday, moving quickly to begin a follow-on to the Redesigned Kill Vehicle project terminated last week as a senior Pentagon official today issued a rebuke of the acquisition strategy behind the failed $1.2 billion RKV program.