Air Force Sets Sights On Robotic Jets COVID Crisis Spurs Change at Pentagon NATIONALDEFENSEMAGAZINE.ORG THE ARMY ISSUE SERVICE MARCHES TOWARD MODERNIZATION OCTOBER 2020 The Business and Technology Magazine of VOLUME CV, NUMBER 803 EXPERIENCE OCTOBER 2020 THE MAGAZINE IN AUGMENTED REALITY NDIA’S BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE WWW.NATIONALDEFENSEMAGAZINE.ORG DOWNLOAD THE FREE NDIA AR APP. If previously installed, please update to the latest version by checking the App Store or Google Play. Army Programs 30 LOOK FOR n The Army is pushing forward with a slew AUGMENTED of initiatives across its modernization port- REALITY folio. In this issue, National Defense takes an CONTENT ON: in-depth look at some of the service’s latest experiments and investments. PAGE25 COVER: Army photo by Staff Sgt. Shane Hamann PAGE26 PAGE39 Unmanned Systems 24 n An Air Force effort aimed at acquiring a new class of autonomous drones is underway as industry teams compete for a chance to build a fleet of robotic wingmen. The program is one of the service’s top science-and- technology priorities and will soon undergo operational experiments. COVID-19 22 n Pentagon officials were left scrambling earlier this year to maintain readiness, protect the troops and keep the indus- trial base healthy amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Officials are taking stock of measures that worked and didn’t work and deriving lessons learned that could be 8 10 12 15 applied to future crises. OCTOBER 2020 • NATIONAL DEFENSE 1 VIEWPOINT 36 Army Puts Robotic Combat OCTOBER 2020 16 Acquisition Reform Vehicles Through Paces VOLUME CV Requires Cultural Change Officials deemed the first experiment with NUMBER 803 The Defense Department continues to heavy unmanned platforms a success. struggle with crossing the “Valley of Death.” BY MANDY MAYFIELD BY JOHN KOVACH AND ARTIE MABBETT EDITOR IN CHIEF 38 Army Begins Fielding Upgraded Stew Magnuson INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE Third-Generation Strykers (703) 247-2545 18 Developing Military Electronic Soldiers are receiving the newest iteration [email protected] Systems Calls for Holistic Strategy of their medium armored vehicle. BY SCOTT GOURLEY CREATIVE DIRECTOR Both hardware and software development Brian Taylor must be addressed. (703) 247-2546 BY STEVE CARLSON, JAMES S.B. CHEW EXCLUSIVE AND FRANK SCHIRRMEISTER 40 Q&A with Army [email protected] Acquisition Chief Bruce Jette MANAGING EDITOR COMMENTARY In an interview, the Army’s top weapons Jon Harper 20 Hyper-Connected Military buyer discusses how the COVID-19 pan- (703) 247-2542 Needs a Next-Gen Common demic is impacting the service. BY YASMIN TADJDEH [email protected] Operating Picture A key capability for troops operating at the SENIOR EDITOR DEPARTMENTS tactical edge is a mechanism for shared, Yasmin Tadjdeh (703) 247-2585 comprehensive situational awareness. 4 NDIA Perspective BY TODD PROUTY [email protected] Value of Foreign Military Sales Exceeds Profits BY WESLEY HALLMAN STAFF WRITER FEATURES 6 Up Front Connie Lee COVID-19 (703) 247-2543 Random facts and figures from industry and 22 Pentagon Examining Lessons government [email protected] BY STEW MAGNUSON Learned from Pandemic EDITORIAL ASSISTANT COVID-19 is leading to changes across the Defense Department. 8 Editor’s Notes Mandy Mayfield BY YASMIN TADJDEH BY STEW MAGNUSON (703) 247-9469 [email protected] AIR FORCE 9 Algorithmic Warfare What’s coming in artificial intelligence, 24 The Rise of Skyborg: big data and cybersecurity Air Force Betting on BY YASMIN TADJDEH ADVERTISING New Robotic Wingman The service wants new drones that can 10 Budget Matters Christine M. Klein leverage AI and accompany manned fighter Who’s funding what in Washington jets into battle. BY JON HARPER SVP, Meetings & Business Partnerships BY JON HARPER (703) 247-2593 12 News Briefs [email protected] MARINE CORPS BY CONNIE LEE AND MANDY MAYFIELD Kathleen Kenney, Sales Director 28 Marines’ New Recon 15 NDIA Policy Points (703) 247-2576 Vehicle Faces Uncertainty Immunizing Industry Against COVID-19 [email protected] The future of the service’s effort to acquire Liability a new scout vehicle has been thrown into BY JOSEPH SOBECKI Alex Mitchell, Sales Manager question. (703) 247-2568 BY CONNIE LEE 42 Government Contracting Insights [email protected] Showdown Looms on Cost Accounting ARMY Standards CONTRIBUTED BY COVINGTON & National Defense 30 Army Upgrading Medium BURLING LLP Caliber Cannons, Ammo 2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 700 The service is enhancing its cannon and 43 NDIA News Arlington, VA 22201 ammunition systems to counter adversaries. BY SCOTT GOURLEY NDIA MEMBERSHIP: The 44 NDIA Calendar Complete guide to NDIA events National Defense Industrial 34 Army Invests in New Training Association (NDIA) is the premier association representing all facets of the defense and technol- Tools Amidst Pandemic 48 Next Month ogy industrial base and serving all military services. Leaders want to leverage virtual reality Preview of our next issue For more information please call our membership technology to improve readiness. department at 703-522-1820 or visit us on the web at NDIA.org/Membership BY CONNIE LEE 48 Index of Advertisers National Defense (ISSN 0092–1491) is published monthly by the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), 2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22201–3060. TEL (703) 522–1820; FAX (703) 522–1885. Advertising Sales: Kathleen Kenney, 2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22201–3060. TEL (703) 247–2576; FAX (703) 522–4602. