In FY25, CoAspire is lobbying for its own RAACM missile for an additional $6M in funding, for the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps for an additional $6M in funding, and two requests for Digital Engineering Software Activities for a global Digital Engineering software company for $10M each. If you are a Hill office, please reach out to CoAspire at info@coaspire.com with any questions on these activities. If you are interested in having CoAspire support your company in FY25 or beyond, please contact us immediately.
The CoAspire lobbying team had three major successes in FY24, the addition of $5M and directive report language for CoAspire’s RAACM cruise missile in the FY24 NDAA, $4M added for the Sea Cadets and $8M added for an Army Robotic Construction Additive Manufacturing with indigenous materials activity.
FY24 $4M Defense Appropriation Add for the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps
Sea Cadets received an additional $4.0M added to FY24 PBR of $1.7M. The HACD supported a mark of $4M, and it survived in conference. Thanks to the HASC for also including an additional $4.3M in the Navy budget to fund the Sea Cadets.
Also, here is a great video filmed in June of 2022 about Sea Cadet Summer Training: x board visit 2 - YouTube.
And finally, the following letter from last year on Capitol Hill shows the strong support for the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps:
FY24 Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile (RAACM) $5M Competitive Add in the FY24 NDAA with Report Language
The CoAspire team was thrilled to see the House and Senate support a competitive add of $5M for RAACM in FY24, as seen in this table revealed in December, 2023 and signed into law by the President:
Additionally, RAACM was highlighted as Directive Report Language by the HASC in the FY24 NDAA Report. Here is the language:
Development of the Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile
The committee continues to support the expansion of the cruise missile production industrial base. The committee is encouraged by the Air Force’s use of the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program to contract with a small business to design an innovative Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile (RAACM).
The RAACM will be a Weapon Open System Architecture design, Government Reference Architecture compliant family of weapon systems developed in parallel with a digital model. This use of digital engineering technologies and fasttrack to production concepts like determinant manufacturing allows for the rapid development and production of cost-effective, air-launched cruise missiles.
This speed to field a family of affordable weapons capacity is required to deter peer and near-peer threats now, by providing aircrews a capable weapon in the quantities needed to overwhelm an enemy’s defenses. The committee notes that RAACM does not have an identified future funding path in fiscal year 2024, or in the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP). Without a defined plan, it is challenging to quickly execute this vision of providing affordable capacity in time to deter peer threats. For small businesses investing in the people, parts, and test equipment needed to develop, test, fly and ultimately produce at rate a weapon like RAACM, instability in future funding is a risk that makes development inefficient, slow, and more expensive.
Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not later than December 1, 2023, that explains in detail the Air Force’s RAACM development and acquisition strategy to include: (1) threshold and objective performance characteristics provided in the initial System Performance Specification delivered by the contractor; (2) draft schedule for future production and how that will increase the draft schedule for future production and how that will increase the missile industrial base; (3) streamlined test and evaluation plan that takes into account commercial-off-the-shelf and previously developed SBIR technology; (4) proposed funding profile across the FYDP; and, (5) issues for consideration and planning related to transitioning the program from prototype to production activities.
CoAspire successfully advocated for $8M in Appropriated funds added to the Army’s Ground Advanced Technology RDT&E line for Additive Manufacturing with Indigenous Materials
This $8M will help the Army develop ways to construct the walls of facilities quickly using local rocks, sand, gravel, lava rock, coral remnants (etc.) to deter and better fight future enemies.