Thursday, April 25, 2024
Thursday, April 25, 2024
This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on both the House and Senate defense authorization bills and more.
We start off with the Senate Armed Services Committee's annual policy bill, which was passed today:
Senate committee pumps up Biden's defense budget by $45B
The Senate Armed Services Committee has agreed to a fiscal year 2023 defense policy bill that would authorize $45 billion more than what President Biden has requested, with senior lawmakers citing historic inflation and the ongoing war in Ukraine as key drivers for the increase.
Document: Senate authorizers' summary of the FY-23 defense policy bill
(Stay tuned to Inside Defense for more programmatic news from this bill.)
. . . Followed by our continuing coverage of the House version of the chairman's mark that we obtained this week:
House committee matches Biden's defense request amid lawmaker plans for big plus-up
The House Armed Services Committee intends to match President Biden's request for fiscal year 2023 defense spending in its early version of the annual defense authorization bill, but the chairman says the panel is sure to increase the topline, according to a new document obtained by Inside Defense.
Draft House bill would restore Army's 1,000-mile cannon program
A draft bill from the House Armed Services Committee would resurrect the Army's plan to build a cannon that can fire 1,000 miles, which the service put on ice this year following years of congressional concerns.
House chairman's mark approves USAF aircraft divestments, sets limits on others
The House Armed Services Committee draft "chairman's mark" of the fiscal year 2023 defense policy bill obtained by Inside Defense would approve the Air Force's request to reduce the minimum tactical fighter aircraft inventory but limit other retirements.
House authorizers seek to boost DIU's budget, fund AQ pilot for commercial tech
House authorizers want to nearly double the Defense Innovation Unit's fiscal year 2023 budget and fund an experimental avenue for bringing commercial technology into the military, in the weeks after some lawmakers publicly questioned top Pentagon officials' commitment to the organization.
House lawmakers want to set floor for EA-18G aircraft following Navy divestment
The House Armed Services Committee wants to prohibit the divestment of 25 EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft, according to a new document obtained by Inside Defense.
The Government Accountability Office issued a report this week on Air Force and Navy aircraft:
GAO: Air Force, Navy aircraft readiness decreasing
The mission capable rates of Air Force and Navy aircraft have declined in recent years due to a failure to complete congressionally mandated sustainment reviews, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.
The Marine Corps is looking at a temporary alternative to the Light Amphibious Warship:
Smith: Marine Corps likely to contract three stern landing vessels
The Marine Corps will likely contract three civilian stern landing vessels as a bridging solution until the Light Amphibious Warship comes online, according to Marine Corps Assistant Commandant Gen. Eric Smith.
Leidos is looking to re-start its work on the Defense Enclave Services program:
Following protest denial, Leidos poised for 'robust' resumption of DES work
The Government Accountability Office has denied a protest from General Dynamics Information Technology targeting an $11.5 billion contract awarded to Leidos to unify the Pentagon's Fourth Estate IT environments, ending what amounted to a holding pattern for the Defense Enclave Services effort.
Last but by no means least, some defense energy news:
Army moving forward on generator for tactical microgrid
The Army plans to release a requirements document this summer for a new 3-kilowatt generator, which could power future microgrids as part of a suite of tactical power systems, according to an official responsible for the program.