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Hypersonics, Counter-Hypersonics Are a Top Priority It is from the analysis baseline that we determine areas that DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (JULY 24, 2020) may require innovation or increased capacity to keep pace with Terri Moon Cronk the advancing threat, Lord said. “Hypersonic defense broadly Hypersonics and counter-hypersonics remain one of the De- aligns with more traditional air and missile defense,” she said. fense Department’s highest technical modernization priorities, “It also requires significant innovations across the entire kill Ellen M. Lord, under secretary of defense for acquisition and chain, spanning indications and warning, sensing, command sustainment said. and control, and advanced intercept capabilities.”

“We are continuing on an accelerated path to develop and field Hypersonic and counter-hypersonic technology is advancing land-, sea- and air-launched hypersonic weapons, as well as rapidly, and the demand for these capabilities is strong, she developing options for defense against adversary hypersonic said. “Our offensive hypersonics capability is maturing, with a missile capabilities so as to ensure our continued ability to number of systems being accelerated. On the defensive side, dominate the battlefield for decades to come,” Lord said this there is a wide range of efforts underway to assess alterna- week at the Institute for Defense and Government Advance- tives. ment’s Defense Logistics Summit. “We in A&S must look to the future and ensure that our in- Lord said acquisition and sustaiment’s goals and priorities align dustrial base is prepared to produce these weapons once the with the National Defense Strategy’s three lines of effort: technology is mature and demonstrated,” Lord said, adding 1. Restore military readiness as we build a more lethal force. that they must also consider how to sustain hypersonic and 2. Strengthen alliances and partnerships. counter-hypersonic weapons over the long term. 3. Bring business reform to DoD. A&S Goal No. 2 The mission is to enable the delivery and sustainment of se- The second A&S goal for acquisition and sustainment is to cure and resilient capabilities to the warfighter and interna- build a safe, secure, and resilient defense industrial base (DIB), tional partners quickly and cost effectively, Lord said. she said.

Under that mission are six Acquisition and Sustainment goal Relative to hypersonics, DoD needs to establish a secure and (A&S), and Lord discussed those goals in the context of DoD’s resilient supply chain, she added. “Hypersonics are critical to hypersonic efforts. “I am committed to evolving our acquisi- our national security; we cannot allow our DIB to be com- tion and program expertise to ensure that business execution promised,” Lord said. She added that she has established the issues do not hinder our ability to prototype, demonstrate, Hypersonics War Room to analyze and assess the status of the test, and field warfighting capability—especially hyperson- hypersonics and counter-hypersonics industrial base. ics,” she said. The Hypersonics War Room identifies risk areas where in- A&S Goal No. 1 dustry lacks capability and capacity, and develops options for The first A&S goal is to enable innovative acquisition ap- mitigation, she explained. “Once we determine what is needed proaches that deliver warfighting capability at the speed of to mitigate the risks, we will work with industry to mutually relevance. make investments, where necessary, to ensure the Depart- ment’s counter-hypersonics efforts are successful,” Lord said. Hypersonic weapons have the potential to alter the future of strike, air combat, and air defense, Lord said. “The United A&S Goal No. 3 States has historically been a world leader in hypersonics re- The third A&S goal is to ensure safe and resilient DoD instal- search,” she noted. “However, we have consistently made the lations, she said. A&S has responsibility for policies associ- decision not to weaponize this technology in the past—in large ated with DoD installations. Lord said the projects range from part due to our recent focus on countering violent extremist providing assured energy if the grid goes down—which may organizations.” involve micro nuclear reactors—to cleaning up and replacing hazardous substances in materials utilized in training exer- The United States’ potential adversaries in this great power cises, operational missions, and sustainment activities. competition have dramatically increased their emphasis on weaponized hypersonic technologies, which could be creating A&S Goal No. 4 an unacceptable capability gap, she said. The fourth A&S goal is to increase weapon system mission capability while reducing operating cost, she said.

DEFENSEACQUISITION | September-October 2020 | 1 In the News

for integrating hypersonics capability into our defense enterprise.”

To ensure effective acquisition and delivery of advanced counter-hyper- sonics capabilities, DoD must look across traditional system domains into mission capability space to bet- ter identify threat trends, capability and interoperability limitations, the breadth and synchronization of sci- ence and technology, experimenta- tion, rapid prototyping, acquisition programs, and fielding and sustain- ment plans, Lord said.

Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office to Launch Sustainment Innovation Hub AIR FORCE RAPID SUSTAINMENT OFFICE (JUNE 15, 2020) Derek Hardin Ellen M. Lord, under secretary of defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, records a WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE message for the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement’s online Counter BASE, Ohio—The Air Force Rapid Hypersonic Weapons Summit at the Pentagon, July 21, 2020. Sustainment Office (RSO) is chang- DoD photo by Lisa Ferdinando ing how the Air Force delivers new and emerging technology to the Sus- Nuclear deterrence is the No. 1 priority mission of the DoD, tainment Enterprise. The RSO’s lat- Lord said. est initiative is the creation of the Identify-Apply-Scale (IAS), a first-of-its-kind capability devoted solely to the sustainment A&S Goal No. 5 of Air Force systems. The fifth A&S goal is to promote acquisition and sustainment initiatives with key international partners, she said. A partnership with the University of Dayton Research Institute, this comprehensive and premier network, which has been in Lord said her office is leading DoD’s efforts to deepen engage- development since 2018, will soon be opening its virtual doors, ment on acquisition matters with its allies and partners. offering its partners and customers real-time access to pitch sustainment concepts, exchange transformative ideas, and A&S Goal No. 6 demonstrate technologies ready to rapidly transition to the The sixth A&S goal is to recruit, develop, and retain a diverse field. The IAS is scheduled to be operational later this year. acquisition and sustainment workforce, she said. This novel capability gets its name from the RSO’s technology “Not only do we need to build hypersonic weapons, we need to delivery approach of Identify-Apply-Scale. Essentially, sus- be able to defend against them,” she noted. “We have signifi- tainment technologies are identified across the public and cantly increased our investments to accelerate the transition private sectors, then prototyped and validated (applied) in an of hypersonic systems and counter-hypersonic technologies Air Force environment, and finally deployed (scaled) across to achieve the warfighting capability and defense afforded by the Air Force enterprise. The IAS will serve as the epicenter those systems,” Lord said. of identifying, adapting, accelerating, and scaling solutions for the Air Force’s most significant challenges around sustaining DoD must continue to modernize on all fronts to provide ef- aircraft and staying mission-ready. fective hypersonic weapon systems to our warfighters, she said, adding, “Modernization requires a robust industrial base “The RSO is very excited about the capabilities the IAS will for production, joint exercises and simulations, and planning offer our Air Force customers and mission partners,” said Na-

2 | September-October 2020 | DEFENSEACQUISITION In the News

than Parker, RSO Deputy PEO. “At its core, the IAS will har- I think one of the key words—and I think that this is actually ness rapid technological advancements required to improve starting to happen, it’s going to take some time, but from the mission readiness and strengthen our competitive military government—is humility,” Air Force Col. Michael McGinley advantage.” said yesterday during an online panel discussion hosted by Defense One. The capability’s networked “hub and spoke” model—which places the RSO central to the “hub” connected by the “spokes” An issue with the department getting the innovative technol- of venture-backed startups, academia, university-affiliated re- ogy it needs quickly has been a departmental tendency to tell search centers, and industry consortiums—will help ensure industry how to solve its problems, rather than telling industry sustainment innovation for the Air Force continues unabated, leaders what the problem is and letting them figure it out, even during times where in-person collaboration is not pos- McGinley said. sible, such as the current worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. He described this as the difference between the DoD culture, “The IAS Hub demonstrates the RSO’s commitment to the which is intent on just meeting requirements, and a culture that Air Force mission and to keeping our nation’s security at the focuses on solving a problem. Current efforts might produce forefront at all times, even during times of crisis,” said Lt Gen a 40-page requirements document, he said. Robert McMurry, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center commander and RSO Program Executive Officer. “That’s me telling you how to do it,” he said. “Now, what you’re seeing is a flip. So we’re really asking them, how would you help Additionally, the IAS will allow the RSO to carry forth its goal us solve this problem? And that has been somewhat recent of rapidly addressing Air Force sustainment challenges by of a change.” streamlining the Identify-Apply-Scale process. Cross-func- tional teams of engineers, technicians, program managers, Defense Innovation Unit requests to industry are typically supply experts, and business leaders will be able to tap the full two or three paragraphs of plain text that outline the problem potential of the IAS network, including access to government they’re asking industry to solve, he said. “We found that to be experts in contracts, financing, and security. This single, ap- very effective,” he added. proachable interface, will also provide access to government organizations and networks of manufacturing, entrepreneur- DIU is focused on fielding and scaling commercial technology ship, and research experts. across the U.S. military, with a focus on artificial intelligence, autonomy, cyber, human systems, and space. While DIU and The IAS will provide a revolutionary arena in which sustain- industry move quickly, McGinlley said, the rest of the Depart- ment technology ideas can be created, demonstrated, and ment has been slower to adapt itself to change. That might be implemented in order to ensure Air Force fleets are constantly part of the military’s bureaucracy, he said, and DIU works to at the ready. overcome that.

About the RSO Defense Space Strategy Addresses Militarization, Established by the Secretary of the Air Force in 2018, the Rapid Competition Sustainment Office (RSO) increases mission readiness by rap- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (JUNE 18, 2020) idly identifying, applying, and scaling technology essential to C. Todd Lopez the operation and sustainment of the United States Air Force. The Defense Department’s newly released Defense Space To learn more, visit https://www.afrso.com. Strategy addresses new realities in space: great power com- petition and militarization of the domain, the deputy assistant Over-Prescriptive Requirements Hinder Defense secretary of defense for space policy said. Innovation DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (JUNE 17, 2020) The Defense Space Strategy provides strategic direction for C. Todd Lopez Department-wide changes to policies, doctrine, capabilities, Getting innovation into the Defense Department more quickly operations, and partnerships to ensure U.S. space superior- and effectively might require the Department to reevaluate ity, to secure our nation’s vital interests in space,” Stephen L. how it asks for what it needs, the director of defense engage- Kitay told reporters during a news conference yesterday at ment within the Defense Innovation Unit said. the Pentagon. “Our desired conditions are a secure, stable, and accessible space domain.”

