DefenseScoop

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After delivering the first key component of the Space Force’s ground infrastructure for its future missile warning and missile-tracking satellites last year, the service’s acquisition arm is poised to field additional capabilities and updates on an annual basis, according to the program’s executive officer. The new ground system, known as Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE), is being designed to conduct daily operations and command and control for the Space Force’s Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) constellation, as well as those in the legacy Space-Based Infrared System. https://lnkd.in/eBAXy7dd

Defense Department leaders and congressional lawmakers are eyeing major acquisition reforms, bureaucratic fixes and new funding flexibilities for certain emerging military capabilities in the early days of the second Trump administration, officials said Tuesday on Capitol Hill. “I think that the building is not quite prepared for what’s about to happen to it. That’s my observation in the first 30 days,” noted Colin Carroll, chief of staff to the deputy secretary of defense, referring to the Pentagon. https://lnkd.in/eN-NpwEe

The Army is now beginning to field updated and modernized network equipment to the division as a whole, including the enabling units. In the past, the service had outlined a fielding strategy that sought to equip certain priority brigades within divisions with the integrated tactical network, a combination of program-of-record systems and commercial off-the-shelf tools. This meant that other brigades and enabling units — such as sustainment, intelligence, logistics and engineering brigades — would still be operating on legacy equipment. https://lnkd.in/eP98ek8V

With limited resources and funds, an Army unit is looking to make its own drones at a fraction of the cost of commercially available systems procured through traditional acquisition processes. The service is drawing key lessons from Ukraine, where unmanned aerial systems have been ubiquitous on the battlefield. The Army is now looking for more expendable platforms, a marked change from the past where soldiers were disciplined for losing assets that were allotted to units at specific and known quantities. https://lnkd.in/e4Ur6bZM

The Air Force has officially given aircraft designations for its first two Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) prototypes ahead of the platforms’ first flights scheduled for this summer, according to the service’s top official. Increment 1 CCA drones under development by General Atomics and Anduril will be referred to as YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A, respectively. While the “Y” refers to the platforms’ status as prototype vehicles and will be dropped once they move into production, the “FQ” designates the CCA drones as unmanned autonomous fighter aircraft — the first platform to be assigned such a designation, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said. https://lnkd.in/eQMccyaP

The Defense Innovation Unit has chosen Anduril and Zone 5 Technologies to move to the next phase of a program aimed at developing an affordable and modular air vehicle for the Air Force. The two companies announced this week that they have progressed to the second phase of the Enterprise Test Vehicle (ETV) program, beating out Integrated Solutions for Systems and Leidos Dynetics for the follow-on agreement. The effort initially looked to create an inexpensive air vehicle to test new capabilities and subsystems, but now the ETV prototypes are expected to become the baseline architecture for a future palletized munitions platform. https://lnkd.in/emvknyEj

The Defense Department issued new instructions on Tuesday regarding employees’ use of “situational telework,” via a memorandum penned to senior leaders, combatant commanders, and agency and field activity directors. This guidance comes as organizations across the federal government move to comply with the Trump administration’s far-reaching mandate to terminate all formerly-approved work arrangements that enabled certain employees to operate on-the-clock from outside of approved physical office spaces. https://lnkd.in/epPbEaHg

The Pentagon has initiated a review of its contracting enterprise in pursuit of DOGE cost-cutting efforts, according to a new memo. The move follows an executive order issued last week by President Donald Trump, which aims for “a transformation in Federal spending on contracts, grants, and loans to ensure Government spending is transparent and Government employees are accountable to the American public,” according to the EO. The effort is part of the new administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiatives, which are being spearheaded by billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk. https://lnkd.in/ezzZJqSV

The number of military satellites in orbit is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years, and the Space Force is creating a plan to expand its new cloud-based ground control segment for orbital warfare sats. In 2023, the Space Rapid Capabilities Office — a semi-autonomous acquisition organization dedicated to quickly delivering critical technologies to the Space Force — initiated yet another attempt to modernize its ground systems used to manage and reposition satellites on orbit when it launched the Rapid Resilient Command and Control (R2C2) program. https://lnkd.in/e8kv7h5S