The INSIDER daily digest -- June 17, 2022

By John Liang / June 17, 2022 at 1:39 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news from the Senate Armed Services Committee's fiscal year 2023 defense authorization bill and more.

We start off with more coverage of the Senate Armed Services Committee's FY-23 defense policy bill:

Senate lawmakers want to review how DOD monitors industry M&A process

The Senate Armed Services Committee has passed a fiscal year 2023 defense authorization bill that requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct a review of the Defense Department's processes for monitoring mergers and acquisitions in the industry, according to a summary of the legislation released this week.

Senate authorizers aim to save half of Navy's ships set to be decommissioned

The Senate Armed Services Committee wants to save 12 out of the 24 warships the Navy wants to decommission in the service's fiscal year 2023 budget request.

Senate committee's mark-up approves A-10 divestment, accelerates aircraft procurement

The Senate Armed Service Committee's mark-up of the fiscal year 2023 defense policy bill would approve divestments of the A-10 aircraft, accelerate procurement of the F-35A and HH-60W and limit divestment of the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft, according to an executive summary and a background briefing provided by committee staff.

Senate bill would authorize higher Abrams, Paladin spending

The Senate Armed Services Committee has voted to fund a pair of combat vehicle programs above the Army's fiscal year 2023 budget request by half-a-billion dollars, setting up a possible point of disagreement with its House counterpart.

Senate authorizers want to see more money for CYBERCOM, increased oversight of JCWA

Senate authorizers are recommending directing another $56 million to U.S. Cyber Command for the development of its integrated cyberspace landscape in the fiscal year 2023 defense policy bill, but lawmakers also want to stand up a new office to bolster oversight of the architecture.

Our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity also have coverage of congressional defense legislation:

House defense bill includes creation of CISA collaboration environment

The House Armed Services Committee is set to mark up an annual defense policy bill that includes creation of the "Cyber Threat Information Collaboration Environment Program," a reworked version of a Cyberspace Solarium Commission proposal viewed as an important component for government-industry interaction.

Northrop Grumman has tested a satellite communications system:

Northrop Grumman successfully tests laser communication system for Tranche 1 satellites

Northrop Grumman held a successful ground demonstration of a laser communication system for Tranche 1 satellites, according to a company press release.

Michael Horowitz, the Defense Department's emerging capabilities policy director, spoke this week at an online Defense One Tech Summit:

DOD identifies starting points for autonomy in weapon systems policy re-look

As the Defense Department reviews its bedrock autonomous weapon systems directive, the Pentagon's first emerging capabilities policy director says officials have identified two starting points within their broader effort to ensure the language is "as clear as possible" regarding U.S. policy in this realm.

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