The INSIDER daily digest -- Jan. 4, 2016

The carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, an upcoming missile defense intercept test and more highlight this Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest.

Big news on the Navy variant of the Joint Strike Fighter:

Pentagon establishes 'red team' to investigate F-35C nose gear issues, recommends possible redesign

The Pentagon established a "red team" last September to investigate issues with the F-35C's nose gear and the team is recommending that if initial steps to fix the problem fail, the nose gear should be redesigned, Inside Defense has learned.

Keep an eye out for an upcoming missile defense intercept test:

U.S. readying first-ever ICBM target intercept attempt in major test of ground-based system

The Pentagon is readying a first-ever attempt to intercept an intercontinental ballistic missile target -- designed to represent a threat, with countermeasures, that U.S. intelligence believes North Korea or Iran could one day field -- during a major flight test of the Ballistic Missile Defense System, an event that aims to expand the shield against a limited long-range rocket attack against the United States.

Continued coverage of the presidential transition:

MD5 director 'troubled' that group has not met with transition team

The director of the MD5 National Security Technology Accelerator, a partnership between the Pentagon, New York University and other U.S. universities, is "troubled" his group has not met with members of the Trump transition team.

A summary of a new Congressional Budget Office report is out:

CBO: 350-ship Navy could cost $25 billion per year

A notional fleet of 350 ships, pushed by both President-elect Donald Trump and Navy leadership, could cost $25 billion per year or 60 percent above the sea service's typical shipbuilding budget, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Document: CBO summary of analysis of the Navy's 2017 shipbuilding plan

More Navy news:

DOD IG targeting several Navy programs in fiscal year 2017

The Defense Department's inspector general has several high-profile Navy programs in its cross hairs, including the Littoral Combat Ship and Ohio-class submarine sustainment, according to the watchdog organization's fiscal year 2017 oversight plan.

New technology exercise will focus on surface warfare capabilities

A Navy surface warfare center in Virginia is inviting industry, academia and other government labs to its first technology exercise next year in the hope of finding technological innovations for surface warfare.

ONR, Northrop developing higher-powered laser for 2018 at-sea tests

The Office of Naval Research and Northrop Grumman are developing a sea-based laser weapon that increases fivefold the power of the directed-energy system currently deployed in the Arabian Gulf.

News from our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity:

McCain to examine cybersecurity threats beyond Russian hacking

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) will hold a hearing Thursday to examine foreign cyber threats, marking the first congressional action on investigating hacking since the Obama administration announced its findings about Russia's attempts at influencing the presidential election.

Army news:

Army offers details on two-channel handheld leader radio

The Army has provided further insight into its planned acquisition of a two-channel handheld radio for leaders at the company level and below.

Army advises industry of forthcoming MAPS effort

The Army intends to seek project proposals to support the Modular Active Protection System framework, according to a notice posted Dec. 21 on Federal Business Opportunities.

AMC commander praises ongoing assessment of hardware portfolios

The Army's far-reaching effort to analyze its nearly 800 programs of record and identify "trade space" to support future investments will not drive "an eternal or arbitrary reduction," according to the head of Army Materiel Command.