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of NDIA. Membership rates in the association are $40 annually; $15.00 is allocated to National Defense for a one-year association basic subscription and is non-deductible from dues. Annual rates for NDIA members: $40 U.S. and possessions; District of Columbia add 6 percent sales tax; $45 foreign. A six-week notice is required for change of address. Periodical postage paid at Arlington, VA and at additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to National DEFENSE, 2101 Wilson Blvd, Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22201–3060. The title National Defense is registered with the Library of Congress. Copyright 2020, NDIA. 2 NATIONAL DEFENSE • O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0 Whether it’s across town or halfway around the world, with every shipment and every project, our customers place their trust in our hands. My hands. Because at some point, every piece of business I touch becomes a personal responsibility. It’s up to me to keep costs down, performance on schedule, and quality at a premium. Someone’s business is riding on it. And I won’t let them down. I am pilotdelivers.com / 1-800-HI-PILOT Perspective BY WESLEY HALLMAN Value of Foreign Military Sales Exceeds Profits n The National Defense Strategy is predicated on three pillars Strategy, there has been growing concern about the defense of equal importance to the long-term geostrategic success of industrial base’s ability to surge production during a national the United States. emergency. The experience of the COVID-19 crisis only The second, “Strengthen Alliances and Attract New Part- amplified those concerns. ners,” contains multiple imperatives, but one of the most Just as importantly, these production lines keep the highly important is the provision of advanced U.S. military equip- skilled, specialized and cleared workforce working on advanced ment and services in the form of foreign military sales (FMS) weapons systems, building the needed skills to field even more and direct commercial sales (DCS). We need to build on the advanced systems. Without overseas orders, America would momentum of the Conventional Arms Transfer initiative to face significant atrophy in its most important asset, its talent. keep America as the global supplier of choice. Should the nation find itself in a national emergency, open These sales have several reinforcing benefits to U.S. national production lines could mean the difference. security to include: creating built-in interoperability with friends, Also, for every plane, armored vehicle, Aegis cruiser, radio, or allies and partners; cost-effectively maintaining and expanding radar sold to a friend, ally or partner, defense contractors real- regional influence; lowering unit costs to the U.S. military; keep- ize economies-of-scale that ultimately lower the per-unit cost ing operational critical production lines and the cleared, skilled to the U.S. taxpayer, incrementally making its forces not just workforce key to maintaining surge capacity in case of national more effect but more affordable over time. emergency; and increasing revenues for the defense industrial Finally, according to Lt. Gen. Charles Hooper, former direc- base to be invested in the capabilities that will keep the U.S. tor of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the United warfighter advantaged across the spectrum of conflict. States recorded arms sales of $55.4 billion in fiscal 2019. As the strategy notes, the United States does not fight alone. Those sales convert to revenues across the breadth and depth It operates by with, and through the friends, partners and allies of the defense industrial base to reinvest into efforts including it has cultivated throughout history. Operating in coalition, the advanced manufacturing equipment, workforce training, and nation has developed unmatched capabilities and operational the research and development necessary to iterate and inno- dominance. Those capabilities did not emerge by accident; an vate at a pace to extend technological leads over competitors. effective fighting force is not the result of a pick-up game. To further realize the national security benefits of overseas Effectiveness during conflict results from superior equip- sales, we must expand on ment coupled with effective training from the individual “We must expand on the momentum built by service member to large force formations. When friends, allies this administration’s Con- and partners operate the same equipment with the same tac- the momentum built ventional Arms Transfers tics, training and procedures, disparate allied or coalition forces initiative.