The INSIDER daily digest -- June 6, 2018

DOD innovation news plus extensive coverage of the Senate Armed Services Committee's FY-19 defense policy bill highlight this Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest.

The Pentagon's chief technologist testified on Capitol Hill this morning:

Pentagon chief technologist details new innovation efforts

The Defense Department is making headway on several innovation efforts, including rapid prototyping programs and the implementation of commercial software practices in major defense programs like the F-22 fighter and the Cobra Dane radar, according to the Pentagon's top technology official.

Document: Senate hearing on DOD innovation, research funding

Coverage of the Air Force's E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System:

House appropriators back original JSTARS recap plan as Senate adds money for ABMS

House appropriators want to block the Air Force from retiring more than one E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System jet unless the service continues its earlier plan to recapitalize the fleet.

Air Force adding in-house depot maintenance for JSTARS as Northrop's work improves

Robins Air Force Base, GA, will build a blue-suit heavy maintenance enterprise for the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, the second major intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to try a new sustainment approach there in as many years.

More Air Force news:

Traditional POM-building not accounting for agile software development, Air Force official says

The Air Force is putting the finishing touches on its fiscal year 2020 program objective memorandum, but the key budgeting document is "blind" to agile development, the Air Force's director of information technology acquisition process development said this week.

House and Senate authorizers want a new space-based missile defense sensor network:

Senate, House panels authorize space sensor project to track ballistic, hypersonic threats

House and Senate lawmakers are recommending Congress back a proposal -- not funded in the Pentagon's fiscal year 2019 budget request -- authorizing the Missile Defense Agency to launch a new space-based sensor network capable of tracking enemy long-range ballistic and hypersonic missiles from launch to impact.

More missile defense news:

Congress wants GBI acceleration plan, options for potential fifth missile field at Ft. Greely

Lawmakers, impatient with the Pentagon's plan to take five years to expand the ballistic missile defense interceptor fleet in Alaska, want the Missile Defense Agency to both draft options for accelerating emplacement of 20 new Ground-based Interceptors by at least a year as well as prepare a blueprint for an entire new missile field to potentially further expand the number of silos at Ft. Greely.

Document: Sen. Sullivan's bill on accelerating GBI deployment in Alaska

More coverage of the Senate Armed Services Committee's FY-19 defense policy bill:

Senate authorizers call for space warfighting policy, reusable launch strategy

The Senate Armed Services Committee is calling for the Defense Department to craft a space warfighting policy that would review the resiliency of the national security space enterprise and its ability to defend against threats, defeat potential adversaries and deter future conflict.

Senate panel would give DOD $150M to spur investment in critical hardware tech

The Senate Armed Services Committee wants the Defense Department to spend up to $150 million to promote investments in hardware technologies with future military utility.

A new Government Accountability Office report on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program is out:

GAO: Pentagon should not make full-rate production decision for F-35 until deficiencies are fixed

The Pentagon should not make a full-rate production decision for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter until all critical deficiencies are rectified, according to a government watchdog.

GAO recommends Congress block C2D2 funding until program is baselined

The Government Accountability Office is recommending Congress block funding for F-35 follow-on modernization until the Defense Department details the effort's acquisition program baseline.