WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s high expertise official says Congress is on board with a proposed fast experimentation reserve, and she or he expects lawmakers to approve preliminary funding for the hassle in fiscal 2022.
The Fast Protection Experimentation Reserve is a brand new initiative from the U.S. Division of Protection’s analysis and engineering store meant to deal with high-need functionality gaps throughout the navy. From greater than 200 proposals, the division has chosen 32 initiatives and hopes to start demonstrations in fiscal 2023.
To arrange for these demos, the division wants funding in fiscal 2022 it didn’t embrace in its price range proposal. Undersecretary of Protection for Analysis and Engineering Heidi Shyu instructed reporters immediately she expects Congress to ship on a late request from the Pentagon so as to add funding within the forthcoming appropriations invoice.
“They’re truly plussing me up greater than I requested for,” Shyu stated throughout a Protection Writers Group occasion.
Shyu wouldn’t say how a lot cash she requested Congress so as to add for RDER in fiscal 2022. Requested what the division included in its fiscal 2023 program goal memorandum, she stated solely that it was lower than $1 billion.
“It doesn’t need to be very massive in any respect,” she stated. “For a small chunk of cash, we are able to transfer the needle fairly a bit.”
Shyu’s workplace has been gentle on particulars concerning the initiatives included within the first spherical of RDER demonstrations. The 32 efforts embrace a spread of categorized and unclassified expertise wants, however Shyu declined immediately, when pressed, to supply any examples.
Talking extra broadly about future funding, Shyu stated the division’s fiscal 2023 analysis and growth price range will construct on final yr’s $112 billion request, which was about 5% increased than what Congress appropriated in fiscal 2021.
Though she didn’t supply particulars about what can be included within the request, Shyu stated her priorities embrace areas like hypersonic weapons, autonomy and microelectronics. Her workplace plans to launch extra particulars on her high expertise priorities as quickly as subsequent week.
Courtney Albon is C4ISRNET’s area and rising expertise reporter. She beforehand lined the U.S. Air Pressure and U.S. Area Pressure for Inside Protection.