Inside the Navy highlights

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

1. As the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter transitions from its development phase to follow-on modernization, the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps are seeking a total of $587 million in fiscal year 2018 -- more than double what they requested in FY-17 -- to support F-35 Block 4 development.

Full story: F-35 Block 4 funding request doubles in services' FY-18 budgets

2. The Navy has identified a postponed aircraft carrier midlife refueling to offset the cost of a second Littoral Combat Ship in the fiscal year 2018 budget and is in "unofficial" discussions with the Office of Management and Budget.

Full story: Navy identifies aircraft carrier midlife refueling as LCS budget offset

3. T-45C Goshawk student pilots must return to the air no later than December or the service will have "problems" with the number of fighter pilots in the fleet, according to a service official.

Full story: Davis: T-45C student pilots must return to the air no later than December

4. The Missile Defense Agency has once again delayed again a decision to transition Raytheon's Standard Missile-3 Block IB guided missile to full-rate production and has scrapped near-term plans to significantly increase annual purchases of the most advanced fielded Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense interceptor in its new five-year spending blueprint.

Full story:  MDA dials back Aegis BMD interceptor procurement forecast