Delivery Systems & Nuclear Triad

The Air Force since the spring of 2014 has been briefing appropriate congressional members and staffers on its classified Long Range Strike Bomber (LRSB) acquisition strategy and it will continue explaining itself as it moves forward, Air Force Secretary Deborah James said Friday. James’ remarks come in response to Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Chairman […]

U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command airmen from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota launched two Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) over the last two weeks from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the Air Force has announced. Each unarmed Minuteman III contained a test re-entry vehicle that traveled about 4,200 miles to […]

Valerie Insinna Defense Daily  2/26/2016 Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Thursday he would not authorize funding for the Long Range Strike Bomber as long as the program remains under a cost-plus contracting structure. McCain has not yet been briefed by the Air Force on the contract award to Northrop Grumman […]

U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command airmen from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota launched a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) over the weekend from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the Air Force announced Sunday. The unarmed Minuteman III contained a test re-entry vehicle that traveled about 4,200 miles to the Marshall […]

Pat Host Defense Daily 2/19/2016 The Air Force is on track for a Milestone A decision this year in its Ground Based Strategic Deterrence (GBSD) program, according to a key officer. Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration Lt. Gen. Jack Weinstein said Thursday the Defense Department fiscal year 2017 […]

Pat Host Defense Daily 2/19/2016 The Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Tuesday denied Boeing’s protest of the Air Force’s Long Range Strike Bomber (LRSB) award to Northrop Grumman. Ralph White, managing associate general counsel for procurement law at GAO, said in a statement that GAO found no basis to sustain or uphold the protest after reviewing Boeing’s […]

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Tuesday denied Boeing’s protest of the Air Force’s Long Range Strike Bomber (LRSB) award to Northrop Grumman. Ralph White, managing associate general counsel for procurement law at GAO, said in a statement that GAO found no basis to sustain or uphold the protest after reviewing Boeing’s challenges to the […]

Pat Host Defense Daily 2/9/2016 The Air Force requested 2.4 percent more funding for fiscal year 2017 than the $163.1 billion it was appropriated for last fiscal year. As part of the $166.9 billion it requested for FY ’17, the Air Force wants $12.3 billion in overseas contingency operations (OCO) wartime spending, 22 percent more […]

Valerie Insinna Defense Daily 01/29/2016 The head of U.S. Strategic Command last Friday tried to strike a balance between advocacy for the modernization of the United States’ nuclear triad and downplaying the nation’s diminished relationship with Russia. Foreign nations, such as Russia, China and North Korea, are putting a high priority on developing advanced nuclear […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is seeking small business sources that could provide a weapon-mounted ballistic sighting module, according to a solicitation posted this week. The NNSA is considering acquiring and fielding the 40-mm day/night sight aiming technology and intends to award a firm-fixed-price indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract with a five-year ordering period, worth […]

The head of U.S. Strategic Command on Friday tried to strike a balance between advocacy for the modernization of the United States’ nuclear triad and downplaying the nation’s diminished relationship with Russia.   Foreign nations, such as Russia, China and North Korea, are putting a high priority on developing advanced nuclear capabilities, and the United […]

Staff Reports NS&D Monitor 1/22/2016 A huge problem at the Y-12 National Security Complex and other facilities at Oak Ridge, Tenn., has been the deteriorating infrastructure, much of which dates back to the World War II Manhattan Project, and the harsh weather of winter has not been friendly to these old facilities in recent years. […]

Boeing [BA] and Lockheed Martin [LMT] said over the weekend that the Air Force’s decision to have Northrop Grumman [NOC] build the long-range strike bomber (LRS-B) was “fundamentally flawed. The losing team on Dec. 17 filed a 133-page brief with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) detailing further its contention that Northrop was not the best and most economical choice […]

Northrop Grumman [NOC] cannot say much about its preparation for production of the Air Force’s Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) because of a pending protest and the highly classified nature of the program. But the company is not missing the chance to pat itself on the back for being chosen by the Air Force to take […]

Northrop Grumman [NOC] cannot say much about its preparation for production of the Air Force’s Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) because of a pending protest and the highly classified nature of the program. But the company is not missing the chance to pat itself on the back for being chosen by the Air Force to take on […]

Valerie Insinna Defense Daily 12/18/2015 A group of seven Democratic senators on Tuesday called on the president to cancel the Air Force’s nuclear air-launched cruise missile program, the Long Range Standoff (LRSO) weapon. In a Dec. 14 letter, Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), […]

