Former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin is the top candidate to be President Trump's nominee to serve as the Pentagon's under secretary of defense for research and engineering, according to multiple sources.
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
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.
Former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin is the top candidate to be President Trump's nominee to serve as the Pentagon's under secretary of defense for research and engineering, according to multiple sources.
The Defense Department's ongoing disaster assistance to Puerto Rico will likely delay the deployment of the U.S.S. Wasp, which is slated to bring F-35 Joint Strikes Fighters off the coast of Japan to mitigate threats from North Korea.
More than 150 Republican lawmakers, led by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX), have sent a letter to President Trump praising his “explicit endorsement” of a $700 billion defense budget during remarks he made at the United Nations General Assembly Sept. 19, despite the fact his administration has requested nearly $100 billion less than that for fiscal year 2018.
Here are a few must-reads from this week's edition of Inside the Pentagon.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) has encouraged the Pentagon to attach a request for additional fiscal year 2018 defense funds to disaster aid legislation moving on Capitol Hill.
Congressional defense committees have approved nearly 90 percent of the Pentagon's request to transfer $416 million between different accounts to increase funding for missile defense programs, according to a document released Wednesday by the Defense Department.
Telling lawmakers he shares their concerns about corrupt and incompetent contracting in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Tuesday he wants to establish a new review board to prevent the waste, fraud and abuse documented by government audit agencies over the past 16 years of war.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told senators Tuesday the Trump administration's new "conditions-based" strategy in Afghanistan, which calls for deploying more than 3,000 additional U.S. troops, would help break a stalemate between NATO forces and anti-government insurgents.
Inside Defense recently obtained a cache of budget documents detailing Pentagon acquisition decisions and various appeals to Congress that would increase funding in some areas, but reduce it in others.
The Pentagon recently sent Congress a request to reprogram nearly $414 million in base budget and Overseas Contingency Operations funds to an array of munitions programs and classified priorities, according to a document obtained by Inside Defense.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford are scheduled to testify on Capitol Hill about the political and security situation in Afghanistan.
The Defense Department is asking Congress to approve a $50 million transfer to a program that would develop a commercially based, micro-synthetic aperture radar satellite prototype aimed at using "deep learning analytics" to improve the speed and exploitation of raw satellite imagery, according to a document obtained by Inside Defense.
The Defense Department, with an eye toward military provocations from North Korea, is seeking approval from Congress to authorize a transfer of $70 million to support classified ballistic missile defense programs for U.S. forces in the Pacific, according to a document obtained by Inside Defense.
The Pentagon, in coordination with defense industry associations, expects to soon release a "very targeted" questionnaire to contractors as it assesses the industrial base for vulnerabilities and the potential to surge, according to the senior Defense Department official leading the effort.
The Pentagon, amid increased tensions with North Korea, has requested Congress allow it to transfer $416 million between various appropriations accounts to better fund "missile defeat enhancements," according to documents obtained by Inside Defense.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) said today the Defense Department must guard against the "marginalization" of civilian officials, "especially now, when so many civilian leaders at the Department of Defense are either missing or are themselves recently retired military officers."
The Pentagon wants Congress to approve the transfer of $187 million in various personnel and operations and maintenance accounts so the Army can purchase additional munitions, according to a document obtained by Inside Defense.
Senior Pentagon officials will make several high-profile appearances this week at defense conferences and congressional hearings.
President Trump signed an executive order today ratcheting up economic sanctions on North Korea, citing "provocative" and "destabilizing" actions, including the country's recent series of intercontinental ballistic missile launches.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford is scheduled to appear for reconfirmation before the Senate Armed Services Committee Sept. 26.