Thursday, December 7, 2023
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.
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.
Senate Democrats have put forth a $110.5 billion national security supplemental funding package, highlighting $43.6 billion that would be invested in the U.S. defense industrial base, along with establishing a new special inspector general to oversee assistance to Ukraine.
SIMI VALLEY, CA -- A Navy destroyer shot down three incoming drones in the southern Red Sea on Sunday, a day after Pentagon acquisition chief Bill LaPlante announced that investments to counter unmanned aerial systems must go "through the roof" to meet an ongoing "crisis" in that area that has been highlighted by the ongoing wars fought by Ukraine and Israel.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) announced today that he is lifting his months-long blockade on hundreds of military nominations, following pressure from several GOP colleagues.
The White House is warning Congress it doesn't have a "magical pot of money" available to continue U.S. military assistance to Ukraine amid an ongoing war with Russia and is urging lawmakers to pass President Biden's $106 billion security supplemental spending package.
Congress has granted most of the Pentagon's annual request to shift billions of dollars between budget accounts, approving more than $3 billion in transfers for a wide array of priority weapon systems, including money for engineering work for the MQ-25 unmanned air system and several new-start projects.
SIMI VALLEY, CA -- The Pentagon says it has become "acutely aware of significant challenges" facing the U.S. defense industrial base and has produced a strategy -- to be followed by an implementation plan -- that details key areas where U.S. weapons suppliers can be strengthened, according to a draft copy of the new National Defense Industrial Strategy obtained by Inside Defense.
SIMI VALLEY, CA -- Top U.S. defense officials said a new era of AI warfare has arrived and that the Pentagon needs to significantly increase funding on artificially intelligence programs to enable new weapon systems, rapidly provide senior military commanders with targets, and, in some cases, do the shooting.
The defense startup company Anduril has unveiled a new, reusable, autonomous drone called "Roadrunner-Munition" it says is already under contract with a U.S. government customer that executives have declined to disclose.
Senior defense officials, some of whom are set to mingle with top lawmakers this weekend at a high-level national security conference in Simi Valley, CA, are mindful that Congress remains mired in disarray over federal spending and have begun tallying the damage that stopgap spending resolutions have wreaked on weapons modernization programs in recent years, along with proclaiming their opposition to a possible full-year continuing resolution that could lock up the Pentagon's budget until next October.
The Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, a few days in advance of a high-profile gathering of national security insiders in Simi Valley, CA, has released the results of a national survey that has found Americans favor increased defense spending, including aid to Ukraine, despite some resistance being shown by members of Congress.
A new document being circulated on Capitol Hill breaks down the Defense Department's plans to spend billions in requested supplemental funding, keying the replenishment of "priority" weapon systems that have been transferred to Ukraine, along with identifying U.S. states where DOD would invest in the expansion of manufacturing capacity.
Senior members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees will meet Wednesday for a "pass the gavel" ceremony that formally begins bicameral negotiations on the annual defense authorization bill that will likely lead to clashes over key Pentagon policies and programs.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said today the Pentagon intends to select within the next three weeks the "first tranche" of low-cost, attritable, autonomous drone systems to be included in its new Replicator initiative.
The Defense Department announced a $100 million weapons transfer to Ukraine today, including additional air defense capabilities, artillery ammunition and anti-tank weapons.
The State Department has approved a possible $2.35 billion foreign military sale of Tomahawk missiles to Japan, according to an announcement from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.