The INSIDER daily digest -- March 18, 2025

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on Navy shipyards, munitions manufacturing, mitigating artificial intelligence vulnerabilities and more.

We start off with coverage from the annual McAleese and Associates conference:

Wittman: New OMB director may be receptive to SAWS proposal

The new director of the White House Office of Management and Budget may be receptive to a Navy proposal that could free up additional funding to boost shipyard wages, according to Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), who said Congress and the new OMB director are engaged in productive talks over the Shipbuilder Accountability and Workforce Support proposal.

Wittman calls on DOD to create 'sustainable demand' in munitions manufacturing

Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), the vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, called on the Pentagon today to create a more "sustainable demand" when it comes to munitions manufacturing, as part of its weapons modernization push.

Inside Defense recently got a chance to visit HII's newly acquired shipyard in Charleston, SC:

HII's outsourcing strategy takes root as carrier and submarine work begins at South Carolina facility

CHARLESTON, SC -- On a spring day in South Carolina, shipyard workers at HII's newly acquired facility here were laying the groundwork for submarine modules and putting the finishing touches on an initial aircraft carrier "structural unit" that will soon become part of future Ford-class aircraft carrier Doris Miller (CVN-81).

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency recently announced the Securing Artificial Intelligence for Battlefield Effective Robustness (SABER) program to develop operational red-teaming frameworks to assess and mitigate AI vulnerabilities:

DARPA aims to develop new framework for operational testing of AI-enabled systems

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has launched an initiative to harden artificial intelligence systems eyed for use in combat by developing red-teaming frameworks to identify and counter vulnerabilities to secure AI-driven warfare as emerging threats highlight the risks of deploying autonomous systems in combat.

Document: DARPA notice on SABER

About 5,400 of the Space Force's 14,700 guardians are civilians as of the beginning of the month, but that number is already shrinking as they choose to apply for the administration's deferred resignation program:

Space Force bracing for upcoming civilian personnel reductions

Top officials within the country's smallest military service are bracing for major disruptions as the Trump administration promises to cut civilian personnel across the federal government.