The U.S. Navy plans to resume deployment of its Littoral Combat Ships this fall following a delay in 2018 due to challenges in manning and advanced training, USNI News reported Monday. 

Vice Adm. Richard Brown, commander of Naval Surface Forces, said the service branch intends to return three LCS before fiscal year 2019 ends in September. USS Montgomery and USS Gabrielle Giffords would deploy from San Diego to the Western Pacific, while the third ship USS Detroit would go to the East Coast from Florida, according to the official. 

“We are very excited about that because the naval component commanders are screaming for LCSs because they know what they’re going to bring to the fight,” Brown said. 

He noted the ships would only focus on anti-surface warfare missions, including partner-building exercises, fisheries patrols and other activities supporting a small surface combatant. The Navy plans to deploy another LCS by early 2020. The Naval Surface Force Pacific released a report in August showing the service was facing challenges in assigning crews to operate and support the ships and that those sailors appeared not fully training for the 2019 deployments.

The Navy has yet to announce plans to address the issues. 

The U.S. Air Force has moved its Kessel Run Experimentation Laboratory to a new, bigger facility in Boston, C4ISRNet reported Monday. The software laboratory’s new facility features a 30K-square-foot workspace with big screen computers, small conference rooms and long tables.

Adam Furtado, who directs Kessel Run, told C4ISRNet that the open facility would bring workers from the same area to collaborate, and reduce the need for emails and phone calls. Furtado intends to boost the personnel count by leveraging the Air Force’s approval to add 50 more workers.

“We want to get to a point where we’re at a capacity based model where you give me x dollars, that’s x number of product teams where I can deliver this much value and move the needle in this many spaces incrementally forever,” he noted.

Kessel Run plans to hire new employees during a two-day recruitment event to take place on Jan. 23 to 24.

The Department of Defense has concluded the opt-in enrollment of a new military retirement system with over half a million servicemen registered in total. The Blended Retirement System fuses traditional pension with a thrift savings plan, allowing members to receive retirement benefits before reaching 20 years in service, the DoD said Monday.

The department allotted $300M to cover TSP accounts of BRS-enrolled members in the program’s first year. Over 400,000 existing members registered under the program, and more than 150,000 new servicemen automatically enrolled upon enlistment. The DoD advised servicemen to undergo BRS training and financial counseling before deciding to register or not. Some members with special cases are given extensions to register after the opt-in period due to law-based provisions.

The Department of Defense has released a report assessing China’s military and non-military expansion efforts worldwide and their implications for the U.S.

DoD said in the report released Monday that China has expanded through Digital Silk Road and One Belt, One Road initiatives; military access and engagement; economic presence; and technology acquisition.

According to the report, the Asian country’s growing activities worldwide present implications for the U.S. and China across military access, logistics, force posture and training areas.

The document states that DoD has responded to the implications of China’s growing global activities in accordance with the National Defense Strategy while backing a whole-of-government measure.

The report also outlines DoD’s interagency programs such as efforts to align NDS with the National Security Strategy; continuous aerial and maritime operations in areas covered by international law; and collaboration with Congress and executive branch to safeguard the country’s national security innovation base.
 

Reps. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) and Bob Latta (R-Ohio) have introduced two bills that aim to protect the U.S. electric infrastructure from cyber threats.

The Enhancing Grid Security through Public-Private Partnerships Act would require the Department of Energy to advance public-private partnerships and facilitate data collection and sharing of best practices to build up the cybersecurity posture of electric utilities, according to a joint release published Wednesday.

The Cyber Sense Act would establish a voluntary program within DOE to help promote the use of cyber products in the bulk power system and create a testing process for those offerings.

McNerney said the electric grid serves as the U.S. economy’s backbone and the bills seek to strengthen the electric infrastructure and promote partnerships between industry and DOE.

“Improving cooperation is key to ensuring the best information, products, and practices are being used to guard against cyberattacks, and these bills will foster a collaborative relationship between DOE and utilities that will help accomplish this goal,” Latta said.

Latta and McNerney serve as co-chair of the Grid Innovation Caucus, which aims to offer a forum to discuss ways to address challenges facing the electric grid.
 

Jeffery Green, president of Washington, D.C.-based government relations firm J.A. Green & Co., has said lawmakers should advance bipartisan cooperation to support the defense industrial base.

Green wrote in a Defense News commentary published Friday about the non-security benefits of the Defense Production Act of 1950 and other industrial base initiatives.

“For instance, a strong defense-industrial base expands opportunities by assisting women and minority-owned businesses to establish a presence in the market, diversifying local economies across the U.S. and indirectly sustaining a large number of jobs outside of the defense industry,” he noted.

He said the gaps identified in the defense industrial base report and mine permitting reform provide Congress an opportunity to pursue bipartisan action in support of the industrial base.

“In conclusion, both Democrats and Republicans have common ground in the area of industrial-base policy and should seek to cooperate to advance their goals,” wrote Green, who previously worked at the Department of Defense and the House Armed Services Committee.

“This cooperation should include commitments from both sides to not intentionally create legislative gridlock in order to advance partisan political agendas that stand little chance of becoming law.”