Inside the Army highlights

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

1. Army Secretary Mark Esper is planning to visit BAE Systems' York, PA, manufacturing plant as the service continues to hold off on a full-rate production decision for the Paladin Integrated Management system, he told reporters last week.

Full story: Esper to visit BAE plant to resolve issues with new howitzer

2. Army officials are working to lock in requirements for a planned big-ticket acquisition program to replace the Bradley Fighting Vehicle -- a program launch set for this fall that would give the service a marquee "next-generation" project to tout in the same way the Air Force has a new bomber and the Navy a new ballistic missile submarine.

Full story: Army previews desired capabilities for Next Generation Combat Vehicle

3. The Army's early efforts to examine soldier behavior while using robotic and autonomous systems on the battlefield have shown the service it may need to tailor its development and procurement approach when it comes to robots.

Full story: Army looking to develop expendable robots for future fight

4. Near the end of this week, the Army expects to receive white paper concepts from industry for a new battlefield heads-up display, a program the service estimates may cost more than a half-billion dollars.

Full story: Army fast tracking new battlefield heads-up display