The INSIDER daily digest -- Jan. 15, 2025

By John Liang / January 15, 2025 at 2:36 PM

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news from the confirmation hearing of SECDEF nominee Pete Hegseth, plus coverage from this week's Surface Navy Association symposium and more.

We start off with coverage from this week's confirmation hearing of defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth:

Hegseth and GOP cite struggling DOD weapon systems to justify confirmation

Amid blistering allegations and questions about his character and lack of relevant experience from Senate Democrats, defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth today committed to reforming the Pentagon's acquisition process, with his Republican supporters singling out major weapon systems struggling with cost overruns and schedule delays as part of their reason for supporting his "unconventional" nomination.

Document: Hegseth's answers to advance policy questions

We also have coverage of this week's Surface Navy Association annual symposium:

Navy MADCAP program eyes hypervelocity projectile for ship defense against drones

The Navy, after expending $1 billion in guided-missile interceptors against relatively low-cost targets during operations in the Red Sea, last year quietly began experimenting with hypervelocity projectiles to give the 5-inch guns across the destroyer and cruiser fleets a low-cost alternative to down drones, cruise and ballistic missiles.

Large and medium USVs need to be streamlined, surface warfare director says

The Navy should streamline its uncrewed surface vessels, Surface Warfare Director Rear Adm. Bill Daly said Tuesday at the Surface Navy Association's conference, adding that the hybrid fleet does not necessarily need platforms that are large, exquisite or unproved.

'SWO Boss' unveils plan to achieve 80% combat surge ready surface force by 2027

The commander of naval surface forces has published an updated strategy document, “The Competitive Edge 2.0,” intended to provide an implementation roadmap to get 80% of surface warships combat surge ready by 2027 in accordance with chief of naval operations directives.

Document: Navy's 'competitive edge 2.0' strategy document

Our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity have a write-up of a recent Defense Department inspector general's report on the CMMC program:

DOD IG raises concerns over process to authorize C3PAOs for CMMC program

A new audit from the Defense Department inspector general finds gaps in the Pentagon's process to authorize 11 certified third-party assessment organizations that applied to be part of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program.

The House Appropriations defense subcommittee's top Republican foresees funding cuts to major programs:

Calvert calls for spending reviews that could cut aircraft carriers and tanks

House Appropriations defense subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA), possibly setting the stage for politically explosive spending debates in the coming year, said today he favors strategic reviews that could lead to funding cuts for aircraft carriers and Abrams tanks, asserting they are not suitable for modern warfare against a peer adversary like China.

The Defense Business Board held a meeting this week:

Defense Business Board says DOD needs clear supply chain game plan

Some of the main challenges for the Defense Department's efforts at supply chain illumination and risk management include its lack of centralized priority risk areas and the fact that the Pentagon has no long-term vision for supply chain illumination to guide its efforts, Defense Business Board members said during an open meeting session Monday.

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