This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Pentagon's science and technology priorities, the Air Force's E-7 Wedgetail early warning aircraft, the Army's Transformation Initiative, Navy uncrewed surface vessels and more.

Pentagon leaders discussed their fiscal year 2027 science and technology priorities with lawmakers this week:

Pentagon CTO confirms Maduro raid a factor in Anthropic blacklist

The Defense Department's chief technology officer told a panel of Senate lawmakers Tuesday that artificial intelligence firm Anthropic's questions about the use of its technology during the U.S. operation targeting Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro gave the Pentagon a sense the company was an unreliable business partner.

Document: Services' testimony on FY-27 S&T priorities
 

Senior service leaders are on Capitol Hill this week, testifying about their respective organizations' fiscal year 2027 budget requests:

Air Force looking to fund E-7 with $1.5B amendment request

The Air Force wants to amend the fiscal year 2027 budget request to fund the E-7A Wedgetail program with about $1.5 billion, service Secretary Troy Meink told lawmakers today, officially reversing attempts to end the effort.

Document: Air Force's FY-27 posture statement
 

Army to revisit aviation changes under ATI

Senior Army leadership is rethinking its aviation portfolio under the Army Transformation Initiative in a move aligned with comments Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made to lawmakers last week.

Document: Army's FY-27 posture statement
 

Wicker questions Navy's USV investment approach

The Navy's fiscal year 2027 budget request does not invest sufficiently in small unmanned surface vessels and other uncrewed platforms, according to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS), who suggested the department's rhetoric may be out of sync with its funding proposal.

Document: Navy, Marine Corps FY-27 posture statements
 

Our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity have coverage of a Government Accountability Office report on DOD equipment that could have Chinese components in it:

GAO reviews agency efforts to address equipment on their networks from China

A new Government Accountability Office report examines efforts by six agencies to remove equipment tied to China from their networks and the challenges that arose when working to identify the equipment.

Document: GAO report on 'covered equipment'
 

Our coverage of the SOF Week Conference in Florida continues:

'Geeks with guns': SOCOM commander says more collaboration needed between operators, engineers

TAMPA, FL -- The modern battlefield will require "geeks with guns," meaning operators who are "both lethal but also technically fluent" using cutting edge tools and understanding the software behind them, according to the chief of U.S. Special Operations Command.

(Read our full SOF Week 2026 coverage.)

The Advanced Manufacturing Company of America (Amca) will use millions in venture capital funding to acquire and build new facilities nationwide:

AI-powered manufacturing startup supporting defense now valued at $1B

An 18-month-old startup using artificial intelligence to manufacture critical components for U.S. aerospace and defense firms has raised $300 million in a Series B fundraising round, the company announced today, boosting its valuation to $1 billion.