Saturday, October 18, 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.
Outgoing White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said today he is encouraging officials from the incoming Trump administration to continue the Biden team's efforts to bolster the U.S. defense industrial base, specifically production of munitions and submarines.
House Appropriations defense subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA), possibly setting the stage for politically explosive spending debates in the coming year, said today he favors strategic reviews that could lead to funding cuts for aircraft carriers and Abrams tanks, asserting they are not suitable for modern warfare against a peer adversary like China.
Amid blistering allegations and questions about his character and lack of relevant experience from Senate Democrats, defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth today committed to reforming the Pentagon's acquisition process, with his Republican supporters singling out major weapon systems struggling with cost overruns and schedule delays as part of their reason for supporting his "unconventional" nomination.
Senators are scheduled to hold a nomination hearing for defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth this week. Meanwhile, senior defense officials are slated to speak at several public events.
The Biden administration announced what is expected to be its final military aid package for Ukraine today, authorizing $500 million in weapons transfers and leaving nearly $4 billion in spending authority unused and at the disposal of President-elect Trump, who has been critical of U.S. aid to Kyiv.
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) has officially been named chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) released a list of Republican members and subcommittee chairman today.
The Defense Department has updated its list of “Chinese military companies” operating directly or indirectly in the United States, adding several large tech firms associated with artificial intelligence, battery manufacturing and gaming, according to a new Federal Register notice.
A Washington think tank hosts a discussion this week with the assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict.
President-elect Trump has announced several nominees for key defense posts including deputy defense secretary and Pentagon acquisition chief.
The final version of the fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill directs the Defense Department to provide lawmakers with a plan and methodology for sizing the military to address simultaneous operations conducted by U.S. competitors like Russia and China.
The House and Senate voted to pass a revised -- and slimmed down -- continuing resolution tonight just hours before a scheduled government shutdown, retaining provisions from an earlier bill that would provide $14.6 billion in funding for the Columbia- and Virginia-class submarine programs.
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), who is expected to chair the Senate Armed Services Committee next year, unveiled new legislation today aimed at reforming the Pentagon's notoriously slow weapons procurement and budgeting processes.
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump’s pick for defense secretary, is scheduled to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Jan. 14.
The Senate voted today 85-14 to pass the final version of the fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill, sending the $895 billion piece of legislation to President Biden for his signature.
China’s military budget is anywhere between 40% and 90% more than the amount publicly disclosed by the government in Beijing, according to the Defense Department's annual assessment of Chinese military capabilities.
A massive, 1,547-page stopgap continuing resolution unveiled by the House GOP last night runs through March 14 and would, among a host of other provisions, provide $14.6 billion in funding for the Columbia- and Virginia-class submarine programs.
A senior defense official acknowledged today that the Pentagon might not be able to use all of its remaining $5.6 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority to rapidly transfer U.S. weapons to Ukraine before President-elect Trump is sworn in.
Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak at several events around Washington this week, while the Senate is poised to pass the final version of the fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill.
The Defense Department's efforts to accelerate its notoriously slow acquisition process have proved unsuccessful, despite years of reform work, according to the Government Accountability Office, which released a new report today doubling down on its recent assertion that DOD procurement remains "alarmingly slow."