The INSIDER daily digest -- June 16, 2017

Unfunded priorities, Air Force prototypes and more highlight this Friday INSIDER Daily Digest.

If lawmakers want to increase the FY-18 defense budget, they should use the services’ unfunded priorities as a guide, according to the Pentagon’s No. 1 civilian:

Mattis urges appropriators to look to unfunded priorities as FY-18 topline remains elusive

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told House defense appropriators Thursday they should use the military's $32 billion unfunded priorities lists as a guide if they are able to increase the Pentagon's fiscal year 2018 topline above the level sought by the Trump administration.

Air Force news:

Air Force wants $3.1B to fund prototyping, experimentation over FYDP

The Air Force expects a ramp-up in experimentation and prototyping activities over the next year, a change of pace reflected in a $500 million funding increase in its fiscal year 2018 budget request.

AFSPC planning second 'Space Flag' as it eyes future training needs

After its inaugural "Space Flag" in April, the Air Force is planning to conduct a second virtual training exercise in August or September -- part of a continuous effort to prepare airmen to operate in space as a warfighting domain.

The Navy appears to have figured out how to deal with the physiological episodes their student pilots have been suffering from:

Following review of physiological episodes, Navy outlines path ahead for T-45 pilots

The Navy should put in place a four-phase approach to return T-45C Goshawk student pilots to flight by the end of this summer, according to a new service report that investigated aviators' physiological episodes.

A look at the Army’s fielding plans for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle:

Army to equip first unit with JLTVs in 2019

The Army plans to begin fielding the first Joint Light Tactical Vehicles in calendar year 2019 with a focus on equipping infantry brigades first, according to the project manager.