Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment

The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment wishes you and your family a safe and happy Thanksgiving! We are especially grateful for the dedicated professionals that make up our A&S team. Your commitment and hard work continue to make a difference in support of our warfighters, allies, and partners. ? #Grateful #ThankYou

#ICYMI: The?US Navy?recently awarded a $960.8 million multi-year contract for the Naval Strike Missile:?https://lnkd.in/e9mByHWm ? “This multi-year procurement contract delivers on the Department of the Navy’s commitment to build capability and capacity in the near-term by making our platforms more lethal,” said ASN(RDA) Nickolas Guertin. ? This significant investment provides the U.S. and its allies with long range anti-surface offensive strike capability as well as increased coastline defense, deterrence, and interoperability. By leveraging a multi-year contract, the Navy will achieve $206 million in program savings while providing stability to the munitions industrial base. ? Learn more below! ? #ExpandTheBase

The United States Department of Defense recently announced two Defense Production awards totaling $5.1 million to Canadian Commercial Corporation and Estes Energetics. These awards, made in collaboration with the Joint Program Executive Office Armaments & Ammunition, will enable the recipients to establish a process for recrystallizing nitroguanidine (NQ), a key energetic. This effort supports the 2024 National Defense Industrial Strategy’s objective to ensure the availability of raw materials, strengthening supply chain resilience and bolstering the domestic production of critical weapon systems. “These investments will ensure continued domestic availability of a critical energetic while a new U.S.-based manufacturing capability for NQ is established,” said Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy. Read more below! #ExpandTheBase #NDIS #DPA

The recently released?National Defense Industrial Strategy Implementation Plan (NDIS-IP), outlines six cross-cutting initiatives to achieve a more resilient defense industrial ecosystem and buy-down risks. This week we highlight?Implementation Initiative #1: Building a Defense Industrial Base to Enhance Indo-Pacific Deterrence. ? “The NDIS builds on the foundation of the National Defense Strategy, orienting efforts on creating industrial capability and capacity to meet the pacing threat,” said Ms. Carla Zeppieri, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience. “This first initiative focuses on missiles and munitions production and the submarine industrial base as two top requirements in the Indo-Pacific theater.” Key actions include modernizing Army arsenals and depots and identifying and removing limitations on critical munitions production to deliver at speed and scale, as well as?strengthening the submarine industrial base to support the Navy’s goal of producing one Columbia class and two Virginia class submarines per year, ultimately increasing operational availability of the submarine fleet. By prioritizing these investments, DoD aims to ensure operational readiness, mitigate supply chain risks, and maintain global competitiveness. This Implementation Initiative supports all four NDIS Priorities: Resilient Supply Chains, Workforce Readiness, Flexible Acquisition, and Economic Deterrence. ? Explore the full NDIS and NDIS-IP at https://lnkd.in/dUp-pDem #NDIS #ExpandTheBase

The United States Department of Defense and A&S Nuclear Matters team recently hosted its inaugural Nuclear Forensics Research and Development Innovation Workshop. Bringing together leading experts from 12 leading institutions — including the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Savannah River National Laboratory, and The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory — the workshop focused on collaborating to bridge the technical and policy domains, reshaping nuclear forensics to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving security landscape. "Nuclear forensics is a message of deterrence, and we need deterrence, in all its forms, now more than ever," Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Matters Drew Walter said during the event. "What you develop in this room will resonate beyond these walls, deterring adversaries, strengthening alliances, and shaping the decisions of world leaders."? Read more about the workshop below! #IntegratedDeterrence

#ICYMI: Mr. John Tenaglia, Principal Director, Defense Pricing, Contracting, and Acquisition Policy, was recognized by @WashingtonExec earlier this week at their annual Pinnacle Awards Luncheon as the 2024 Government Contracts Executive of the Year!?The #PinnacleAwards highlight successful executives across government and industry who champion saving money and fostering innovation for the taxpayer and federal clients across the region.?Congratulations, Mr. Tenaglia! ? Learn more about the Pinnacle Awards at:? https://lnkd.in/dTAcMuv ? Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition | #Leadership?#DefenseAcquisition?#DefenseIndustry?#GovCon