DEFENSEACQUISITION | September-October 2020 | 3 Conferences, Workshops & Symposia

The new strategy, he said, involves maintaining space su- joint and combined operations to advance national security,” periority; providing space support to the national, joint, and he said. combined operations; and ensuring space stability. The De- partment will achieve these conditions with four lines of effort: “One of the things that DIU is doing just to address that is 1. Building a comprehensive military advantage in space; on the defense team,” he said. “Every time we get this great 2. Integrating military space power into national, joint, and nugget of an idea that comes in, we really think across three combined operations; levels of internal DoD engagement: One, we have to find the 3. Shaping the strategic environment; and headquarters organization. Two, the acquisition organization 4. Cooperating with allies, partners, industry and other U.S. who’s going to really help us implement life-cycle manage- government departments and agencies. ment. And the third is the end user. If you’re not moving and engaging those in parallel, you’re going to lose.” “The Defense Space Strategy lays out a path that embraces space as a unique domain of national military power, and to- Cultural change is needed for the newest technology to move gether with other domains, underpins joint and combined op- more quickly into the Defense Department, McGinley said, erations to advance national security,” Kitay said. adding that it’s going to require DIU-type innovation units, departmental agencies, and the Services working together, The new strategy comes as the intelligence community has he added. begun to understand that competitors are now moving ag- gressively into the space domain and have made efforts to Department of Defense Releases Defense Space weaponize it, Kitay told reporters. Strategy DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS RELEASE (JUNE 17, 2020) “China and Russia have weaponized space and turned it into Today the Secretary for Defense released the Defense Space a warfighting domain,” he said. “Their actions pose the great- Strategy, which identifies how Department of Defense will ad- est strategic threat with the ongoing development, testing, vance spacepower to be able to compete, deter, and win in a and deployment of counterspace systems and the associated complex security environment characterized by great power military doctrine designed to hold the allied and U.S. space competition. systems at risk.” “The Defense Space Strategy is the next step to ensure As examples, Kitay said China and Russia are now developing space superiority and to secure the nation’s vital interests jamming and cyberspace capabilities, directed energy weap- in space now and in the future,” said Secretary of Defense, ons, on-orbit capabilities, and ground based anti-satellite mis- Mark T. Esper. “We desire a secure, stable, and accessible siles to achieve their own goals in space. space domain that underpins our nation’s security, prosperity, and scientific achievement. However, our adversaries have He cited two reports—”Challenges to Security in Space” by made space a warfighting domain and we have to implement the Defense Intelligence Agency and “Competing in Space” by enterprise-wide changes to policies, strategies, operations, the National Air and Space Intelligence Center—in providing investments, capabilities, and expertise for this new strategic examples of both Russian and Chinese militarization of space. environment. This strategy identifies a phased approach on how we are going to achieve the desired conditions in space “These documents will tell you that China and Russia are over the next 10 years.” developing and planning to use capabilities that threaten our space systems and those of our allies,” he said. “Since last Through the strategy, DoD will advance spacepower through year, when those [reports were released], China and Russia the pursuit of three objectives: Maintain Space Superiority; have been conducting highly sophisticated on-orbit activities, Provide Space Support to National, Joint, and Combined Op- which pose unprecedented new dangers to U.S. and allied erations; and Ensure Space Stability. space systems.” Additionally, the Department will pursue four priority lines Kitay said he believes the United States is still ahead of Russia of effort to achieve the desired conditions while addressing and China in space, but that the lead is diminishing rapidly and identified threats, opportunities, and challenges: the U.S. is “absolutely at risk” with the pace at which they are 1. Build a comprehensive military advantage in space. developing capability. “The Defense Space Strategy lays out 2. Integrate military spacepower into national, joint, and a path that embraces space as a unique domain of national combined operations. military power, and together with other domains, underpins 3. Shape the strategic environment.

4 | May-June 2020 | DEFENSEACQUISITION In the News

SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy Arabsat 6A lifts off from Space Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., April 12, 2019. This flight marks the second launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket; the most powerful space vehicle flying today. Photo by Air Force 2nd Lt. Alex Preisse

4. Cooperate with allies, partners, industry, and other U.S. cruise missiles are not. He said the U.S. goal is to have the Government departments and agencies. technology fielded at scale by the mid-2020s.

The unclassified summary of the Defense Space Strategy is The Defense Department has one main effort by the Services, at https://media.defense.gov/2020/jun/17/2002317391/- and DoD agencies have parts because hypersonics is more 1/-1/1/. than just one thing, said Lewis, who holds a doctorate in aero- nautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of DoD Has Pedal to the Metal on Hypersonics Technology. “The Army and the Navy both have very active DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (JUNE 18, 2020) programs as well looking at ways to develop this technology,” Jim Garamone he said. “Our key here is we want to deliver hypersonics at Hypersonic missiles are a technology the Defense Depart- scale; and by that I mean, we want to go beyond the proto- ment must field to remain competitive with other great pow- types.” ers, said the director of Defense Research and Engineering for Modernization. That means bridging the proverbial “valley of death” between a research effort and a funded and viable Service program that Mark J. Lewis, who spoke with Marcus Weisgerber at the leads to a capability, he explained. Defense One Tech Summit yesterday, noted that Russia has announced fielding a hypersonic capability and that China is “We all have this firm, fixed goal of delivering capability,” Lewis investing heavily in the technology. Hypersonic missiles are said. “These are no longer science projects, are no longer fast—very fast—and agile in a way that ballistic missiles or things that are being confined to the lab. So with that mind-

