Saturday, April 20, 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.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said today North Korea's “actions will continue to be grossly overmatched by” those of the United States and stressed the futility and catastrophic potential of a nuclear conflict or arms race.
The Defense Department has extended the period for which it will accept feedback on reducing specific regulatory burdens.
The Pentagon on Friday evening released, without context, a memo on ethical conduct penned by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, but a spokesman says it "was not tied to any one specific thing."
Several industry earnings calls are slated for this week, along with two defense conferences featuring senior Pentagon leaders and military officials. Congress is out of town until September.
Frank Kendall, the Defense Department's former acquisition chief, expects the new effort to reorganize the Pentagon's acquisition structure, released this week, to end badly.
Here are some must-reads from this week's edition of Inside the Pentagon.
The Defense Department, tasked with reorganizing the office that oversees its massive acquisition system, proposes replacing it with a new management structure focused on technological superiority and program efficiency, according to a new report delivered to Congress.
Defense Department acquisition officers should strive to procure goods and services as quickly as possible, but remain vigilant when it comes to avoiding waste, according to a memo from Shay Assad, the Pentagon's defense pricing director.
A government watchdog says the Defense Department cannot accurately assess the return on investment for nearly $458 million intended to develop the intelligence capacity of the Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces.
The House is out of town on recess this week, while Senate lawmakers are holding a closed hearing on the Authorization for the Use of Military Force.
North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile this morning that landed in the Sea of Japan, according to a statement from the Defense Department.
The Defense Department, amidst a major reorganization of acquisition system bureaucracy, is considering the best path forward to manage a key defense technology and trade partnership with India, according to a new report released by DOD and the State Department.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ), after casting a dramatic vote to sink the GOP's attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, is disappointed the Senate will be unable to take up the fiscal year 2018 defense authorization bill in time for the August recess.
The House passed a fiscal year 2018 "minibus" appropriations measure 235-192 that includes $658 billion for national defense, though the topline exceeds the mandatory spending cap set by the 2011 Budget Control Act by $72 billion.
The Senate Armed Services Committee has voted to send the nominations for four key Pentagon posts to the full Senate.
Here are some must-reads from this week's edition of Inside the Pentagon.
The Defense Department asserts it has identified $9.2 billion in cost savings between fiscal year 2015 and FY-19 stemming from a variety of efficiency initiatives, but the Government Accountability Office says DOD's figures are unreliable.
The Defense Department has provided Congress with a report detailing $10.7 billion in purchases from foreign entities in fiscal year 2016, along with justifications for why the Buy American Act was waived for approximately $5 billion in procured items and services.
The week ahead features a host of defense contractor earnings calls, as well as several key legislative hearings and public appearances by senior Pentagon officials.
The leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees have named the 12 members for the new Defense Strategy Commission.