Lockheed wins $1.1B contract to design Navy’s Integrated Combat System

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin $23 million to begin creating the Integrated Combat System that may one day connect the Navy’s and U.S. Coast Guard’s surface fleets.

The award could be worth up to $1.1 billion if all options are exercised through fiscal 2030.

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Lockheed’s winning bid was one of two submitted, according to a Defense Department announcement that did not name the second bidder. The Navy’s new program office for the integrated combat system issued a request for proposals for the systems engineering and software integration of a future ICS in May 2022.

Joe DePietro, Lockheed’s vice president and general manager for multi-domain combat solutions, told Defense News that the company’s “21st Century Security strategy is delivering capabilities including the Integrated Combat System, a next generation combat management system aligned to the Navy’s objectives to deliver high quality, scalable capability across the surface navy.

“By leveraging the best of industry, we are creating the environment to quickly develop and field capabilities that will keep the Navy ready for current and future threats,” he said in an email.

The Navy envisions a common combat system connecting ships in the future. Today, destroyers, cruisers and littoral combat ships use variations of Lockheed’s Aegis Combat System, something frigates and unmanned surface vessels will also use. Amphibious ships and aircraft carriers use a separate Ship Self-Defense System that was developed by Raytheon and is now managed by Lockheed.

“We’re really looking at how do we evolve … from our surface Navy combat systems into an integrated combat system that can be fielded across the board,” DePietro previously told Defense News.

If the Navy could achieve a common combat system for all its surface combatants, it could field and integrate new capabilities across the entire fleet faster and manage the combat system for less cost, leaders have said. To achieve this vision, the Navy is pursuing ICS hardware and software development programs — supplemented by a Forge effort for software development and experimentation and Foundry for hardware — aimed at supporting not only its fleet of surface ships but also Coast Guard vessels and foreign military sales.

“The Software Program designs, develops, and supports ICS software capabilities in support of mission execution for surface ships. The Hardware Program designs, procures, and supports the shipboard computing infrastructure, consoles, and peripherals for sailor interface with, and hosting of, the ICS software,” according to a Navy notice on the System for Award Management website.

By decoupling the hardware and software, the Navy intends to be able to upgrade each on their own schedules, as new technology develops and budgets allow. New capabilities can be fielded and vulnerabilities patched by pushing software updates to the ships instead of bringing them to the pier for physical changes. Computer servers or consoles could be swapped in as commercial industry pushes the technology forward.

Lockheed has been paving the way for this effort by digitizing the Aegis Combat System and Ship Self-Defense System as much as possible. It’s already “virtualized” the Aegis system, allowing it to be run from a small-form computer package instead of requiring the massive hardware on a ship.

Through this effort, the virtualized Aegis system has been plugged onto unmanned surface vessels to launch missiles, has become the heart of the Army’s ground-based Typhon mid-range capability for land and maritime defense, and has been used as a digital twin to test out new capabilities live on ships without disrupting their established combat systems.

Rear Adm. Fred Pyle, the director of surface warfare on the chief of naval operations’ staff, previously said this overall effort is meant to “get to that nirvana of one combat system.”

BAE Systems to supply US Army with jam-resistant navigation tech

WASHINGTON — BAE Systems will provide the U.S. Army high-tech, embeddable computer cards used for secure navigation on foot and aboard armored vehicles in a contract worth $318 million.

The five-year contract for M-code GPS modules and related engineering support, announced Sept. 29, gives the service’s positioning, navigation and timing experts direct access to the company’s wares, according to the Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors, or PEO IEW&S.

The cards were previously procured through “various external contracts” and the Defense Logistics Agency, which ran up costs and complicated the buying process, the office said.

M-code is meant to be a stronger, more secure source of situational awareness — where a soldier is, where a soldier is headed and at what pace. It touts increased resistance to jamming and spoofing, a critical consideration for the U.S. as it prepares for potential fighting against Russia and China. Both wield significant electronic warfare arsenals that can make traversal and coordination more difficult.

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Michael Trzeciak, a project manager at PEO IEW&S, said the BAE Systems arrangement “made sense” because of compatibility with existing equipment, namely Dismounted Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing Systems, DAPS, and Mounted Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing Systems, MAPS.

