Wednesday, May 31, 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.
Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) says he would like the debate over where to station U.S. Space Command to be kept separate from politics, but he acknowledges that just isn't the reality of the current situation, which has pitted Republicans from Alabama against those from his home state of Colorado based off a decision former President Trump announced during his final days in office.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Senate appropriators today that a stopgap continuing resolution would seriously hinder key weapons modernization programs needed to compete with China, including a $9.7 billion pause in Navy shipbuilding.
A bipartisan team of senators say they have serious questions about how the Pentagon and State Department track and monitor U.S. weapons sold around the globe, especially those used in the civil war in Yemen, and they are seeking answers from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak at several events this week, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is slated to appear before the Senate Appropriations Committee to discuss U.S. competition with China.
The State Department has approved a possible $8.5 billion foreign military sale of 60 CH-47F helicopters to Germany, according to a new Defense Security Cooperation Agency notice.
The Government Accountability Office has found the Defense Department has underestimated its fuel costs for fiscal year 2024, creating a $1.6 billion shortfall that has gotten the attention of a senior Senate appropriator.
Senior Republicans say gridlock on Capitol Hill over the debt ceiling and GOP-backed spending cuts have forced a delay to the fiscal year 2024 defense authorization bill, a massive, must-pass piece of legislation lawmakers were scheduled to begin crafting this week.
The White House Office of Management and Budget, on behalf of the Defense Department, is now seeking multiyear procurement authority from Congress for the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement, according to a new amendment to the administration's fiscal year 2024 budget request.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says Sen. Tommy Tuberrville's (R-AL) indefinite hold on nearly 200 military nominees risks national security and sets a "perilous precedent."
The House Armed Services Committee has postponed its consideration of the annual defense authorization bill, according to a statement from committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL), who did not provide further details.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said today the Air Force's high-profile retreat from the troubled Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon hypersonic missile shows that the Pentagon is prepared to accept risk and walk away from potentially bad bets to achieve technological dominance over China.
The Defense Department has released a new National Defense Science and Technology Strategy encapsulating fundamental priorities Pentagon officials have long discussed, while a detailed implementation plan is due to Congress in 90 days.
The Defense Department today announced a new $1.2 billion security assistance package for Ukraine with money for air defense, artillery and ammunition.
The Defense Department will begin to apply customary progress payment rates for large companies signing new contracts on or after July 7, but will keep the more generous pandemic-era rates in place for existing contracts.
The House Armed Services Committee begins crafting its fiscal year 2024 defense authorization bill this week at the subcommittee level. Meanwhile, senior Pentagon officials are scheduled to speak on Capitol Hill.
Seven former defense secretaries have sent a letter to Senate leaders urging them to “act expeditiously” to confirm nearly 200 military nominees that have been blocked from confirmation by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who is holding up the process over his opposition to Pentagon travel policies for servicemembers seeking abortion services.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States intends to propose its authority be expanded to include oversight of eight additional military installations where nearby land has been bought or eyed for potential purchase by foreign investors, including those with ties to China.
The Defense Department today announced a $300 million security assistance package for Ukraine, including additional ammunition for long-range artillery systems.
Pentagon acquisition chief Bill LaPlante said today that defense industrial base policy is in the middle of a "pivot" driven by the need to fill capacity gaps highlighted by the ongoing war in Ukraine and the need to prepare to possibly aid Taiwan in the event of a conflict with China.
The House Armed Services Committee will convene to mark up its annual defense authorization bill May 23, with subcommittees meeting May 11 and 12, according to committee staff.