Defense News Digest: Week of June 17th

Welcome to IDGA’s weekly news roundup. For over two decades, the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement has served as a non-partisan events and thought leadership organization connecting the Defense and Security communities interested in solving high-level challenges. Now, through this weekly series, we look to educate the community on the latest research, program updates and news in the defense and government sector.

This week, we will examine a variety of topics, including an update from the Air Force on its next generation fighter program, a request for industry help on a new CUAS solution, and more. 

DIU seeking new CUAS capabilities

Amidst ongoing engagements between the US Navy and Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is seeking help from industry for a “kinetic defeat solution” for mid-sized unmanned aerial vehicles.  Kinetic defeat refers to tool that physically destroys the enemy's weapons as opposed to electronic technology that can temporarily incapacitate a drone. 

DIU is seeking relatively mature technologies, requiring the assets be available for testing within 90 days of a prototype award and for the company to be capable of delivering five “production representative prototypes within 12 months” of an award.

According to the DIU, these Houthi rebel attacks have resulted in three deaths, one destroyed vessel, a number of damaged ships, and a 9% reduction in global shipping capabilities. 

NGAD Update

This week Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told Aviation Week that the Air Force needs to re-evaluate air dominance, which could bring the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program into question.

Shortly after, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin told reporters that difficult choices loom for the Air Force’s NGAD program amidst funding constraints and the rapid development of drone technologies. During his interview with Breaking Defense, the general didn’t commit to the program, suggesting instead that it was one of several “choices” officials had to make for its fiscal 2026 budget request. 

These statements bring into question the fate of the NGAD program, which was previously expected to award a contract for the effort later this year. For more on the NGAD program, check out this guide. 

Latest on FY2025 Defense Budget

Last Friday both the U.S. Senate and House took the next steps in authorizing the defense budget for FY2025. Members of the Armed Services Senate Committee unveiled their draft of the defense authorization bill. Next the bill will arrive at the Senate floor for another round of deliberations.

Meanwhile, House lawmakers narrowly adopted their version of the measure in a 217-199 vote. 
The major difference between the proposed budgets is that the Senate committee is seeking $923 billion, a 5% increase in overall spending. The House proposed a defense budget of $884 billion, keeping in line with a debt ceiling agreement between the White House and Congress last summer to cap FY 2025 spending increases under 1%.

After the Senate amends the initial draft of the bill both the Senate and House committees will begin negotiations on a compromised bill that will be sent to the President’s desk later this year. 

Army planning generative AI program

The US Army plans to launch a generative artificial intelligence (AI) pilot program in July, with plans to pilot the tool within its Acquisition, Logistics & Technology (ASA(ALT)) division. This initiative, part of a broader 500-day plan aimed at reducing AI-related risks, will leverage a large language model (LLM) trained on Army data. The LLM will operate in a highly secure cloud environment and is expected to streamline tasks such as contract writing.

Jennifer Swanson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Data, Engineering, and Software, highlighted to Breaking Defense the potential for productivity improvements and the exploration of additional applications for AI. However, she emphasized that immediate use in contract writing is unlikely, focusing initially on building confidence in the system through rigorous testing and human oversight.

The Army's LLM will feature citation capabilities to ensure accuracy and transparency, and it will undergo thorough human supervision to address concerns such as bias. The specific developer of the LLM has not been disclosed, but it will not be ChatGPT.

Space Rapid Capabilities Office announces $1 billion in task orders

The Space Rapid Capabilities Office (SpRCO) is investing $1 billion into the Rapid Resilient Command and Control (R2C2) project to enhance command and control software for the Space Force's maneuverable satellites.

The initiative will involve 20 companies competing for task orders under an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract. R2C2 aims to develop a comprehensive satellite operations system utilizing commercial cloud architecture, with a five-year ordering period and two optional one-year extensions. The project will deliver modular software systems to provide automated satellite operations and a unified user experience. Managed by SpRCO's Combined Program Office, R2C2 is designed to support dynamic space operations and overcome limitations of current satellite maneuverability.

SpRCO, established by Congress in 2018, rapidly integrates cutting-edge technologies into the field, exemplified by recent significant investments such as the $1.4 billion SCAR program to modernize satellite communications.