Monday, February 10, 2025
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.
Several Washington think tanks are hosting events this week related to defense and national security. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to embark on a week-long trip to Germany, Belgium and Poland for meetings with NATO nations.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) released a resolution today that would pump an additional $150 billion into the U.S. defense budget over the next several years to cover integrated air and missile defense, Navy shipbuilding and military readiness.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said today the Pentagon will work to rapidly fund and field emerging military technologies, while also reviewing legacy systems that cost billions and may not be suitable for deterring or prevailing against potential U.S. adversaries like China.
The Pentagon's top weapons testers lack the appropriate facilities, tools and expertise to evaluate major weapon systems against emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, hypersonics, cyber and electronic warfare.
Pentagon acquisition reform is a near-annual legislative priority that continues to enjoy bipartisan support in Congress, with the Senate Armed Services Committee holding a hearing on defense innovation this week that highlighted the broad agreement between Republicans, Democrats and defense company executives that the current system of development and procurement takes too long to compete with China.
The White House Office of Management and Budget has rescinded a controversial memo that ordered all federal agencies to halt and review spending on grants, loans or other forms of financial assistance following a swirl of confusion about which programs were included or exempt.
The Defense Department, amid broad confusion across the federal government, is reviewing a White House Office of Management and Budget directive that calls on all federal agencies to temporarily halt and review any "grants, loans or other financial assistance" that don't align with new executive orders from President Trump targeting "Marxist equity, transgenderism and green new deal social engineering policies."
A new acting Defense Department inspector general has been named to temporarily fill the place of Robert Storch, who was among more than a dozen IGs fired over the weekend by President Trump.
A major Navy conference is taking place in San Diego, CA, this week and senators are scheduled to hold a nomination hearing for the Army secretary.
Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth has been confirmed as defense secretary by a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote that was needed when three Republicans, including Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) voted against him.
Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee have announced subcommittee leadership and members.
Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and several others have resigned from influential defense advisory boards amid the return of President Trump, who in the waning days of his first term used the bodies to reward loyalists and exile perceived political opponents.
The Senate voted 51-49 today to advance the nomination of former Fox News host Pete Hegseth to be defense secretary, with two Republicans breaking ranks with the GOP and voting against him.
The Defense Department, in response to executive orders from President Trump, will send 1,500 additional U.S. troops to the southern border, provide military airlift to deport more than 5,000 people and begin construction of physical barriers to prevent illegal crossings, according to a statement from acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses.
The Pentagon released a list today of officials that have been sworn into senior defense positions.
Robert Salesses has been named acting defense secretary while President Trump awaits the Senate confirmation of nominee Pete Hegseth.
The Defense Department is working to implement internal reforms to its 1960s-era budget planning and execution process, but the Pentagon is still asking Congress for greater spending flexibility that appropriators have thus far declined to provide.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) today announced their subcommittee membership rosters.
The Biden administration has loosened some regulations of the Missile Technology Control Regime governing the export of missiles to U.S. allies, according to the White House.
House Republicans and Democrats today announced the members of the defense appropriations subcommittee, which will be chaired by Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA).