Andrew Eversden covered the Army for Breaking Defense from 2021-2022.
“If we didn't have an S-97, we'd have to wait another year-plus to be able to fly those data points and to inform our production design,” said Sikorsky's chief engineer for the company's Raider-X FARA offering.
The Army released the RFP for the next two phases of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle on July 1, which could see some new entrants from abroad.
Do more with less: streamline workflows, reduce duplication, invest upfront to save long-term.
The announced assignments will see new faces heading to important acquisition posts in the Army.
The Mobile Protected Firepower program, a light tank for infantry brigades, is one of the Army's top modernization priorities and the service's first new design vehicle in 40 years.
The TITAN program is a tactical ground station that will process data from across space and land-based sensors using artificial intelligence and ship it off to the right shooter — such as one of the new Army long-range precision fires missiles.
If all options are exercised, the contract value could be $4.4 billion.
As threats rapidly evolve, digital engineering, manufacturing capacity and robust supply chains are critical to meeting challenges.
The Missile Defense Agency's early-stage hypersonic missile defense program will move forward amid fears about China and Russia's hypersonic capabilities.
HASC "believes that directed energy technology has matured to the point where it may be successfully deployed against current rocket, artillery, mortar, and cruise missile threats," read one NDAA amendment.
After a directive confused some lawmakers, a provision in the NDAA threatens to nullify a potential shake-up of the Army's acquisition bureaucracy if representatives don't receive additional information about who's doing what.
Bill provides billions more than in FY22, buying F-35s, tanks and eight new ships, but is well below what other lawmakers appear to have in mind.
Government can’t stop to update systems, so modernization has to happen without interruptions.
"What we're trying to do is send as little information as possible that will allow you to build that battlefield visualization for the platoon," Ted Maciuba, deputy director of robotics requirements at Army Futures Command, told Breaking Defense.
The Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher program involves a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) modified with software to be controlled remotely and driven autonomously.
"We're trying to figure out how much autonomy you need, what's available, what's really mature now," Brig. Gen. Glenn Dean told Breaking Defense.
As the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle enters phases three and four, a senior Army official details some requirements but says the service is flexible.