The INSIDER daily digest -- June 30, 2021

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on Army modernization funding, the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent program and more.

We start off with more coverage of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee's fiscal year 2022 military spending bill, which was marked up this week:

House panel supports Army modernization funding

The House Appropriations defense subcommittee is supporting funding for a number of the Army's top modernization priorities, according to its mark of the fiscal year 2022 spending bill.

House Dems signal support for ICBM replacement

House appropriators have moved to fully fund the Pentagon program intended to replace the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, while House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA), a longtime critic of the program, said lawmakers would not seek to "kill" it.

House panel adds second destroyer, blocks Navy SLCM-N development

House appropriators want to pay for a second destroyer, eliminate funding for the sea-launched nuclear cruise missile program and block the decommissioning of three Littoral Combat Ships in their mark of fiscal year 2022 defense spending legislation.

Speaking of Navy destroyers, the head of a major shipbuilding union also wants the service to fund a second DDG-51:

Machinist union urges a second destroyer

A leading union for machinists and aerospace workers is urging House lawmakers to support funding for a second DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in a letter on Tuesday.

A third package of legislative proposals recently sent to Congress includes a Pentagon request to allow the defense secretary to buy used foreign sealift ships:

DOD seeks waiver to buy foreign, used, commercial cargo ships needed for surge sealift

The Defense Department is asking Congress to temporarily lift a statutory ban on buying used foreign ships in fiscal year 2022 to jumpstart reserve sealift fleet modernization plans, allowing DOD to execute a four-year, $1.4 billion plan to buy 16 roll-on/roll-off commercial vessels.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) spoke at a Defense Writers Group breakfast this week:

Smith backs new F-35 engine

The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee today showed support for directing the Air Force's investment in advanced engine technology for the Next-Generation Air Dominance program toward a new engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The Navy's maritime airborne electronic attack modernization effort has been approved to proceed to the next stage of production:

Navy's NGJ-MB program reaches milestone C

The Navy has declared milestone C for the Next Generation Jammer Mid Band, allowing the program to move into the low-rate initial production phase.

Last but not least, some cyber defense news:

Pentagon to help small business reduce CMMC compliance costs

The Defense Department has pledged to reduce costs on small businesses in an ongoing internal review of its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, according to a Pentagon official.

Microsoft prepares documentation to help contractors ready for Pentagon cyber certification program

Microsoft is working to provide documentation for its managed security service provider partners and cloud users who want to get ready for assessment under the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, according to a company executive.