DSB Sees Dearth of Combatant Command Input: The Defense Science Board has just released a second volume from its 2005 Summer Study entitled “Transformation: A Progress Assessment.” This portion covers supporting work that took a look at DOD’s combat operations and capabilities transformation efforts, according to DSB Chairman William Schneider. In critiquing business management practices, the DSB said the capability-needs process continues to be dominated by force providers and the Joint Staff, and is “under represented” by the combatant commander’s needs. For more, read the report here.
The F-35 Joint Program Office has officially announced plans to issue multiple sole-source contracts to Pratt & Whitney to upgrade the fighter’s F135 engine—a widely expected move after Pentagon officials indicated they would do so earlier this year instead of developing an entirely new engine.