Inside the Navy highlights

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

1. After several years of planning and discussions, the Defense Department notified Congress last week that it would pursue a two-ship buy of the third and fourth Gerald Ford-class aircraft carriers, a move that will save an estimated $4 billion, a congressman overseeing Navy shipbuilding told Inside Defense.

Full story: Courtney: Navy to purchase CVN-80, CVN-81 in dual-buy format, saving $4B

2. The Navy last year braced for the prospect that faulty welding on a key Columbia-class submarine subsystem could devour 15 of the 23 months reserved for potential schedule delays in building the first missile tubes, but eventually crafted a "recovery" plan that aims to limit delays to 10 months -- a course that keeps construction plans for the new weapon system on track.

Full story: Navy dodging worst case scenario on faulty missile tube work, limiting delay to 10 months

3. The "speed of change" in the Navy's space domain is a top concern as it works to stay abreast of technological advancements, according to the space lead in the service's information warfare office (N2/N6).

Full story: Navy official: 'Speed of change' is a concern in space domain

4. Just a couple weeks ago, the Pentagon was scheduled to receive a $50 billion Christmas present from President Trump, but the future of the defense budget has been called into question as he has ordered a speedier-than-expected exit for Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and a surprise promotion for Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan.

Full story: Spotlight on Shanahan as DOD finalizes budget without Mattis