The INSIDER daily digest -- Aug. 23, 2018

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on airborne laser funding, Navy cybersecurity, the National Space Council and more.

We start off with a look at airborne laser funding in the defense spending bill, which is on the verge of Senate passage:

Spending bill seeks to keep three contractors working on Pentagon's missile-killing laser project

The defense spending bill advancing through Congress would add $163 million to the Missile Defense Agency's directed-energy development programs, including an increase meant to keep three contractors working on an airborne laser program through next year. 

Rear Adm. Danelle Barrett, the Navy's cybersecurity division director, spoke this week at a cybersecurity event in Washington:

Navy cyber admiral says new application development standards will reduce risk to commanders

The Navy is "moving out to enforce" this fall a new approach to developing applications meant to rapidly push software to the fleet and reduce the burden on operational commanders when software is problematic, according to a senior Navy officer.

A number of former DOD officials are on the National Space Council's user advisory group and the council has established a national security working group:

Experts say National Space Council could play key advocacy role in Space Force debate

As the Pentagon works at the direction of the White House to craft a legislative proposal for a new Space Force that many top officials did not want, experts say the administration's National Space Council could play a significant role in building a case and drumming up support for the new military department.

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A new Army science and technology strategy is due soon:

Army may publish S&T 'strategy' for industry

The Army's acquisition executive is poised to approve a new science and technology strategy that will provide key information on potential modernization efforts, a service official told industry executives Wednesday.