Inside the Navy highlights

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

1. A Senate panel is directing the Navy to draw up a design for a smaller aircraft carrier, a move that advances the call for such a capability proffered in recent conceptual studies and opens a pathway to potential competition to buy big-deck ships not currently possible with the 100,000-ton Ford-class aircraft carrier design, a super-size vessel that can be built at only one U.S. shipyard.

Full story: Senate panel directs Navy to prepare design for smaller aircraft carrier

2. The Defense Department wants permission from Congress to begin negotiations with General Dynamics on a five-year deal beginning in fiscal year 2019 to buy 10 attack submarines for a potential $32.6 billion, a package the Navy estimates would cost $5.4 billion less than buying the Virginia-class boats annually.

Full story: Pentagon seeks OK to jump-start negotiations in FY-18 for potential $32B submarine deal

3. The Defense Department wants authority to negotiate contracts with General Dynamics and Huntington Ingalls worth a combined $17.8 billion to build 10 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers over five years in consolidated deals it says would save $1.8 billion from purchasing the DDG-51 ships annually.

Full story: Navy expects $1.8B savings in next DDG-51 multiyear deal; CAPE sees less

4. The Trump administration is asking Congress to approve the transfer of $500 million within the Navy's fiscal year 2018 budget to pay for a second Littoral Combat Ship, which was not included in the administration's original budget request delivered earlier this year.

Full story: OMB seeks to cut aircraft carrier reactor core to pay for second LCS