The Insider

The Senate confirmed Troy Meink as Air Force secretary Tuesday in a 74-25 vote.

During his confirmation hearing in March, Meink committed to increasing the number of aircraft in the Air Force fleet and fielding new platforms to boost the size of the fleet and drive down the average age.

Meink, who most recently served as principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office, is expected to bring a new level of space expertise to the department that includes both the Air Force and Space Force.

President Trump named Meink as his pick for the department’s top civilian in January.

Before entering his role at NRO in 2020, he served as the director of geospatial intelligence systems acquisition at the spy agency. He had also served as deputy under secretary of the Air Force for space.

Meink began his career as a KC-135 Stratotanker navigator in the 1980s.

As secretary, Meink will be overseeing several major acquisition programs, including the over-cost and behind-schedule LGM-35A Sentinel nuclear missile modernization, the B-21 Raider bomber and the recently announced F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance fighter.

As the head of the Space Force, he will also play a major role in the Golden Dome homeland defense system, that was laid out in an executive order by Trump earlier this year.

The Pentagon has rescheduled a high-profile summit intended to draw nontraditional companies into its next-generation missile defense initiative, pushing the event from its original April 29 date to June 11.

The Golden Dome for America Industry Summit will now take place at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, AL, according to an updated announcement from the Missile Defense Agency published May 13. The one-day event remains unclassified.

MDA said the summit is designed to engage both traditional defense contractors and commercial tech firms that have not previously worked with the Pentagon. The event aims to provide insight into acquisition, prototyping and testing pathways that could shape what officials describe as a transformational missile defense architecture for the U.S. homeland.

Originally scheduled for April 29, the summit was delayed due to what officials called logistical adjustments and high industry interest. All attendees must now re-register by May 29, according to the notice.

The Golden Dome initiative, launched by the Trump administration earlier this year, seeks to build a layered missile shield against threats ranging from hypersonic weapons to nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles -- expanding the traditional focus beyond rogue states to include peer adversaries like Russia and China.

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on a recent Army Project Convergence experiment, plus missile defense payload systems and more.

In a recent exercise, the Army's 18th Airborne Corps led a joint forcible entry operation across land, air, maritime and special operations with satellites, high-altitude balloons, long-range precision fires, myriad launched effects and lots of robots:

Lessons from Project Convergence are shaping the Army's future robotics buys

The Army tried something new at its fifth Project Convergence experiment this year: Invading the National Training Center at Ft. Irwin, CA, with around 250 technologies that yielded plenty of ideas for how soldiers and robots might fight together in the future.

In a recent request for information, the Missile Defense Agency's Targets Program "is seeking innovative solutions to provide capable, flexible, high-quality Reentry Vehicles and payloads that can be rapidly adapted to meet future testing requirements":

MDA plans overhaul of missile defense targets with industry callout

The Missile Defense Agency wants to overhaul the payload systems it uses to test U.S. missile defense systems, launching a formal request for information to expand the flexibility, speed and realism of future target vehicles.

Document: MDA's 'payload next' RFI

More missile defense news:

C2BMC upgrade this summer to support Guam defense, hypersonic threats, more

The Pentagon is set to deliver a command and control upgrade to its global missile defense network this summer, enhancing the ability of U.S. forces to detect, track and respond to increasingly complex missile threats, including cruise missiles and maneuverable hypersonic weapons while also strengthening protection for the U.S. homeland and Guam.

Document: House hearing on missile defense

Michael Obadal submitted answers to advance policy questions to the Senate Armed Services Committee regarding his nomination to become Army under secretary:

Army under secretary nominee stresses need for 'layered' authorities to defend against drone incursions

Michael Obadal, the Anduril executive nominated by President Trump to be the next Army under secretary, said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing today that the Army must do a better job of weaving together various authorities between the federal government and state and local governments when it comes to protecting the United States from drone incursions.

Document: Obadal's Senate nomination APQs

An updated milestone B test and evaluation master plan for the Navy's Stingray uncrewed aircraft system was expected to be submitted to DOT&E before the end of March, but that hasn't happened yet:

DOT&E 'not consulted' in Navy decision to forgo updates to MQ-25 MS-B TEMP

The Pentagon's chief weapons tester was not consulted and did not sign off on a Navy decision to forgo a milestone B test and evaluation master plan update for the MQ-25 Stingray program, despite the service's initial plan to submit the update to the office of the director of test and evaluation by the end of March.

This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Army's efforts to protect against drone incursions, plus coverage of the Missile Defense Agency's Command and Control, Battle Management and Communications program and various congressional hearings.

Michael Obadal submitted answers to advance policy questions to the Senate Armed Services Committee this week regarding his nomination to become Army under secretary:

Army under secretary nominee stresses need for 'layered' authorities to defend against drone incursions

Michael Obadal, the Anduril executive nominated by President Trump to be the next Army under secretary, said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that the Army must do a better job of weaving together various authorities between the federal government and state and local governments when it comes to protecting the United States from drone incursions.

