Welcome to the first of our regular bi-monthly summary of recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports and primers for the month of November 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
• Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (Polar Icebreaker) Program: Background and Issues for
• Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy Large Surface Combatant (LSC) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy Lasers, Railgun, and Gun-Launched Guided Projectile: Background and Issues for
• Navy Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
• Artificial Intelligence and National Security
• Defense Primer: Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) Capabilities
• Emerging Military Technologies: Background and Issues for Congress
• Multiyear Procurement (MYP) and Block Buy Contracting in Defense Acquisition: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy Columbia (SSBN-826) Class Ballistic Missile Submarine Program: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy Constellation (FFG-62) Class Frigate (Previously FFG[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy John Lewis (TAO-205) Class Oiler Shipbuilding Program: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy Large Unmanned Surface and Undersea Vehicles: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy Light Amphibious Warship (LAW) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy LPD-17 Flight II and LHA Amphibious Ship Programs: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress
• Hypersonic Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress
• Defense Primer: Department of the Navy
• Defense Primer: Geography, Strategy, and U.S. Force Design
• Department of Defense Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems
• COVID-19: Potential Implications for International Security Environment—Overview of Issues and Further Reading for Congress
• Defense Primer: Security Cooperation

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.”