The INSIDER daily digest -- Sept. 5, 2019

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has coverage from the Defense News conference and Billington Cybersecurity Summit plus more.

Senior Air Force officials had a lot to say at this week's Defense News conference:

Air Force's FY-21 budget submission driven by zero-based review

The Air Force's fiscal year 2021 budget submission has been shaped by a vigorous planning and programming process -- similar to the Army's infamous "Night Court" -- aimed at assuring the service's proposed investments align with the National Defense Strategy.

Roper: Air Force open to teaming proposal, no position on right approach for GBSD contract

The Air Force is open to all kinds of proposals for the next Ground Based Strategic Deterrent contract, including a teaming approach between prime contractors Boeing and Northrop Grumman, according to the service's acquisition executive.

Roper: Air Force taking steps to institutionalize software innovation

The Air Force is taking steps to institutionalize the work of its software factories -- a process that acquisition executive Will Roper hopes will help the service quantify the value the work its coders are doing and better communicate that to Congress and other stakeholders.

Anne Neuberger, the incoming head of the National Security Agency's new cybersecurity directorate, spoke this week at the 10th Annual Billington Cybersecurity Summit:

New NSA cyber directorate will focus on defense industrial base

The National Security Agency's new cybersecurity directorate will prioritize collaboration to create threat intelligence products that provide more context in an unclassified setting, as well as feature a special focus on the Defense Department's industrial base, according to the director of the office.

More news from the Billington Cybersecurity Summit:

Pentagon seeks feedback on draft version of new contractor cybersecurity standards

The Pentagon is seeking feedback on a draft version of new cybersecurity standards defense contractors will have to start following next year.

Charles Verdon, deputy administrator for defense programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration, spoke this week about delays to the B61 nuclear gravity bomb program:

B61-12 first production unit delayed at least 16 months

The first production unit in the multibillion-dollar life extension program of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb will be delayed by about 16 to 18 months, according to a senior official at the National Nuclear Security Administration.

The Air Force's top intel officer spoke this week at the Intelligence and National Security Summit:

Air Force ISR team developing cyber warfare flight plan

Lt. Gen. VeraLinn Jamieson, the Air Force's top intelligence officer, is working on a cyber warfare flight plan to help execute the service's vision for multidomain operations.

The Defense Department is gradually figuring out how it will develop a Hypersonic Defense Weapon System:

MDA selects five Hypersonic Defense Weapon System concepts for further development

The Missile Defense Agency has selected five industry proposals for a Hypersonic Defense Weapon System for further development -- four concepts that rely on a kinetic interceptor to destroy an enemy hypersonic boost glide weapon and one project that envisions a "non-kinetic" solution to thwart an ultrafast, maneuvering threat.

Half of the defense funds earmarked for the president's proposed border wall will come from programs being deferred from outside the United States, while the other half will come from programs inside the United States:

Pentagon names military construction programs it will defer to pay for border wall

The Pentagon has sent Congress a list of military construction programs it intends to defer so $3.6 billion can be diverted to pay for barriers on the U.S.-Mexico border.

A White House anomalies request list, sent to Congress and obtained by Inside Defense, asks, among other things, that Congress allow new-start spending of $20 million to establish the new Space Development Agency:

White House seeks CR exemptions for SDA, hypersonics, background checks

The White House has sent a 21-page list of "anomalies" to Congress seeking exemptions for a variety of federal spending priorities -- including the establishment of a Space Development Agency, continued development of hypersonic weapons and new background investigations -- in the likely event lawmakers pass a stopgap continuing resolution.