The INSIDER daily digest -- June 29, 2017

House appropriators' FY-18 defense spending bill as well as coverage of the House and Senate defense authorization bills highlight this Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest.

Appropriations bill news:

House Appropriations defense panel increases Navy modernization accounts by $3.2 billion

The House Appropriations defense subcommittee moved to increase Navy modernization spending by $3.2 billion compared to President Trump's fiscal year 2018 budget request, proposing additional funding to buy more aircraft and ships while trimming research and development funds.

House appropriators want flexible $12B fund to plus up DOD procurement

The House Appropriations defense subcommittee wants to establish a $12 billion "National Defense Restoration Fund" that would allow the transfer of lump sums to the Pentagon for procurement programs with a 15-day notification by the defense secretary.

House appropriators' mark would add four F-35s, six C-130Js above Air Force budget request

The House Appropriations defense subcommittee's mark of fiscal year 2018 defense spending legislation proposes adding four F-35As above the 46 the service asked for in its budget, six Air National Guard C-130Js the service didn't ask for, and rejects the service's unfunded priority request for three additional KC-46 tankers.

Authorization bill news:

House bill would have Pentagon compare new weapons to legacy systems

A House defense policy bill would require the Pentagon's top weapons tester to include a comparison of a new weapon's capabilities against the abilities of the legacy system it's replacing.

House authorizers want Pentagon to establish milestones for FMS process

House legislation would direct the Pentagon to establish milestones and timelines for completing a foreign military sale, as some lawmakers and contractors in recent years have criticized the FMS process for moving too slow.

House defense authorizers direct Pentagon to report on plans for climate change

House defense authorizers have adopted a provision in their annual policy bill directing the Defense Department to report on plans and the associated costs for dealing with the effects of climate change.

Senate panel's mark would elevate CIO, give new oversight of space and cyber programs

The Senate Armed Services Committee's mark of fiscal year 2018 defense policy legislation seeks to address the Defense Department's space organizational problems by elevating the authorities of the chief information officer to provide oversight of all space and cyber programs.

Senate authorizers would 'promote accountability' by cutting billions from DOD programs

The Senate Armed Services Committee has proposed cutting $4.3 billion from major Defense Department weapons programs and capping procurement spending on future aircraft carriers at $12 billion to "promote accountability" in military acquisition.

A senior Army officer spoke this morning about the defense industrial base:

Piggee: Army working to use 'surge capacity' of industrial base

The Army is working with Congress to expand the capacity of its industrial base facilities, according to Lt. Gen. Aundre Piggee, deputy chief of staff (G-4).

Inside Defense chatted recently with the head of MITRE Corp.:

LaPlante: MITRE seeks to connect government with commercial technology

Bill LaPlante, the former Air Force acquisition executive, is seeking to ensure MITRE Corp.'s national security sector is positioned to link the military with the technologies, pace and processes of the commercial sector.