The Army in April tapped TRX Systems for the former. Collins Aerospace, part of RTX, was selected last year for the latter.

BAE Systems is the seventh largest defense contractor in the world when ranked by defense-related revenue. The company brought in $25.2 billion in 2022 and $25.7 billion in 2021, according to Defense News’ “Top 100″ analysis.

F-35 program finishes years-late tests needed for full production

WASHINGTON — The F-35 program has completed a long-delayed series of crucial tests, which could pave the way for a decision next year to officially move the advanced fighter jet into full-rate production.

The Joint Simulation Environment tests, known as “runs for score,” were finished Sept. 21, as was the initial trial validation, F-35 Joint Program Office spokesman Russell Goemaere said in an email to Defense News Friday.

The Pentagon’s Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation, will now analyze the data collected in the tests, which were conducted through much of September. DOT&E’s report on the F-35′s performance in the JSE tests could be delivered to Pentagon leaders by the end of December.

The Joint Simulation Environment’s 64 test trials at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland were designed to put all three versions of the F-35 through a variety of in-depth scenarios, similar to situations they would likely encounter in real-world combat.

DOT&E said in a report released in January that those scenarios would include defensive counter-air, cruise missile defense, and combined offensive counter-air, air interdiction and destruction of enemy air defense trials.

The completion of the JSE tests marks a crucial step for the program — one that is needed before the F-35′s initial operational test and evaluation phase can be closed, and the Pentagon can make a Milestone C decision that officially authorizes it to enter full rate production.

In an interview with Air and Space Forces Magazine this month, the head of the F-35 program, Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt said a Milestone C decision would likely be made in early 2024. But Schmidt acknowledged to the magazine that the fighter is already being built at nearly full capacity, muting the effect a full-rate production authorization would have. Lockheed Martin typically aims to build roughly 150 F-35s each year.

The watchdog Project on Government Oversight has criticized the Pentagon for producing F-35s as if it were already in full-rate production, before such crucial tests were completed. POGO analyst Dan Grazier told Defense News earlier this year that if the F-35′s testing finds problems with the fighter before a full-rate production decision is officially made, it would mean hundreds of fighters already built and in use could need extensive retrofitting.

The Pentagon originally hoped to make a Milestone C decision on the F-35 in December 2019, but the deadline repeatedly slipped as the setup of the Joint Simulation Environment fell further behind schedule.

Creating the simulation environment proved challenging for the department, and the Pentagon struggled with the verification, validation and accreditation process. The tests fell years behind schedule.

In a roundtable with reporters at the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air Space Cyber conference earlier this month, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said he was confident the JSE would allow the F-35 to go through the tests it needs, and said it contained “a really remarkable set of capabilities.”

Kendall said many of the JSE test results would be classified.

German Cartel Office approves Rheinmetall’s foray into Ukraine

COLOGNE, Germany — German defense contractor Rheinmetall has cleared a review by the federal Cartel Office to operate a maintenance plant in Ukraine, as more European arms makers consider setting up shop in the war-torn country.

The decision will enable the Düsseldorf-based company to enter into a joint venture with Ukrainian Defence Industry group, formerly Ukroboronprom, which will be based in Kyiv once all regulatory agencies here have cleared the plans.

Rheinmetall’s footprint in Ukraine will initially enable the maintenance and repair of weapons and vehicles donated to Kyiv by Germany. Also covered is German-made equipment transferred from other countries under Berlin’s “Ringtausch” arms-swapping program.

CEO Armin Papperger has previously said the company also has ambitions to build its own lineup of military combat vehicles in Ukraine, such as the Panther battle tank or the Lynx infantry fighting vehicle.

The joint venture in Ukraine could also involve new, cooperative equipment developments at a later time, with an eye on the export market, Rheinmetall said in a statement.

“Cooperation between Rheinmetall and the Ukrainian defense industry is designed to strengthen Ukraine’s defense sector and ultimately the country’s national security by gradually building joint capabilities in defense technology in Ukraine,” it said. “Under the agreement, Ukraine will benefit from comprehensive technology transfers; from the creation of defense technology capabilities at home; from additional local value added; and from the prompt delivery of military equipment from Germany.”

