Acquisition
The amphibious assault ship USS America in the Coral Sea, July 1, 2025. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kenneth Melseth.
The Navy wants more ships, but can it get them built?
Kyle Gunn, Task and Purpose
The U.S. Navy is pursuing its most ambitious shipbuilding plan in decades for the 2026 fiscal year, requesting 19 new ships totaling approximately $47.3 billion to significantly expand its fleet and address the growing gap with China's navy. Despite this push, the Navy faces significant hurdles, including aging shipyards, a shortage of skilled workers, and a history of program delays and cost overruns, which challenge the feasibility of achieving its fleet growth targets.
- Infrastructure Issues: A primary reason for delays and cost overruns is the lack of sufficient space and skilled workers at shipyards, along with aging infrastructure. The Navy's four main shipyards are, on average, 76 years old.
- Shipyard Modernization: In response, the Navy is asking for $989 million for the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program, nearly double last year's request, to modernize its shipyards in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Puget Sound, and Pearl Harbor. However, these are long-term issues that will take years to fix.
FAR overhaul targets risk-averse acquisition culture
Nick Wakeman, Nextgov
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) overhaul is an ambitious reform effort that requires strong leadership and an a significant cultural shift in order to succeed.
- Cultural Shift: Larry Allen, the General Services Administrator's chief acquisition officer, contends that the success of reform efforts depend on changing the deeply ingrained risk-averse culture within the acquisition workforce.
- Risk Acceptance: It is crucial for leaders to support those who make innovative decisions, understanding that perfection is not always achievable. Allen emphasizes that it's acceptable for teams to "break out from the norm" and utilize existing flexibilities, recognizing that learning often occurs through imperfect outcomes.
Innovation
Photo: HAV
HAV Airlander arrives in US to reshape defence and green aviation
Jay Menon, Aerospace Global News
The HAV Airlander, a helium-filled hybrid airship, has officially arrived in the U.S., signaling a potential revolution for both defense logistics and sustainable low-carbon aviation. Originating from a thesis project at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), this innovative aircraft is now progressing towards operational reality, with commercial service targeted for 2029.
- NPS Origin: The military application for this aircraft began with a student research project in the Department of Defense Management (DDM) at NPS. Captains Ben Cohen and John Schmaltz, USMC, wondered whether a civilian hybrid aircraft like Airlander could offer solutions for logistics and mobility challenges in contested areas.
- Project Evolution: The captains' research caught the attention of DOD's Operational Energy Office, which funded a joint project with HAV and INDOPACOM.
- Unique Design: Airlander 10 offers modular payloads (100+ passengers/10 tons freight or surveillance). Its hybrid lift enables vertical takeoff/landing from any flat surface, removing runway needs, and it can stay airborne for up to five days.
- Stealthy Qualities: Airlander is surprisingly stealthy, with low radar and infrared signatures.
NPS Thesis: An Atlas for Navigating the Innovation Ecosystem: Hybrid Airships as a Use Case to Engage the Commercial Sector
Calvert: Growing the defense innovation ecosystem
Rep. Ken Calvert, Breaking Defense
Representative Ken Calvert, Chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, advocates for a revolution in defense innovation, prioritizing strategic investments in key initiatives like Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Accelerating the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT), and the Office of Strategic Capital (OSC).
- Manufacturing Network: The House NDAA for FY26 includes $131 million for a Civil Reserve Manufacturing Network (CRMN) modeled after existing programs like the Civil Reserve Air Fleet. The CRMN would create a network of dual-use manufacturing firms capable of rapidly shifting from commercial to defense production.
- OSC's Leverage: The Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) aims to attract and scale private investment in critical technologies vital to U.S. national and economic security. For FY26, OSC can leverage over $4 billion in loan guarantees.
Defense & Strategy
A Modal AI Stalker sits ready for use during a Defense Innovation Unit Blue UAS Refresh Challenge at Camp Wilson, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, on Nov. 4, 2024. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Richard PerezGarcia)
Why Defense Is - Now - Eating the World
Chad Williamson, Real Clear Defense
The U.S. Pentagon is undergoing a profound "defense revolution," shifting from merely adopting innovation to becoming the "founder" and "architect" of a global warfighting ecosystem. This transformation necessitates a startup mindset, to build and sustain new defense capabilities for future security.
- Boulder Blueprint: Brad Feld's "Boulder Thesis" offers a foundational model for building startup communities, emphasizing four core ingredients applicable to defense: entrepreneurs as leaders, a long-term vision, inclusive networks, and substantive engagement through shared experience.
- Startup Mentality: The Pentagon has transformed into a "platform and pitch room," where innovators are "vying for battlefield relevance", much like entrepreneurs compete for seed capital. This demands a shift in mindset from simple "acquisition to architecture".
- Entrepreneurial Leadership: DOD needs warfighters, program managers, and technologists to act as "entrepreneurs" and lead the building of new capabilities from scratch. This means shifting leadership away from "feeders" like contractors, compliance offices, or budget reviewers.
