Welcome to the first of our regular bi-monthly summaries for the month of March 2021 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 include:

• The National Guard and the COVID-19 Pandemic Response, Mar 12, 2021
• Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (Polar Icebreaker) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, Mar 11, 2021
• Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress, Mar 11, 2021
• Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress, Mar 11, 2021
• COVID-19: Potential Implications for International Security Environment—Overview of Issues and Further Reading for Congress, Mar 10, 2021
• China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress, Mar 09, 2021
• The Army’s New Regionally Aligned Readiness and Modernization Model, Mar 09, 2021
• Biometric Technologies and Global Security, Mar 08, 2021
• Navy Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, Mar 08, 2021
• Renewed Great Power Competition: Implications for Defense—Issues for Congress, Mar 04, 2021
• Potential Military Roles for Supersonic Transports, Mar 03, 2021
• Navy Light Amphibious Warship (LAW) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, Mar 02, 2021
• Navy LPD-17 Flight II and LHA Amphibious Ship Programs: Background and Issues for Congress, Mar 02, 2021
• New U.S. Marine Corps Force Design Initiatives, Mar 02, 2021
• New COVID-19 Defense Production Act (DPA) Actions: Implementation Considerations, Mar 01, 2021

A quick reminder: The CRS “…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.”