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.
Thursday, May 9, 2024
Thursday, May 9, 2024
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.
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.
The United States has signed a new defense cooperation agreement with Finland, according to the State Department.
Senior defense officials are slated to speak at two key events this week. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is traveling to the Middle East.
The Defense Department is planning to release its first-ever National Defense Industrial Strategy in January, a pre-decisional draft of which was obtained by Inside Defense earlier this month that calls for "generational change."
U.S. Space Command, which has been at the center of a high-level political controversy for more than a year, has reached full operational capability in Colorado Springs, CO.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other senior Pentagon leaders have sent Senate appropriators five separate letters detailing the damage that a first-ever, full-year continuing resolution would visit upon thousands of U.S. weapons programs, resulting in a possible 4.1% across-the-board budget cut.
The House voted 310-118 to pass the fiscal year 2024 defense authorization bill, sending it to President Biden to be signed into law for the 63rd consecutive year.
The Senate voted 87-13 today to approve the compromise version of the fiscal year 2024 defense authorization bill.
Nickolas Guertin, who was first nominated in September 2022, has been confirmed as Navy assistant secretary for research, development and acquisition.
The Defense Department has announced a $200 million aid package to Ukraine, coinciding with a Washington visit from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The conference committee version of the fiscal year 2024 defense authorization bill would allow military service secretaries greater authority to initiate the rapid prototyping for new-start weapon systems.
House and Senate lawmakers have agreed to a fiscal year 2024 defense policy bill, releasing the text of the 3,000-page legislation last night that would, among numerous other things, authorize $886 billion in total national defense spending.
House and Senate lawmakers have agreed to a compromise version of the annual defense authorization bill, filing the 3000-page legislation late Wednesday night.
The Defense Department today announced a $175 million weapons package for Ukraine as Congress argues over a major national security supplemental spending bill that would continue assistance to Kyiv and replenish U.S. weapons that have been sent there.
Senior military officials are meeting with industry executives in Washington today to discuss a strategy for bolstering domestic arms production in Ukraine, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin calling on the "full might of American industry" to aid Kyiv in what is expected to be a long-term battle against Russia.
The Defense Department and the Chinese military are currently working at the staff-level to re-establish communication among the nations' top defense officials following a meeting between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco last month, according to a senior Pentagon policy official.