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The happy news this week is the deal on the debt ceiling and the federal budget, which keeps the defense budget at its proposed topline of $886 billion--not capping it at FY22 levels as suggested earlier by some GOP members.
Our top story shares good news of progress in software acquisition from the Army, which will no longer transition software programs to separate organizations for sustainment.
- The article does not share how this strategy is incorporated into contract and budget details, but it's certainly a reflection that DoD processes are adapting to commercial software best practices.
SpaceX is getting a contract with DoD to provide its Starlink communications network to Ukraine, after Elon Musk announced in October that the company would no longer provide the capabilities pro bono.
In something of a bombshell, Jared Serbu reports that the five-year-long project to replace Defense Travel System is being canceled, with no explanation for the cause. This is rough news for all who deal with this and other clunky legacy systems.
DoD has released a new instruction for the acquisition of digital capabilities that takes into account the adaptive acquisition framework pathways, planning for cyber survivability, and more IT-specific processes.
The DoD inspector general has issued a report finding that supplies destined for Ukraine were not ready for use and were in need of maintenance or repair. The report faults lax oversight and poor maintenance of stockpiled supplies.
The F-35 remains in the news, with a mix of good and bad press.
- In a story about the triumph of empowered airmen, maintainers at Hill Air Force Base have developed a cheap solution for a million-dollar problem by using a 3D-printed data port cover.
- In less rosy news, GAO released a report this week on the F-35's continuing cost growth, recommending that engine upgrades and thermal management modernization effort be managed as a separate acquisition program, with corresponding baselines, to provide sufficient transparency.
As summer approaches, we're seeing announcements of more planned leadership changes for positions including Chief of Naval Operations, Commandant of the Marine Corps, and Director of the Missile Defense Agency. We've collected this in a special section, Changes of Command.
In ARP news, we have the next panel recording from last month's symposium: the plenary panel on recapitalization and surge capacity, chaired by David Berteau. It's a great conversation that could easily have gone another hour. Take some time to listen to this one over the weekend. We'll have another panel for you next week.
This Week's Top Story
The Army Is Tearing Up Its Playbook for Software Upgrades
Lauren C. Williams, FCW
The Army wants to make upgrading software as easy as it is with an iPhone, so it’s testing out some changes to make that a reality, said Young Bang, the Army’s principal deputy acquisition chief.
One key change is doing away with the practice of “sustainment,” under which software is fielded and fixed by different Army offices.
“We are not transitioning software to sustainment. Period,” Bang said during the Army’s semi-annual Technical Exchange conference on Thursday. “The plan is to actually enable that in the beginning of the new fiscal year.”
Up until now, the Army has generally fielded new software through various program executive offices, then handed off the products to Army Materiel Command, which handles any needed patches or upgrades. This is inefficient, Bang said.
“There’s a lot of processes; there’s a lot of policies,” he said.
Now the service aims to mimic a commercial developer whose software team writes an app, works to improve it, and releases periodic updates.
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