A group of seven Democratic senators on Tuesday called on the president to cancel the Air Force’s nuclear air-launched cruise missile program, the Long Range Standoff (LRSO) weapon.   In a Dec. 14 letter, Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Al Franken (D-Minn.) and […]

The Air Force should continue its pursuit of a new nuclear air-launched cruise missile despite concerns that the ambiguity between nuclear and conventional cruise missiles could trigger “false alarms” leading to a nuclear strike, the former head of U.S. Strategic Command told a panel of lawmakers last week.   The service wants to develop a […]

Valerie Insinna Defense Daily 12/11/2015 The Navy anticipates building its top priority—the Ohio replacement submarine—during a fiscally austere period where the shipbuilding account will be strapped for cash, but using a special, Defense Department-wide account would give the service new funding mechanisms that could save anywhere from 5 to 10 percent per ship, the Congressional Budget Office […]

The Navy anticipates building its top priority—the Ohio replacement submarine—during a fiscally austere period where the shipbuilding account will be strapped for cash, but using a special, Defense Department-wide account would give the service new funding mechanisms that could save anywhere from 5 to 10 percent per ship, the Congressional Budget Office estimated.   Congress created the […]

Pat Host Defense Daily 12/4/2015 The Air Force wants to purchase 100 Long Range Strike Bombers (LRSB), service Secretary Deborah James said Wednesday, the high end of the 80-to-100 aircraft range the service has previously stated. LRSB is considered one of the Air Force’s top programs. Service acquisition officials anticipate spending $564 million per bomber […]

Staff Reports Defense Daily 12/4/2015 Some major modernization programs, including the Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) and Ohio-class nuclear submarine replacement, will be slowed as the Defense Department absorbs a $15 billion cut after fiscal year 2017, the Pentagon’s chief accountant said Nov. 30. Pentagon bean counters are not thrilled with the budget deal passed at the […]

Some major Defense Department modernization programs, including the Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) and Ohio-class nuclear submarine replacement, will be slowed as the Defense Department absorbs a $15 billion cut after fiscal year 2017, the Pentagon’s chief accountant said Nov. 30. Pentagon bean counters are not thrilled with the budget deal passed at the 11th hour, but […]

Valerie Insinna Defense Daily 11/20/2015 The Air Force’s current plan to buy anywhere from 80 to 100 Long Range Strike Bombers (LRSB) will not be sufficient to meet operational requirements, and double that number could be needed for a large scale conflict in which conventional and nuclear bombers are needed, a study by the Mitchell […]

Pat Host Defense Daily 11/13/2015 The Air Force classifying most of the new Long Range Strike Bomber (LRSB) program could lead to hurdles on Capitol Hill as lawmakers won’t know whether there is work in their districts to protect, according to an analyst. Teal Group Vice President of Analysis Richard Aboulafia said Tuesday though there are […]

Work on the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRSB) contract by winning contractor Northrop Grummanis suspended following the formal protest by the competing team of Boeingand Lockheed MartinLMT, the Air Force said yesterday.   While The Air Force had said on Friday it was confident the source selection team followed the proper process to determine the […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 6/19/2015 Industry is proposing to use some 750 stored detached ballistic missile solid rocket motors for commercial launch, but a 17-year-old law precludes the government assets from being used for such purposes. Currently, Hill AFB in Utah and Navajo Army Depot in Arizona house 426 Minuteman 2 motors, 154 Minuteman 3 […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 11/6/2015 Boeing and Lockheed Martin are protesting the Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRSB) contract the Defense Department awarded last week to Northrop Grumman. The selection process for the contract, worth an estimated $80 billion, “was fundamentally flawed,” Boeing said Friday in an announcement. “The cost evaluation performed by the government did not […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 11/6/2015 BWXT should be a “major player” in the next procurement of missile tubes for the Ohio Replacement ballistic missile submarine, which should also provide several opportunities for consolidation of the supplier base, BWXT President and CEO Sandy Baker said Thursday during his company’s quarterly investor conference call. BWXT—then Babcock & […]

Dan Parsons Defense Daily 10/30/2015 Northrop Grumman [NOC] has been chosen to build the Air Force’s next-generation long-range bomber, a major aircraft manufacturing contract that is worth an estimated $80 billion. The incumbent manufacturer of the B-2 Spirit bomber beat out a heavyweight team comprised of Boeing [BA] and Lockheed Martin [LMT]. The contract award will significantly shape the defense […]