A company spokesman declined to name which government offices besides the Cartel Office are involved in the ongoing government review, saying only the remaining approvals were expected shortly. Also left unanswered was a question about when the envisioned plant could start work and whether Rheinmetall plans to build new facilities.

Several European companies, including Finland’s Patria and Sweden’s BAE Systems Hägglunds, have said they are evaluating options for local production or maintenance of weapons and vehicles in Ukraine. As with Rheinmetall, the plans have been nebulous on the timing, though they appear to be geared at long-term support for a post-war Ukrainian military, whenever that will come to pass.

Chinese defense firms show off counter-drone tech at Serbia arms show

Belgrade, Serbia – Chinese defense companies are tapping into Serbia’s market potential, striving to further expand their activities within the country and the wider Balkan region, manufacturers say.

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace referred to Serbia as China’s “open-door” to the Balkan region in a 2019 report. Four years later, their relationship is strengthening, as demonstrated at a Serbian government-sponsored Partner 23 defense exhibition held in Belgrade this week.

Thus far, Chinese military exports have not enjoyed the same level of success in other parts of the region, although many Balkan countries have opened themselves to Chinese firms in infrastructure sectors.

Ahead of the Partner 23 fair, Serbia was the guest country of honor at the 23rd Chinese International Fair for Investment and Trade on Sept. 9. One of the objectives of the conference is to promote Serbian investment policies and environment, according to a statement published on the social media of the organizers.

In the context of the Belgrade defense event taking place here, three of four Chinese defense companies present reported that this was their first time attending.

“There is an obvious interest in the Serbian market, as for most Chinese companies here, it is our first time at the fair, showing part of our products for the first time as well in Europe, so there has been an expansion in our [China-based exhibitors] presence,” a representative of China National Precision Machinery Import & Export Corp. said.

CNPMIEC promoted itself as China’s largest missile weapons systems supplier. It displayed laser weapon systems, including the LW-30, which uses high energy beams to strike incoming targets, including low-altitude and low-speed drones. It is suited for forces looking to gain airspace control and air defenses, as it is able to implement hard and soft kill of threats within three kilometers (1.87 miles).

Another newcomer was ELINC China, which produces electronic warfare and counter-drone systems. Among its best-sellers, also displayed at the fair but not labeled, is the CHL-906 multifunction radar jamming and electronic intelligence station, that can be sold in different configurations.

“As first time exhibitors, we are interested in expanding into Serbia and the Balkan region markets. We are open and ready to cooperate with Serbian industry,” Sun Xuming, assistant general manager at ELINC’s Eurasian Department said.

This sentiment was also echoed by a representative of Norinco Group, a Chinese state-owned defense firm that attended an earlier edition of the Belgrade fair. The company placed at the forefront of its booth mock-ups of anti-tank missiles and armored vehicles, including the VN22 6×6 infantry fighting vehicle.

Surprisingly, almost no drones were displayed by Chinese firms. One of the only visible ones was the Wing Loong II, showcased on the stand of CATIC, also exhibiting for the first time.

No company officials were available to comment on whether they intended to push a possible sale of the Wing Loong II to the Serbian military. Belgrade currently lacks a MALE category drone comparable to the MQ-9 Reaper.

Peter Voinovich, editor-in-chief of Serbian aviation news portal TangoSix, said he is doubtful the country has any interest in it.

“Serbia, at least publicly, has not expresesed an interest in getting the Wing Loong II, as a medium-altitude long-endurance capability,” he said. “The MoD strategy has been to gradually introduce foreign drones for the purpose of fulfilling urgent needs, which manifested in acquiring the Chinese CH-92A and follow-on CH-95 systems.”

Boeing to pay $8.1M to settle Osprey false claims allegations

WASHINGTON — Boeing agreed to an $8.1 million settlement with the federal government to resolve allegations that the company submitted false claims and made false statements regarding its contracts with the U.S. Navy to build the tiltrotor V-22 Osprey, the Justice Department said Thursday.

The government had alleged that from about 2007 to 2018, Boeing failed to conduct contractually required monthly tests on autoclaves that were used in the process of curing composite materials used to make Ospreys at its Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, facility. Autoclaves are pressure cooker-like machines that use high heat and pressure to sterilize objects and kill bacteria.

