The INSIDER daily digest -- April 16, 2025

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on a proposed major re-write of the Federal Acquisition Regulation and more.

President Trump wants to re-work the regulations that govern Pentagon procurement:

White House to overhaul Federal Acquisition Regulation

The Trump administration is preparing to launch a major re-write of the Federal Acquisition Regulation that governs the annual purchase of about $1 trillion in goods and services, of which the Defense Department is the largest consumer.

Saronic has bought a Gulf Coast shipyard:

Saronic acquires Gulf Coast shipyard for MUSV fleet

Maritime defense technology provider Saronic has acquired Louisiana-based shipbuilder Gulf Craft, and with it a "strategically located shipyard on the Gulf Coast" that will enable the scaled prototyping and production of its medium unmanned surface vessel fleet, according to a company announcement.

A new four-wheeled robot weighs in at 3,500 pounds with a 1,000-pound payload capacity and tops out at 35 miles per hour. It's built for ripping around tough terrain in GPS-denied areas with all-weather conditions, like deep ditches and thick fog:

Overland AI looks to fill off-road autonomy gap with new tactical vehicle

Overland AI has launched its first tactical vehicle, dubbed ULTRA, integrated with autonomous software geared toward off-road, "brutal environments," Peter Winzeler, director of strategic communications at the company, told Inside Defense.

A new Defense Department inspector general's report determines the roles and processes of DOD leadership prior to the decision to base the U.S. Space Command headquarters in Colorado Springs, CO:

IG: SPACECOM HQ move to Alabama could save $426 million

Moving U.S. Space Command headquarters from Colorado to Alabama would have saved the Defense Department $426 million, according to the latest report from the DOD inspector general.

Document: DOD IG report on SPACECOM basing decision

Once the U.S. military fields an AI-enabled system, there needs to be a plan to make continuous updates just like any other AI software, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, former director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), told attendees during a Center for a New American Security panel discussion last week:

Former AI chief says DOD needs to better test AI weapons

As the White House reviews suggestions for a government-wide artificial intelligence strategy, the former Pentagon official in charge of joint AI efforts is asserting that the department will need to adopt a "full life cycle" approach if it wants to succeed, especially when it comes to test and evaluation.