Document: Obadal's Senate nomination APQs

The Missile Defense Agency is set to field Command and Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) Spiral 8.2-5.1 to both U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command soon:

C2BMC upgrade this summer to support Guam defense, hypersonic threats, more

The Pentagon is set to deliver a command and control upgrade to its global missile defense network this summer, enhancing the ability of U.S. forces to detect, track and respond to increasingly complex missile threats, including cruise missiles and maneuverable hypersonic weapons while also strengthening protection for the U.S. homeland and Guam.

Document: House hearing on missile defense

An updated milestone B test and evaluation master plan for the Navy's Stingray uncrewed aircraft system was expected to be submitted to DOT&E before the end of March, but that hasn't happened yet:

DOT&E 'not consulted' in Navy decision to forgo updates to MQ-25 MS-B TEMP

The Pentagon's chief weapons tester was not consulted and did not sign off on a Navy decision to forgo a milestone B test and evaluation master plan update for the MQ-25 Stingray program, despite the service's initial plan to submit the update to the office of the director of test and evaluation by the end of March.

The House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee held a hearing this week on "Nuclear Forces and Atomic Energy Defense Activities":

Officials: IOC for SLCM-N expected by 2034, shift in command may occur for E-6B mission

Since the establishment of a nuclear-armed, sea-launched missile program office in March 2024, the Navy remains on track to achieve a key milestone by next year, as it assesses potential warhead options and researches how to best integrate the missile into Virginia-class submarines, a service official told lawmakers Wednesday.

Document: House hearing on nuclear forces

The Air Force decided to scrap the silo reuse plan for the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM in the wake of a conversion project of one of the existing test-launch facilities:

Air Force scraps plans to reuse ICBM silos for Sentinel, 10 years into program

The Air Force's intercontinental ballistic missile modernization program will not be able to reuse existing silos as it had been planning since the beginning of the effort 10 years ago, potentially threatening the cost of a program that's already known to be massively over budget.

Navy Rear Adm. Kevin Smith spoke this week at the International Mine Warfare Symposium in San Diego, CA:

Navy to receive first full-sized Orca XLUUV this summer as schedule challenges persist

The Navy expects to receive its first full-sized version of the "Orca" Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle from Boeing this summer after the company delivered an initial test and training asset in December 2024, the head of the service's unmanned and small combatants program office said this week.

Darlene Costello, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, testified this week at a House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee hearing:

Costello: T-7 sticking to November 2027 IOC timeline, delivery of first ground-based simulator set for October

The Air Force and Boeing are making significant progress to keep the troubled T-7A Red Hawk training jet in line with Air Education and Training Command's stated target to reach initial operational capability by 2027, the service's top acquisition official told lawmakers this week.

Document: House hearing on USAF projection forces aviation programs and capabilities

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Army's transformation initiative, plus coverage of various Air Force aircraft programs and more.

We start off with coverage of the effects of the Army's new transformation initiative:

Army canceling Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft Systems program

The Army is canceling its Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft Systems program as part of its comprehensive transformation initiative, a service spokesman confirmed today.

Appropriators interested in the Army's big plans, but want more information

Appropriators in Congress expressed a sense of cautious optimism about a comprehensive Army transformation plan unveiled last week, but without details about the fiscal year 2026 budget and other pieces of information, they still have questions.

Mingus says divestment from humvee, JLTV will not occur 'overnight'

Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus told lawmakers Tuesday that despite the service's plan to no longer procure the humvee and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, those platforms will "not go away overnight" but rather, the divestment will occur "over time."

Document: Military vice chiefs' testimony on military readiness

Some news on the next-gen Air Force One:

Boeing says it can deliver new presidential jet by 2027 if USAF changes robust requirements

Boeing has told the Air Force it can deliver the first VC-25B jet -- the eventual replacement for presidential aircraft Air Force One -- by 2027, if some of the program's requirements are altered, according to a top service official.

A component of the Air Force's B-52 bomber has suffered a Nunn-McCurdy cost breach:

B-52 RMP breaches 'significant' cost-growth threshold

The beleaguered B-52 Radar Modernization Program breached a statutory cost-growth threshold, requiring the Air Force to report the jump in price to Congress.

Some Air Force tanker news:

Air Force to restart KC-46 deliveries next week; cracking issue resolved

The Air Force and Boeing have found a fix for cracking found on the structure of the KC-46 Pegasus, a top service official said today, following a Feb. 27 decision to temporarily pause all tanker deliveries until the issue was resolved.

KC-46 Remote Vision System fix delayed to summer 2027

The planned upgrade for the KC-46 Pegasus' Remote Vision System is now expected to field 18 months behind an already delayed schedule, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said yesterday, resulting in a new delivery date about three years behind the initial plan.

