The INSIDER daily digest -- June 8, 2021

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Air Force One replacement program, the Navy's Littoral Combat Ship program and the Government Accountability Office's latest weapon systems assessment report.

Air Force officials testified today at a House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee hearing on the Air Force One replacement program:

Boeing predicts one-year delay to Air Force One replacement as USAF continues schedule review

The Air Force has not finalized a new schedule for the Air Force One replacement program, but the service's top weapons buyer told lawmakers today Boeing has projected at least a one-year delay.

The Navy has set up a task force to analyze, develop and implement improvements to the Littoral Combat Ship program:

Navy launches effort to improve LCS reliability, sustainability

The Navy has launched a new effort to improve the reliability and sustainability of the Littoral Combat Ship, identifying 32 key reliability issues across the two LCS variants.

The Navy's fiscal year 2022 budget request reveals new details about plans for integrating Conventional Prompt Strike on the DDG-1000 platform as well as new plans to ramp up production:

Navy plans to pack each DDG-1000 with 12 long-range hypersonic strike missiles

The Navy is planning to outfit each of its three DDG-1000 destroyers with a dozen long-range hypersonic strike missiles, eyeing a new cold-launch system for the Zumwalt-class ship as part of a new plan to arm by 2025 a surface ship rather than a nuclear-powered guided missile submarine with the Conventional Prompt Strike weapon.

The Government Accountability Office this morning released its annual weapon systems assessment report. Here's our coverage so far:

GPS OCX delays could impact operational availability of follow-on satellites

A new report from the Government Accountability Office warns that delays to the Next Generation GPS Operational Control Segment could have a longer-term impact on development of a follow-on ground segment and the operational availability of future GPS IIIF satellites.

Space Force still aiming for FY-25 Next-Gen OPIR launch capability, despite projected two-year delay

Despite an updated cost assessment that forecasts a two-year delay to the launch of the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared System's first Block 0 geosynchronous satellite, the program appears to still be working toward a fiscal year 2025 launch date, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

Senior Army officials testified on Capitol Hill this week on modernization:

Army modernization could require cuts to other spending, officials tell Congress

Army leaders might have to consider allocating a greater share of funding to research and procurement in future years if the service does not receive a higher topline budget to complete its modernization programs, a senior official told lawmakers June 7.

Document: House hearing on Army, Marine Corps ground vehicle programs

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley are scheduled to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday:

Senior Pentagon leaders head to Hill to defend budget

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley are slated to appear before Congress this week to justify the fiscal year 2022 defense budget, which would cut procurement by $8 billion and divest some existing weapon systems in favor of new investments in emerging technology.

A recent test proved the MQ-25 Stingray can fulfill its refueling mission:

Navy completes first unmanned aerial refueling using MQ-25 Stingray prototype

The Navy's unmanned MQ-25 program completed its first-ever refueling from an unmanned tanker to a manned receiver aircraft, an F/A-18 Super Hornet, Friday, the service announced.