Delays in Navy’s next-gen submarine threaten US seapower, report says
Zita Fletcher, Defense News
The U.S. Navy's Next-Generation Attack Submarine (SSN(X)) program, designed for advanced stealth, speed, and autonomous capabilities, faces significant, multi-year delays that could compromise future U.S. undersea superiority. Despite a substantial FY2026 budget request for research and development, the first procurement of the SSN(X) has been pushed back to the 2040s, primarily due to budget limitations and challenges within the submarine industrial base.
CSR Report: Navy Next-Generation Attack Submarine (SSN[X]) Program:
Background and Issues for Congress
Industry
Image: Midjourney
Unmanned & Unfinanceable? The Problems with Scaling America’s Autonomous Fleet
Mark L. Wooters, War on the Rocks
America's ambitious plans for an autonomous naval fleet are severely hampered by a critical lack of financing for the large-scale shipyards needed to build these vessels at scale. Despite successful prototypes and venture capital, defense startups face an "infrastructure valley of death," threatening to derail the nation's maritime dominance unless policymakers intervene swiftly.
- Infrastructure Hurdle: Massive, modern production facilities are crucial for accelerating output from a handful of vessels to a fleet of hundreds, but defense startups struggle to secure long-term leases.
- Financing Gap: Most defense startups are early-stage, pre-profit, and heavily reliant on volatile government contracting revenue, making it difficult for them to secure the hundreds of millions needed for shipyard construction.
- Government Constraints: The Anti-Deficiency Act bars federal agencies from committing to multi-year payments without congressional appropriation, significantly limiting the Pentagon’s ability to co-sign leases or guarantee private financing.
- Urgent Imperative: The core issue is a lack of coordination, not a shortage of capital, talent, or demand. Inaction risks ceding technological advantage to adversaries whose state-backed enterprises do not suffer from the same constraints.
Related: More Money for Legacy Yards Won’t Solve the Navy’s Crisis
OUSD A&S Releases Defense Industrial Base Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence
OUSD A&S, LinkedIn
Based on the 48 responses received from the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) in response to a recent Request for Information (RFI), the DoD has developed a comprehensive report and a strategic roadmap to overcome barriers and leverage AI's transformative potential for national security.
Full Reports:
VIEWPOINT: How to Decrease Dependency on China for Critical Minerals, Materials
Stacy Newstead, National Defense
The U.S. faces a critical threat to its supply chains for essential materials like rare earths, gallium, and germanium due to China's dominant production and politically motivated export restrictions, creating global shortages.
- U.S. Vulnerability: The U.S. has lost its domestic capacity in related industries (e.g., aluminum smelters, bauxite, and germanium refining), making it dependent on China for these critical by-product minerals.
- Market Failures: Defense supply chains suffer from fragmentation and insufficient demand to profitably support domestic mining and refining on their own. China's state-subsidized production allows it to flood markets and depress prices, making production unprofitable for non-Chinese entities.
- NDIA Solutions: The National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) proposes four urgent actions: rapid investment by the U.S. and partners in non-Chinese production capacity; strategic government stockpiling of materials from emerging sources to stabilize demand; long-term commitment to protect investments from Chinese dumping; and establishing a mechanism for manufacturers to specify non-Chinese materials, thereby aggregating demand.
Related: China’s Mineral Monopoly Demands Renewing the Development Finance Corporation
Congress & Government
Acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby testifies before the House Armed Services Committee on Capital Hill in Washington D.C., June 11, 2025. (U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Elliott Fabrizio.)
House panel advances DOD policy bill with sweeping acquisition reforms
Leo Shane III, Defense News
The House Armed Services Committee has advanced its version of the annual defense authorization bill, featuring the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery Act, or SPEED Act, which aims to accelerate development and production timelines within the Pentagon's acquisition system.
- House Approach: The House draft, championed by Chairman Mike Rogers, incorporates the SPEED Act, which seeks to establish a new directorate acting as a "decision hub" to achieve significantly faster development and production timelines for defense acquisitions.
New bill takes aim at decades-old law that failed to stop Pentagon cost overruns
Anastasia Obis, Federal News Network
A new bipartisan bill, the Nunn-McCurdy Reform Act of 2025, aims to significantly overhaul a decades-old law that has largely failed to curb excessive spending in major defense acquisition programs.
- Updating Oversight: The bill proposes sweeping updates to the Nunn-McCurdy Act, passed in 1982, which previously required the DoD to notify Congress of cost overruns but rarely led to program termination even with significant breaches.
- Two Strikes: The reform introduces a "two strikes and you're out" policy, requiring automatic termination of a major acquisition program after a second critical breach, unless Congress proactively reauthorizes funds. This aims to create urgency and move beyond mere "rubber stamping" by the Defense Secretary.
- Comprehensive Costs: The bill mandates the inclusion of a program's full lifecycle cost, including operations and support expenses, when calculating cost growth. This is critical as these expenses often constitute about two-thirds of a weapon system's total cost, a detail previously overlooked.
