The INSIDER daily digest -- June 26, 2018

Senate appropriators' FY-19 defense spending bill, the Army Science Board and more highlight this Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest.

The Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee this morning marked up its version of the fiscal year 2019 military spending bill:

Senate appropriators tap nearly $4B for additional weapon system innovation

Senate appropriators seek to direct nearly $4 billion in additional funding to key areas of weapon system innovation including hypersonics, artificial intelligence, cyber, space, microelectronics and directed energy.

Document: Senate appropriators' FY-19 defense spending bill summary

The Army Science Board is working on a pair of studies:

New study fleshing out Multi-Domain Battle concept, how to deal with 'gray zone'

The Army has commissioned the Army Science Board to help service leaders wrestle with the doctrinal implications of bolstering conventional defense against near-peer adversaries such as China and Russia, directing the independent advisory panel to conduct a follow-on study to its 2017 Multi-Domain Battle assessment.

Army advisory panel working to recommend viable MUM-T technology roadmap

An influential Army advisory panel is delving into the science and technological underpinnings needed to team soldiers with robots for combat operations, a sweeping study that aims to recommend options to synchronize research and development of needed sensors, communications and artificial intelligence technologies to produce game-changing capabilities for ground and air service components.

The Missile Defense Agency's director spoke about the president's proposed Space Force at a breakfast today on Capitol Hill:

MDA director supports president's Space Force vision

The head of the Missile Defense Agency said today the focus and streamlined decision-making that would likely come with the creation of a Space Force would assist his agency's mission.

Recent Space Force news, in case you missed it:

Trump's 'Space Force' order raises questions, could bolster ongoing congressional debate (Free to read)

President Trump's announcement last week that he would direct the Pentagon to create a new military service -- dubbed a Space Force -- injected new energy into an ongoing debate about who should manage the military space mission.

Rogers: Trump's call for Space Force has support in Congress, but legislation not likely until FY-20

The lawmaker leading efforts within Congress to reorganize the military space enterprise under a separate service told Inside Defense this week that while President Trump's direction to establish a Space Force will give momentum to ongoing efforts, the fiscal year 2019 defense policy bill will not likely authorize the creation of a new military service.