Air Force modernization testimony

In May 2024, Air Force acquisition chief Andrew Hunter, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Lt. Gen. Adrian Spain, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Integration and Requirements Lt. Gen. David Harris and Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs lt. Gen. Richard Moore submitted joint testimony to the congressional defense committees on fiscal year 2025 Air Force modernization programs.

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Army hashing out a tiered approach to fielding UAS capabilities

The Army is in the process of determining its approach to unmanned systems, which service officials envision to be a combination of UAS systems at echelon, launched effects and more urgent capability needs such as loitering munitions. Gen. James Rainey, the commanding general of Army Futures Command, told reporters at the AI Expo for National Competitiveness in Washington today that the service, in its approach to equipping echelons with UAS, should buy multiple systems to “unlock the power of industry.”...

The INSIDER daily digest -- May 8, 2024

This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on lawmakers inching toward breaking the spending cap mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act, plus coverage from the AI Expo for National Competitiveness and more. Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT) said during a hearing this week that he and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) agree that the 1% increase in spending the Defense Department would see under the Fiscal Responsibility Act -- which is $10 billion less than the Pentagon...

Senior defense official: Russian aircraft flew near Northeast ADIZ

In the last month, several Russian aircraft have attempted to enter North American airspace from the East for the first time in two or three years, a senior defense official told a group of reporters at the Pentagon today. Russian patrols will typically fly around the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, the official said, especially if the U.S. is conducting an exercise in the Arctic. But about a month ago, two or three flights “in a short period of time”...

DOD leaders' FY-25 defense budget testimony

In April and May 2024, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown delivered their fiscal year 2025 budget request posture statements to the congressional defense committees.

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Bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers calls for national maritime strategy

The creation of a national maritime strategy is necessary amid "great power competition, aging infrastructure and the threat of high-intensity war," according to a bipartisan, bicameral document released by lawmakers today. The strategy, released by Reps. Mike Waltz (R-FL), John Garamendi (D-CA) and Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), calls for several actionable steps to deter the People’s Republic of China’s advances in the Pacific Ocean, including the establishment of a presidentially appointed position to “synchronize all national...

DOD pauses some bomb shipments to Israel over 'collateral damage' concerns in Gaza

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin today said the United States has "paused" a shipment of powerful bombs to Israel, citing concerns about civilian "collateral damage" in Gaza. Austin, confirming media reports about the paused munitions shipments , told the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee the Defense Department has paused “one shipment of high-payload munitions.” “We have not made a final determination on how to proceed with that shipment,” he said, noting the weapons could be sent to Israel eventually. Austin said the...

Kendall: Autonomy in the air a done deal

There is no question that autonomy will be useful in the air domain, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said today, and it will be implemented through the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program and others. “I think the only questions that really may remain is who’s going to get there first, and what are the constraints we’re going to place on ourselves going to do to limit our operational effectiveness relative to our adversaries, and how do we manage our way through...

Marine Corps will award I-CsUAS contract before year's end, advancing effort to defend bases from drones

The Marine Corps is evaluating counter-drone technology proposals and plans to select a vendor in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024 to produce a system to defend buildings, bases and other assets from small, unmanned aircraft systems. The service is now in source selection, weighing industry responses to a request for proposals that was opened in February and closed April 22 for an Installations-Counter small Unmanned Aircraft System (I-CsUAS) -- a capability intended to detect, track and neutralize small...

CENTCOM technology chief watching Chinese AI and cyber activity

U.S. Central Command's chief technology officer says she is keeping an eye on China's activities, particularly the negative cybersecurity implications and artificial intelligence advances that do not adhere to responsible innovation policies. Schuyler Moore said that her combatant command deals with three out of the four global competitors functioning in her area. Her remarks came at the AI Expo in Washington today. “We see China and Russia and Iran all very active both in the military, economic and technical space,”...

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