Navy

As the Space Force prepares for the likelihood of a continuing resolution, the service chief Gen. John Raymond said this week he's concerned about programmatic impacts, operations and maintenance shortfalls and the transfer of space accounts from the Air Force to the Space Force.

China's military modernization -- particularly development of its strategic forces -- is driving the U.S. military to begin preparing for the advent of Beijing as a nuclear competitor on par with Russia, a development that will require a different deterrence strategy from the playbook the Defense Department has long maintained to counter Moscow, according to a senior U.S. military official.

Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist, charged with overseeing a controversial study on the future force structure of the Navy, said today a series of analytical wargames led the Pentagon to develop plans for three notional fleets which he intends to discuss next week with Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

The Navy urgently contracted the use of five wind-powered, unmanned surface vessels for data collection during a major exercise with the intent to survey industry for other capabilities if the demonstrations are successful.

The Defense Department will launch a training program next month for its acquisition professionals to specifically learn about artificial intelligence and data science capabilities, according to Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

A new Defense Department inspector general report finds that the F-35 joint program office has a "nonfunctioning process" to determine whether damaged parts should be repaired or discarded -- an issue that has led to a reduction in available spare parts and disposal of hundreds of parts without DOD approval. 

The White House is prioritizing the need to fund two Columbia-class submarines and restructure the Space Force in the event lawmakers cannot agree to pass regular appropriations bills and are forced to pass a stopgap spending measure, according to documents obtained by Inside Defense.

Senior Navy leadership last month approved the capability framework for the service's "operational architecture," an overarching document that describes how the Navy will analyze and transmit data in the future distributed fleet envisioned by military brass.

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.