The INSIDER daily digest

Starting off this Monday INSIDER Daily Digest with news from a talk the acting head of the Pentagon's manufacturing and industrial base policy office gave this morning:

Gudger: Pentagon pursuing policies that could address broader industry trends

As the Pentagon pursues new tools to manage potential defense industry consolidation, the acting head of the manufacturing and industrial base policy office said the Defense Department is particularly interested in ways to influence acquisitions that are part of larger trends.

Pentagon Comptroller Michael McCord spoke to the media on Friday. Our coverage:

McCord: Budget deal not a 'net contributor' to services' readiness

Pentagon Comptroller Michael McCord believes the Bipartisan Budget Agreement of 2015, though "a good deal" for the department, is unlikely to accelerate the services' timeline for full-spectrum readiness.

Force structure cuts off the table in FY-17 as Pentagon contemplates $14.9B hole

Pentagon leaders do not plan to cut force structure to balance the military's fiscal year 2017 budget proposal, but instead hope to address a $14.9 billion gap between earlier plans and DOD's allowance under the new two-year budget deal through a combination of favorable economic assumptions, efficiencies, and trimming discretionary parts of the budget -- including modernization.

McCord: Nuclear modernization bow wave is 'biggest acquisition problem'

Figuring out how to fund the upcoming nuclear modernization bow wave will be the greatest acquisition challenge facing the next administration, according to Pentagon Comptroller Michael McCord.

The Air Force's acquisition chief highlights the Pentagon's cumbersome foreign military sales approval process:

LaPlante: FMS policies impeding urgent needs from Middle East allies

Increased demand from allies in the Middle East for munitions and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities has put a spotlight on the Defense Department’s laborious process for coordinating foreign military sales, and the Air Force's acquisition chief said Friday that something needs to be done to address it.

The head of Honeywell's defense and space group spoke to Inside Defense last week:

Expanding internationally, Honeywell's defense unit remains upbeat about U.S. programs

While many of the recent sales for Honeywell's defense and space group have been in upgrades and modifications overseas, the head of the business says she's optimistic a new budget deal and several key program awards will boost domestic sales.