Senate NDAA to keep acquisition reform provisions boosting nontraditional defense firms: Official
Valerie Insinna, Breaking Defense
The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) is set to include significant acquisition reform provisions in its fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including measures designed to boost nontraditional defense firms.
- FORGED Integration: The SASC's version of the fiscal year 2026 NDAA will incorporate acquisition reforms drawn from the FORGED Act, which was originally crafted to ease regulatory burdens on "nontraditional" defense companies and grant Pentagon acquisition officials more flexibility in procurement.
- Nontraditional Definition: The NDAA adjusts the definition of a nontraditional contractor to allow traditional primes to be considered "nontraditional" under circumstances where they make substantial corporate investments in product development without government reimbursement.
- House Alignment: The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) is also pursuing acquisition reform through its competing SPEED Act. While differing on nontraditional and commercial contracting, both bills are "very aligned" on JROC changes and budget flexibility, which will be reconciled during the conference process.
Research
U.S. East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare Operators (SEALs) conduct cast and recovery training with an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, July 9, 2025. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Leon Wong)
Strategic Alignment at Speed: Modernizing NSW's Capability Development through Digital Transformation
Jason Mariscal and Dwight Cornish, Naval Postgraduate School
Naval Special Warfare (NSW) urgently needs to digitally transform its capability development, specifically by addressing the slow and manual DOTmLPF-P analysis process. This research proposes a digital decision-support tool and a shift to an agile “Acquisition Kill Web” model to accelerate the fielding of mission-critical capabilities, enhance collaboration, and adapt faster to evolving threats.
Navigating collaboration: Exploring the dynamics between civilian and military project managers in complex projects from the contractor’s perspective
Andersen, Adrian, University of South-Eastern Norway
This project investigates the enduring challenges in complex public sector projects, particularly military procurement in the US and Norway, pinpointing difficulties in cooperation between civilian and military project managers. It argues that differences in their experience, organizational structures, and cultures significantly impact project success and contribute to inefficiencies.
SVDG NatSec100
Silicon Valley Defense Group
The 2025 NatSec100 Report identifies the top 100 venture-backed, dual-use defense technology companies vital to U.S. national security. It is intended to drive informed discussion about the state of defense innovation and defense industrial base, recognizing that while the U.S. leads in breakthrough technologies, DOD dangerously lags in adopting them.
Opportunities
Call for Authors: Defense Acquisition Research Journal
DAU's Acquisition Research Journal is soliciting original research, case studies, and perspectives and commentary related to all acquisition career fields and phases of the acquisition life cycle -- the conceptualization, innovation, initiation, design, testing, contracting, production, deployment, logistics support, modification, and disposal of weapons and other systems, supplies, or services (including construction) needed by the DoD or intended for use to support military missions. For more information, visit the Contributor Guidelines page.
Events
Ascend
22-24 July 2025
Las Vegas, NV
From Lab to Launch: NPS Reverse Pitch Event
23 July 2025
Monterrey, CA
AI Acquisition Forum
23 July 2025
McLean, VA
Emerging Tech Showcase and Student Thesis Fair
24 July 2025
Monterey, CA
35th Annual INCOSE International Symposium
26-31 July 2025
Ottawa, Canada
Navy and Marine Corps Procurement Conference
29-30 July 2025
Norfolk, VA
2025 Air and Space Summit
31 July 2025
McLean, VA
Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering & Technology Symposium & Modernization Update (GVSETS)
12-14 August 2025
Novi, MI
MODSIM World 2025
18-20 August 2025
Norfolk, VA
2025 Navy Summit
26 August 2025
McLean, VA
2025 Space Warfighter Forum
26-28 August 2025
Colorado Springs, CO
2025 Emerging Technologies for Defense
27-29 August 2025
Washington, DC
Creative Disruptors by the Lakes
11-12 September 2025
Eagan, MN
2025 Undersea Warfare Fall Conference
15-17 September 2025
Groton, CT
2025 Future Forces Capabilities Conference & Exhibition
30 September - 3 October 2025
Fort Worth, TX
28th Annual Systems & Mission Engineering Conference
Tampa, FL
27-30 October 2025
I/ITSEC 2025: Optimizing Training: Ensuring Operational Dominance
1-4 December 2025
Orlando, FL
Creative Disruptors in the Desert
20-21 February 2025
La Quinta, CA
One more thing...
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. James Stanfield
There Are Many Like It: 250 Years of Marine Corps Service Rifles
Sgt. James Stanfield, Headquarters Marine Corps
While Marines have carried rifles for the entire history of the Corps, these weapons have evolved from flintlock muskets to advanced modern rifles. Despite these technological advancements, the Marine Corps remains dedicated to precision marksmanship. Its ethos, "Every Marine a rifleman," underscores the consistent focus on the Marine's skill over the weapon's specific model. Check out the full article to see the evolution of the Marine rifle over the last 250 years.
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