The INSIDER daily digest

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest highlights news from a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing this morning and more.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee this morning, talking about creating a national nuclear deterrence fund:

Carter supports creation of national nuclear deterrence fund

Defense Secretary Ash Carter told the Senate Armed Services Committee he would favor the creation of a national nuclear deterrence fund to address the Defense Department's coming "bow wave" of triad modernization expenses.

A now-former United Launch Alliance executive has stirred up a hornet's nest on Capitol Hill:

McCain wants Carter to investigate 'disturbing comments' from ULA exec

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) wants Defense Secretary Ash Carter to investigate comments made by a former executive from the United Launch Alliance, who resigned this week after making controversial statements implying the government had gone out of its way to favor ULA over its competitor SpaceX.

Document: Senate hearing on DOD's FY-17 budget request

Air Force officials recently outlined the possible cost of replacing the service's nuclear convoy helicopters:

Huey replacement program could cost $1.4 billion for 41 helicopters

The recapitalization effort for the Air Force's nuclear convoy helicopters would cost $1.4 billion, Air Force officials confirmed Wednesday.

Continuing our coverage of the AUSA conference in Alabama:

Army hopes that better business practices can fund greater force readiness

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- The Army is focused on maintaining and building readiness, and will seek to increase efficiency to help fund this effort, according to the service's acting secretary.

The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke recently at the McAleese/Credit Suisse conference. Our coverage:

Selva: Best case for saving money is targeting duplication in DOD

The Pentagon needs to target duplication of effort and forgo some capabilities it may like to have in an aim to help save money, according to the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Selva: DOD needs to focus on integrating EW tools across joint force

The Pentagon needs to focus on integrating electronic warfare tools across the joint force, according to the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Keep an eye out for a DARPA program on getting industry to come up with commercially available technologies that could be used to threaten the military:

DARPA seeks input for program using commercially available technologies

The Pentagon's advanced research arm seeks industry input for a program designed to use commercially available technologies to threaten military operations and personnel, according to a recent notice.