The INSIDER daily digest -- April 26, 2018

By John Liang / April 26, 2018 at 1:54 PM

Coverage of the House Armed Services Committee's subcommittee marks of the FY-19 defense policy bill dominates this Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest.

Before we get to the subcommittee marks, though, some news from DOD's acquisition policy chief, the Army and the Government Accountability Office:

DOD acquisition policy chief pushes to cut procurement time lines

The official charged with setting defense acquisition policies is pushing Congress to streamline requirements that result in lengthy haggling over cost and pricing data so the Defense Department can drastically reduce the time it takes to buy equipment.

Horlander: Army launches 'stewardship program' to ensure responsible use of FY-18 funds

Army senior leaders have initiated a new process designed to assess and optimize the service's execution of its fiscal year 2018 funds, which were appropriated months into the fiscal year and include additional flexibility provided by Congress.

GAO: Pentagon must develop mechanism to share F-35 lessons learned across enterprise

The Pentagon must develop a good way to share Joint Strike Fighter lessons learned across the military services as the program rapidly expands in the coming years instead of keeping information within each faction, according to a government watchdog agency.

Document: GAO report on F-35 lessons learned


Coverage of the emerging threats and capabilities subcommittee mark:

Lawmakers consider eliminating Strategic Capabilities Office

New legislation being considered by the House Armed Services Committee could result in the elimination or restructuring of the Strategic Capabilities Office by Oct. 1, 2020.

House subcommittee seeks to mainstream DOD labs

A group of House authorizers is seeking to elevate the importance of the Defense Department's laboratories by involving them in the weapon system requirements process and aligning them more closely with the commercial sector.

Lawmakers tell Air Force to accelerate Compass Call cross-deck, warning of 'mission failure'

The Air Force's Compass Call recapitalization program isn't moving fast enough for House lawmakers, who floated language this week urging the service to speed up the move from legacy EC-130Hs to the new EC-37B.

House lawmakers press ACC, AFSOC on Reaper aircrew management

Lawmakers are questioning Air Force Air Combat Command's ability to manage MQ-9 Reapers on behalf of their special-operations counterparts and want a report on how Reaper aircrews are assigned, managed and developed, according to the House Armed Services emerging threats subcommittee's mark of the fiscal year 2019 defense policy bill released this week.

Lawmakers direct Army to provide urban warfare training brief

A provision in the House Armed Services emerging threats and capabilities subcommittee's mark of the fiscal year 2019 defense authorization bill directs the Army secretary to provide the full committee with a briefing on the service's plan for urban warfare training no later than Feb. 1, 2019.

Coverage of the tactical air and land forces subcommittee mark:

Lawmakers include four physiological episode provisions in FY-19 mark

House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee members have included four physiological episode-related provisions in their mark of the fiscal year 2019 defense policy bill to keep a spotlight on the issue, according to a committee staffer.

Lawmakers tell Air Force to continue JSTARS recap in order to pursue ABMS, retire legacy aircraft

Members of the House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee will push the Air Force to continue the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System recapitalization program by restricting funds for a next-generation battle management network and blocking the service from retiring the legacy aircraft until it awards an engineering and manufacturing development contract.

Coverage of the strategic forces subcommittee mark:

Lawmakers want more details on SBIRS Follow-On architecture

As the Air Force looks to speed up its plans to field the follow-on to its Space Based Infrared System constellation, lawmakers want more details about the new architectures the service may pursue.

House strategic forces mark would create new numbered Air Force for space

The House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee is recommending the creation of a new numbered Air Force that would be responsible for the service's warfighting operations and could lay the groundwork for a future Space Corps.

House subcommittee tells Army to submit Patriot reports

Lawmakers are calling on the Army to address two issues concerning its Patriot missile defense system.

Coverage of the seapower and projection forces subcommittee mark:

House seapower subcommittee wants to pressure Navy to speed up sealift recap plan

The House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee is authorizing the defense secretary to pursue 20 ships for the surge sealift fleet and Ready Reserve Force, according to the subcommittee's mark of the fiscal year 2019 defense policy bill.

House authorizers direct Navy to build three LCS ships in FY-19

House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee members -- in their mark of the fiscal year 2019 defense policy bill -- are directing the Navy to build three Littoral Combat Ships in fiscal year 2019 instead of the one vessel that was in the service's budget request.

195493