The INSIDER daily digest

The KC-46A airborne tanker program and a recent SM-3 flight test are among the highlights in this Friday INSIDER Daily Digest.

Don't expect the Air Force's new airborne tanker to reach a particular milestone on time:

KC-46 RAA milestone slips by one year, LRIP expected in August

KC-46 prime contractor Boeing will not be able to deliver on its key required assets available milestone to deliver 18 new tankers by August 2017 and will miss the deadline by more than one year, the Air Force announced Friday.

The Missile Defense Agency conducted a pair of non-intercept SM-3 flight tests this week:

MDA: SM-3 Block IB flight test validates key engineering fix; full-rate production review next

The Missile Defense Agency claims a pair of non-intercept flight tests executed this week validates the redesign of a component critical to the Standard Missile-3 Block IB interceptor -- the third-stage rocket motor, clearing the way for the Raytheon-led program to advance long-delayed plans to transition to full-rate production.

Our coverage of the FY-17 defense spending bill:

Senate panel rescinds $1.3B for cruiser modernization

Senate appropriators want to rescind $1.3 billion allocated for the Navy's cruiser modernization program because the service has failed to follow congressional direction for several years, according to a report accompanying the fiscal year 2017 spending bill obtained by Inside Defense.

Senate appropriators slash Pentagon's CPGS funding request, creating conference issue

Senate appropriators have slashed the Pentagon's budget request for the Conventional Prompt Global Strike program, creating a potential conference issue with the House.

Senate appropriators call for termination of GPS OCX blocks 1 and 2

The Senate Appropriations Committee wants to terminate parts of the troubled next-generation Global Positioning System's ground segment development program and delay launches of early GPS III satellites.

Senate appropriators add $1 billion for new icebreaker ship

Expressing concerns about U.S. access to the Arctic in the face of heavy Russian investments and activity in the region, the Senate Appropriations Committee has added $1 billion for the Pentagon to build one ship for the Coast Guard's Polar Icebreaker Recapitalization Project.

Lawmakers want Pentagon IG to help referee fight over secrecy of B-21 contract details

Lawmakers want the Pentagon's inspector general to review the Air Force's B-21 bomber security strategy, tapping a powerful figure beyond the Air Force's chain of command to help referee an unsettled question over how much information the government should publicly disclose about the planned $80 billion acquisition.

More coverage of the FY-17 defense policy bill:

Senate authorizers want more enlisted RPA pilots

The Senate Armed Services Committee is pushing the Air Force to use enlisted pilots for the majority of its remotely piloted aircraft missions, urging the service to adopt the Army's operator training model despite hesitation from the service to use non-officer personnel to perform kinetic strikes.

Ayotte pushes for sole-source as authorizers seek Compass Call competition

The Senate Armed Services Committee is recommending fencing off funding for the EC-130H Compass Call recapitalization unless the Air Force conducts an open competition to acquire a replacement aircraft, but some Senate authorizers are still pushing for a sole-source option.

The Joint Strike Fighter's ALIS could be delivered by August:

F-35 JPO: Program could deliver ALIS IOC capabilities by August

After warning of a likely two-month delay to the Air Force's objective initial operational capability date, the F-35 program executive officer said this week that prime contractor Lockheed Martin could deliver required Autonomic Logistics Information System capabilities by August -- the front end of the service's four-month IOC window.