Quiet Congress. Congress held a flurry of hearings the week of May 22 to review the Trump administration’s newly unveiled fiscal year 2018 budget request. The week of May 29 is expected to be much quieter on Capitol Hill, as lawmakers headed home for a Memorial Day break.capitol

Thornberry Bill. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, has introduced a bill (H.R. 2621) aimed at improving the U.S. military’s ability to respond to crises in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. The bill would, among other things, authorize $2 billion for munitions and missile defense interceptors, provide $100 million to enhance joint training and exercises, and promote exercises with allies to address cyber security, freedom of navigation and missile defense. Thornberry says he plans to include the legislation in the fiscal year 2018 defense authorization bill that his committee intends to consider in late June.

Comeuppance. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) believes that two countries where the recent WannaCry ransomware computer virus hit harder than most, Russia and China, may have suffered more because of their theft of software technology. “I’d love to see an overlay of the Russian and Chinese entities that got fouled up by this with the licensed users of the Microsoft technology,” he says at a Defense Daily conference sponsored by Battelle. “It gives me a little bit of schadenfreude to see these folks, who very likely in my opinion stole the Microsoft software to begin with and therefore didn’t have a patch, now with a little comeuppance … I mean come on, the Russians and Chinese and North Korea are stealing our intellectual property, not paying for it, and if this is a little bit of comeuppance to them, I’m not going to shed too many tears.”

Later Launches. The Air Force says it has moved six competitive space launches outside of the future years defense program due to “changes in space vehicle requirements and availability needs.” Four of the six are Global Positioning System (GPS) III missions, one is a classified Air Force mission, and two are Space Based Infrared System missions. The Air Force also says that the purchase of two GPS III satellites in fiscal year 2018 has been delayed due to the longer life expectancy of on-orbit GPS II satellites.

Space Fence. The Air Force will likely wait until its first Space Fence radar site is up and running before deciding whether to pursue a second one, according to Maj. Gen. Roger Teague, director of space programs in the Air Force acquisition office. Work on the first site, located on the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, is “going very, very well,” and the Air Force expects to achieve an initial operational capability in fiscal year 2019, Teague told reporters May 24. “They’re entering into the final integration and test activities and formal checkout of that system,” Teague said. The second site would be placed in Australia. Space Fence, whose prime contractor is Lockheed Martin, is designed to improve the Air Force’s ability to detect and track orbiting objects.

F-35 PEO. Vice. Adm. Mat Winter succeeds the retiring Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan as the Program Executive Officer for the F-35 program at a ceremony at Fort Myer, Va. The PEO is responsible for overseeing the $379 billion F-35 program that is developing, testing, and fielding three fighter aircraft for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, eight international partners, and three foreign military sales countries. While the change in leadership moves from an Air Force to a Navy officer, the program’s service acquisition executive switches from Navy to Air Force. Winter previously served as deputy PEO for six months, Chief of Naval Research, and various command posts. Bogdan served as PEO for over four years.

Very Bad Day.  The FY ’18 budget request last Tuesday by the Trump administration would chop the Science and Technology (S&T) branch of the Department of Homeland Security by 19 percent to $627.3 million, and close three laboratories, the Chemical Security Analysis Center, the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory, and the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center. Dr. John Fischer, director of the Chemical and Biological Defense Division of S&T, says at a Defense Daily conference sponsored by Battelle that in his long career with the federal government, last Tuesday “was my worst day as a federal employee, bar none. If that proposal goes forward, it will have a huge impact on the way we operate.” He says his division works with the chemical and biodefense centers.

…Senate Feedback. Some members of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that provides funding for DHS aren’t happy with the proposed spending cut at S&T. Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), chairman of the panel, parts of the DHS request won’t fly. “From the proposed increase to airline passenger fees, to the significant reductions to assistance for state and local partners, to the failure to invest adequately in research and development, this budget fails to take into consideration many practical realities,” he tells DHS Secretary John Kelly, who appeared before the panel last Thursday to defend the request. Sen. John Tester (D-Mont.), ranking member on the panel, says the cut to S&T is “troubling,” given the need to develop “leap ahead technologies to stay ahead of our adversaries.”

…A New Model? Talking about research and developing in the area of aviation security, Kelly tells the panel that DHS is looking to leverage investments being made by international partners, as well as U.S. and international airlines, to make up for constrained R&D spending by his department. “We want to share the cost of R&D, it’s in everyone interest to do it,” he says, adding that it’s his “assumption” that the airlines are willing to spending money on better aviation security because they are “willing to do anything not to have me do some of the things we’re contemplating.” Tester says R&D spending can’t be cut unless it’s “going to be backfilled somewhere,” adding, “we need to know that.”

SpaceX Launch. SpaceX plans to launch its 11th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station on June 1 at 5:55 p.m. Eastern time. A Dragon spacecraft will lift off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and deliver almost 6,000 pounds of science research, crew supplies and hardware to the orbiting laboratory. The backup launch date is June 3.

