Department of the Space Force? For the new administration, two ideas making the rounds are the creation of a Department of the Space Force and an emphasis on fielding innovative systems in the next two years to counter China. A new space department, the thinking goes, would result in increased president’s budget dollars for the Space Force, as the latter would no longer compete with high priority aircraft, such as the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft, and ICBMs for a piece of the Department of the Air Force’s total obligation authority. As far as rapid fielding of innovative systems, the gist is that DoD would rely far less, if at all, on small business innovation research, the Defense Innovation Unit, AFWERX, and SPACEWERX and instead prioritize the production pipeline. That philosophy, however, could leave many small innovators out in the cold, as they lack plant capacity.
CBP Drone Interest. Customs and Border Protection last week issued a Request for Information for its Border Patrol division to explore the use of tethered drones to fill gaps in surveillance capability and capacity. The agency may invite vendors to a field demonstration of their systems in the second quarter of fiscal year 2025. CBP’s small unmanned aircraft system program management office wants to assess tethered drones that can deploy from vehicles and water-borne craft, stationary sites such as surveillance towers, host multiple sensors and/or communications payloads, and provide persistent recording of video and still imagery.
Tranche 3 Integration RFP on Tap. The Space Development Agency on Nov. 27 said it plans to release the request for proposals on Dec. 13 for Tranche 3 Program Integration (T3PI) of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. “The overall scope of the T3PI acquisition includes the system engineering and integration support activities enabling the delivery of Tranche 3 Space Vehicle Transport, Tracking, and Custody Layers and their integration with the PWSA Ground Segment, the existing Space Segment, and User segment,” SDA said in a presolicitation notice. Proposals are expected to be due by Jan. 31, 2025, the award announcement on April 30, and the contract awarded in the third quarter of fiscal year 2025.
U.K. FMS. The State Department on Nov. 18 said it has approved a potential $70 million foreign military sale with the United Kingdom for Tactical Combat Training Systems Increment II. Along with the TCTS Inc. II air combat training systems, produced by RTX’s Collins Aerospace, the FMS case includes integration and test support, spare and repair parts, personnel training, training equipment and U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services. “The proposed sale will improve the United Kingdom’s capability to meet current and future threats by improving live, virtual, and constructive tactical combat training. The Royal Air Force’s use of the TCTS II furthers United States–United Kingdom operational training interoperability,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
ESSM Block II. The Navy awarded RTX a $439 million firm-fixed-rice modification exercising options under a fiscal year 2025 Evolved Seasparrow Missile Block II Guided Missile Assemblies. The work will occur at various locations around the world and is expected to be finished by June 2029. Funding is split among 50 percent FY ‘25 Navy procurement, 45 percent FY 2025 other customer funds and five percent FY ‘24 other customer funds. This follows a $1.26 billion September contract to RTX for lot 24 AIM-9X Sidewinder and ESSM Block II Guided Missile assemblies.
DDG-133. HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division conducted a keel laying ceremony for the future Arleigh Burke-class Flight III destroyer USS Sam Nunn (DDG-133) on Nov. 22 at its shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. The ship is named after former Sen. Sam Nunn, who represented Georgia in the senate and served as chairman of the Arms Services Committee and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. The keel laying represents the joining of the ship’s first major modular components. HII is also currently building the other future destroyers Ted Stevens (DDG-128), Jeremiah Denton (DDG-129), George M. Neal (DDG-131), and Thad Cochran (DDG-135).
Forward Sub. The Virginia-class submarine USS Minnesota (SSN-783) arrived at its newest homeport of Naval Base Guam on Nov. 26 as a forward deployed submarine at Guam. SSN-783 joins four Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines already forward deployed to Guam. This is the first Virginia-class boat to deployed at Guam.
Navy S&T Meeting. According to a Federal Register notice posted Nov. 27, the Navy Science and Technology Board is set to meet on Dec. 3 to vote on forwarding two completed study topics to the Secretary of the Navy: electronic warfare for terminal defense and ship maintenance. The meeting will be held virtually and open to the public. The board was formed in September 2023 to provide independence advice to the Navy on various topics like technologies, acquisition practices and logistics.
