Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall may or may not continue to serve at his post in the next presidential administration and, if some in Congress get their way, he may be the final person to ever hold that job.
Key Issues Optical clocks Prototype funding SPAFORGEN
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.
Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall may or may not continue to serve at his post in the next presidential administration and, if some in Congress get their way, he may be the final person to ever hold that job.
Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has taught the Defense Department that the development and production of a next-generation fighter jet needs to have more on-ramps for industry competition at different phases of the program, according to Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall.
The Defense Department has awarded a contract to HackerOne and Synack that would enable the military services and other DOD components to launch "bug bounty" efforts similar to the "Hack the Pentagon" challenge, which concluded in June after exposing 138 cyber vulnerabilities.
The United States and South Korea have agreed to establish a high-level working group to assess options for "extended deterrence" to counter continued provocations by North Korea, with Defense Secretary Ash Carter making clear that "all U.S. capabilities" are on the table.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed their South Korean counterparts to Washington today to participate in meetings intended to address security challenges posed by North Korea, whose provocative nuclear and ballistic missile tests have been likened by the South Korean president to a "dagger against our throats."
The Defense Innovation Unit Experimental, the team tasked by Defense Secretary Ash Carter with identifying innovative new technologies, recently provided a glimpse into areas where it plans to make future investments.
A group of think-tank analysts gathered Tuesday to discuss a series of hypothetical budgets they constructed in an attempt to address long-term Pentagon spending challenges.
The Pentagon and State Department are scheduled to host talks with their South Korean counterparts this week, while the operation to re-take the Iraqi city of Mosul from forces led by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has begun.
The Government Accountability Office is reviewing the Defense Department's Overseas Contingency Operations account with a focus on "enduring requirements" traditionally funded in the base budget, while the Pentagon, amid new criticism from influential lawmakers, has begun building a multiyear plan for contingency spending.
The United States and Finland have signed a new bilateral statement of intent to build a stronger security partnership, according to the Pentagon.
A few must-reads from this week's edition of Inside the Pentagon.
The Defense Innovation Board convened at the Pentagon on Wednesday to present a series of preliminary recommendations meant to boost innovation at the Defense Department, despite its history of red tape and bureaucracy.
The week ahead is dominated by the annual Association of the United States Army conference in Washington.
The Defense Department estimates it will need about $30 billion annually to support “enduring requirements” once overseas combat operations end. Those requirements are now being funded through the department’s Overseas Contingency Operations account.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter offered a nuanced view of the U.S. relationship with China on Thursday as he listed the sizeable investments being made to enable the American security agenda in the Asia Pacific, including a few "surprises" to ensure continued military dominance.
The Senate has voted to pass a stopgap spending measure to avert a government shutdown until Dec. 9.
The United States is sending an additional 600 troops to Iraq in preparation for military operations to displace the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant from Mosul, according to a statement today from Defense Secretary Ash Carter.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Monday that the Obama administration plans to send Congress a supplemental budget request after the Nov. 8 elections to finance troop retentions in Afghanistan and the Pentagon's accelerated campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
The United States must bear the cost of nuclear modernization or face the prospect of losing its ability to deter nations like Russia and North Korea, which might seek to "coerce a conventionally superior opponent to back off or abandon an ally during a crisis," according to Defense Secretary Ash Carter.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter is traveling this week as Congress attempts to pass a stopgap spending resolution to avert a government shutdown at the end of the week. Meanwhile, the annual Modern Day Marine conference is scheduled to begin Tuesday.