The INSIDER daily digest -- Oct. 28, 2019

By John Liang / October 28, 2019 at 2:10 PM

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the FY-20 defense policy and spending bills, the Army's artificial intelligence efforts, Navy shipbuilding plans and more.

We start off with a look at the status of the fiscal year 2020 defense authorization and appropriations bills:

Defense bills mired in Trump's wall fight as Congress considers alternatives

Congress, despite having agreed to a broad budget deal, has begun looking for stopgaps and schedule extensions for the defense spending and policy bills, which are already overdue and remain stalled amid partisan fighting over President Trump's use of military construction funds to build a southern border wall.

Inside Defense recently interviewed Brig. Gen. Matt Easley, director of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force under Army Futures Command:

New Army data strategy to include artificial intelligence

The Army's new data strategy will include artificial intelligence capabilities to defend the cyber "ecosystem," according to a service official.

DOD officials late last week gave a presentation to the Information and Communications Technology Supply Chain Risk Management Task Force:

CISA supply-chain task force briefed by DOD on aggressive schedule for contractor certification

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency task force on supply-chain security was briefed by a Defense Department official who laid out an aggressive schedule for the Pentagon's plan to certify the cybersecurity practices of contractors, with final revisions expected in December and a "transition" to implementation in January.

With the pending retirement of House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) has thrown his hat into the ring:

Wittman to enter race for House Armed Services Committee ranking member

Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) said today he will enter the race to become the next ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee.

The Navy's second-highest-ranking officer spoke last week at the Military Reporters & Editors Conference:

VCNO: Navy can achieve 305-310 ship fleet under current budget plans

The Navy can adequately maintain 305 to 310 ships under its current budget projections, according to the vice chief of naval operations.

Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, head of Marine Corps Combat Development Command, recently spoke at the National Defense Industrial Association's annual Expeditionary Warfare conference:

Marine Corps eyeing Long Range Unmanned Surface Vessel for Indo-Pacific region

ANNAPOLIS, MD -- The Marine Corps is evaluating how a Long Range Unmanned Surface Vessel can help the service fight in the vast Indo-Pacific region, as the Navy gears up for a period of great power competition.

Tailkits for the B61-12 warhead are still on schedule:

B61-12 tailkit production schedule not affected by LEP issues, FPU expected in January

The recently revealed schedule deferral and cost increase to the B61-12 warhead life extension program are not affecting the production schedule of its tailkit assembly effort, which will deliver its first flyable units in January, well within the established time frame.

In a recent letter to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL), acting OMB Director Russell Vought said the administration is not on board with Pentagon research and engineering chief Mike Griffin's plan for a Next Generation Interceptor program -- even as the Missile Defense Agency is readying a solicitation to launch a competition for the multibillion-dollar project:

Griffin's plan for Next Generation Interceptor tripped up at White House OMB

The White House Office of Management and Budget is balking at Defense Department plans for a Next Generation Interceptor, exposing a rift inside the Trump administration over how to modernize the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system just weeks after Mike Griffin, the Pentagon's top technology officer, sold Senate appropriators on plans for the new-start program.

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