Missile Defense

The Defense Department, following a recommendation from the Government Accountability Office, intends to begin annual reviews of independent industry research and development projects so they can be better integrated into the U.S. military’s technology plans.

The Pentagon's No. 2 official has overhauled missile defense policies and governance in a surprise move that will subject the Missile Defense Agency to increased oversight by other arms of the Defense Department, establishing new rules for the $202 billion portfolio of missile defense weapon system projects and setting the stage for the first major revision of the agency's charter in over a decade.

The Space Development Agency on Monday awarded contracts to Lockheed Martin and Denver-based York Space Systems to develop the first 20 satellites of its transport layer, slated to be developed and launched in two years.

The director of the Defense Digital Service wants Pentagon organizations to reuse software rather than build bespoke solutions for the same capabilities.

The Missile Defense Agency is delaying until the end of this year a marquee test, slated for fiscal year 2020, pitting a Standard Missile-3 Block IIA against an intercontinental ballistic missile target to validate a new homeland defense architecture that would add a new "underlayer" to work in tandem with the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system.

The official in charge of the Army's Long Range Precision Fires Cross-Functional Team today said the service's plan to develop a Long Range Hypersonic Weapon prototype by 2023 is the quickest way to maintain combined arms overmatch, as it aims to engage in the fight with Russia and China.

The Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System -- a project that has consumed $2.7 billion and more than a decade just to commence limited user testing -- won strong public backing from Army leaders this week, a turnaround from two years ago when the program was allegedly at risk of being dramatically curtailed or even terminated over schedule delays and cost.

The Army today said it intercepted cruise and ballistic missile targets during an assessment of the Integrated Battle Management System, raising service leaders' expectations that problems which plagued a similar test in 2016 are resolved.

The vice commander of Space Force headquarters said today he expects in the next few weeks to reach an agreement with the Office of the Secretary of Defense about which Army and Navy space programs should transition to the new service, beginning in fiscal year 2021.