The INSIDER Daily Digest

We start off this Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest with some budget news:

FY-17 promises less for third-offset strategy, stability for big-ticket weapons programs

The two-year budget deal enacted last week will require the Pentagon to execute a spending plan in fiscal year 2017 that is $14.9 billion short of the amount originally sought, a decrement that will curtail desired investments to develop new “third-offset” capabilities, but not likely to disrupt acquisition plans for the portfolio of legacy, big-ticket weapons programs.

Defense contractor news that was just posted:

Seabury hires Aerojet Rocketdyne executive following Kubasik departure

Seabury Global Aerospace & Defense Consulting said Thursday it has named Paul Meyer, formerly of Aerojet Rocketdyne, executive vice president.

Intellectual property is important to the Defense Department:

Baldwin: DOD must work to protect intellectual property in open architecture

The Pentagon is working to assure industry officials that their intellectual property will be protected as the Defense Department continues to introduce open architecture into weapon systems, a senior defense official said last week.

Unmanned aircraft now have a longer leash:

Army's ground-based, sense-and-avoid program receives FAA approval

In a significant step toward allowing unmanned aircraft to fly without the use of a visual observer or chase plane, the Federal Aviation Administration has given the Army's Gray Eagle drones the green light to fly at Ft. Hood, TX, using just the service's ground-based, sense-and-avoid system to avoid other aircraft, according to service officials leading the effort.

The microelectronics industrial base is something DOD is taking a close look at:

DOD study is examining microelectronics industrial base

The Pentagon is examining the microelectronics industrial base in an effort to determine the industry's current capabilities and help improve partnerships going forward, according to defense officials.