Friday, April 26, 2024
Key Issues Optical clocks Prototype funding SPAFORGEN
U.S. tactical wheeled vehicle manufacturers face a period of uncertainty as Defense Department purchases decline and the potential for foreign sales remains unknown, according to a study released today by the Government Accountability Office.
Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall said today he would have had a "difficult" time providing Nunn-McCurdy recertification to the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program had he not also decided to take over milestone decision authority for the effort.
The next few months will be "very challenging" for the Defense Department as it works to develop its fiscal year 2014 long-term investment blueprint amid uncertainty about its FY-13 budget submission to Congress, Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall said today.
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos today defended plans to cut his service's force from 202,000 to 182,100 troops by 2016, noting the prospect of more defense-spending cuts has not prompted the service to draft plans for an even smaller force.
The United States should conduct strategic stability talks with Russia concerning force structure, posture, and doctrine to avoid strategic surprises and misunderstandings, according to a report issued by the State Department's International Security Advisory Board.
A fatal MV-22 Osprey crash in Morocco this past spring was due largely to pilots' mistakes, but wind was also a key factor, according to a Marine Corps investigation report, which recommends no disciplinary action against the pilots and concludes the aircraft's flight manual had inadequate guidance for the circumstances involved.
Japan should tighten ties with the Pentagon, boost surveillance of the South China Sea and be prepared to deploy minesweepers to the Middle East if Iran threatens to close the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report released today by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
As the Defense Department stares down the twin challenges posed by a continuing resolution and sequestration, DOD is working to reduce $328 billion in unobligated balances by putting money under contract before it expires or becomes subject to cuts.
The Defense Department today released the roster for the Defense Legal Policy Board, a panel chartered earlier this year to provide advice on an array of complex legal policy matters.
The Senate Appropriations Committee is accusing the Defense Department of failing to correct "years of poor fiscal discipline," arguing DOD's plans to reduce force structure and take risk in meeting military commitments worldwide stem from a lack of oversight by Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale.
Marine Corps Systems Command is acknowledging this morning the service recently dropped long-term plans to fund further technical and programmatic staff support for the Air Force's Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar (3DELRR) program, a long-range, ground-based system designed to counter enemy aircraft and missiles in all types of weather and terrain.
A new deal to include Israeli-made electronic warfare equipment on F-35 Joint Strike Fighters that the country plans to buy is part of a U.S. effort to ensure Israel retains its military edge in the region, according to a senior State Department official.
Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee; Sen. John McCain, (R-AZ), the panel's ranking Republican; and committee member Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) today released a new independent assessment of the U.S. defense posture in the U.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility, noting in a statement that the report -- prepared for the Pentagon and Congress by the Center for Strategic and International Studies -- examines key issues.
Congress has approved a new multimillion-dollar package of counterterrorism aid proposed by the Pentagon to better enable the deployment of Estonian troops alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan and to bolster the national militaries of Mauritania, Niger and Yemen.
The Defense Department has sent Congress an independent assessment of the United States defense posture in the U.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility, along with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's comments on the study.
National Security Adviser Thomas Donilon will travel to Beijing, China on July 22 for meetings with senior Chinese officials, including State Councilor Dai Bingguo, the White House announced Friday.
The Defense Department's Rapid Innovation Fund -- the subject of new guidance from DOD acquisition chief Frank Kendall -- sparked debate on the House floor Wednesday as Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) sought unsuccessfully to cut $250 million for the effort from House's fiscal year 2013 defense appropriations bill.
The Joint Requirements Oversight Council is about a month away from approving a new concept for military cyberspace operations in the next decade that could steer major decisions on doctrine and resources, according to the Joint Staff.
A National Guard program that pairs U.S. troops with peers from abroad to build the capacity of foreign militaries has strong support among Pentagon leaders, but the department has no plans to boost the small budget for such efforts by curtailing multibillion-dollar procurement programs like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a senior defense official said today.
The Navy oiler Rappahannock (T-AO 204) today fired a machine gun at a small boat after the vessel ignored warnings to stay away, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said in a statement.