Defense News Digest: August 2024

Welcome to IDGA’s monthly 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 month, we will examine five stories you might have missed, including a new program encouraging small businesses to join the defense contracting space, and Army plans to reassess its aviation training model. 

Army Progress in Organic Manufacturing Efforts 

The U.S. Army is expecting 2025 to be a big year for its organic manufacturing modernization efforts. In a recent interview with Breaking Defense, Brig. Gen. Michael B. Lalor, head of Army Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM), said he expects the Army to break ground in FY 2025 on a Long Range Precision Fires Facility in Watervliet Arsenal, NY.

The 350,000 square-foot future unit will house manufacturing of 155mm and larger cannon tubes, and is expected to operate for a minimum of 40 years. The facility will also include new, modernized capabilities and technologies.

This manufacturing facility is part of the Army’s 15-year upgrade process of its Organic Industrial Base.  Lalor also told Breaking Defense the Army is planning efforts for component remanufacturing facilities at both Anniston [Army Depot] and Red River [Army Depot],

“Those [efforts] are all focused on getting those [facilities] in place by the 2028, 2029 time frame,” Lalor said. 

To hear from TACOM leaders directly, be sure to attend IDGA's Future Indirect Fires Summit this January 14-15 in Austin, Texas.

DLA Announces New Program for Small Businesses

The Defense Logistics Agency is bringing the DoD’s “oldest continuously operating federal” program into its fold in order to support small businesses. The DLA’s Office of Small Business is rolling out its mentor-protégé program with the goal of helping small businesses navigate the defense contracting space.  

The assistance this program will offer ranges from business development to proposal development training to human resource training to how they schedule their workload through different programs. 

The program comes as the number of small businesses in the defense industrial base has been on the decline over the last decade. A 2021 report by the Government Accountability Office found that the number of small business contracts with the DoD had dropped by 43%.

The standard mentor-protégé agreements are for three years but can go to up to five years. Mentors would require written justification and approval from the DoD to extend the agreement.  

The DLA has already signed three agreements and plans to add 12 more by 2025. To learn more about the program, click here. 

Army Revisits Software Modernization Efforts

The U.S. Army is revising its software modernization strategy to be more accessible to commercial vendors, especially smaller, non-traditional companies.

The revisions include offering more flexible contracting options and allowing companies to suggest the contract type that best suits their bid. Additionally, the Army is correcting workforce requirements in its draft solicitation that inadvertently included educational qualifications not relevant to many commercial firms.

These adjustments aim to make it easier for a broader range of companies to participate in the Army's software development projects. 

If you are interested in learning more about the Army's software modernization efforts as it pertains to command and control, be sure to register for the C4ISR USA this November 19-20 in Bethesda, Maryland.

Tech Companies Preparing for Army’s IVAS Next Competition

The US Army has planning to recompete the prime contractor on its futuristic mix-reality goggles, Breaking Defense reported this month. The Army is considering replacing its current prime contractor, Microsoft, which has faced ongoing issues with the current  Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) version. 

Multiple tech companies, including Anduril, Palantir, L3 Harris, and BAE Systems, are preparing to compete for the new contract. Microsoft also intends to remain in the competition despite downsizing its mixed-reality division.

While the current IVAS version, with its 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2 iterations, is undergoing improvements, the Army is cautious about continuing the program if these upgrades do not succeed. The Army's next steps, including a possible large-scale buy of version 1.2 or the introduction of IVAS Next, will depend on further testing and assessments in the coming years.

Army Reassessing How It Trains Aviators

The Army is taking a look at its institutional training model for aviators while the service’s helicopter fleet transforms into a complex network of manned and unmanned platforms. Another reason for the Army’s decision to analyze its training model is an increased rate of Class A mishaps, which are defined as incidents involving the loss of life or loss of equipment totaling more than $2.5 million.

Fiscal year 2023 logged the highest death rate for Army soldiers since the U.S. withdrew from Iraq in 2011, with a total of 14 deaths across 10 Class A mishaps.

As part of this assessment, the Army is considering whether the current basic training aircraft, the LUH-72A Lakota, is still appropriate, and is exploring the potential for increased use of simulation technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality, to enhance training efficiency. The Army is also considering making aviation safety awareness an annual focus for all units, rather than reacting only to spikes in accident rates. Decisions on the future training model are expected within the next year.