ACQUISITION NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS
Defiant Demonstrates Path to Accelerate U.S. Shipbuilding and Strengthen Naval Fleet DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY PUBLIC AFFAIRS The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has marked a traditional naval milestone with the christen- ing of USX-1 Defiant, a first-of-its-kind autonomous, un- manned surface vessel designed from the ground up to never accommodate a human aboard. “Defiant is a tough little ship and defies the idea that we cannot make a ship that can operate in the challenging environment of the open ocean without people to operate her,” said NOMARS (No Manning Required Ship) Program Manager Greg Avicola. (Read more) The Army conducted its largest unmanned aerial system (UAS) flight demonstrations with industry and first UAS le- thal live fire experimentation range for more than 400 stake- holders during the annual UAS and Launched Effects Summit. (Read more) Department of War Announces the Final Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement Rule Implementing the Cybersecurity Maturity Army Leaders, Stakeholders Discuss Future of UAS Transformation ARMY NEWS SERVICE Shannon Collins and John Hamilton On Sept. 9, the Department of War released the final Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) rule implementing the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program as described at 32 C.F.R. 170.3 for public inspection in the Federal Register . (Read more) Model Certification Program DEPARTMENT OF WAR NEWS RELEASE
Emil Michael, under secretary of war for research and engineering, delivers the keynote address at the National Defense Industrial As- sociation in Washington, D.C., Aug. 27, 2025. Source: DoW photo by David Vergun
DoW Official Says AI, Other Innovations Will Transform Future Warfighting DEPARTMENT OF WAR NEWS David Vergun In a conflict scenario, artificial intelligence can assist the Warfighter in discerning what is happening in the environ- ment and better understand the tactics the adversary might use, thereby improving decision-making, said Emil Mi- chael, under secretary of war for research and engineering. (Read more) U.S. Air Force Announces Arrival of Second B-21 Test Aircraft at Edwards AFB SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE PUBLIC AFFAIRS The Department of the Air Force announced the arrival of the second B-21 Raider flight test aircraft, Sept. 11, 2025, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., significantly enhancing the Air Force’s capacity to conduct comprehensive testing and sustainment training. This advancement marks a sig- nificant step toward operational readiness of the nation’s sixth-generation stealth bomber. (Read more)
A B-21 Raider test aircraft lands at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., during ongoing developmental flight testing, Sept. 11, 2025. The B-21 will be the backbone of the bomber fleet; it will incrementally replace the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers. Source: U.S Air Force photo by Todd Schannuth
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