Inside the Army highlights

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

1. With a new $50 million contract in hand to help the Army make its vehicles lighter, the president of aluminum giant Alcoa's defense business says the service is facing some key decisions for the way ahead.

Full story: Alcoa Defense chief sees Army at key decision point toward lighter vehicles

2. The Army's Third Generation Forward Looking Infrared (3rd Gen FLIR) system has entered the engineering and manufacturing development phase, with the service awarding a trio of contracts this month.

Full story: Army moves ahead with sensor upgrade

3. Government Accountability Office auditors have pointed to software and tooling as two areas of risk for the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle program schedule, but manufacturer BAE Systems says initial production will go ahead as planned this spring.

Full story: Auditors flag AMPV production risk, but manufacturer is confident