How the Army could spend nearly $19 billion in RDT&E funding
The programs taking up the majority of the Army’s RDT&E funding include FLRAA, THAAD, UAS launched effects, artillery systems, hypersonic weapons, counter drone tech and M-SHORAD.
The programs taking up the majority of the Army’s RDT&E funding include FLRAA, THAAD, UAS launched effects, artillery systems, hypersonic weapons, counter drone tech and M-SHORAD.
The Air Force in fiscal 2023 attempted to cap the Jolly Green II’s fleet at 75 aircraft, but lawmakers have pushed back.
“Ultimately, we'll have to make some risk decisions about when the performance of the system is not going to keep pace with the schedule," Maj. Gen. Clair Gill told Breaking Defense.
"We have a new tiltrotor aircraft, and it was supposed to be delivered in 2031, 2032 and we said, 'No, we need it, you know, very quickly,'" the Army chief of staff said.
The office outlines 13 recommendations for the DoD and services that primarily revolve around revising weapon systems' test and evaluation policies to reflect “leading practices” for product development.
The National Defense Authorization Act authorizes $900.6 billion in defense funds, or about $8 billion more than the White House’s request.
Among other provisions in the FY26 NDAA, congressional authorizers would direct the defense secretary to explore possibilities for recapitalizing the military services’ executive airlift fleets.
“What has changed is that we’ve doubled down on the Army’s priorities, and I believe our Army senior leaders and Congress are helping us remove some of the barriers to acceleration," PEO Aviation Brig. Gen. David Phillips told Breaking Defense.
The service has previously said that the next buy of the UH-60Ms will be its last, but Brig. Gen. David Phillips said he foresees the fleet operating in the Army through the 2040s and 50s.
Breaking Defense Europe will launch May 4 with Tim Martin and Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo as co-editors.
Bell will now proceed in DARPA’s Speed and Runway Independent Technologies program, which has eliminated Aurora Flight Sciences from the running.
“Especially from an X2 standpoint, the largest procurement out there is really NGRC. And that recapitalization of the helicopter fleet in Europe is the largest thing we see today at least in the next five or 10 years,” said Sikorsky boss Rich Benton.
The intent, Brig. Gen. David Phillips said, is not to “leave any rigor behind” but to focus on producing a “a safe, suitable, effective platform for the users.”
“A lot of the reasons that we're making decisions are because of political change. That's the reality of our governmental system," said Maj. Gen. Clair Gill. "And so we might be moving down a path for a couple years, and things change. The world changes. Wars happen.”