Inside the Navy highlights

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

1. The Pentagon has newly disclosed cost and schedule variance explanations for five Littoral Combat Ships, according to a pair of Selected Acquisition Reports obtained by Inside the Navy.

Full story: Pentagon discloses new LCS contract cost and schedule information

2. Though the second Ford-class aircraft carrier, the John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), is 30 percent constructed, the ship's builder is falling just shy of anticipated production efficiencies, according to a Selected Acquisition Report obtained by Inside the Navy.

Full story: NNS slightly lagging expected efficiencies with CVN-79 30 percent constructed

3. The Navy must rebaseline the EA-18G Growler program after incurring cost breaches in both its research and development and operations and sustainment accounts, according to a Selected Acquisition Report obtained by Inside the Navy.

Full story: Navy must rebaseline Growler program because of cost breaches

4. Some of the largest defense contractors are increasingly taking positions in the unmanned maritime systems market, buying companies and readying for new Navy programs.

Full story: Defense contractors ready for increased spending on unmanned undersea systems