The INSIDER daily digest -- Sept. 13, 2023

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news from this week's AFA 2023 Air, Space and Cyber Conference plus an Army Science Board study and more.

We start off with more coverage of the AFA 2023 Air, Space and Cyber Conference:

LaPlante makes case for production readiness to drive contract awards, highlights Replicator

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- Pentagon acquisition chief Bill LaPlante today repeated his mantra of "production, production, production," asserting that such an approach should be baked into the weapons design process and prized when it is time to award final contracts.

Space Force to create African and European Command to support regional combatant commands

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- The Space Force is creating a service component to support regional combatant commands in Africa and Europe to leverage integration, collaboration and cooperation with joint "teammates," partners and allies in respective regions, a senior Space Force official said today at the Air, Space and Cyber conference.

Air Force senior official sets goal to connect 25% of mobility fleet by 2025

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- Air Mobility Command aims to connect 25% of the mobility fleet by 2025 and connect the ground systems, including the air operations centers, air mobility operation wings and contingency response groups, according to a senior Air Force official.

The Army Science Board has released a report on "An Independent Assessment of the 2040 Battlefield and its Implications for the 5th Generation Combat Vehicle (5GCV)":

Report urging Army to spend $3B-$4B on combat vehicle modernization coincides with Abrams overhaul announcement

An Army advisory board recommends the service invest $3 billion to $4 billion on plans to modernize its combat vehicle fleet to meet the challenges of the future battlefield, according to a report released last week that coincides with a recent announcement that the Abrams tank will be redesigned for 2030.

Document: ASB report on 2040 battlefield and implications for 5GCV

The Defense Department has released an unclassified summary of its classified 2023 Cyber Strategy:

DOD releases 2023 Cyber Strategy highlighting China and industrial espionage

The Pentagon unveiled the broad concepts behind its classified 2023 Cyber Strategy today, which is focused on deterring China, highlights lessons learned from Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and prioritizes protecting the U.S. defense industry from cyber espionage.

Document: Summary of DOD's 2023 cyber strategy