The INSIDER daily digest -- Jan. 18, 2019

By John Liang / January 18, 2019 at 3:03 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has coverage of the latest Missile Defense Review, Navy auxiliary ships and more.

Here is more of our coverage of the Trump administration's 2019 Missile Defense Review:

Army, MDA directed to sort out $10 billion THAAD dispute by June, in time for FY-21 budget

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, backed by top brass and senior Pentagon officials, has directed the Army and Missile Defense Agency -- along with the Joint Staff -- to resolve by mid-June a $10 billion dispute that for years has bedevilled plans to transition responsibility for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system from the agency to the service.

Democrats question Trump's push for space-based missile defense capabilities

Congressional Democrats are pushing back on elements of the recently unveiled Missile Defense Review, calling into question the cost and feasibility of potentially deploying a space-based interceptor layer.

MDR directs a dozen follow-on studies with potential to expand programs, launch new starts

The 2019 Missile Defense Review directs a dozen follow-on studies with implications to dramatically expand the $180 billion Ballistic Missile Defense System by potentially growing the land- and sea-based interceptor fleets, adding the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter into the missile defense sensor network, initiating a hypersonic defense program and expanding space-based capabilities.

The Navy program manager responsible for auxiliary fleet programs spoke this week about what a future auxiliary ship would need:

Three separate teams shaping requirements for Navy's 'future small auxiliary'

The necessary capabilities and mission sets for a future Navy auxiliary ship only recently disclosed to the public are being developed by three separate but overlapping requirements evaluation teams, according to a Navy program manager responsible for auxiliary fleet programs.

The head of U.S. Fleet Forces spoke at this week's Surface Navy Association symposium:

Fleet Forces commander: U.S. 2nd Fleet is a move back to Striking Fleet Atlantic

The Navy views its reactivation of U.S. 2nd Fleet as a move back to when the service still included NATO Striking Fleet Atlantic, according to the U.S. Fleet Forces commander.

The Air Force effort to develop a light-attack aircraft continues apace:

Air Force to continue light-attack experimentation, broaden scope

After delaying the start of an official competition for an off-the-shelf light-attack aircraft, the under secretary of the Air Force confirmed today the service would continue an experimentation campaign and perhaps broaden its pool of aircraft contenders.

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