MDA Director Lt. Gen. Heath Collins acknowledged the agency’s decision last year to down-select a prime contractor ahead of schedule -- triggered by budget pressure -- has set the program back by several years. But he told the House Armed Services Committee strategic forces panel on April 30 that the agency is now actively assessing options to recover lost time:

MDA reconsiders Glide Phase Interceptor timeline, less than a year after delaying it

Less than a year after an early acquisition decision forced a delay in the Pentagon's flagship hypersonic defense effort, the Missile Defense Agency is now exploring ways to accelerate the Glide Phase Interceptor program to better align with the advancing threat.

Document: House hearing on missile defense

A bipartisan group of lawmakers today introduced a bicameral bill intended to strengthen and expand the defense industrial base workforce via initiatives to recruit individuals who want to serve in the military but are medically ineligible to do so.

The Defense Workforce Integration Act was introduced today by Senate Armed Services Committee members Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) and House Armed Services Committee members Jen Kiggans (R-VA) and Joe Courtney (D-CT). Additional co-sponsors include Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) as well as Reps. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Don Bacon (R-NE).

According to a statement from these co-sponsors, the bill would “leverage existing programs and best practices within the Department of Defense to retain the talent and motivation of those who desire to serve in uniform but are found to be medically disqualified to address persistent workforce shortages.”

If enacted, the legislation would direct the Pentagon to provide medically disqualified applicants with information on civilian employment opportunities in national security-related fields, including the defense industrial base; cybersecurity, intelligence, research and development of defense technologies; national emergency and disaster preparedness; and any other non-military roles the Defense Secretary considers important for national security.

For servicemembers who are medically disqualified early in their military careers, the bill would extend an existing Air Force practice to the Navy and Army by establishing personnel management programs in both services to perform “warm hand-offs” to DOD civilian hiring authorities.

The legislation also looks to expand existing Navy transition assistance programs to increase awareness of civilian roles within Military Sealift Command and workforce training programs for the shipbuilding industrial base.

“Every year, tens of thousands of young Americans are turned away from military service -- not because they aren’t willing to serve, but because of medical disqualifications that may have no bearing on their ability to contribute,” Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) said in a statement. “The Defense Workforce Integration Act ensures that these patriotic individuals still have a path to serve their country through meaningful civilian careers that support our national security.”

Kaine, the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services seapower subcommittee who has previously raised this workforce pipeline idea, said the bill will help shipbuilding companies attract and retain talent. The shipbuilding industry is facing hiring and retention challenges that have contributed to delays and cost growth for the Navy’s surface and undersea fleet.

“I often hear from shipbuilders and other defense contractors in Virginia about how they need more skilled workers,” Kaine said in a separate statement. “That’s why I’ve been focused on expanding our national security and maritime industrial base workforce, including by helping talented young people who’ve been medically disqualified find other opportunities to serve their country.”

President Trump has nominated Kirsten Davies, a former chief information security officer at multinational company Unilever, to be the Pentagon's chief information officer.

Though the White House did not release biographical information on Davies, the Defense Department pointed Inside Defense toward her LinkedIn page, confirming that it was hers.

According to Davies’ LinkedIn bio, she served as CISO for Unilever from September 2021 to June 2024 and had other senior information security roles at The Estée Lauder Companies, Barclays bank, Hewlett-Packard and Siemens.

She is also, according to her bio, a “villager” for Team8’s CISO Village, which is “an avenue for exchanging ideas, collaborating as an industry, and promoting innovation in cyber security.” Team8 is a global venture group that invests in companies specializing in cyber capabilities and artificial intelligence.

Davies’ is also, according to LinkedIn, the founder and chief executive officer of a non-profit called the Institute for Cyber Civics, whose mission is “to advance the safety, security, privacy and digital integrity of experiences citizens have while using technology, AI and digital data in their everyday lives.”

The institute has produced a “Cyber Security Handbook for Poll Watchers and Election Observers.”

Her verified account on X includes posts supporting Trump’s tariff policies, opposition to continuing U.S. aid to Ukraine and concerns about election integrity.

Davies has also posted concerns about the use of the Meta-owned digital messaging tool WhatsApp, asserting it is not as secure with end-to-end encryption as many consumers think.

“If the content can be data mined or your messages recreated on the phone after you delete them, it’s not secure,” she wrote.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and former national security adviser Mike Waltz have become subjects of controversy for their roles in a group chat using the messaging app Signal, which operates differently from WhatsApp and bills itself as having “state-of-the-art end-to-end encryption.”

Some congressional Democrats, citing security concerns over sensitive military information Hegseth shared on Signal, have called for the defense secretary’s ouster over the matter, making it possible that the controversy could be raised by senators during Davies' upcoming confirmation hearing because of the nominee’s background and expertise.

Meanwhile, some of Davies' other X postings voice alarm over human traffickers’ exploitation of digital platforms and support for women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.