The INSIDER daily digest -- Feb. 20, 2018

A look at Army procurement spending, the Navy's use of 3-D printing and more highlight this Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest.

The Army won't be buying as many aircraft next fiscal year than last:

Army aircraft procurement spending dips to $4.1 billion in FY-19

While the Army's overall budget request and procurement account increased from fiscal year 2018 to FY-19, the service intends to spend less on aircraft procurement than in the prior fiscal year.

The Navy last year solicited the fleet through an administrative message for innovative ways to utilize 3-D printing:

Sailors show OPNAV 3-D printed solutions Pentagon 'would never see'

Senior leadership's Navy-wide push to integrate additive manufacturing has highlighted how prevalent the technology's use already is among enlisted sailors and junior officers.

Two key Army projects could see an acceleration: The Future Vertical Lift and Next Generation Combat Vehicle programs:

Army aims to fund CFT prototyping, accelerate FVL and NGCV

The Army's fiscal year 2019 budget request includes increased research, development, test and evaluation funding to support the efforts of the cross-functional teams pursuing senior leaders' six modernization priorities.

Keep an eye out at next month's Global Force Symposium hosted by the Association of the United States Army in Huntsville, AL, for an announcement about Army Futures Command:

McCarthy: Futures Command needs access to 'extraordinary people'

Army senior leaders are nearing key decisions about the composition of the new command tasked with force modernization.

The Navy's approach of issuing multiple conceptual design contracts for the Future Frigate program is meant to allow the government to provide feedback to industry on their designs:

Navy awards five conceptual design contracts for future frigate competition

The Navy has awarded conceptual design contracts to Austal USA, Fincantieri Marinette Marine, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Huntington Ingalls Industries and Lockheed Martin at $14.9 million apiece for the guided missile frigate replacement program, as it readies to later down select to one vendor.