The INSIDER daily digest -- Feb. 26, 2024

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the continuing dysfunction on Capitol Hill over not having a full-year spending bill passed, plus the Marine Corps being the first military service branch to achieve a clean audit and more.

The continuing dysfunction on Capitol Hill over the lack of an enacted full-year spending bill has affected a variety of defense programs. Here are two examples:

Counter-drone programs in spotlight as Congress stalls $560M in supplemental funding

Ongoing congressional dysfunction is blocking $560 million in supplemental spending intended to help U.S. Central Command counter drone attacks against U.S. troops in the Middle East.

MQ-25 reprogramming hung up by continuing resolution

The Navy's MQ-25 Stingray uncrewed aircraft system program has been slowed awaiting congressional approval of a reprogramming request, from which money will go toward remedying obsolescence issues tied to the MQ-25's design.

The Marine Corps has accomplished a goal it has been working towards for almost two decades and becomes the first service branch to achieve a clean audit:

Marine Corps passes audit, becoming first service branch to do so

The Marine Corps passed its fiscal year 2023 audit, according to senior officials, who today announced they received an "unmodified audit opinion" from an independent public accountant after a two-year review of the service's equipment and its financial and information control systems.

Autonomous aircraft operator Xwing wants to be included in the Air Force's first large-scale multicombatant command exercise scheduled to take place in the Indo-Pacific in 2025:

Xwing eyes exercises in Indo-Pacific to demonstrate autonomous capability

After receiving approval to perform critical cargo missions for the Air Force, autonomous aircraft operator Xwing said their "phones started ringing" from other "partners in the military" interested in working with the company, including Pacific Air Forces.

Inside Defense recently interviewed the top Republican on the House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee about the Army's termination of a multibillion-dollar helicopter program:

Wittman believes hearing on Army aviation restructure will help bring clarity

House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee Chairman Rob Wittman (R-VA) still has unanswered questions about the Army's announcement earlier this month that it would be canceling the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft program, as part of a reorganization of the service's aviation portfolio.