Inside the Army highlights

Some must-reads from this week's edition of Inside the Army:

1. Army Secretary Mark Esper emphasized the value of prototyping to improve requirements definition as the service aims to streamline its acquisition process, detailing an array of efforts taken or underway during Dec. 7 testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Full story: Army aims to set requirements in 12 months, halve acquisition time line

2. As part of the effort to consolidate modernization functions under a single command, Army leaders expect to borrow from industry and the other services to reduce "inertia" and increase agility in the acquisition system.

Full story: Hix: Futures command task force seeking 'best practices' for acquisition

3. Pentagon top brass last year relaxed a key warfighting requirement for the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile program at the request of the Army, which did not believe the $7.1 billion Hellfire-replacement program being developed by Lockheed Martin could meet its inflight reliability criteria, according to the Defense Department inspector general.

Full story: DOD softens JAGM warfighting requirement in bid to avoid cost growth

4. The Defense Department will continue to use its controversial Overseas Contingency Operations account to fund the $4.5 billion European Reassurance Initiative, despite a recommendation from the Government Accountability Office that the Pentagon move ERI spending into its more stable base budget.

Full story: Pentagon will keep ERI in war-funding account, despite GAO criticism