DEFENSEACQUISITION | September-October 2020 | 5 In the News

Air Force Cadet 2nd Class Eric Hembling uses a Ludwieg tube, a type of wind tunnel, to measure the pressures, temperatures, and flow fields of basic geometric and hypersonic research vehicles at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., Jan. 31, 2019. Air Force photo by Joshua Armstrong

set, across the range of activities that we’re involved in, I think U.S. researchers did the original work on hypersonics and early we’re making headway in bridging that valley.” development. “And then, because we took our foot off the gas, other people were able to pick up on what we had done and He noted that the Air Force is working with the Defense build on our successes,” he said. Advanced Research Project Agency on the Arrow program. Scientists in both organizations are working closely together, Those nations—Russia and China most obviously—recog- solving problems together and sharing information. nized the importance of the technology and began their own programs. Now, the United States must not only build an of- At one time, the United States had the lead in hypersonic re- fensive capability, but also must handle the defensive portion, search. He noted the Air Force X-51 program, which last flew in Lewis said. “The defensive part is absolutely critical as we go 2013 and then was discontinued. It was a different world then, forward,” he added. “If I’m going to defend against hypersonic Lewis said, and the decision at the time was to not invest in systems, there are a couple of key things that I need to do. The the technology. “I think now we have leadership at all levels of very first thing I need to do is to be able to detect a hypersonic the Pentagon—but coming from the front office—recognizing weapon flying at me and respond quickly enough.” the importance of this technology, and realizing we need to put our foot on the proverbial gas,” he said. “That’s certainly DoD—via the Space Development Agency—is investing in what’s driving this.” this capability.

What was once a walk in the park has become a race with Once detected, there must be a response. “Let me not get into near-peer competitors, Lewis said. “We kind of did the home- specific weapon systems, but I can say that depending on the work for the rest of the world,” he said. hypersonic weapon … they each have their own responses,” he said. “It is very difficult to stop a hypersonic weapon. That’s

6 | September-October 2020 | DEFENSEACQUISITION In the News

why we want to pursue them. That’s why our peer competitors Ballistic missiles as they approach impact are hypersonic, as are pursuing them. But it’s not impossible.” are many maneuverable cruise missiles. “So if you’re the sailor on the deck of a ship, they all look the same to you,” Hill said. Some existing technologies may be used, he said, as may some “If you’re a soldier manning a land-based battery, it’s going technologies in development. “So there are answers, there are to be maneuvering and coming in very quickly at hypersonic solutions, but it’s definitely an area that we see a need for speeds. If you’re one of the airmen that’s manning one of the increased effort,” he said. many sensors that are out there, it’s going to look fast, and it’s going to be moving quickly.” Missile Defense Chief Looks to Handle Changing Threat So, the hypersonic threat already exists. The Missile Defense DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (JUNE 30, 2020) Agency now must adapt as the threat morphs, Hill said. Right Jim Garamone now, the hypersonic threat is almost ancillary to the capabili- Missile defense has gone from pie-in-the-sky Star Wars tech- ties of ballistic and cruise missiles, he added, but as competi- nology in the 1980s to a proven military capability in the 21st tors test and build, that threat will become more sophisticated. century, and the Missile Defense Agency is looking to extend those capabilities against new threats. “We’re defending the United States, our deployed forces, our allies, and friends from missile attacks in all phases of flight,” Navy Vice Adm. Jon Hill, the agency’s director, told the Hy- Hill said. It is a simple mission statement, but not so simple personic Weapons Systems webinar in London the agency is to execute. looking to adapt current technologies against the hypersonic threat while looking toward new capabilities. The key to the program is the sensor array. “We leverage all sensors, and many, many countries are in the business of fus- “The sad reality is that many of these threats, regardless of ing data so that you have a complete track picture,” the admiral how they’re launched and what their profiles are, really do said. “We call it from … birth-to-death tracking and that is look like hypersonic threats, he said.

The new Naval Support Facility in Redzikowo, Poland, will be home to the Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defense System mission in the coming years and is expected to be completed in late 2020. Photo by Navy Lt. Amy Forsythe

DEFENSEACQUISITION | September-October 2020 | 7 In the News

absolutely required. You don’t want to lose track of the threats, “While it is true that the United States faces formidable tech- particularly if [they are] unpredictable and maneuverable.” nological competitors and challenging strategic environments, the reality is that the United States continues to lead in AI and The agency will leverage space sensors, which is typically how its most important military applications,” said Nand Mulchan- it sees initial launches. “We will fly through ground-based dani, during a briefing at the Pentagon. sensors,” he said. “We have ships with the sensing capability deployed globally. Another great way that we partner with The Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, which stood up in 2018, our allies that sensor architecture is critically important, par- serves as the official focal point of the Department’s AI strat- ticularly as the threats become more and more maneuverable egy. over time.” China leads in some places, Mulchandani said. “China’s mili- The existing sensing architecture and battle management tary and police authorities undeniably have the world’s most system and even existing weapons can counter this very for- advanced capabilities, such as unregulated facial recognition midable threat, but more needs to be done, he said. for universal surveillance and control of their domestic popu- lation, trained on Chinese video gathered from their systems, So, the bottom line is that just because a weapon is hypersonic and Chinese language text analysis for internet and media doesn’t mean it can’t be intercepted. “Like all good engineering censorship.” organizations, we’re going to look for where the vulnerabilities are in a hypersonic flight, whether it’s a glide vehicle or cruise The U.S. is capable of doing similar things, he said, but doesn’t. missile,” Hill said. It’s against the law, and it’s not in line with American values.

