Breaking Defense's Monday Morning Briefing

A News Roundup for the Week Ahead _________________________________________________________________________

A News Roundup for the Week Ahead Spectrum Awareness Leads To Focused Spectrum Management Presented by Parsons Our WBT systems pair with our Spectrum Awareness Tool providing Spectrum Managers clarity and precision in Spectrum Awareness. Learn more. 'Really Big Deal' As Army Awards Bradley Replacement Contracts: OFMV By Colin Clark; Friday, July 23, 2021 5:41 PM "This is a really big deal," said Maj. Gen. Ross Coffman, director of the Next Generation Combat Vehicles Cross-Functional Team. "So far, we've learned a lot of great lessons but we think we're on the right track." It is very important for the Army to be right this time.   Directed Energy: From Counter-Drone To Force Fields? By Theresa Hitchens; Friday, July 23, 2021 2:05 PM "We're painting with broad strokes, but we're diving into what missions of the future will look like. The technology is not quite Star Wars, but we're getting close," said Jeremy Murray-Krezan, AFRL's directed energy deputy chief scientist, says.   Navy Pushing Additional Safety Checks Following Bonhomme Richard Fire By Justin Katz; Friday, July 23, 2021 12:35 PM A senior Navy admiral says the service is "pretty good" at firefighting at sea, but conceded "education" and "spot checking" is necessary at the shipyards.   Proposed 'Hack-Back' Bill Tells DHS To Study Allowing Companies To Retaliate By Brad D. Williams; Friday, July 23, 2021 9:45 AM "So what will happen is you'll be destroying your grandmother's computer in Kansas that has been taken over," cyber policy expert Herb Lin said. "It's not clear to me that that's the best way."   Senators Fret Shift Of Civil Space Tracking From DoD Lagging By Theresa Hitchens; Friday, July 23, 2021 5:45 AM "Right now we're on track to have a major collision in Low Earth Orbit roughly every 10 years. And that problem is only getting worse and worse," said AGI CEO Paul Graziani.   SASC Adds $25 Billion To NDAA In Bipartisan Vote By Colin Clark; Thursday, July 22, 2021 5:07 PM One of Washington's savviest budget experts says this move on the National Defense Authorization Act  by the SASC means "$25 billion in additional spending above the President's request is very likely now the ceiling for negotiations going forward," Mackenzie Eaglen of the American Enterprise Institute says.   US Playing Long Game To Pressure China On Cyber Ops: Experts By Brad D. Williams; Thursday, July 22, 2021 4:20 PM "It's part of a larger diplomatic strategy," cyber policy expert James Lewis said of the US attribution to China for Microsoft Exchange hacks earlier this year.   HASC Task Force: Six Ways To Limit DoD's Dependence On Chinese Parts By Colin Clark; Thursday, July 22, 2021 2:52 PM "The COVID-19 pandemic likewise taught the United States and our allies that adversaries, particularly China, are capable of weaponizing supply chain vulnerabilities to threaten our national security should they choose to," the Task Force's report says.   Fielding LCS Minehunting Mission Package Now A 'Key Priority' By Justin Katz; Thursday, July 22, 2021 11:48 AM The Navy recently completed a 3-week at-sea testing period for MCM USV and are awaiting the results before moving forward with a full-rate production contract.   Russia's New SU-75 Checkmate Promises A Lot. Can It Deliver? By Reuben Johnson; Thursday, July 22, 2021 10:57 AM The Su-75 Checkmate, produced by Sukhoi, is marketing itself as a single engine stealth fighter on par, but cheaper, than the F-35.   SSN(X) Will Be 'Ultimate Apex Predator' By Justin Katz; Wednesday, July 21, 2021 5:52 PM Rear Adm. Bill Houston described a submarine that boasts the payload and speed of the Seawolf-class submarines, the acoustics and senors of Virginia-class and the operational availability and service life of the Columbia-class submarines.   Beyond KC-46: Air Force Exploring 'Advanced' Tech On Next Tanker By Theresa Hitchens; Wednesday, July 21, 2021 4:12 PM "We still have several more years of procurement of the KC-46. So, the good thing is we have time to have these conversations, and look at the technologies out there," Lt. Gen. David Nahom told appropriators today.   UK Faces Tough Choices To Fix Troubled Ajax Vehicle By Aaron Mehta; Wednesday, July 21, 2021 11:30 AM "You know, fundamentally, we paid for a piece of equipment, we expect it to be delivered, and just like any other consumer we have those rights," UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace said. "And if it's not up to scratch, we'll take action."   Senators Introduce Bill Requiring Notification Of Cyber Incidents Within 24 Hours By Brad D. Williams; Wednesday, July 21, 2021 9:07 AM "We shouldn't be relying on voluntary reporting to protect our critical infrastructure," Sen. Warner said.   CNO: Too Much New Tech On Ford Was A Mistake By Justin Katz; Wednesday, July 21, 2021 5:45 AM "The ammunition elevators are an exceptional example of a painful process over the past four or five years," Adm. Michael Gilday said.   ACK, STITCHES And The Air Force's Networking Hopes By Colin Clark; Tuesday, July 20, 2021 8:05 PM "Believe it or not, we found that the primary barriers to being able to field the software tools are bureaucratic, said Heather Penney of the Mitchell Institute.   Israeli Loitering Munitions To Get US Test In October By Arie Egozi; Tuesday, July 20, 2021 3:44 PM Loitering munitions were used extensively in the recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.   Aerospace: More Questions Than Answers For Milspace Norms By Theresa Hitchens; Tuesday, July 20, 2021 12:35 PM "I was a little surprised that the common thread wasn't the solutions, it was the questions," author Robin Dickey told Breaking Defense. "No one agrees on the solutions yet."   Biden's First Budget Tries 'Too Much With Too Little,' New Wargame Finds By Aaron Mehta; Tuesday, July 20, 2021 12:01 PM "Our analysis of the FY22 budget and the strategy that we think the Biden administration is going in, it is trying to do too much with too little," says Becca Wasser of CNAS.   Exclusive: In A First, SecDef Pledges DoD To Space Norms By Theresa Hitchens; Monday, July 19, 2021 2:59 PM Experts warn that codifying a norm against long-lived debris may actually provide cover for countries to do anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons tests.   Marine Corps Taps Textron, GD For ARV Prototype Contracts By Justin Katz; Monday, July 19, 2021 2:03 PM The ARV is envisioned as a multi-purpose combat vehicle from which Marines can command and control robots and autonomous vehicles.   US, Allies, Partners Formally Attribute Exchange Hacks To China By Brad D. Williams; Monday, July 19, 2021 11:52 AM "The PRC's pattern of irresponsible behavior in cyberspace is inconsistent with its stated objective of being seen as a responsible leader in the world," a senior administration official said on Sunday night.   Exclusive: NRO Erects Buy American Barriers Against Allied Satellite Data By Theresa Hitchens; Monday, July 19, 2021 5:30 AM The new policy is inconsistent with efforts by DoD and NGA to expand the trusted supplier base by better integrating allied firms into their acquisition chains, critics say.   Breaking Defense 611 Broadway • New York, New York • 10012 unsubscribe