The settlement, which was signed Wednesday, said Boeing denies the allegations that it failed to conduct the required autoclave tests, and does not admit liability. Justice said that the claims – while now resolved – remain allegations. Boeing and the government agreed to the settlement to avoid lengthy litigation to resolve the claims.

Boeing and the U.S. Navy did not immediately respond to Defense News’ requests for comment.

Justice said that former Boeing employees who worked on autoclave operations and composites fabrication on the V-22 program and filed a civil action in 2016 under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. The government will pay those former employees more than $1.5 million as part of the settlement of the case, and Boeing will pay their attorneys more than $1.1 million for their fees and costs.

“The government expects contractors to adhere to contractual obligations to which they have agreed and for which they have been paid,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, who is head of Justice’s civil division, said in the statement. “Today’s settlement demonstrates our commitment to hold accountable contractors who violate such obligations and undermine the integrity of the government’s procurement process.”

Taiwan launches its first homemade submarine

MELBOURNE, Australia — Taiwan has launched its first domestically-built submarine, marking a significant milestone in its efforts to replace an aging naval capability.

The diesel-electric attack submarine, christened the Hai Kun after a mythical sea creature in Chinese folklore, was launched at the shipyard of CSBC Shipyard in the southern city of Kaohsiung earlier on Thursday, Sept. 28.

The launch ceremony was attended by the self-ruling island’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, and comes seven years after Taiwan first decided to build its own submarines to replace the four elderly submarines currently operated by the country’s Republic of China Navy, or ROCN.

Photos of the launch ceremony published by the government and media present showed that the design has an X-rudder configuration for operations in shallow waters, with a pair of additional small horizontal fins.

However, Taiwan has not released the Hai Kun’s specifications, although local media has previously reported that it displaces approximately 2,500 tonnes and is 70 meters, or 230 feet, long.

It has also been reported that Taiwan has received significant foreign assistance in building the submarine, although 40% of components are local.

This overseas assistance reported includes a version of the AN/BYG-1 submarine combat management system, used in U.S. Navy nuclear submarines, being sold to Taiwan, along with digital sonar systems, integrated combat systems and auxiliary equipment systems, including periscopes.

The U.K. government has granted licenses to companies to export some $200 million worth of submarine technology and parts to Taiwan, and retired engineers from Japan’s Mitsubishi and Kawasaki Heavy Industries were believed to have provided technical support.

Reuters has also reported in November 2021 that that Taiwan had recruited engineers and retired submariners from the U.S., U.K., Australia, South Korea, India, Spain and Canada to work on the program and advise the ROCN on submarine construction and operations.

Taiwan is seeking to build eight submarines, with the Hai Kun expected to be commissioned into the ROCN in 2025 after sea trials following its launch.

Taiwan’s submarine fleet currently comprises two former U.S. Navy submarines built during World War II and two former Dutch Navy boats acquired in the late 1980s.

Anduril to hone Ghost drone autonomy under contract with US Air Force

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force awarded defense technology firm Anduril Industries contracts totaling $8 million to refine the autonomous capabilities on two drone aircraft.

Anduril will work to hone the autonomy on its helicopter-like Ghost reconnaissance, security and force protection uncrewed aircraft and the recently unveiled enhanced version dubbed Ghost-X under these contracts, the company said Friday.

Anduril spokeswoman Sofia Haft said that the Air Force will also buy some Ghost aircraft as part of this contract, but the company would not say how many. The contracts will also allow Anduril to further refine Ghost’s hardware, she said, and develop specific autonomous behaviors for the aircraft to perform.

The Ghost contract will be for 12 months, and the Ghost-X contract will be for 18 months, Haft said.

Ghost-X made its debut Sept. 12 at the DSEI defense conference in London. Anduril said at the time that Ghost-X’s upgrades will allow it to fly longer than its predecessor, or up to 75 minutes, and carry a payload of up to 20 pounds, which would be roughly twice as much weight as the original Ghost.

Anduril said Ghost-X was created using feedback from a range of customers who have flown the original Ghost for more than 1,000 hours in a variety of environments, including combat theaters.

