Welcome to part two of our regular bi-monthly summary of recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports and primers on a range of defense-, weapon system, acquisition, pandemic-, and supply chain management-related topics. Several recent issuances of potential interest to the defense acquisition workforce community include:

• Coast Guard Cutter Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress, July 29, 2020
• Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (Polar Icebreaker) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, July 29, 2020
• Defense Production Act (DPA): Recent Developments in Response to COVID-19, July 28, 2020
• Multiyear Procurement (MYP) and Block Buy Contracting in Defense Acquisition: Background and Issues for Congress, July 28, 2020
• Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, July 28, 2020
• Navy Columbia (SSBN-826) Class Ballistic Missile Submarine Program: Background and Issues for Congress, July 28, 2020
• Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress, July 28, 2020
• Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress, July 28, 2020
• Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress, July 28, 2020
• Navy Frigate (FFG[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, July 28, 2020
• Navy John Lewis (TAO-205) Class Oiler Shipbuilding Program: Background and Issues for Congress, July 28, 2020
• Navy Large Unmanned Surface and Undersea Vehicles: Background and Issues for Congress, July 28, 2020
• Navy Lasers, Railgun, and Gun-Launched Guided Projectile: Background and Issues for Congress, July 28, 2020
• Navy Light Amphibious Warship (LAW) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, July 28, 2020
• Navy Light Amphibious Warship (LAW) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, July 28, 2020
• Navy LPD-17 Flight II and LHA Amphibious Ship Programs: Background and Issues for Congress, July 28, 2020
• Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress -July 28, 2020
• Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV): Background and Issues for Congress, July 23, 2020
• U.S. Army Short-Range Air Defense Force Structure and Selected Programs: Background and Issues for Congress, July 23, 2020
• The Army’s Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, July 20, 2020
• Emerging Military Technologies: Background and Issues for Congress, July 17, 2020

As I regularly remind readers when I share information about these reports (and particularly for those not familiar with the CRS), the organization “…serves as nonpartisan shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.”

LOG blogs on recent CRS reports include:

• CRS Reports of Potential Interest to the Workforce (14 July 2020)
• CRS Reports of Potential Interest to the Acquisition Workforce (June 26, 2020)
• CRS Reports of Potential Interest in Recent Weeks (June 11, 2020)
• Recent May 2020 CRS Reports of Potential Interest (May 26, 2020)
• Recent CRS Reports of Potential Interest (May 11, 2020)