The INSIDER daily digest -- April 8, 2024

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on naval shipbuilding delays, Australia's hopes for the AUKUS agreement and more.

A recent naval shipbuilding review outlined a 12- to 16-month delay for the lead Columbia-class submarine (SSBN-826); an 18-to-26-month delay for Ford-class aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN-80); a three-year delay for the lead Constellation-class frigate (FFG-62); and 24 to 36 months of schedule slips for the Virginia-class submarine program:

Congress mulls shipbuilding delays ahead of Navy budget hearing

With the Navy's highest-ranking officials set to appear before Congress this week for their first fiscal year 2025 budget hearing, lawmakers are weighing the implications of a new shipbuilding review that identified months-long delays across critical acquisition programs.

Saronic Technologies showcased two autonomous surface vessels, the Spyglass and the Cutlass, during a recent naval exercise:

Autonomous surface vessels in line with Replicator demonstrated at naval exercise

During the Navy's Integrated Battle Problem 24.1 exercise, defense startup Saronic Technologies completed a demonstration of two Replicator-aligned autonomous surface vessels in collaboration with the Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve.

Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, Paul Myler, deputy head of mission for the Australian embassy, recently outlined the three major changes that he believes must occur for the partnership to be a sustained success:

Defense officials discuss Australia's 'ambitious' wish list for AUKUS

Two Pentagon officials today said Australia's "ambitious" goals for the future of AUKUS and defense technology sharing, which an Australian official outlined today, shows both countries are ready for catalyzing change that will help strengthen and unite their defense industrial bases.

The Army's FY-25 budget request forecasts a $1.8 billion requirement for Patriot Modifications in FY-27, $1.3 billion more than the $502 million the service anticipated for the same year as part of the FY-24 spending blueprint:

Patriot Mods program big winner in new Army five-year plan, nearly $3 billion boost

The Army has set new plans to triple annual spending on Patriot Modifications in fiscal year 2027 as part of a $3 billion increase over five years to improve the capability and readiness of the air defense system, a 174% hike compared to the current future years defense program.

The Army's Launched Effects program will involve "teaming between crewed and uncrewed systems to detect, identify, locate and report pacing threats in contested environments":

Army's FY-25 request includes $20M for Air Launched Effects new start

The Army's fiscal year 2025 budget request released last month includes $20 million for prototyping in the service's Launched Effects program -- a new start for the next fiscal year.