Breaking Defense's Monday Morning Briefing

A News Roundup for the Week Ahead _________________________________________________________________________

A News Roundup for the Week Ahead Advanced Satellite Platforms & Space Mission Systems Offer All-Domain Protection Presented by Sierra Nevada Corporation SNC builds on our extensive design heritage and proven flight capability to deliver custom National Security Space solutions, offering customers a wide range of products and support at low cost and rapid delivery.  Learn more. Next-Gen GPS Satellites Get Ground-Control Modernization By Barry Rosenberg; Friday, August 20, 2021 3:07 PM [Sponsored] The U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command and Raytheon Intelligence & Space are enhancing mission management and mission-data processing to shift the focus of GPS operations from satellite command and control to basic, user-oriented effects-based operation.   Exclusive: Pentagon Poised To Unveil, Demonstrate Classified Space Weapon By Theresa Hitchens; Friday, August 20, 2021 1:44 PM The push to declassify an existing space weapon is being spearheaded by Gen. John Hyten, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.   Afghan Aftermath: Will Pacific States See Weakened US? By Colin Clark; Friday, August 20, 2021 9:41 AM India is the one country Sarang Shidore, an expert on South Asia and the Pacific, thinks will be truly worried about the Afghan collapse. "The US," he says, "will have to manage the Indian perceptions once the (Afghan) evacuations are finished."   New Space Systems Command Gears Up Commercial Engagement By Theresa Hitchens; Thursday, August 19, 2021 3:14 PM "The commercial space sector is driving the market, and "Space Systems commanders are eager to facilitate these companies and bring their unique solutions into our programs of record," says Joy White, executive director of the new Space Systems Command.   Navy, Boeing Refuel E-2D Using MQ-25 Demonstrator By Justin Katz; Thursday, August 19, 2021 12:51 PM The successful refueling is the Navy and Boeing's second demonstration with T1, and the first exercise refueling an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.   A Vision for Better, Faster C2 Decision-Making Across All Domains By Aaron Mehta; Thursday, August 19, 2021 11:27 AM For the future fighting concept, "we must shift from domain-centric to mission-centric effects, planning and execution. And that has to start with rethinking our C2 from the ground up," writes Scott Lee of MITRE.   Advances In Production For Next-Generation Tactical Vehicles By Barry Rosenberg; Thursday, August 19, 2021 7:38 AM [Sponsored] A bright future for tactical vehicles. See Breaking Defense Game Changer here.   Pentagon Leaders: Not Enough Capacity For Rescue Operations In Kabul By Aaron Mehta; Wednesday, August 18, 2021 5:24 PM "We cannot afford to either not defend that airfield, or not have an airfield that secure, where we have hundreds or thousands of civilians that can access the airfield at will and put our forces at risk," SecDef Austin said.   UX: Making Military Systems Warrior Friendly By Barry Rosenberg; Wednesday, August 18, 2021 4:31 PM The common and shared need to understand and improve UX is a DoD-wide imperative.   As BlackSky Tees Up Hourly Imagery, NRO Extends Contract By Theresa Hitchens; Wednesday, August 18, 2021 3:42 PM "We really view ourselves, not as a space company, not as a satellite company, but as a geospatial intelligence company," says BlackSky's Chief Technical Officer Peter Wegner.   Navy awards $1.7B contract to expand Portsmouth shipyard By Justin Katz; Wednesday, August 18, 2021 2:45 PM The contract award to 381 Constructors is part of the Navy's $21 billion effort to restore the four public shipyards.   Army Hammers Out Multi-Domain Ops Doctrine: Capstone FM 3-0 Due Next Summer By Colin Clark; Wednesday, August 18, 2021 12:32 PM Phase Zero isn't "peace" any more in Army's capstone doctrine. The new model "recognizes that you're continuously conducting operations and there is no peace. It's just competition," says Rich Creed, head of the Army's Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate.   Northrop, L3Harris Demonstrate JADC2-Enabling Network Tech By Brad D. Williams; Wednesday, August 18, 2021 9:20 AM "Having an exquisite solution is really exciting, but if it takes 10 years to bring to bear for the warfighter, and it's limited to only a few platforms, it's much less compelling," Northrop's Ian Reynolds observed.   Who's Who in Defense: Tim Kaine, Chair, SASC Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee By Catherine Macaulay; Wednesday, August 18, 2021 9:10 AM Kaine chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee that has jurisdiction over military readiness including: training, logistics, and maintenance; military construction; housing construction and privatization; contracting and acquisition policy; business and financial management; base realignment and closure; and defense energy and environmental programs.   How President Biden Can Reduce Nuclear Dangers Without Congress By Aaron Mehta; Wednesday, August 18, 2021 8:40 AM "Biden is sending a clear message: he will take on nuclear issues only as long as they do not undermine his top legislative priorities," write Tom Collina and Doreen Horschig.   Microsoft Expands Its Space Cloud With New SES-Boeing MEOsats By Theresa Hitchens; Tuesday, August 17, 2021 5:31 PM The full constellation of next-gen O3b mPower satellites is expected to be on-orbit by 2023, said SES CEO Steve Collar.   Marines Successfully Fire New NMESIS Anti-Ship Weapon During Live Exercise By Justin Katz; Tuesday, August 17, 2021 4:24 PM The Marine Corps' new anti-ship missile capability has been developed rapidly thanks to its use of proven subsystems from other programs of record.   GD Mission Systems Launches Knifefish Production Facility By Justin Katz; Tuesday, August 17, 2021 11:06 AM General Dynamics Mission Systems dedicated 8,000 square feet to producing the Knifefish UUV, enough space to eventually move out one system per month.   Biden Holds Afghanistan Line: 'I'm Clear On My Answer' By Aaron Mehta; Monday, August 16, 2021 5:26 PM A Chicago Council survey conducted in July found that 70 percent of Americans backed exiting Afghanistan, a belief that crosses the deep partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans.   Amid Space Race, Cybersecurity And Resiliency Remain Concerns: Experts By Brad D. Williams; Monday, August 16, 2021 3:40 PM The space rush will result in tens of thousands of new assets launched within the decade, which will create a "truly enormous" cyber attack surface, said Sam Visner, a technical fellow at the MITRE Corporation.   Israel Braces For Renewed Terrorism Coming From Taliban-Led Afghanistan By Arie Egozi; Monday, August 16, 2021 12:57 PM "The way the US runs away and leaves a country to the atrocities of terror groups is a bad sign that will have major effects on some countries," said an Israeli defense source.   How To Build A Better Policy For Countering WMD Threats By Aaron Mehta; Monday, August 16, 2021 11:00 AM Existing strategies for countering the use of weapons of mass destruction are outdated for an era of Great Power Competition – and the US needs to work quickly to fix the issue, writes expert Al Mauroni.   On-Demand Satcom Customized For All-Domain Operations By Barry Rosenberg; Monday, August 16, 2021 8:29 AM [Sponsored] Intelsat's satellite services provide options to address a variety of missions, including all-domain defense operations, border security management, and disaster/humanitarian relief.   HII Is Making Its Play For Unmanned Systems By Justin Katz; Monday, August 16, 2021 6:55 AM Huntington Ingalls Industries, like others in the defense base, is making a play for the unmanned systems market. Its moves these past two years have been aggressive.   Breaking Defense 611 Broadway • New York, New York • 10012 unsubscribe