Saturday, May 4, 2024
Key Issues Budget 'parity' Summer CUAS demo EW in Ukraine
Tony Bertuca is chief editor of Inside the Pentagon, the flagship publication of InsideDefense, where he focuses on defense budget and acquisition policy. He previously worked for the Sun-Times News Group in his hometown of Chicago, IL, and at the New Hampshire Union Leader in Manchester, NH. Tony has also served as managing editor of Inside the Army. He has a master's degree in journalism from Boston University.
Based on the findings of a special "red team" report, the Army is canceling its Ground Combat Vehicle request for proposals process and intends to issue revised requirements that will allow industry teams to bid again some time in the future.
Congress has approved a Pentagon reprogramming request to transfer funds directly into the Stryker program's double-V hull protection effort, according to documents sent to the Defense Department comptroller's office last week.
The Army recently acquired Oshkosh Corp's first model of next-generation cargo vehicles known as the Palletized Load System A1, which features design improvements to make the vehicle more secure and robust "for logistics missions that face increased combat exposure," according to a statement released by the company.
Oshkosh Corp. was recently awarded a $40.7 million Army contract to produce explosively formed penetrator protection kits for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All Terrain Vehicles, according to a Defense Department announcement.
The Army has sent Congress a new acquisition strategy for its massive fleet of tactical wheeled vehicles, advocating a "buy less, more often" approach and detailing its plans to "achieve the right mix of variants while modernizing to a 'scalable armor' fleet."
The House Armed Services Committee has denied a Pentagon reprogramming request to divert hundreds of millions of dollars from the procurement and modernization of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and Abrams tank to "other priorities," Inside the Army has learned.
A defense industry team led by BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman announced today that, after what executives called a "painful" deliberation and risk assessment, they have presented the Army with their proposal for a hybrid electric Ground Combat Vehicle.
Four key Pentagon officials warned Congress today that failing to pass a $33 billion supplemental defense budget before the scheduled August recess would result in civilian furloughs and create a financial emergency for the military.
Seeking to emulate the business models of Apple and Google in the commercial smart phone sector, the Army is accelerating its efforts to create a common operating environment for network systems that would allow industry to create standardized applications and plug them into a single network, the service's chief information officer said today.
General Dynamics Land Systems has been awarded $30 million by the Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command to begin production of a double-v-shaped hull for the Stryker infantry combat vehicle, according to a statement released by GDLS today.
The Army began a large-scale integration exercise today at White Sands Missile Range, NM, billing it as the first-ever attempt to link various ground and aerial communications components into a single, integrated network for command posts, on-the-move forces, and dismounted soldiers.
The Army will launch a comprehensive review of its acquisition strategy in the hopes of speeding up and streamlining the process, according to Army generals who briefed reporters this morning.
Science Applications International Corporation officially announced today that it would be teaming up with Boeing and German companies Krauss-Maffei Wegman and Rheinmetall to bid for the Army's Ground Combat Vehicle program, according to statements from SAIC and Boeing.
An industry team led by General Dynamics Land Systems that includes Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and MTU Detroit Diesel submitted a proposal for the technology development phase of the Army's Ground Combat Vehicle program today, according to a statement from the GDLS.
The House Armed Services Committee voted yesterday to restore $116 million to the Army's budget request for so-called "spin outs" from the canceled Future Combat Systems program that were in danger of being eliminated from the service's Early Infantry Brigade Combat Team modernization effort.
The Army has announced it will hold a “renewable energy rodeo and symposium” June 8-9 at Ft. Bliss, TX, to showcase energy initiatives impacting all levels of the service from ground vehicles to installations.
The Army today released a modernization strategy that accounts for new guidance from the Pentagon, outlining how the service will adapt to a new force-generation process and detailing its new brigade combat team approach.
The Army last week released the draft purchase description for the Joint Light Tactical Family of Vehicles as a precursor to an industry day being held today (April 26) in Sterling Heights, MI.
As the Army launches an effort to integrate Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles with the first increment of its brigade combat team modernization program, the service wants to begin production of network-integration kits for the vehicles by October 2010, according to service officials.
The time line for a new Army-wide portfolio review process remains unclear, but Army Secretary John McHugh, who is directing the effort, is hoping the reviews will yield ways in which the service can provide soldiers with better, less expensive and more efficient capabilities.