The INSIDER daily digest -- March 5, 2018

By John Liang / March 5, 2018 at 2:33 PM

Multiyear procurement authority for the Navy's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye program, Lockheed Martin's CEO commenting at her company's annual media day and more highlight this Monday INSIDER Daily Digest.

The Navy is seeking a multiyear procurement authority as part of its fiscal year 2019 budget request, a move that would consolidate remaining E-2D aircraft purchases in the $22 billion program of record into a single, five-year deal:

Navy wants to consolidate remaining E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft in $3.5 billion deal

The Navy is asking Congress for permission to negotiate a $3.5 billion contract with Northrop Grumman to buy E2-D Advance Hawkeye aircraft in a multiyear deal that would bundle two dozen of the airborne surveillance, detection and tracking systems as part of a block buy the service says would net savings of $336 million.

Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson told reporters today her company has identified three policy areas likely to have the greatest impact on the business:

Lockheed looks to regulatory and acquisition reform in 2018

Reforming regulations and the acquisition process will be two areas of policy focus for Lockheed Martin in 2018, according to the company's chief executive.

No RDT&E money was projected for active protection systems for Bradley and Stryker vehicles in last year's budget request:

Iron Fist, Iron Curtain time lines adjusted from FY-19 request

Following delays in "characterization" of the non-developmental active protection systems for Bradley and Stryker, the effort would receive $42.3 million in fiscal year 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funding that was not planned for last year.

The Navy's Expeditionary Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS-E) will provide "a modular flexible and rapidly deployable mobile acoustic wide area surveillance capability":

Navy to spend $5 million on surveillance sensor, may shift money to RPED

The Navy intends to obligate an additional $5 million for a surveillance sensor system, but will transfer that money from the program line item to its rapid prototyping fund should congressional appropriators direct that fund's creation in the fiscal year 2018 budget, according to documents viewed by Inside the Navy.

A white paper released last week by the Army Capabilities Integration Center outlines a plan to achieve the service's goal of enabling units to operate for up to a week without resupply:

ARCIC envisions array of changes to reduce demand for operational units

The Army has codified its requirement for brigade combat teams to become more expeditionary to fulfill the Multi-Domain Battle concept, outlining plans to reduce its demand for fuel, water and ammunition.

Inside Defense spoke with the House's top defense appropriator late last week:

Top House defense appropriator outlines options to extend DOD funding

House and Senate lawmakers are weighing three legislative options to give the Pentagon flexibility to spend billions in additional fiscal year 2018 operations and maintenance dollars, the House's top defense appropriator told Inside Defense.

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