The INSIDER daily digest

We kick off this Friday INSIDER Daily Digest with coverage from this week's House Armed Services Committee hearing on defense acquisition reform.

Keep an eye out for a new Navy fast-track acquisition shop modeled on a similar Air Force office:

Navy to establish new fast-track acquisition shop based on Air Force RCO

The Navy is planning to establish a new shop to oversee rapid acquisition of high-payoff projects with promise to advance military superiority, particularly those focused on classified fleet needs -- a move that would emulate the Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office in order to sharpen focus on technological innovation and expedited fielding.

The Navy will seek more R&D flexibility:

Eyeing China, Russia, Navy wants new discretion to experiment with $5B prototype portfolio

The Navy's fiscal year 2017 budget request will seek new flexibility to allocate resources across a $5 billion portfolio of research and development projects in order to bolster new technology prototyping and experimentation in support of the Pentagon's new program to reinvigorate conventional deterrence against China and Russia.

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The Air Force's acting acquisition executive spoke this week on the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program:

Lombardi calls DMSP-20 failure to launch an 'unfortunate example'

The Air Force's acting acquisition executive said this week that the service's execution of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program is "an unfortunate example" of its ability to manage space programs, after taking heat from House lawmakers for alleged mismanagement of the program.

Look for the Air Force to put FY-17 money into its high-altitude, unmanned platform transition plan, among other efforts:

Gen. Otto offers vision for fiscal year 2017 Air Force ISR budget

The Air Force is eyeing fiscal year 2017 investments in its high-altitude, unmanned platform transition plan, autonomous vehicle research and development, as well as analysis and targeting, according to the service's deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

The company that makes the AR1 rocket engine is confident it will be ready to fly in 2019:

Aerojet Rocketdyne still on track to deliver 'ready-to-fly' rocket engine by 2019

Aerojet Rocketdyne executives remain confident the company's AR1 rocket engine -- its proposed RD-180 replacement -- can be ready to fly in 2019, despite a continued push from within the Pentagon for Congress to ease up on the restrictions it has placed on the use of the Russian-made engine.

Don't expect the Air Force to switch to a new Reaper and Predator maintenance contract anytime soon:

Air Force locked into sole-source contract for MQ-9 and MQ-1 maintenance

The Air Force will be locked into a sole-source sustainment contract for its MQ-9 fleet until the service is capable of completing organic depot maintenance, according to a Dec. 30 Federal Business Opportunities notice.