The INSIDER daily digest -- Oct. 11, 2023

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on Ukraine weapons supplies, continuing coverage of the AUSA conference, autonomous surface vessels and more.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke this week from Brussels after a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group:

Austin lays out new plans for international coalitions to supply Ukraine with weapons

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said today the United States and dozens of international partners have now agreed to establish several "capability coalitions" aimed at supplying Ukraine with various air, land and sea weapons in the coming years, including assistance to modernize network infrastructure.

The Army's newly minted chief of staff spoke this week at the annual AUSA conference:

George cautions Army to avoid 'one-size-fits-all solutions from the Pentagon'

In one of his first formal addresses as the Army's chief of staff, Gen. Randy George today emphasized the importance of giving more authority to local leaders at individual military bases and installations.

Army chief details four priorities to modernize the service

Gen. Randy George, who was confirmed last month as the Army chief of staff, yesterday laid out his priorities to modernize the service, top among them the service's No. 1 purpose: defending the country.

(View our complete AUSA coverage.)

Saronic, an Austin, TX-based defense company focused on bringing maritime autonomy to U.S. and allied navies, raised the money to further its autonomous vessel production without the Defense Department's help, but used cooperative research and development agreements with DOD to build its own mission sets of autonomous boats:

Saronic raises $55M for autonomous ships amid DOD's Replicator push

Defense startup Saronic Technologies announced today it has secured $55 million in funding from private capital to accelerate research, development and production on autonomous maritime vessels in alignment with the goals cited by the Defense Department's new Replicator initiative.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall spoke at an Atlantic Council event this week:

Air Force to make significant decisions to 'become more competitive'

The Air Force will make critical decisions in the "January-February timeframe" to leverage warfighting readiness and "become more competitive," according to a top Air Force official.

National Reconnaissance Office Deputy Director Maj. Gen. Christopher Povak spoke this week at a Mitchell Institute Forum:

NRO is expecting to quadruple satellites on orbit within the next decade

The National Reconnaissance Office is expecting to increase by fourfold the number of satellites on orbit "within the next decade" for commercial and national purposes, an NRO senior official said this morning.