Gov / Military Spending, DOD Contracts, National Defense $$$$

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Pentagon Eyes Southern Philippines as Refueling Hub for U.S. Warships, Military Aircraft​

The Defense Logistics Agency is looking to expand its maritime refueling capacity from the Philippines by contracting companies on the southern island of Mindanao to supply up to 42 million gallons of fuel a year, according to new documents.

A solicitation put out by the combat support agency, which is responsible for sustaining U.S. military operations across the globe, is examining the Davao Region in Mindanao for contractor-owned and operated facilities and services that could receive, store and ship naval distillate grade F76 and aviation grade JP5. Considered locations encompass the western coast of the Davao Gulf, including Davao City, Davao del Sur and Malalag Bay.

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GAO Report on the Defense Industrial Base​

The following is the July 24, 2025, Government Accountability Office report, Defense Industrial Base: Actions Needed to Address Risks Posed by Dependence on Foreign Suppliers.

From the report​

What GAO Found

The Department of Defense (DOD) considers reliance on foreign sources for items it procures a national security risk. DOD estimates that over 200,000 suppliers help produce advanced weapon systems and noncombat goods. The primary procurement database for the federal government, however, provides little visibility into where these goods are manufactured or whether materials and parts suppliers are domestic or foreign.

DOD is pursuing several supply chain visibility efforts designed to help improve its ability to identify risks of what it refers to as “foreign dependency.” DOD has made progress gathering supplier information for major subsystems and components. However, these efforts are uncoordinated and limited in scope and provide little insight into the vast majority of suppliers, including those that provide raw materials and parts.

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US Awards $6.2 Billion to Run 51 Aged Ships in the Ready Reserve Force for the Department of Defense​

Aug 3, 2025 #supplychain #USNavy #ReserveFleet
In this episode, Sal Mercogliano — a maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu) and former merchant mariner — discusses the new 10-year contracts issued by the Maritime Administration to seven companies to operate 51 ships in the Ready Reserve Force. The ships, spread on the East, Gulf, and West coasts are maintained in a five-day reduced operating status and are on average 45 years old.

15:09

- MARAD Awards $6.2 Billion in Contracts to Strengthen U.S. Strategic Sealift Capability https://gcaptain.com/marad-awards-6-2...
- Maritime Administration Ready Reserve Force https://www.maritime.dot.gov/national...
- Fourth Arm of Defense https://www.history.navy.mil/research...
 

Report to Congress on Ford-class Aircraft Carrier Program​

The following is the August 1, 2025, Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress.

From the Report​

Introduction

This report provides background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN) aircraft carrier program. The Navy’s proposed FY 2026 budget requests $3,431.6 million (i.e., about $3.4 billion) in advance procurement (AP), procurement, and cost-to-complete (CTC) funding for Ford-class ships. Congress’s decisions on the CVN-78 program could substantially affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements and the shipbuilding industrial base.

The Navy’s current aircraft carrier force consists of 11 CVNs,1 including 10 Nimitz-class ships (CVNs 68 through 77) that entered service between 1975 and 2009, and one Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) class ship that was commissioned into service on July 22, 2017.

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Department of Defense Awards $10 Million to Develop a Domestic Mine-to-Master Alloy Scandium Supply Chain​

Today, the Department of Defense announced a $10 million award to Elk Creek Resources Corporation ("ECRC") via Title III of the Defense Production Act (DPA). ECRC is a subsidiary of NioCorp Developments Ltd. (NioCorp). Located near Elk Creek, Nebraska, ECRC is developing the United States' first polymetallic deposit targeting near-term production of Scandium (Sc), Niobium (Nb), Titanium (Ti), and other critical minerals. This investment supports the March 20, 2025, Executive Order 14241 Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production, the goal of which is to facilitate domestic mineral production.

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Pentagon Wants 3-Star Sub Czar to Lead All New Construction Programs Under DEPSECDEF​

The Pentagon wants to tap a three-star officer to lead the Navy’s submarine construction effort under Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg outlined in a new memo, USNI News has learned.

The memo, issued by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, describes the roles and responsibilities of the officer who will oversee the acquisition of all nuclear submarines for a four-year tenure. The officer would also assume control of the submarine program offices currently under the Department of the Navy, four people familiar with the contents of the plan told USNI News.

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Report to Congress on Defense Acquisition Reform​

The following is the Aug. 26, 2025, Congressional Research Service report to Congress, Defense Acquisition Reform: Executive and Legislative Branch Actions.

From the Report​

The Department of Defense (DOD) procures its weapon systems through the defense acquisition system (DAS), which typically determines the process by which DOD develops and buys goods and services from contractors. Over the past year, both the executive branch and Congress have introduced efforts to reform the DAS. Such efforts continue over a decade of DAS reform initiatives. While some analysts assert these initiatives have improved DOD acquisition processes, other analysts have argued that such acquisition reform efforts have generally yielded limited results, due in large part to DOD’s bureaucracy and processes.

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Report to Congress on Hypersonic Weapons​

The following is the Aug. 27, 2025, Congressional Research Service report, Hypersonic Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress.

From the report
The United States has actively pursued the development of hypersonic weapons—maneuvering weapons that fly at speeds of at least Mach 5—as a part of its conventional prompt global strike program since the early 2000s. In recent years, the United States has focused such efforts on developing hypersonic glide vehicles, which are launched from a rocket before gliding to a target, and hypersonic cruise missiles, which are powered by high-speed, air-breathing engines during flight. As former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former Commander of U.S. Strategic Command General John Hyten has stated, these weapons could enable “responsive, long-range, strike options against distant, defended, and/or time-critical threats [such as road-mobile missiles] when other forces are unavailable, denied access, or not preferred.” Critics, on the other hand, contend that hypersonic weapons lack defined mission requirements, contribute little to U.S. military capability, and are unnecessary for deterrence.

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