EW APS. BAE Systems said on Nov. 19 it has received a follow-on contract from the Army to continue developing its Multi-Class Soft Kill System (MCSKS) countermeasures designed to protect ground combat vehicles against guided missiles and similar threats. The deal covers further development of BAE Systems’ Stormcrow and TERRA RAVEN electronic warfare-based Active Protection Systems, according to the company. “Today’s combat vehicles need active protection systems that quickly and efficiently counter modern threats,” Jared Belinsky, BAE Systems’ director of integrated survivability solutions, said in a statement. “Missile countermeasures are part of our full-spectrum approach to electromagnetic warfare. We’re creating an intrepid shield around our customers’ platforms – improving their effectiveness on the battlefield.”
Sniper Rifle FOC. The Marine Corps said on Nov. 19 its new MK 22 Mod 0 Advanced Sniper Rifle (ASR), built by Barrett Firearms, has reached full operational capability. “This milestone marks a critical step forward in modernizing the Marine Corps’ sniper capabilities of Reconnaissance and Infantry units,” Marine Corps Systems Command said in a statement. MARCORSYSCOM noted Special Operations Command had the initial contract in place for the MK22 ASR, with the Marine Corps utilizing the “Special Operations Forces (SOF) to service” transition process, which allowed the Army to handle responsibility for contracting actions. “This collaboration accelerated the entire program, pushing us to FOC a full year ahead of schedule—a significant win for the Marine Corps and our warfighters,” Maj. Michael Billings, MARCORSYSCOM’s weapons team lead, said in a statement.
Electra.aero at Thunderstorm. Hybrid-electric propulsion aircraft developer Electra.aero demonstrated its EL2 fixed-wing aircraft prototype in early November at the Defense Department’s invitation only Thunderstorm 24-4 expeditionary operations technology showcase. Electra.aero said the short take-off and landing EL2 demonstrated its “ultra-quiet all-electric mode” and versatility across missions such as medical evacuation, casualty evacuation, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. The aircraft was also used as a mobile power generator at the edge. Electra.aero is also developing the EL9, a nine-seat passenger hybrid-electric powered aircraft.
SDA SBIR Award. Princeton Infrared Technologies last month said it received a Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the Space Development Agency to advance hyperspectral imaging technology with planar-based technology. Princeton Infrared said the project will focus on developing an ultra-broadband high-definition imager capable of detecting a wide spectrum of wavelengths, ranging from near infrared (NIR) to mid-wave infrared (MWIR). “By developing a single imager that spans from NIR to MWIR, we are not only expanding the capabilities of hyperspectral imaging but also addressing critical needs in both defense and commercial sectors,” Martin Ettenberg, the company’s president and CEO, said in a statement.
Antarctica Bound. The Coast Guard’s sole heavy icebreaker, the Polar Star, departed its homeport of Seattle on Nov. 22 bound for Antarctica on its annual mission to clear a channel for the resupply of an ongoing science mission at McMurdo Station. The months-long deployment follows completion of the fourth of five planed phases of the service life extension project for the 48-year-old vessel.
Business News. Keel Holdings has bee selected to manufacture hull structures for the Army’s M10 Booker Combat Vehicle, which is being built by General Dynamics. Startup unmanned surface vessel developer and manufacturer Saronic said it now has more than 250 employees and is still hiring. And Atomic-6, a designer and manufacturer of composites, has received a $3.8 million Tactical Funding Increase from the Air Force to further develop its Space Armor shielding tiles and complete testing qualification for first flight. The tiles are designed to protect space assets against space debris and kinetic energy weapons.
Trump’s Envoy. President-elect Trump last Wednesday said he would nominate retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg as assistant to the president and special envoy to Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg served as national security adviser for more than six years to Mike Pence, Trump’s vice president during his first term. “He was with me right from the beginning,” Trump tweeted on X about Kellogg. The retired officer is a co-chair of the Center for American Security at America First Policy Institute, a three-year-old non-profit thinktank dedicated to promoting Trump’s policy agenda. Kellogg, in a December 2023 op-ed in The National Interest, charged that Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine due to weakness by President Biden, and argued that Biden “should have provided Ukraine with the weapons it needed to win quickly” rather than worry about potential Russian escalation. That last comment does not jibe with Trump’s pro-Russian tilt.
