The INSIDER daily digest -- Dec. 20, 2023

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Senate punting its national security funding debate to next year, possible budget implications to a couple of missile defense programs and more.

With the Senate on the brink of going on its end-of-year break, the White House is warning it will have exhausted all its funds used to provide weapons to Ukraine by the end of the month:

Senate looks to punt security spending fight into new year

Senior Democrats and Republicans in the Senate are preparing to leave for the holiday break, saying today that although progress has been made on a $110.5 billion national security supplemental spending package, lawmakers remain at odds over border security provisions.

The FY-25 budget squeeze could force the Missile Defense Agency to short-circuit the current competition between Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman for the Next Generation Interceptor program and RTX -- formerly Raytheon Technologies -- and Northrop Grumman for the counter-hypersonic project called Glide Phase Interceptor:

NGI and GPI eyed as billpayers in FY-25 budget squeeze, DOD could pick winners early

The Defense Department is considering earlier-than-planned design selections for the Next Generation Interceptor and Glide Phase Interceptor to free up funds needed to finance fiscal year 2025 shortfalls caused by GOP-mandated debt ceiling negotiations that trimmed the Biden administration's FY-25 military spending forecast.

BAE Systems will build M2A4 and M7A4 Bradley vehicles using “legacy source variants” for approximately $78.3 million by a completion date of Mar. 31, 2026, with work locations to be determined with each order, according to a recent contract announcement:

BAE wins contract to build Bradley fighting vehicles using legacy variants

BAE Systems won a contract to manufacture Bradley fighting vehicles using older variants, the Defense Department announced Thursday.

A new Microelectronics Commons "call for projects" released this week will provide up to $280 million to proposals that interest the Pentagon:

DOD announces new Microelectronics Commons 'call for projects'

The Defense Department released the Microelectronics Commons "call for projects" today for fiscal year 2024, with project awards scheduled for the third quarter.

The 25th Infantry Division, based at Schofield Barracks, HI, recently conducted an experiment in which they flew a small drone with a radio that allowed the unit to extend the network "significantly farther than they had in the past," Program Executive Officer for Command, Control and Communications Tactical (PEO C3T) Mark Kitz said in an interview here at Technical Exchange Meeting 11 last week:

Army wants drones to play a role in extending network range

SAVANNAH, GA -- Army officials envision that unmanned aerial systems will eventually play a role in modernizing the network by extending its range.