Inside the Navy highlights

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

1. Senate authorizers have expressed support for several shipbuilding initiatives similar to what was included in the House Armed Services Committee's defense policy bill, but how those plus-ups will be funded in the upper-chamber committee's version of the legislation remains a key question ahead of the panel's mark-up this week.

Full Story: Shipbuilding topline questions hang in balance ahead of Senate mark

2. The Marine Corps remains "confident" in the Joint Strike Fighter's logistics system's ability to deploy and support a full range of military operations although the Government Accountability Office in a recent report discovered that pilots, maintainers and administrators are concerned the system may not be deployable.

Full Story: Marines 'confident' F-35 logistics system is deployable despite GAO report

3. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has tasked the service's acquisition chief with examining research and development funding mechanisms to ensure they're being used to harness innovation to the maximum extent possible.

Full Story: Mabus calls for examination of research and development funding