The INSIDER daily Digest -- May 12, 2023

By John Liang / May 12, 2023 at 2:32 PM

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on naval mine warfare, the Navy's next-generation destroyer, unmanned systems, future missile defense technologies and more.

Rear Adm. Casey Moton, program executive officer for unmanned and small combatants, spoke about mine warfare this week:

Navy planning FY-25 operational deployment for LCS mine countermeasures mission package

The Navy is targeting fiscal year 2025 for an initial deployment of its Littoral Combat Ship mine countermeasures mission package, which achieved initial operational capability earlier this month.

Rear Adm. Thomas Anderson, program executive officer for ships, testified this week on the Navy's next-generation destroyer development effort at a hearing of the House Oversight subcommittee on national security, the border and foreign affairs:

Navy taking 'evolutionary' approach to DDG(X) design, drawing lessons from Zumwalt pitfalls

The Navy is taking an "evolutionary" rather than "revolutionary" approach to designing its next-generation large surface combatant, building on the existing Arleigh Burke-class destroyer design and minimizing the addition of untested new features, according to a senior Navy official.

U.S. Pacific Fleet this week held an exercise for vetting uncrewed systems for their capabilities in surveillance and reconnaissance, command and control and re-constituting intelligence:

Pacific Fleet exercise aims to 'increase lethality' in uncrewed missions

With a focus on operating with "infrequent human interaction," the U.S. 3rd Fleet is testing uncrewed aircraft and vessels in a multidomain exercise off the coast of California that prioritizes warfighting capabilities on, above and below the sea.

The Missile Defense Agency is looking at what technologies it will need by 2045:

MDA seeking 'innovative,' 'disruptive' proposals for missile defense in the '2045 time epoch'

The Missile Defense Agency -- created nearly 20 years ago -- is beginning to think about the next 20 by launching a new initiative to explore future technologies and associated architectures that could be needed in 2045, asking industry to propose "new, innovative and potentially disruptive" concepts to protect the nation from anticipated future threats.

Space Systems Command has completed qualification and characterization testing of the GPS Receiver Application Module-Standard Electronic Module/M-Code hardware and software:

SSC'S GPS MGUE program achieves acquisition baseline program milestone

The Space Force has completed its first increment of military code receivers, Space Systems Command announced in a May 8 press release.

The Government Accountability Office, in an information paper shared with congressional appropriators and authorizers, states that as of March 2023, DOD has "understated" its fuel costs for FY-24 by around $1.6 billion, projecting a per-barrel cost of $111.73, while GAO projects $134.05:

GAO finds Pentagon has 'understated' fuel costs by $1.6B

The Government Accountability Office has found the Defense Department has underestimated its fuel costs for fiscal year 2024, creating a $1.6 billion shortfall that has gotten the attention of a senior Senate appropriator.

Document: GAO info paper on DOD fuel costs

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