The INSIDER daily digest -- Jan. 12, 2016

Coverage of the Mattis confirmation hearing, the Army chief of staff and more highlight this Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest:

Retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, the president-elect's choice to lead the Defense Department, was on Capitol Hill this morning:

Mattis promises review of Pentagon acquisition

Retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, has, like many officials before him, pledged to conduct a review of the Pentagon's acquisition system as part of a broader effort to institute "business-minded" reforms.

Document: Senate confirmation hearing on Mattis' SECDEF nomination

The Army's chief of staff gave remarks this morning at an AUSA event:

Milley touts 'major effort' on Army modernization in 2017

Even as the Army continues its efforts to rebuild readiness, the service must "pick the pace up" on modernization in the coming year, according to its chief of staff.

Milley cites manning levels as biggest obstacle for readiness

The Army's first priority continues to be readiness, with the number of unavailable soldiers one of the biggest obstacles to improving that readiness, according to the service's chief of staff. 

Coverage of a couple of recently released Defense Science Board reports:

DSB: Pentagon needs to better use cyberattack data, expand reporting

The Defense Department should expand its reporting on cyberattacks and become a more demanding consumer of commercial technology, according to a recent Defense Science Board report.

Document: DSB report on cyber defense management

DSB: Large fleet of low-cost, commercial submersibles key to next-generation undersea warfare

The Defense Science Board in a new report has recommended the Navy expand its competitive advantage under the sea by adopting a fleet of low-cost, commercially developed undersea systems to experiment with a handful of new missions that could both create new capabilities and significantly challenge potential adversaries.

Document: DSB report on next-generation unmanned undersea systems

The Pentagon's chief tester wants to take a closer look at network security systems:

DOT&E: Services should delay fielding JRSS until they are adequately tested

Fielding network security systems before they are adequately tested could jeopardize the very networks they are supposed to protect, the Pentagon's chief weapons tester wrote in a new report, calling for the services to delay fielding these Joint Regional Security Stacks until they can be tested.

Document: DOT&E's FY-16 annual report

Continued coverage of the Surface Navy Association's annual symposium:

Ingalls Shipbuilding operating between 70, 75 percent capacity, provided info to Trump team

Ingalls Shipbuilding is operating at 70 to 75 percent capacity and the company has provided feedback to President-elect Donald Trump's transition team on the shipbuilding industry.

The head of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency likes legislation meant to bolster his workforce:

Rixey praises NDAA's workforce development program

Vice Adm. Joseph Rixey, director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, on Wednesday praised congressional efforts to bolster the security cooperation workforce in the latest defense authorization legislation.