Senate panel OKs NDAA

      The Senate Armed Services Committee authorized $750 billion for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 2020, including a number of acquisition changes, the committee announced.

      The procurement changes are intended to strengthen oversight, streamline the Defense Dept. bureaucracy and support the industrial base, including small businesses.

      The committee’s bill:

• Sets up a pilot program to use “alpha” contracting teams for complex requirements for services;
• Orders a review of service contract management and oversight;
• Authorizes $50 million above the request for advanced manufacturing, materials and printed circuit boards;
• Sets up processes to gain insight into foreign ownership and influence over U.S. defense contractors;
• “Encourages” a pilot program on intellectual property evaluation for acquisition programs;
• Strengthens or streamlines processes related to the approval and award of contracts, including pricing evaluations, contract writing systems and task and delivery orders;
• Adopts modern software development and IT acquisition practices;
• Sets up pathways for rapid acquisition of software and upgrades;
• Requires agile methods for development of the Joint Strike Fighter Autonomic Logistics Information System;
• Reduces funds for systems not effectively using agile acquisition;
• Authorizes additional funding for the Defense Digital Service
• Implements stronger oversight for programs with significant reliability issues, cost growth or delays, including the CH-53K King Stallions and the Ford-class aircraft carriers (CVN-78);
• Requires the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) to track the costs of the audit corrective action plan; and
• Orders reporting of Navy procurement prime and subcontractor stop work orders orother manufacturing disruptions of 15 calendar days or longer.

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Senate panel OKs NDAA

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