The INSIDER daily digest -- Oct. 30, 2023

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Pentagon seeking an updated nuclear gravity bomb, a Congressional Budget Office report on the Navy's latest shipbuilding plan and more.

The Pentagon's proposed B61-13 nuclear bomb will have the updated safety, security and accuracy of B61-12 bombs but will have a larger yield similar to the B61-7s:

DOD to develop new nuclear bomb variant

The Defense Department announced Friday it is seeking a modern-variant, nuclear gravity bomb, which it has designated the B61-13.

A new Congressional Budget Office report finds that "[u]nder the three alternatives in the Navy’s 2024 plan, total shipbuilding costs would average about $34 billion to $36 billion per year (in 2023 dollars) through 2053, CBO estimates, as the Navy built a fleet of 319 to 367 battle force ships":

CBO: As acquisition costs rise, shipbuilding appropriations must grow 31-40% to achieve Navy fleet plans

Annual shipbuilding appropriations must increase by 31% to 40% over their current five-year average for the Navy to achieve any of the three alternatives presented in its latest 30-year shipbuilding plan, according to a new Congressional Budget Office analysis that points to submarine acquisitions as a leading driver of cost growth.

Document: CBO analysis of the Navy's FY-24 shipbuilding plan

L3Harris Technologies executives recently discussed the company's quarterly earnings:

L3Harris planning to use Defense Production Act funding to boost Aerojet Rocketdyne capacity

L3Harris Technologies plans to use $216 million in Defense Production Act funding to boost capacity and long-term growth at recently acquired Aerojet Rocketdyne, according to executives.

. . . As did Oshkosh execs:

Oshkosh Defense sales decrease after JLTV contract loss

After losing a production contract for tactical vehicles, Oshkosh Defense experienced a loss in sales in the third quarter but expects a "strong" fourth quarter and production capacity to increase, according to the company's latest earnings call.

House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and House Foreign Affairs Indo-Pacific subcommittee Chairman Young Kim (R-CA) sent a letter to Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro calling on the service to speed up the production and sale of weapons Taiwan needs to defend itself in the instance of a Chinese invasion, like Harpoon and SLAM-ER missiles:

Lawmakers call on Navy to accelerate Taiwan weapons transfers including Harpoon and SLAM-ER missiles

Lawmakers are calling on the Navy to speed up the production and delivery of weapons to Taiwan and are demanding an explanation for months-long delays in the transfer of two key missile systems in a letter to Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro.

Document: Lawmakers' letter to Navy on weapons sales to Taiwan