One of those combat zones is Ukraine, Haft said, though the company would not say anything else about how Ghost has been used there citing security concerns.

Ghost-X’s upgrades will give it a modular carriage that is able to carry multiple payloads, and more resilience to operate in more challenging operational environments, Anduril said.

Ghost uses Anduril’s Lattice software to control its autonomous capabilities and fly largely on its own, the company said, allowing it to automate mission planning, manage its airspace, and conduct flight operations, lessening the burden on operators.

Anduril’s work with the Ghost drones under this contract will support the Air Force’s AFWERX innovation unit, which aims to help industry develop technologies that can help counter threats worldwide. AFWERX in fall 2022 launched a new program called Autonomy Prime to collaborate with defense firms to push autonomous technologies forward and try to turn them into official programs of record.

As the Air Force and Anduril work to further develop the Ghost aircraft, the company said airmen will modify government software, integrate it into Ghost’s open architecture autonomous programming, and then test how well it performs. Anduril said the open architecture structure would allow Ghost to be quickly modified to meet a commander’s needs and adjust to changes on the battlefield.

“The Ghost platform adapts to user needs with a flexible design that allows operators to integrate sensors, communications, navigation and other modular mission payloads,” Anduril said.

Ukraine funds to backfill US stocks will expire amid GOP opposition

WASHINGTON ― House Republicans’ growing opposition to a fifth Ukraine aid package means the Pentagon is unlikely to have the funding it needs to replenish U.S. weapons it has already sent to Kyiv.

Approximately $2.5 billion in Ukraine funds earmarked for the Defense Department to backfill U.S. weapons stockpiles expires at the end of the fiscal year on Saturday. And with House Republican leaders refusing to consider the Senate’s short-term budget proposal that includes $6 billion in supplemental assistance for Kyiv, it’s unlikely the Pentagon will have the replenishment funds it needs starting in October.

House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., told Defense News there’s no backup plan to get the replenishment funds it needs for U.S. stockpiles without an additional Ukraine aid package.

“We’ve got to get the supplemental,” he said.

But that’s easier said than done.

The Senate’s Ukraine aid supplemental includes $1.5 billion in replenishment funds to backfill U.S. stocks. That’s part of a broader $6 billion package in economic and military aid for Kyiv that the Senate included in its stopgap funding bill needed to avoid a government shutdown on Sunday.

The Senate’s Ukraine aid package is significantly smaller than the $24 billion the White House asked for in August. The slimmed down package also includes $1.5 billion for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which allows the Pentagon to place contracts for defense manufacturers to build weapons systems for Kyiv over the longer-term, and another $1.5 billion in Defense Department operations and maintenance funds to help the Ukrainians ward off Russia’s invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Capitol Hill last week, telling lawmakers his country would lose the war without continued assistance. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., did not invite Zelenskyy to address the full House but met with him privately alongside the bipartisan leadership of key congressional committees.

The Pentagon says that a previous accounting error means it has approximately $6 billion in funds to keep transferring weapons to Ukraine past the end of the fiscal year. But the Pentagon will not have funds to continue backfilling those weapons without a new supplemental.

McCarthy has refused to put a Ukraine supplemental on the floor.

And the House spent a significant portion of the week holding multiple votes on whether to keep $300 million in funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative in the defense spending bill, which Republicans have repeatedly struggled to pass this month. That money does not include the funds the Pentagon needs to backfill U.S. stockpiles.

Nevertheless, the House voted 217-211 on Thursday to strip the $300 million in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funding from the defense spending bill and hold a separate vote on it. This vote marked an abrupt reversal from Wednesday when most lawmakers overwhelmingly voted 104-330 against an amendment from Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., that would have removed the Ukraine funds from the defense spending bill. Also on Wednesday, the House rejected another amendment from Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to ban assistance to Ukraine in a 93-339 vote.

Despite the strong support for Ukraine, Republican leaders hope removing the assistance from the defense spending bill will appease the skeptics in their party and finally allow them to pass the legislation on Friday, after failing three times to do so earlier this month. The struggle to pass Ukraine aid and defense spending legislation comes as Congress threatens to shut down the government on Sunday amid the right-wing Freedom Caucus’ opposition to a short-term spending bill.

