The INSIDER daily digest -- March 21, 2025

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has big news on the Air Force's multibillion-dollar Next Generation Air Dominance effort, plus coverage of the nascent Golden Dome missile defense program and more.

Lockheed Martin has lost its bid to build the Air Force's multibillion-dollar next-generation fighter aircraft:

Boeing wins multibillion-dollar bid for the Air Force's next-generation fighter

The Trump administration today announced Boeing has been selected to produce the Air Force's multibillion-dollar Next Generation Air Dominance penetrating platform, beating out Lockheed Martin in the contest after months of uncertainty.

Michael Griffin, former under secretary of defense for research and engineering, and Lisa Porter, former deputy under secretary of defense for research and engineering, contend the Missile Defense Agency, while technically proficient, is not structured to lead the Golden Dome program:

Former Trump DOD officials: Don't put MDA in charge of Golden Dome

As the Pentagon readies to present a proposal next week to President Trump for a new national missile defense system, two former top defense officials are warning against handing the job to the Missile Defense Agency, arguing the effort requires a fresh, integrated approach that transcends existing bureaucracies.

The venerable KC-135 Stratotanker may wind up being in service for more than a century:

AMC: KC-135 Stratotankers may be giving gas well past 2050

As Air Mobility Command gradually recapitalizes its fleet of 60-year-old KC-135 Stratotankers, it "may need to look at a service life extension" to keep the refuelers in the air beyond their stated 2050 retirement date and fill in capability gaps, AMC Commander Gen. John Lamontagne said recently.

Funding tables sent by House Appropriations Committee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Mitch McConnell (R-KY) express congressional "intent" only as Congress did not pass an FY-25 defense appropriations bill:

Appropriators look to guide DOD spending during uncharted yearlong CR

Republican chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations committees have sent a blueprint to the Defense Department for how they would like to see funding spent in fiscal year 2025, though the Pentagon, which is operating under a yearlong continuing resolution, is in uncharted territory, according to documents obtained by Inside Defense.

Document: Appropriators' FY-25 DOD funding tables

Inside Defense recently interviewed the provisional head of the Air Force's nascent Integrated Capabilities Command:

ICC building trust with Air Force major commands while working on POM

The Air Force's major command chiefs are still hesitant about handing over their requirements-writing duties to the service's nascent Integrated Capabilities Command, a senior Air Force official told Inside Defense.