This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on a nascent sub-unified command on autonomous warfare, the Microelectronics Commons and more.

The Pentagon's top civilian and uniformed officials are testifying on Capitol Hill today:

Hegseth: Pentagon will soon establish a sub-unified command on autonomous warfare

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said today the Pentagon will soon announce the creation of a new sub-unified command for autonomous drone warfare.

Document: Hegseth, Caine FY-27 defense budget posture statements

More unmanned systems news:

Pentagon tightens supply chain rules for Drone Dominance Program

The Pentagon is tightening supply chain requirements for its Drone Dominance Program, introducing disqualification risks and third-party validation as it moves to reshape domestic small-drone production.

Firestorm Labs raises $82M in Series B funding to scale mobile drone manufacturing

Defense technology company Firestorm Labs announced today it has secured $82 million in a Series B funding round to scale production and expand fielding for xCell, its mobile drone manufacturing platform.

Some Microelectronics Commons news:

Microelectronics Commons FY-27 request shows move toward prototype projects

The $2 billion, multiyear Defense Department initiative to accelerate domestic semiconductor chip production is shifting its focus in fiscal year 2027 toward transitioning projects into growing prototype production using part of its annual $400 million allocation, per the program's recently released budget justification book.

DOD announces more than $200M for 26 initiatives receiving 2nd-year Microelectronics Commons project awards

The Defense Department yesterday announced more than $200 million in second-year project awards will go toward 26 Microelectronics Commons initiatives that have demonstrated strong potential to speed up and bolster domestic prototyping capabilities in the year since the first 34 project awards were granted.

The latest on the Missile Defense Agency's Next Generation Interceptor program:

NGI design phase set to close in December; MDA pivots to qualification, 2029 first flight

The Pentagon's Next Generation Interceptor program is on track to close out its design phase in December with an all-up-round (AUR) critical design review that will pivot the $10 billion effort into qualification testing and a four-shot intercept campaign meant to clear the way for production of the homeland's next-generation midcourse defense missile.

Coverage from this week's Modern Day Marine conference:

Acting SECNAV signals need for new defense entrants, Golden Fleet and F/A-XX

Almost a week after the abrupt departure of Navy Secretary John Phelan, acting Secretary Hung Cao on Tuesday urged new companies to enter the defense industrial base and outlined early priorities for the service, including shipbuilding under the administration's "Golden Fleet" initiative.

Lead Wasp-class ship to receive five-year service life extension

The Navy and Marine Corps are extending the service life of the lead Wasp-class amphibious assault ship (LHD-1) by five years to 2034 and are considering additional extensions across the amphibious fleet, according to Expeditionary Warfare Director Brig. Gen. Lee Meyer.

(Read our full Modern Day Marine coverage.)