The INSIDER daily digest -- Feb. 23, 2017

Defense budget news tops this Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest.

Defense budget news:

Concern grows that Trump's FY-17 defense supplemental won't live up to expectations

A growing chorus of voices is expressing concern that the fiscal year 2017 defense supplemental request promised by the Trump administration will be far smaller than many in the GOP have advocated and will not include funding for weapons purchases.

Former Pentagon comptrollers question alarming readiness claims

Former Pentagon comptrollers Bob Hale and Mike McCord expressed skepticism recently about alarming stories of readiness gaps relayed by the military services on Capitol Hill.

The Pentagon's cost analysis and program evaluation office recently issued its annual report:

CAPE report outlines challenges of preparing cost estimate for new ICBM program

The Pentagon's expert cost estimators were effectively stumped last year by the requirement to produce a reliable forecast of the price to develop and procure a new Air Force intercontinental ballistic missile after it turned out that historical cost data for more than half a dozen past U.S. ballistic missile programs was less than ideal.

Document: CAPE's FY-16 annual report on cost assessment activities

Defense business news:

Leidos reorganizes defense group

Leidos said Thursday it has shifted from five business units to four, distributing what was its defense business between its intelligence and civil business units.

Aerojet Rocketdyne to acquire Coleman Aerospace

Aerojet Rocketdyne announced Wednesday it has agreed to buy Orlando, FL-based Coleman Aerospace from L3 Technologies for $15 million in cash.

NAVSEA is working on high-energy lasers and electromagnetic railguns:

Laser, railgun programs established at Navy acquisition offices

The Navy has established programs for high-energy lasers and the electromagnetic railgun at Naval Sea Systems Command acquisition directorates, paving the way for technologies that have long been stuck in research and development to potentially be installed on the service's ships one day.

Certain combatant commands could be getting CPGS capabilities:

DOD promises 'certain' Conventional Prompt Global Strike capabilities for EUCOM, PACOM

The Defense Department, which two years ago expressed doubts over near-term prospects for fielding an affordable hypersonic strike weapon, has promised U.S. commanders in Europe and the Pacific an initial hypersonic strike capability between fiscal years 2018 and 2022.

News from this week's issue of Inside the Pentagon:

DOD to up nuclear proliferation prevention funds above authorized amount

The Pentagon will increase funding above authorized amounts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Commerce Department surveying rocket propulsion industrial base

The Commerce Department is preparing to send out a new survey this spring examining the U.S. rocket propulsion industry, according to a source with knowledge of the effort.