The glide phase looks to be the most promising place because “Our constitution and privacy laws protect the rights of U.S. it is earlier in a missile’s trajectory, Hill said. “We are now in- citizens, and how their data is collected and used,” he said. vestigating what it would take to move into that first part of “Therefore, we simply don’t invest in building such universal the glide phase,”he added. surveillance and censorship systems.”

This means evolving the terminal system, “and then looking at The department does invest in systems that both enhance how we can change the propulsion as required—change the warfighter capability, for instance, and also help the military front end to get to the glider phase,” Hill said. “It is a tough protect and serve the United States, including during the regime to operate in. But you have to remember that the hy- COVID-19 pandemic. personic threat is not invincible—in that phase, it’s bleeding off energy, it may be doing a roll, and may be starting its ma- The Project Salus effort, for instance, which began in March of neuver. But it’s a great place to engage.” this year, puts artificial intelligence to work helping to predict shortages for things like water, medicine, and supplies used In addition, the admiral said, the agency is looking to build in the COVID fight, said Mulchandani. sensing from space. “This product was developed in direct work with [U.S. North- This is not the 21st century version of pie-in-the-sky. The Mis- ern Command] and the National Guard,” he said. “They have sile Defense Agency is working closely with the Services and obviously a very unique role to play in ensuring that resource combatant commands and having discussions with interna- shortages ... are harmonized across an area that’s dealing with tional partners on defending against this threat, Hill said. the disaster.”

Where it Counts, U.S. Leads in Artificial Intelligence Mulchandani said what the Guard didn’t have was predictive DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (JULY 9, 2020) analytics on where such shortages might occur, or real-time C. Todd Lopez analytics for supply and demand. Project Salus—named for When it comes to advancements in artificial intelligence tech- the Roman goddess of safety and well-being—fills that role. nology, China does have a lead in some places—like spying on its own people and using facial recognition technology to “We [now have] roughly about 40 to 50 different data streams identify political dissenters. But those are areas where the U.S. coming into Project Salus at the data platform layer,” he said. simply isn’t pointing its investments in artificial intelligence, “We have another 40 to 45 different AI models that are all said director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. Where running on top of the platform that allow for ... the Northcom it counts, the U.S. leads, he said.

8 | September-October 2020 | DEFENSEACQUISITION In the News

operations team ... to actually get predictive analytics on where “We took a recent [request for information, or RFI] with indus- shortages and things will occur.” try with over 300-plus technologies and combined that with previous RFIs from the FLRAA team,” Fortier said Thursday As an AI-enabled tool, he said, Project Salus can be used to during the virtual International Military Helicopter USA con- predict traffic bottlenecks, hotel vacancies, and the best mili- ference. tary bases to stockpile food during the fallout from a damaging weather event. Through the RFIs, project managers sought to identify “com- monalities” to improve both aircrafts’ sustainability and help As the Department pursues joint all-domain command and mitigate overall costs, Fortier said. Officials will then use the control, or JADC2, the JAIC is working to build in the needed compiled RFIs to discuss qualified mission system capabilities. AI capabilities, Mulchandani said. Once the industry event is complete, FARA and FLRAA of- “JADC2 is ... a collection of platforms that get stitched together ficials will work together to develop a series of recommenda- and woven together [effectively into] a platform,” Mulchandani tions in November, Fortier said. Project managers are work- said. “The JAIC is spending a lot of time and resources focused ing hard to avoid “stovepiping” each project as they continue on building the AI components on top of JADC2. So if you can through this analysis process. imagine a command and control system that is current and the way it’s configured today, our job and role is to actually build The footprints of each aircraft are significantly different, For- out the AI components both from a data, AI modeling, and tier explained. For example, the FARA has a requirement to then training perspective and then deploying those.” reach a speed close to 210 mph, while FLRAA’s engineering will allow it to reach potential speeds above 290 mph. When it comes to AI and weapons, Mulchandani said the de- partment and JAIC are involved there too. The Army is exploring improved mission systems configura- tions for both the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft and “We do have projects going on under joint warfighting, which Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, as project officials are actually going into testing,” he said. “They’re very tactical- engage with industry in a collaborative market research effort edge AI, is the way I describe it. And that work is going to be this week. A prototype for the FLRAA is pictured on page 10. tested. It’s very promising work. We’re very excited about it.” “There will be some components along the way that we will While Mulchandani didn’t mention specific projects, he did have to look at in terms of unique mission systems,” Fortier say that while much of the JAIC’s AI work will go into weapons said. “That dialogue has already started to happen ... and will systems, none of those right now are going to be autonomous be refined over time.” weapons systems. The concepts of a human-in-the-loop and full human control of weapons, he said, “are still absolutely The Army is scheduled to reach a final design decision for valid.” FARA by December, Fortier added. The force will then proceed to the competitive prototyping phase, as it looks to build a Army Searches for Improved Mission Systems in combat-ready system by fiscal year 2030. Future Aircraft ARMY NEWS SERVICE (JULY 13, 2020) “We understand that affordability is absolutely paramount to Devon Suits these programs,” Fortier said. “We spend every single day … WASHINGTON—The Army is exploring improved mission [discussing] both the FLRAA and FARA timeline so that we systems configurations for both the Future Long-Range As- can get both aircraft to the finish line.” sault Aircraft (FLRAA) and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA), as project officials engage with industry in a Mission System Domains collaborative market research effort this week. Through the optimization study, project officials have targeted eight focus areas, or domains, necessary to improve each air- This year, project managers launched a Mission Systems Op- craft. These fields include: communications, navigation, sen- timization Study to evaluate hardware and software solutions sors, effector or weapons, survivability, architecture or digital to better inform near-term decisions for both aircraft, said Col. backbone, pilot interface, and data fusion. Gregory Fortier, FARA lead with Program Executive Office- Aviation. In terms of mission system planning, “we have written the requirements … to allow for flexibility,” said Brig. Gen. Walter

