Acquisition headlines

US Air Force bails on Mattis-era fighter jet readiness goal. Abandoned 80 percent mission-capable rates. Let’s say you increase force structure to 386 squadrons at the expense of decreasing readiness. You have more stuff, but you can maybe utilize the same amount at any given time as before.

Aerospace and defense spending: What will be the next normal? He says, “One thing seems quite clear: absent an escalation or emerging tensions in great-power competition, we can expect downward pressure on defense budgets around the world.”

Here’s the DARPA project it says could pull the Navy a decade forward in unmanned technology. It appears that DARPA is rethinking ship design in an age of software-centric design, whereas the Navy’s family of unmanned surface vessels may be derivative of existing design patterns.

US Air Force Engineers Fixed a Battle-Damaged A-10 From Home.

Is China’s Stealth Bomber Due to Make an Appearance Soon? “The H-20 is a large, subsonic stealth bomber similar in form and appearance to the B-2 Spirit.” Look for it around November, maybe.

Recommended listen: “Disruptors and Innovators in National Security,” with Bryon Kroger of Rise8, Molly Cain of GovCity, and Jonathan Springer of Tactical Nav. The link is here.

A group of respected venture capitalists writes in Defense News: The defense industry needs new entrants, and a supportive government during crises. A slice: “If we see the same old story of the government claiming to support small businesses but prioritizing its old incumbents, those investment dollars will disappear.”

Agile Isn’t New: What’s New Is The C-Suite Embracing It.

This is certainly different: Astronauts on controlling the Dragon spacecraft via touchscreen. “SpaceX decided to ditch the buttons and dials and go full touchscreen.”