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. With a decidedly maritime flavor this month, several recent issuances of potential interest to the defense acquisition workforce community include:

• Defense Primer: What Is Command and Control?, Nov 29, 2021
• Defense Primer: Department of Defense Pre-Positioned Materiel, Nov 26, 2021
• Air Force OA-X Light Attack Aircraft/SOCOM Armed Overwatch Program, Nov 24, 2021
• Defense Primer: Directed-Energy Weapons, Nov 23, 2021
• Defense Primer: Electronic Warfare, Nov 23, 2021
• Defense Primer: U.S. Precision-Guided Munitions, Nov 23, 2021
• Defense Primer: Department of the Army and Army Command Structure, Nov 22, 2021
• Defense Primer: Organization of U.S. Ground Forces, Nov 22, 2021
• Defense Primer: Special Operations Forces, Nov 22, 2021
• Defense Primer: Command and Control of Nuclear Forces, Nov 19, 2021
• FY2022 NDAA: President’s Budget Request, Nov 19, 2021
• Defense Primer: Hypersonic Boost-Glide Weapons, Nov 17, 2021
• Defense Primer: U.S. Policy on Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems, Nov 17, 2021
• Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress, Nov 17, 2021
• Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress, Nov 17, 2021
• |Navy Lasers, Railgun, and Gun-Launched Guided Projectile: Background and Issues for Congress, Nov 17, 2021
• Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress, Nov 17, 2021
• Renewed Great Power Competition: Implications for Defense—Issues for Congress, Nov 17, 2021

As I regularly like to remind our 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.”

Photo courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol