The House Armed Services Committee supports the Pentagon's decision to classify the National Military Strategy, according to the panel's version of the fiscal year 2017 defense authorization bill.
Friday, May 16, 2025
Friday, May 16, 2025
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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.
The House Armed Services Committee supports the Pentagon's decision to classify the National Military Strategy, according to the panel's version of the fiscal year 2017 defense authorization bill.
The United States remains in talks with South Korea over the potential deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery to counter North Korean ballistic missile threats, a discussion made complicated by China and its concerns that THAAD will become part of a larger "containment strategy" in the region, according to a State Department arms control official.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) is criticizing the White House and Defense Department for failing to properly fund military readiness in the fiscal year 2017 budget request, while simultaneously trying to advance a defense authorization bill that would shift billions from the DOD account that traditionally funds readiness in hopes the money will be added by an emergency supplemental from a new presidential administration.
A few must-reads from the latest edition of Inside the Pentagon.
Mary Miller has been named the new principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for research and engineering at the office of the Pentagon acquisition chief, according to a Defense Department announcement.
Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work said Monday that current Pentagon leaders have made investments intended to position the next presidential administration to offset expected Russian and Chinese technological advancements, specifically in lessons learned about a new hypervelocity gun.
The House and Senate are out this week, while Defense Secretary Ash Carter is traveling to Germany.
The Pentagon's top liaison to Congress has sent a memo to the House Select Committee on Benghazi criticizing investigators for, among other things, repeatedly asking Defense Department personnel to engage in speculation regarding the Sept. 11, 2012 terror attack in Libya that killed four Americans including Amb. Christopher Stevens.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, supported advancing the fiscal year 2017 defense authorization bill out of committee late last night, but he put out a statement this afternoon predicting a fiscal "reckoning" for the bill because of its intent to shift $18 billion of overseas contingency operations funding to the Pentagon's base budget.
The Defense Department's inspector general has announced plans to "assess" the European Reassurance Initiative, for which DOD has requested $3.4 billion in fiscal year 2017.
After deliberating late into the night, the House Armed Services Committee passed its version of the fiscal year 2017 defense authorization bill that seeks to shift $18 billion of overseas contingency operations funding into the Pentagon's base budget to pay for unrequested weapon procurements and troop increases.
Some must-reads from this week's edition of Inside the Pentagon.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter opposes the House Armed Services Committee's budget proposal to shift $18 billion in overseas contingency operations money to the Pentagon base budget.
Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, chief of the F-35 joint program office told the Senate Armed Services Committee today that the JPO budget covers 2,590 civilians at an annual cost of $70 million, though committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) said it was his understanding that the number of civilians is closer to 3,000 at an annual cost of $300 million.
The head of Pentagon services contracting wants to explore a new policy that would mandate the creation of special small business set-asides for all services contracting administration work.
The House Armed Services Committee is proposing legislation that would eliminate the Quadrennial Defense Review in favor of a new commission tasked with making recommendations for national security strategy.
Insiders should be prepared for a busy week as the House Armed Services Committee considers the proposed fiscal year 2017 defense authorization bill, while Defense Secretary Ash Carter heads to the Hill for back-to-back hearings.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) expects lawmakers to debate proposals to reform the way defense contractors protest losing bids when the fiscal year 2017 defense authorization bill is considered this week.
The top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee told Inside Defense on Friday he is “leaning toward” supporting the fiscal year 2017 defense authorization bill, despite the GOP's plan to transfer $18 billion from the Pentagon's warfighting account into its base budget to pay for additional weapon procurements and other unrequested plus-ups.
A full house is expected Monday when Inside Defense and the Professional Services Council will jointly host a discussion on DOD's landmark services acquisition policy -- the directive from earlier this year that promises to reshape the way the Pentagon buys services.