The INSIDER daily digest

News from the Army's chief of staff, the Littoral Combat Ship and Air Force aircraft highlight this Friday INSIDER Daily Digest.

Inside Defense attended a meeting in New York with the Army's chief of staff recently. Our coverage:

Milley shakes up Army Staff to 'reinvigorate' Army Requirements Oversight Council

Gen. Mark Milley, the Army's top officer, has directed a shake-up of the Army staff to beef up his role overseeing the service's $143 billion big-ticket modernization portfolio, transferring day-to-day responsibilities for the Army Requirements Oversight Council from the deputy chief of staff for operations (G-3/5/7) to the deputy chief of staff for programs (G-8).

Gen. Milley plans new technology 'bets' in FY-19 to shape Army of 2030 and beyond

The Army's top officer plans to place "bets" over the next year on new technologies that are expected to ensure the service will have the capabilities necessary to fight and win in the decades beyond the 2020s, a move that could shake up the composition of the service's roughly $7.5 billion annual research and development portfolio beginning in fiscal year 2019.

News on the Littoral Combat Ship program:

Senate authorizers direct Kendall to certify LCS mission packages as program of record

The Senate Armed Services Committee is directing the Pentagon weapons buyer to certify Littoral Combat Ship mission packages as a program of record when the fiscal year 2018 budget is submitted, according to the FY-17 defense policy bill released May 20.

Document: Senate FY-17 defense policy bill

CNO: Crewing will affect LCS operations, training, maintenance decisions

The Navy will address its manning construct for the Littoral Combat Ship before coming to conclusions on other parts of the program, as the service's top officer believes any decisions made on the ship's crewing will drive potential changes to LCS training, operations and maintenance.

Coverage of the Air Force's latest aircraft report:

DOD report: Air Force cannot afford mandated fighter aircraft inventory levels beyond FY-21

The Air Force cannot afford to maintain legally mandated fighter aircraft inventory levels beyond fiscal year 2021, a requirement that, if continued, is projected to force the service to eventually reduce the number of combat-coded jets and squadrons during the early years of the next decade, according to a Pentagon report.

Pentagon pegs annual bomber spending at $11 billion in new 30-year plan, up from 2015

The Air Force will spend $11 billion annually over the coming decade on its long-range strike inventory, an approximately 20 percent hike compared to the Pentagon's 2015 forecast, according to a new Defense Department estimate that for the first time accounts for Northrop Grumman's plan to develop and build the B-21 bomber.

Document: Air Force's 2016 annual aviation plan

Keep an eye out for increased scrutiny of DOD's use of lowest-priced, technically acceptable contracting:

Congress seeks to crack down on Pentagon use of LPTA

The controversial lowest-priced, technically acceptable contracting approach is set to receive more scrutiny if policy bills moving through Congress are approved.