While strong bipartisan majorities continue to support Ukraine aid, previously supportive Republicans are now voting with the Freedom Caucus on the issue.

One of those previously supportive Republicans who voted against Ukraine aid this week is a defense appropriator, Rep. Mike Garcia of California. He said on Wednesday that he couldn’t support “a blank check commitment.”

“It’s not clear to me that the Ukrainians have a clearly defined win strategy to get the Russians out of eastern regions of Ukraine,” he said in a video on Wednesday. “It’s not clear to me that our nations, the United States and Ukraine, have alignment on the strategic mission objective of repelling Russia from Crimea or not. And it’s not clear to me the Ukrainians are taking the advice of Ukrainian military advisers on how to win the war.”

Congress has passed a cumulative $113 billion in economic and security assistance for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion last year.

“Here again is an attempt to cut off any support for Ukraine as they fight to defend their country from an illegal Russian invasion,” Rep. Betty McCollum, the top Democratic defense appropriator, said on Wednesday. “Let’s not abandon our fellow democracies. Let’s not abandon the EU and our NATO allies now. Let’s not abandon Ukraine.”

Rogers calls for Pentagon IG probe of Space Command basing decision

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said he’ll seek a U.S. Department of Defense inspector general investigation into the decision to base U.S. Space Command headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo.

During a Sept. 28 committee hearing about the Space Command basing decision, Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said he will continue to push for legislation that restricts military construction funding from being used to build a permanent headquarters facility at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado.

“Congress gets to decide what we’re going to authorize and what we’re going to pay for,” he said. “It is my intent to make sure the competition results are honored and that the permanent basing headquarters are authorized and funded to be constructed in Huntsville, Alabama.”

Rogers and other lawmakers claim the decision — made by President Joe Biden and informed by a years-long Air Force basing effort — was influenced by politics and the process included “striking irregularities.”

The potential inspector general investigation and proposal to pause work to establish a permanent Colorado headquarters follows a four-year effort to identify a home for Space Command. Since its re-establishment in 2019, the department’s newest combatant command has been temporarily based in Colorado Springs. In 2021, just as former President Donald Trump was leaving office, the White House announced Huntsville as its pick for the organization’s headquarters.

The decision sparked pushback from Colorado lawmakers, largely led by Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., who called the Air Force’s selection process “fundamentally flawed.” Lamborn requested a Government Accountability Office review of the decision and a DoD inspector general investigation. Both inquiries determined that while the basing process lacked transparency and credibility, the Air Force followed the law in choosing Alabama.

Despite the conclusion of the watchdog investigations, the White House announced July 31 it had abandoned the Trump administration’s previous decision and that Space Command would remain in Colorado in order to maintain “peak readiness.”

Rogers, as leader of the influential House committee, immediately launched his own congressional investigation, threatened to subpoena DoD officials for documents and called for another GAO review of the Air Force basing process.

Operational readiness

Defense Department officials testified during the hearing that the decision to keep the command in Colorado Springs is tied to “operational readiness” concerns.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who took office in July 2021, led a reevaluation of the Trump administration’s basing analysis that focused on facilities needs and workforce requirements. He told lawmakers that the results were consistent with the previous basing process, identifying Huntsville as the most affordable location and highlighting Colorado Springs as the site with the lowest operational risk.

While Kendall thought that there were potential “mitigations” to those operational risks, he said Space Command Commander Gen. James Dickinson “assessed those considerations quite differently,” which drove the White House’s final decision.

“The decision came down to a judgment about the operational risk associated with relocating versus the reduced cost of the leading alternative of Huntsville,” Kendall said. “I fully support the president’s judgment in this matter, given the intensifying threat. And with a final decision now . . . we are prepared to move forward with the implementation of this basing decision.”

Dickinson said during the hearing that keeping Space Command in Colorado will allow the organization to maintain mission readiness and retain civilian personnel, which currently makes up 60% of its workforce. Were the headquarters to move south, the command estimates 88% of those civilians would opt not to transfer to the new location.

Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., pushed back on the claim that locating Space Command headquarters in Huntsville would impose risk to its mission.

“The able and ready workforce that’s there in Huntsville can more than accommodate the operational readiness,” she said.