DEFENSEACQUISITION | September-October 2020 | 9 In the News

The Army is exploring improved mission systems configurations for both the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, as project officials engage with industry in a collaborative market research effort this week. Pictured is a prototype for the FLRAA. U.S. Army photo

Rugen, the Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team director. manager. “We are taking their feedback, and we see that as “If the next generation of capabilities is not ready, then we can opportunities to bring in that ‘best of breed’ system when it’s use the current technology. Project managers are in charge of ready, as opposed to a long development or integration cycle teeing up those decisions for the aviation enterprise.” that can be costly, and put us behind.”

Fortier said the eight domains are intended to discover “what Missile Defense Becomes Part of Great Power is in the realm of the possible” and how new technology will Competition fit into the Army’s future aircraft. And while there currently DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (JULY 28, 2020) is no rank order to the eight domains, both project managers Jim Garamone have emphasized the need for a modular open systems ap- All aspects of the military are engaged in great power com- proach, or MOSA. petition, but while most analysts focus on developments in offensive missiles, Chinese and Russian defense leaders are Formerly known as an open systems architecture, MOSA is developing even more capable missile defenses, Defense De- a strategy designed to create and implement affordable and partment officials said. adaptable technologies through a widely supported systems interface or architecture, according to the Department of De- ‘’China and Russia are developing increasingly capable and fense standardization program. numerous missile defense systems, and integrating them into their defense strategies as they compete with the United Proper integration of MOSA in both aircraft combined with an States,’’ a DoD official said. appropriate digital backbone that can support rapid aircraft survivability or other technological upgrades is absolutely criti- The United States pioneered missile defense systems. Then- cal, Fortier said. President Ronald Reagan proposed missile defense systems in the early 1980s. His ‘’Strategic Defense Initiative’’ was dubbed “There are some innovative folks out there that understand the the ‘’Star Wars Initiative’’—sometimes derisively. direction we are going,” said Col. David Phillips, FLRAA project

10 | September-October 2020 | DEFENSEACQUISITION In the News

The laughing stopped during Operation Desert Storm, when U.S. uses non-nuclear ‘’kinetic kill’’ vehicles, which destroy Patriot missile defense batteries based in Saudi Arabia and incoming warheads using their speed and mass to collide with Israel stopped Iraqi Scud missile attacks. the threat.

Russia is a long-time player. The former Soviet Union created U.S. Space Effort’s Future Hinges on Private Industry a ring of anti-ballistic missile batteries around Moscow dur- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (JULY 28, 2020) ing the Cold War. These nuclear-tipped missiles still exist as C. Todd Lopez part of Russia’s A-135 anti-ballistic missile system. The system When the United States sent men to the moon in the 1960s, consists of 68 nuclear-armed interceptors. As part of President the effort was largely driven by the government. But the future Vladimir Putin’s military buildup, the system has received new of the U.S. space effort will be agile innovators in the private radars and updated electronics. The beauty of this system is sector who partner with the government, the Space Force’s that the Russians have only to be close to an incoming threat. chief scientist said. The downside is radiation from an intercept would contami- nate thousands of acres of countryside. “We’re very much at a precipice where private investment in space is driving the technology, not necessarily government The Russians are getting ready to field the S-500 system. investment as it has been in the past,” Dr. Joel B. Mozer said Designed to intercept short- to medium-range threats, they today during a virtual panel discussion at the Center for Stra- say the system will defend against ballistic, cruise, and hyper- tegic and International Studies in Washington. sonic missiles. The system’s initial operating capability is set for some time in 2025. The U.S. Government, in its pursuit of advancements and participation in the space domain, can contribute through in- The other main threat comes from the People’s Republic of vestments in science, technology, infrastructure and science, China. The Chinese see missile defense as a key cog in their technology, engineering and math—or STEM—education, military ambitions. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force Mozer said, as well as through development of policies and is accelerating the transition of its tasks from territorial air regulations that strengthen space efforts. defense to both offensive and defensive operations, according to a Chinese white paper on the subject. China’s air force is Defense Department officials must have a unique perspec- also improving its capabilities for strategic early warning, air tive on space, how it can be used, and what must be done to strikes, and air and missile defense. achieve national security objectives, Mozer said.

