The INSIDER daily digest

By John Liang / April 20, 2016 at 2:00 PM

Silicon Valley CEOs discussing Pentagon contracting along with continued coverage of the FY-17 defense policy bill highlight this Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest.

Don't expect Silicon Valley companies to jump into defense contracting anytime soon without some major changes to DOD acquisition policy:

Silicon Valley CEOs say Pentagon must revamp acquisition process

Three Silicon Valley chief executives said Tuesday they want to continue working with the Pentagon, but need a speedier path to sales.

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House authorizers would prefer the National Reconnaissance Office to take over some space-based weather monitoring functions:

Lawmakers want Air Force to transfer some space weather authority to NRO

House lawmakers want to shift some space-based weather monitoring responsibilities from the Defense Department to the National Reconnaissance Office, due largely to the department's apparent inaction in addressing near-term gaps in critical weather capabilities.

The Air Force's ICBM replacement plans aren't quite clear enough for lawmakers:

House committee looking for answers on Air Force GBSD program

The House Armed Services Committee is asking the Air Force to shed more light on its now opaque strategy to recapitalize its fleet of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

House lawmakers are generally OK with the Air Force's JSTARS recapitalization plan:

House authorizers support JSTARS, but with a caveat

The House Armed Services Committee is supporting the Air Force's plan for the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System recapitalization, with the caveat that the service should not pursue additional radar research in the follow-on development phase of the program.

Lawmakers want more info on the Air Force's Long-Range Strike Bomber program:

House lawmakers look to improve B-21 oversight

Concerned about the B-21's lengthy engineering and manufacturing development phase, House authorizers want the Air Force to submit a detailed progress report on the new bomber with the service's fiscal year 2018 budget request.

News on House authorizers' views on a couple of Navy shipbuilding programs:

House authorization bill will oppose LCS program cut

House authorizers oppose Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s decision to cut the Littoral Combat Ship program and will include language to that effect in the report on the House Armed Services Committee's mark of the fiscal year 2017 defense policy bill, according to congressional aides.

House authorizers provide incremental funding for LX(R) or LPD-29 in FY-17 mark

The House Armed Services Committee in its mark of the fiscal year 2017 defense authorization bill is providing incremental funding authority for the dock landing ship replacement or the LPD-29.

House authorizers love Navy fighter aircraft:

House lawmakers support additional F-35s in FY-17

The House Armed Services Committee fiscal year 2017 mark will likely fund additional F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, according to a minority staff member.

House authorizers will support Navy purchasing additional Super Hornets

The House Armed Services Committee mark of the fiscal year 2017 defense policy bill will support the service's unfunded priorities list -- especially items regarding the tactical fighter aircraft shortfall.

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