Saturday, May 4, 2024
Key Issues Budget 'parity' Summer CUAS demo EW in Ukraine
Tony Bertuca is chief editor of Inside the Pentagon, the flagship publication of InsideDefense, where he focuses on defense budget and acquisition policy. He previously worked for the Sun-Times News Group in his hometown of Chicago, IL, and at the New Hampshire Union Leader in Manchester, NH. Tony has also served as managing editor of Inside the Army. He has a master's degree in journalism from Boston University.
Some of Washington’s top conservatives gathered at the Heritage Foundation today to lament the think tank’s annual assertion that the U.S. military is underfunded and too small, with Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) calling for the federal government to “go big” and put 5% of the gross domestic product into national defense spending.
The Defense Department inspector general says the Pentagon is spending too much money on outdated financial systems that will never be compliant with a DOD-wide audit and could potentially save $728 million if it retires the systems early.
Senior U.S. defense officials met today with an international coalition of more than 50 countries supporting Ukraine, standing up new groups focused on drone warfare and armored vehicles, despite the fact Congress remains in a stalemate over a massive supplemental funding package the Pentagon says is vital to Ukraine's survival against Russia.
Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak at several events this week.
The House, following the Senate’s lead, has voted 314-108 to pass a temporary spending measure that averts a partial government shutdown and extends federal funding to March 1 and March 8.
The Senate has voted 77-18 to pass a stopgap continuing resolution that will temporarily extend funding for the federal government past tomorrow's midnight deadline through March 1 and March 8.
Lawmakers have released another short-term proposal to fund the federal government through early March in the hopes of averting a Friday deadline that would trigger a partial shutdown.
Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak around the Washington area this week.
The Defense Department inspector general says that the U.S. military has failed to comply with enhanced tracking requirements for thousands of technologically sensitive weapons sent to Ukraine, but the Pentagon asserts there is "no credible evidence" that the unaccounted-for weapons have been stolen or diverted elsewhere.
The Pentagon released its first-ever National Defense Industrial Strategy today aiming to boost U.S. weapons manufacturing within the next three to five years. Some defense industry advocates, however, say the strategy must be followed up by more detailed investment plans. (UPDATED)
Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) became the first congressional Democrat to call for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's resignation today over his failure to notify the White House and Congress for days following his Jan. 1 hospitalization.
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the top-ranking GOP lawmaker on the Senate Armed Services Committee, led 11 of his fellow Republicans in sending a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin today seeking answers on whether the Pentagon may have broken the law amid the secrecy surrounding Austin’s ongoing hospitalization.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who has been hospitalized since Jan. 1, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to a statement from Walter Reed Medical Center officials.
The Pentagon today released a timeline in an attempt to explain the events surrounding the medical condition of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who has been hospitalized since Jan. 1 with an unknown ailment and has drawn criticism for not immediately alerting the White House and Congress.
The new defense authorization bill passed by Congress mandates the Defense Department "modernize" its lengthy requirements process, with an interim report due to lawmakers by Oct. 1, 2024 that could include seismic reforms to the Pentagon's labyrinthine acquisition system.
The White House today welcomed Japan's decision to transfer Patriot interceptor missiles to the United States to replenish U.S. inventories, some of which have been sent to Ukraine.
The Senate voted last night to confirm 11 senior military nominees after the capitulation of Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who brought defense confirmations to a near standstill earlier this year because he was protesting the Pentagon's travel and leave policy for servicemembers seeking abortion services.
Senior Democrats and Republicans in the Senate are preparing to leave for the holiday break, saying today that although progress has been made on a $110.5 billion national security supplemental spending package, lawmakers remain at odds over border security provisions.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin today announced the establishment of a new multinational military operation to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea following continued attacks in the region on U.S. warships and commercial vessels.
The United States has signed five-year "roadmaps" for defense cooperation with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, according to the Pentagon.