The INSIDER daily digest -- Nov. 13, 2023

We begin this Monday INSIDER Daily Digest with news about the Air Force secretary’s priorities, a recent technology readiness event, new Space Force contracts, and the Air Force gets its new bomber off the ground:

The Air Force is digging in on Secretary Frank Kendall’s operational priorities list:

Air Force running exercises on mobility, sustainment and space launch for Kendall's OI7

The Air Force will run three tabletop exercises on the service’s readiness to transition to a wartime posture in an effort to build one of Secretary Frank Kendall's Operational Imperatives into the fiscal year 2026 program objective memorandum.

The Pentagon says several technologies tied to the Australian submarine program prove capable:

DOD says AUKUS Pillar II capabilities tested at recent tech readiness experiment

The Pentagon reports that AUKUS Pillar II capabilities were among the technologies tested at the second 2023 Technology Readiness Experimentation, where 10 of 11 systems were deemed worthy of further operational evaluation.

Four space contractors have been chosen to build command and control prototypes:

Space Force selects four contractors to develop FORGE C2 prototype

The Space Force awarded Ball Aerospace, Parsons, General Dynamics and Omni Federal $9.75 million each to develop new prototype ground systems for missile warning satellites, according to an announcement issued yesterday.

The Air Force’s newest bomber has taken to the skies for the first time:

B-21 takes off in first flight test

The B-21 Raider nuclear bomber is running flight tests, an Air Force spokeswoman confirmed to Inside Defense today.