Right now, the Chinese are heavily dependent on Russian mis- “Firstly, it’s going to shape the environment that we operate in sile defense capabilities. The Chinese have invested in the Rus- and will evolve our mission to protect U.S. interests both here sian S-300 and S-400 systems—missile defense capabilities. on Earth and beyond in the future,” he explained. “Second, The Chinese are assiduously studying the problem and have many of the technological innovations that are now coming invested in research to build their own capabilities, DoD of- and will continue to come from entrepreneurs and industrial- ficials said. ists in the space business are from those entrepreneurs. We must harness those innovations for our mission to support the This includes the HQ-19 missile defense system, which could joint fight when we’re called upon to do so.” be used against incoming, medium-range ballistic missiles. Initial operating capability is set for next year. Finally, Mozer said, those involved in the military’s pursuit of space must overmatch America’s strategic competitors. China is also developing a mid-course interceptor. The Chinese “Space is now a warfighting domain,” he said. “We must work government said they tested that capability in February 2018. with industry, as well as our allies, to protect our ability to U.S. officials say initial operating capability is not likely until operate in that domain and to defend our capabilities and en- the late-2020s. They anticipate it would have good capabil- sure that they’re there when needed as well as to ensure that ity against intermediate-range ballistic missiles and could be the technological advantage in space goes to freedom-loving adapted to target intercontinental and submarine-launched states who desire to keep space lines of commerce open for ballistic missiles. all.”

The United States homeland’s missile defense system is in Rocket Launch place to defend against accidental launches or attacks from In May, NewSpace New Mexico sponsored a four-day confer- rogue states such as Iran and North Korea. Unlike Russia, the ence to discuss civil, commercial, and national security space

DEFENSEACQUISITION | September-October 2020 | 11 In the News

An unarmed Trident II D5 missile launches from the ballistic missile submarine USS Nebraska off the coast of California, March 26, 2018. The test launch was part of the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Program’s demonstration and shakedown operation certi- fication process. Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Ronald Gutridg

strategy. That conference produced the nearly 90-page report an example of progress. “There’s a lot of thought being put “State of the Space Industrial Base Report 2020.” into this ‘North Star’ vision, and we’re laying some groundwork for it,” he said. “However, it is still significant that this recom- Mozer, one of the report’s authors, said 10 recommendations mendation came out on top from the workshop. It tells me that regarding the future of space—six for the U.S. government and we still have some work to do to describe this future vision, a four for industry—were the key takeaways. vision that the nation could get behind and adopt.”

The No. 1 recommendation, Mozer said, is that the U.S. gov- The “North Star” vision must be specific about what the United ernment develop and endorse a whole-of-government “North States wants its future in space to look like, and U.S. officials Star” vision and strategy for the industrial development of must make sure the decisions they make now move the nation space and that a presidential task force be established to ex- toward a future in space that Americans can aspire to and be ecute that strategy. proud of, Mozer said.

“This recommendation is particularly important, and I be- Other nations, specifically China, already have a long-term vi- lieve that we’re getting there,” Mozer said. “In recent years sion of the future of space and are making investments toward and months, we’ve seen a lot of action and direction in this their own visions, he noted. direction.” “The importance of such a vision is that it has the potential to As examples of progress, he cited NASA’s Artemis mission, derive national pride and to instill a culture of progress, and which plans to put the first woman and the next man on the it highlights the value of STEM education for aspiring youth,” moon by 2024. The establishment of the Space Force is also he said. “There’s lots of benefits of such a vision. The value is

12 | September-October 2020 | DEFENSEACQUISITION In the News

immense of a ‘North Star’ vision, and the consequences of a expertise, and fortifying external partnerships. Inspired by lack of such vision are potentially disastrous.” the principles outlined in the Air Force S&T Strategy, AFRL’s Research Advisory Council introduced SDCP to the workforce Multidisciplinary Teams Selected to Advance as an internal call for ideas in January 2020 “to get our great Innovative Capability Ideas for Future Force thinkers and problem solvers excited and also enable them AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY PUBLIC AFFAIRS to build those partnerships with researchers from across the (JULY 29, 2020) broader R&D enterprise needed to deliver transformational Whitney Wetsig capabilities for the Air Force,” said Dr. Rajesh Naik, chief sci- WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio—Seven teams entist of AFRL’s 711th Human Performance Wing. led by Air Force Research Laboratory scientists and engineers will each receive $3 to $5 million per year as part of the Seed- Released in 2019, the Air Force S&T Strategy emphasizes lings for Disruptive Capabilities Program (SDCP) to execute transformational capabilities in areas essential to future com- three-year projects and advance ideas that may create remark- petition that deliver war-winning technological advantages. As able new capabilities for the future force. outlined in the SDCP scope, each idea submitted had to show potential for strengthening future missions by advancing one Selected via a competitive three-step process and approved of the strategic capabilities identified in the strategy includ- by AFRL Commander Brig. Gen. Heather Pringle, AFRL’s Chief ing global persistent awareness; resilient information sharing; Technology Officer Dr. Tim Bunning announced these multi- rapid, effective decision-making; speed and reach of disrup- disciplinary teams in an email sent to the workforce. tion, lethality, and complexity; and unpredictability and mass.

With this new effort, we are “tapping into the creative S&T foundation of AFRL by enabling teams from across multiple tech- nology directorates to form and partner with suitable external part- ners including industry and academia,” said Bunning. “Guided by a future operational mind-set, these efforts will change the calculus by enabling a transfor- mational capability that fundamentally shifts the current state of play for our warfighters,” he said.

