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Happy Friday!
In the news this week:
A few collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) stories of note:
- The Air Force is putting Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs) onto its first increment of loyal wingman drones.
- The two CCA prototypes from Anduril and General Atomics will be on display at next week's Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor.
In our top story, the Army continues to make news for how it's buying software.
- Doug Bush talked about the modern software development multiple award IDIQ contract, which has received robust industry feedback. Despite some concerns, he's fine using cost-plus contracts as well as fixed price where appropriate and to save taxpayer money.
- The Army is also considering not specifying the contract type up front in a task order requirement, in an effort to keep all solutions on the table.
The Air Force is reportedly getting its first taste of capabilities through the Replicator initiative.
- The drones would support the Enterprise Test Vehicle (ETV) program, a collaboration with DIU aimed at designing and fielding an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of mass-production at low cost and high volume.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin wrote a detailed letter to lawmakers laying out the costs of the likely six-month continuing resolution.
- It's bad everywhere, with big ramifications for shipbuilding: there's no official appropriation yet for the second Columbia-class submarine, overhauls to two aircraft carriers would be delayed, and construction of destroyers would be slow down.
- The lack of FY25 funding increases exacerbate rising costs for labor and supplies.
- Speaker Mike Johnson is still aiming for a CR that includes the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship from people registering to vote. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are calling for a "clean CR" without such a rider.
In ARP news, we're thrilled to bring a short video interview with Amanda Bresler, captured at this year's symposium.
- If you've been following her research evaluating the effectiveness of DoD investments in small businesses, you know she testified with the House Small Business Committee, and her work has been cited by the Defense Innovation Board and others.
- One of our favorite soundbites: their first symposium research paper on the subject "opened our eyes to the power of this information [publicly available contracting data] not only to conduct research, but also to develop tools and approaches to begin solving the very problems that we had uncovered in our research."
We hope this inspires you to submit your proposal to next year's Acquisition Research Symposium & Innovation Summit.
- Reach out to a potential co-author now and see what you cook up!
And on a personal note, I bid a fond farewell to all the wonderful readers in this acquisition community.
- I'm stepping away from this work to do the much harder job of parenting, and I leave the newsletter in the capable hands of the ARP team.
Have tips for stories, research, or events to include?
Call for Proposals: 22nd Annual Acquisition Research Symposium and Innovation Summit
Join us in Monterey next May 7-8 for the 22nd Annual Acquisition Research Symposium & Innovation Summit. This year, the symposium is combined with an Innovation Summit under the overarching theme of "Transitioning Technology."
- The goal of this dual event is to explore and promote innovative ways to transition technology from research and development to programs of record to support the warfighter.
Proposals are due November 18. Learn more.
This Week's Top Story
After industry pushback, Army pledges to revise software acquisition – up to a point
Carley Welch, Breaking Defense
After industry pushback on the Army’s newest solicitation under its software directive policy, Army acquisition officials say they are revising their plan to incorporate suggestions specifically about the inclusion of various contract types.
However, officials want industry to come to grips with a reality: that the final proposal request is not going to satisfy everyone.
“We got a lot of feedback, most of it quite positive. I think a small, relatively small number who thought otherwise were a little louder about it,” Doug Bush, the Army’s acquisition head, told reporters Thursday during a media roundtable at the Pentagon.
“So like I said, of course, there’s always gonna be some people who have concerns, and that’s fine. I think we’ve listened to a lot of it. But you know, if some companies don’t want to bid on a contract, it’s a free country. Don’t bid. Others will,” he said. “My goal is simply get the capability for the Army, not to make everybody happy.”
The service’s new software directive, which has been in effect since March, revises the Army’s policy on requirements, testing, procurement, sustainment and personnel. The goal: attempt to become more adept at applying modern digital practices to bolster speed and agility. It will serve as a guide to buying all software for the service moving forward — and the contract language now in contention is serving as its first major test.
Specifically, Army acquisition officials held the roundtable to address industry qualms with a Request For Information (RFI), issued in May and updated in August, which solicited industry input on a multi-vendor contract for software procurement. It’s officially known as the MSD MA IDIQ: Multiple Award Indefinite Quantity Indefinite Delivery Contract for Modern Software Development.
Industry critics have previously expressed discontent with the RFI, saying that the proposed contract language would push industry to develop software specifically for the Army and under cumbersome cost-plus contracts, rather than existing, proven commercial software off-the-shelf at a firm fixed price, as most companies prefer.
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