ISS Cargo Spacecraft  Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser cargo spacecraft passes the third integration milestone of the NASA Commercial Resupply Services (CRS2) program, which moves it one step closer to providing resupply services to the International Space Station (ISS). The Dream Chaser met NASA’s test for maximum probability of mission success in future flights and its design passed a safety review. Sierra Nevada’s spacecraft, which would transport 5,500 kilograms in cargo  to the ISS, is scheduled for six mission flights to take place between 2019 and 2024.

Cyberspace Partnership At the United States’ and Argentina’s inaugural meeting for their new cyberspace partnership, the Cyber Policy Working Group on May 23, the two nations discussed initiatives including implementing national cyber policy frameworks, developing the cyber workforce and managing cyber incidents. Department of State Coordinator for Cyber Issues Christopher Painter and Jose Hirschson, from the Argentinian Ministry of Modernization, led the meeting where the two countries discussed cyber policy coordination and strategies.

NADM Meeting Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis held the third North American Defense Ministerial (NADM) meeting on May 22 with the Canada’s Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan  and Mexico’s Secretary of National Defense Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos and Secretary of the Navy Adm. Vidal Soberon. The defense secretaries discussed regional challenges, potential frameworks for cooperation and expanding trilateral support for defense initiatives.  

Asia Summit. Asia-Pacific defense ministers and national security leaders will meet in Singapore June 2 to 4 for the annual Shangri-La Dialogue. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is scheduled to give a speech at the summit. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) are also expected to participate.

TACMS Test. The Lockheed Martin modernized Tactical Missile System (TACMS) missile successfully completed its sixth consecutive flight test, a long-range mission at the White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The test missile was launched from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launcher, which was held in an environmental chamber until prior to launch. This is called being “hot-conditioned” and aims to simulate launch conditions. The TACMS flew for nearly 150 miles before engaging the target.

Xi On PLA Navy. Chinese President Xi Jinping calls on the country to build the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy into a stronger force in a speech at the navy’s headquarters. According to a Defense Ministry statement, Xi says a strong navy is a symbol of a world-class army and is a pivot for building the country into a great maritime power. Xi also says the navy should improve its fighting capacity by combining mechanization and informationalization; promote both offshore and high sea forces; and balance operations between surface, below surface, and air activities.

SSN-787. Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding delivered the Virginia-class attack submarine USS Washington (SSN0787) to the U.S. Navy after completing a final round of sea trials. The company says the Washington has the highest Figure of Merit score to date of any new construction Virginia-class submarine, a scoring method used by the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey. The ship began construction in Sept. 2011.

THAAD Support. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) awarded Lockheed Martin a $112 million contract ceiling increase modification to a previously awarded contract for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) field support contract (TFSC) system support with a ceiling of $449 million. The modification raises the ceiling to $561 million. The company will continue to provide the same scope of TFSC including logistics performance requirements, forward stationing for theater support, logistics information capabilities, post deployment software support, product assurance, safety, and missile support. This is awarded on a sole-source authority when no other supplies will satisfy the agency requirements. The ordering period continues lasts through March 2019.

MDA Kill Vehicle. The Missile Defense Agency awarded Boeing a $58.6 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract without options for the Multi-Object Kill Vehicle (MOKV) technology risk reduction effort. This is part of the agency’s risk reduction strategy to improve performance and reduce risk for MOKV communications, engagement management, and the discriminating seeker. The contract was competitively procured on FedBizOpps though an advanced technology broad agency announcement. The contract runs through May 12, 2020.

Lot II CH-53K. Naval Air Systems Command awarded a $55 million modification to a previously awarded contract for long lead items in support of low-rate initial production (LRIP) Lot II for four CH-53K helicopters. Work is expected to be finished by March 2022.

Triton Maintenance. The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman a $49.4 million advance acquisition contract for the procurement of long-led components, material, parts, and associated efforts required to maintain the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system planned production schedule. Work is expected to be completed in Dec. 2017.

Triton Sensor. The Naval Air Systems Command awards Northrop Grumman a $13 million contract for firm-fixed-fee delivery order against a previously issues basic ordering agreement to procure one multi-function active sensor for the MQ-4C Triton. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Md., with an expected completion date of Feb. 2021.

Aegis Equipment. The U.S. Navy awarded General Dynamics a $41 million firm-fixed-price cost-plus-fixed-fee modification of a contract for production of Missile Fire Control System MK 82 director/MK 200 director controller equipment, and associated engineering services. This supports and delivers fully functionally tested MK 82/MK 200 ship sets without adverse impact to scheduled ship deployment requirements for operational use. These units are part of the Missile Fire Control System MK99 framework, a major component of the Aegis Weapon System. and covers purchases for South Korea, Japan, and purchases under Foreign Military Sales.