The INSIDER daily digest -- August 16, 2023

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Navy and Marine Corps fielding 3D printing systems across the fleet. Additionally, a congressional commission has made recommendations to provide the Pentagon with greater spending flexibility.

We start off with the Navy and Marine Corps fielding 3D printing systems on ships at sea:

Naval forces turn to 3D printing for production at 'the point of need'

The Marine Corps is fielding 3D printing systems across the fleet, while the Navy has been testing additive manufacturing (AM) capabilities aboard ships and submarines at sea.

An interim report from the Planning, Programming, Budget and Execution Reform Commission comes as Congress -- though recessed -- appears poised to return to Washington next month for a possible government shutdown or at least the passage of one of the stopgap continuing resolutions that have become hallmarks of the annual appropriations process:

Possible calls for new spending flexibility headline DOD budget commission's interim report

The congressional commission tasked with reforming the Defense Department's 1960s-era budget planning and programming system is considering making recommendations to lawmakers that would provide the Pentagon with greater spending flexibility amid an appropriations process that has become mired in political dysfunction.

Document: PPBE reform commission's interim report

A Government Accountability Office review, the first in a series of semiannual reviews required by Congress in the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, found that DOD provided the watchdog agency with 42 reports between Dec. 23, 2022 to May 15, 2023:

Watchdog agency finds DOD 'generally' tardy when responding to audits and reviews

The Defense Department "generally did not meet" deadlines for responding to reviews conducted by the Government Accountability Office, submitting about half of its agency comments late, according to a new congressionally mandated GAO report.

Document: GAO report on Defense Department reviews and responses

A new trans-regional missile defense concept is a recently approved update by President Biden in the existing Pentagon's Unified Command Plan, that aims to provide attack operations, active and passive defense and battle management support to regional combatant commands:

SPACECOM benefitting from trans-regional missile defense concept

U.S. Space Command implementing a trans-regional missile defense concept is keeping the command in a position of advantage over strategic competitors, according to a senior space official.

The Army's new LASSO program is in response to a lethal unmanned systems directed requirement:

Army will hold industry days next month on LASSO

The Army will hold industry days next month to discuss the potential fielding of the service's new-start Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program.