Inside the Army highlights

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

1. The Army is expected to move forward with a competition for a Patriot-replacement radar this year if the Office of the Secretary of Defense approves an analysis of alternatives, according to just-released budget documents and service officials.

Full story: Vendor competition for lower-tier antimissile radar could begin this year

2. Two lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee last week proposed legislation that would stop Army end-strength reductions at 475,000 troops, an idea that had service officials questioning where the requisite funding would come from.

Full story: Lawmakers move to halt active Army cuts at 475,000 soldiers

3. The Army plans to use some money in fiscal year 2017 to finance survivability-enhancing pilot projects on its key combat-vehicle fleets, to include experiments with commercial active-protection systems, according to officials and budget documents.

Full story: Abrams, Bradley, Stryker are in line for active-protection pilot projects