Yesterday, the?United States Department of Defense?released the Resilient and Healthy Defense Communities (RHDC) Implementation Plan. Building on the February 2024 RHDC Strategy, this plan will guide the Department’s efforts to improve the built and natural environment on defense installations: https://lnkd.in/d7yQmJxA ? “Defense installations are at the core of our Service members' military experience; therefore, it is a national security imperative and our moral obligation to the people who defend our nation to ensure our installations are safe, appealing, and supportive of their well-being,” said Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. "I look forward to seeing this work take shape in the coming years. There can be no higher priority than ensuring the welfare and safety of the brave Americans who choose to serve this nation and their families." ? 280,000 buildings across 538 installations and approximately 26 million acres of land support the Department’s more than two million military and civilian personnel and their families. While the RHDC acknowledges that improving the Department’s vast infrastructure footprint is a major undertaking, the RHDC-IP operationalizes the opportunity to significantly reduce the gap that persists between installation conditions today and the quality standards Service members and their families deserve. The full RHDC Implementation Plan is available at:?https://lnkd.in/dgFMx6TG ? #TakeCareOfOurPeople?#SustainTheForce

The United States Department of Defense and the Minority Business Development Agency - U.S. Department of Commerce recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to increase the participation of minority business enterprises within the defense industrial base: https://lnkd.in/ey8E-Jr8 ? “This MOU represents a significant step in expanding access to defense contracts for minority business enterprises, ensuring that our supply chain is diverse, resilient, and capable of addressing the demands of our national defense,” said Dr. William LaPlante, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. ? The partnership will leverage DoD and MBDA resources to create pathways for minority business enterprises to integrate into the defense supply chain, focusing on fostering collaboration, business development, and increasing awareness of defense-related procurement opportunities.? ? #ExpandTheBase #MinorityBusiness #MBDA | U.S. Department of Commerce

#ICYMI: The United States Department of Defense and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand offshore wind on the Nation’s Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), advancing clean energy goals while safeguarding military operations. Signed by BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment Brendan Owens at the Offshore WINDPOWER Conference, this collaboration builds on DoD’s commitment to a resilient, sustainable energy future. ? "DoD is committed to working across the U.S. government to accelerate the ongoing clean energy transition, which is critical to ensuring access to in order to fulfill our mission," Owens said. "We will continue to work with BOEM and our other interagency partners, to find solutions that enable offshore wind development while ensuring long-term compatibility with testing, training, and operations critical to our military readiness." ? DoD and BOEM share responsibility for ensuring that offshore wind project plans consider military preparedness requirements. The new MOU will define and clarify the roles and duties of both organizations during leasing and project review.

USD(A&S) LaPlante recently visited Minot and Malmstrom Air Force Bases to meet with the dedicated men and women who execute our nuclear enterprise mission 24/7, with a focus on the Air Force-supported legs of the Nuclear Triad. ? Across the 5th?Bomb Wing and 91st?Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, and the 341st?Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Dr. LaPlante and leaders from both A&S and the Air Force observed current operations and efforts to sustain our existing intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) fleet while preparing for the transition to the Sentinel ICBM. Throughout the visit, the delegation was briefed by the outstanding missileers, maintainers, security forces, pilots, chefs, and facility managers who continuously keep these facilities on constant alert. ? Leaders also visited sustainment and repair facilities for the Air Launched Cruise Missile, discussing the way forward as the Long-Range Stand-Off weapon comes online in the coming years; met with local community leaders; and observed operations for the Air Force’s new MH-139 Grey Wolf aircraft. ? #SuceedThroughTeamwork #IntegratedDeterrence