The INSIDER daily digest -- May 9, 2025

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Army's efforts to protect against drone incursions, plus coverage of the Missile Defense Agency's Command and Control, Battle Management and Communications program and various congressional hearings.

Michael Obadal submitted answers to advance policy questions to the Senate Armed Services Committee this week regarding his nomination to become Army under secretary:

Army under secretary nominee stresses need for 'layered' authorities to defend against drone incursions

Michael Obadal, the Anduril executive nominated by President Trump to be the next Army under secretary, said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that the Army must do a better job of weaving together various authorities between the federal government and state and local governments when it comes to protecting the United States from drone incursions.

Document: Obadal's Senate nomination APQs

The Missile Defense Agency is set to field Command and Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) Spiral 8.2-5.1 to both U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command soon:

C2BMC upgrade this summer to support Guam defense, hypersonic threats, more

The Pentagon is set to deliver a command and control upgrade to its global missile defense network this summer, enhancing the ability of U.S. forces to detect, track and respond to increasingly complex missile threats, including cruise missiles and maneuverable hypersonic weapons while also strengthening protection for the U.S. homeland and Guam.

Document: House hearing on missile defense

An updated milestone B test and evaluation master plan for the Navy's Stingray uncrewed aircraft system was expected to be submitted to DOT&E before the end of March, but that hasn't happened yet:

DOT&E 'not consulted' in Navy decision to forgo updates to MQ-25 MS-B TEMP

The Pentagon's chief weapons tester was not consulted and did not sign off on a Navy decision to forgo a milestone B test and evaluation master plan update for the MQ-25 Stingray program, despite the service's initial plan to submit the update to the office of the director of test and evaluation by the end of March.

The House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee held a hearing this week on "Nuclear Forces and Atomic Energy Defense Activities":

Officials: IOC for SLCM-N expected by 2034, shift in command may occur for E-6B mission

Since the establishment of a nuclear-armed, sea-launched missile program office in March 2024, the Navy remains on track to achieve a key milestone by next year, as it assesses potential warhead options and researches how to best integrate the missile into Virginia-class submarines, a service official told lawmakers Wednesday.

Document: House hearing on nuclear forces

The Air Force decided to scrap the silo reuse plan for the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM in the wake of a conversion project of one of the existing test-launch facilities:

Air Force scraps plans to reuse ICBM silos for Sentinel, 10 years into program

The Air Force's intercontinental ballistic missile modernization program will not be able to reuse existing silos as it had been planning since the beginning of the effort 10 years ago, potentially threatening the cost of a program that's already known to be massively over budget.

Navy Rear Adm. Kevin Smith spoke this week at the International Mine Warfare Symposium in San Diego, CA:

Navy to receive first full-sized Orca XLUUV this summer as schedule challenges persist

The Navy expects to receive its first full-sized version of the "Orca" Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle from Boeing this summer after the company delivered an initial test and training asset in December 2024, the head of the service's unmanned and small combatants program office said this week.

Darlene Costello, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, testified this week at a House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee hearing:

Costello: T-7 sticking to November 2027 IOC timeline, delivery of first ground-based simulator set for October

The Air Force and Boeing are making significant progress to keep the troubled T-7A Red Hawk training jet in line with Air Education and Training Command's stated target to reach initial operational capability by 2027, the service's top acquisition official told lawmakers this week.

Document: House hearing on USAF projection forces aviation programs and capabilities