The fiscal year 2017 spending bill drastically cut the Navy's request for rapid prototyping funds, as lawmakers argued money is already available for such activities at the defense-wide level, according to a top official. The spending bill cuts the Navy's request for $57 million for Rapid Prototyping, Experimentation and Demonstration (RPED) to just $3.6 million, citing "excess growth" in the new line item, according to the legislation's explanatory text. President Trump signed the bill into law earlier this month. But...
