The INSIDER daily digest

The FY-17 defense policy bill and the FY-16 omnibus reprogramming request highlight this Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest.

Looks like the FY-17 defense authorization bill won't get through the conference process until September:

Thornberry sets sights on September for closing $18B authorization bill gap

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) wants to meet with his Senate counterparts to discuss as many items as possible in their respective fiscal year 2017 defense authorization bills, while leaving the biggest impediment -- an $18 billion gap between the bills -- on hold until September.

The Congressional Budget Office looks at DOD's rising operations and maintenance costs:

Congressional Budget Office challenged to explain rising O&M cost

The Congressional Budget Office is working to analyze why the Defense Department's operations and maintenance budget continues to grow, despite a concurrent decrease in the size of the U.S. military force structure.

Document: CBO presentation on DOD O&M spending trends

Continuing our coverage of DOD's FY-16 omnibus reprogramming request:

Air Force seeks additional $39 million to keep latest GPS OCX remedial effort on track

The next-generation Global Positioning System ground component program needs an additional $39.2 million in fiscal year 2016 -- bringing total spending on the Operational Control Segment program to $363.8 million -- in order to execute a 24-month schedule adjustment the Air Force, Raytheon and the Pentagon acquisition chief identified this spring to address deficiencies uncovered during testing.

Air Force seeks $144M to replenish precision munitions spent in Iraq, Syria

The Air Force, expending more precision munitions in the fight against the Islamic State than anticipated, is seeking congressional permission to shift funds between accounts to place $144 million in new orders to replenish supplies of Boeing- and BAE Systems-built weapons, including "nearly depleted" stocks of the Small Diameter Bomb I.

Pentagon seeks cash infusion to support FY-17 milestone for sixth-gen fighter program

The Air Force needs an immediate cash infusion to support plans to initiate an F-22A follow-on acquisition project in fiscal year 2017. The funds would be used to support analysis needed to proceed with identifying potential technologies for a new fighter aircraft program -- or a package of new air superiority capabilities -- to ensure U.S. control of the skies in 2030 and beyond.

DOD seeks approval to move $36.4M to mitigate SOF shortfalls in ISR

The Pentagon seeks congressional approval to move $36.4 million to U.S. Special Operations Command to purchase four systems that will be installed on unmanned drones to help enhance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

DOD: $20M needed to combat critical threat of ISIL turning drones into IEDs

As the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant begins to turn commercial drones into improvised explosive devices, the Pentagon wants congressional approval to move $20 million to the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Fund to help guard against this "critical" and "unanticipated" capability gap.

Inside the Navy determined how much work Ingalls Shipbuilding got compared to NASSCO:

Ingalls Shipbuilding awarded three times more hours for LX(R) design than NASSCO

Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls Shipbuilding unit was awarded three times the number of hours for dock landing ship replacement design work compared to General Dynamics NASSCO.

U.S. Special Operations Command is seeking commercial capabilities for hosting geospatial data:

SOCOM seeks commercial capabilities that can host SOF-specific data

Responses are due Friday to a U.S. Special Operations Command request for information on whether there are commercial capabilities that can host special operations forces-specific geospatial data to help enhance warfighting information dominance and impact a business case analysis.

Document: SOCOM RFI on the geospatial cloud

Coverage of a House hearing on military aviation readiness:

'Class C' aviation mishap rate up across Navy, Marine Corps

The instances of minor but still costly mishaps occurring across Navy and Marine Corps aircraft squadrons are increasing, according to service officials.

Army task force performing 'holistic' assessment of aviation

The Army has undertaken a "comprehensive assessment" of service aviation, and a final report is forthcoming, according to the deputy chief of Training and Doctrine Command.