The SDCP aims to gather the brightest minds from AFRL and advance innovative concepts emphasizing the Air Force Science & Technology Strategy Seven teams led by Air Force Research Laboratory scientists and engineers will each receive $3 to objectives of creating $5 million per year as part of the Seedlings for Disruptive Capabilities Program (SDCP) to execute transformational capa- three-year projects and advance ideas that may create remarkable new capabilities for the future bilities, building organic force. competencies, deepen- U.S. Air Force illustration/Randy Palmer ing Air Force technical

DEFENSEACQUISITION | September-October 2020 | 13 In the News

After collecting the initial submissions, AFRL’s chief scientists tactical (“non-strategic”) nuclear weapons. In contrast, Russia scrutinized them for operational relevance and scientific qual- continued a comprehensive program to modernize and expand ity, ultimately endorsing a select number of white papers to its low-yield theater and tactical nuclear weapons. What is be developed into full proposals. Afterward, the primary in- more disturbing, officials said, is that Russian strategy actually vestigators of each proposal presented their ideas to a diverse contemplates the use of these nuclear capabilities in conflict. evaluation committee comprised of RAC members plus the chief scientists of Air Force Major Commands including Space, Russian strategic thought mistakenly believes that limited Pacific Air Forces, Global Strike, and Air Combat. Technical nuclear first use with low-yield weapons could provide Russia experts from the Air Force Warfighting Integration Capability with a “coercive advantage” in a conflict, the State Department and the Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition also provided paper says. input. Russia may have pursued this strategy because the United The panel’s highest-ranking proposals selected for funding States, unlike Russia, retired most of its non-strategic nuclear cover integrated optical systems, multi-function sensors, systems. Russia may believe it can use theater or tactical unmanned systems that autonomously establish airfield in- weapons, the paper says, because the United States could not frastructure, a brain-computer interface learning system, a effectively respond and might be reluctant to escalate further supersonic interceptor missile, additive manufacturing tech- by responding with strategic nuclear weapons. niques in composites, and fuel cells for spacecraft. The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review calls for adjustments to U.S. These seven teams are led by employees from all AFRL tech- nuclear forces to close this perceived gap on the escalation nology directorates, along with technical experts from the ladder and reinforce deterrence against low-yield nuclear use, Center for Rapid Innovation, Air Force Life Cycle Management DoD officials said. Center, other government organizations (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Naval Research Lab, and the Mis- A nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile would address sile Defense Agency), industry, and academia. alarming developments in the forces and doctrine of nuclear competitors, the posture review says, adding that Russia and Moving forward, the teams will provide in-depth annual re- China both are investing significant sums to improve and ex- views with guidance from senior technical mentors to “ensure pand their nuclear forces with no clear indication as to where operational linkages and technical excellence.” that expansion will stop.

“The ultimate goal is to build an enhanced pipeline for applied Russia’s “adventurism” is the most immediate concern, of- research programs to compete for advanced technology de- ficials said. The nation invaded Georgia in 2008 and still oc- velopment funding, successfully transitioning technology from cupies two provinces. Russia illegally occupied Crimea in 2014 application to capability,” Bunning explained. By facilitating a and sponsors a shooting war in the eastern part of Ukraine deeper understanding of operational relevance in the early today. Russia has propped up the Assad regime in Syria and stages of research, he hopes that this initiative can enhance has prolonged the civil war in that nation. Russia has also sent research efforts and better prepare these investments for ad- forces to Libya, and Kremlin-associated contractors have vanced demonstrations and beyond. seized two of its largest oil facilities. Finally, Russia has done its best to divide the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, seek- For more information, visit http://www.AFResearchLab.com. ing more leeway to intimidate the frontline states of Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania. Nuke Sea-Launched Cruise Missile Would Bolster Deterrence, Officials Say There are credible concerns that theater and tactical nuclear DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (AUG. 4, 2020) capabilities are central to a Russian approach to regional Jim Garamone conflict that envisions the early, limited use of non-strategic Developing and deploying a sea-launched nuclear cruise mis- nuclear weapons to end a war on terms favorable to Russia. sile is essential to deter Russia, U.S. officials have said. “This approach may be premised on Russia’s belief that its A recent State Department paper says the new weapon would expanding anti-access/area denial networks will be able to help fill a gap identified in the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review. neutralize the airborne nuclear deterrent forces of the United The United States retired its last nuclear sea-launched cruise States and NATO,” the 2018 U.S. Nuclear Posture Review con- missile in 2010—one of only two remaining U.S. theater or cluded. “In the future, it is possible that China could adopt a

14 | September-October 2020 | DEFENSEACQUISITION In the News

similar doctrine. Developing and fielding (sea-launched cruise The United States having such a capability would make any missile-nuclear) signal the leaders of nuclear competitors in adversary think twice about using nuclear weapons. Without a concrete way that the United States has the capability and requiring nuclear testing or violating any treaty, the SLCM “will will to maintain operationally effective nuclear options to deter lower the risks of nuclear conflict, bolster the confidence of regional aggression.” allies and restore a degree of balance in non-strategic nuclear weapons that could create conditions more conducive to ad- The SLCM capability could also help allay the concerns of re- dressing this category of forces through arms control,” the gional allies shielded by the U.S. nuclear umbrella, officials posture review says. said.

The guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea launches a Tomahawk cruise missile to conduct strikes against ISIS targets as seen from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, Sept. 23, 2014. Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Eric Garst

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