Welcome to part one 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:

• Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress Oct 13, 2020
• Navy Constellation (FFG-62) Class Frigate (Previously FFG[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress Oct 13, 2020
• National Security Implications of Fifth Generation (5G) Mobile Technologies Oct 08, 2020
• Navy John Lewis (TAO-205) Class Oiler Shipbuilding Program: Background and Issues for Congress Oct 08, 2020
• Navy Light Amphibious Warship (LAW) Program: Background and Issues for Congress Oct 08, 2020
• Navy LPD-17 Flight II and LHA Amphibious Ship Programs: Background and Issues for Congress Oct 08, 2020
• Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress Oct 08, 2020
• New U.S. Marine Corps Force Design Initiatives Oct 08, 2020
• Overview of Department of Defense Use of the Electromagnetic Spectrum Oct 08, 2020
• The Army’s Project Convergence Oct 08, 2020
• U.S. Nuclear Weapons Tests Oct 08, 2020
• Department of Defense Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E): Appropriations Structure Oct 07, 2020
• Navy Columbia (SSBN-826) Class Ballistic Missile Submarine Program: Background and Issues for Congress Oct 7, 2020
• Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress Oct 07, 2020
• Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress Oct 07, 2020
• Navy Large Unmanned Surface and Undersea Vehicles: Background and Issues for Congress Oct 07, 2020
• Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress Oct 07, 2020
• Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress Oct 06, 2020
• Air Force Next-Generation Air Dominance Program: An Introduction Oct 05, 2020
• Coast Guard Cutter Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress Oct 02, 2020
• Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (Polar Icebreaker) Program: Background and Issues for Congress Oct 02, 2020
• The Fundamentals of Military Readiness Oct 02, 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.”