Friday, April 26, 2024
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.
Congress has cleared the Defense Department to reprogram $220 million from its operations and maintenance accounts to get the first installment of funds required to train and equip moderate members of the Syrian opposition, according to the DOD comptroller's office.
The Pentagon has begun a major effort to "reset" its planning, programming, budgeting and execution (PPBE) process by fiscal year 2017 that would enable "better, more defensible budget submissions to Congress," according to a Dec. 11 memo to top defense officials from Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work.
A newly proposed measure for the authorization for the use of military force that has passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would prohibit large numbers of U.S. ground troops from entering combat in Iraq and Syria and limit authorization to three years.
Congressional appropriators have proposed an omnibus spending package that would fund the Defense Department in fiscal year 2015 to the tune of $554 billion and have until Thursday night to pass the measure.
Despite approving other recent nominees, the Senate Armed Services Committee is delaying the confirmation of Elissa Slotkin, President Obama's nominee to serve as the Defense Department's next assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, according to a statement from the committee.
On the heels of a new Defense Department Innovation Initiative aimed at identifying next-generation military capabilities, Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's acquisition chief, has commissioned a study on weapon system autonomy due next summer.
Congressional allies of General Dynamics Land Systems are attempting a last-ditch effort to stall the Army's Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle program as the service mulls awarding an engineering and manufacturing development contract to BAE Systems, according to memos and officials.
President Obama has nominated Ashton Carter, the Pentagon's former No. 2 civilian, to succeed Chuck Hagel as defense secretary, noting that he is a "reformer who has never been afraid to cancel old or inefficient weapons programs."
The Defense Department has awarded contracts to three independent public accounting firms to audit current-year appropriated funds -- also known as the schedule of budgetary activity (SBA) -- for all the military services, according to a DOD statement.
The Defense Department is slated to spend $16 billion on fuel in fiscal year 2014 to support military operations, training and exercises, after having spent $14.8 billion in FY-13, according to DOD's latest operational energy report.
The Pentagon has begun work on its new Long Range Research and Development Plan focusing on five key capability areas that can move technologies into development programs within the next five years: space, undersea, air dominance and strike, air and missile defense, and other concepts, according to a memo signed by Frank Kendall, the department's acquisition chief, who directed the LRRDP to be complete in time for the fiscal year 2017 budget submission.
Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's acquisition chief, intends to increase the Defense Department's profit share ratios with industry in fixed-price incentive contracts if companies bring major weapon programs in under cost.
Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon's chief spokesman, declined to comment today on reports that Ashton Carter, who stepped down one year ago as the Defense Department's No. 2 civilian, is reportedly slated to be nominated to replace Chuck Hagel as the next defense secretary.
The Defense Acquisition Board is scheduled to consider advancing the Army's Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle program into development on Dec. 9, according to an internal Pentagon document.
Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work hopes to visit Capitol Hill within the next two weeks to discuss a way forward on some of the Defense Department's most serious budgetary challenges, particularly the fact that Congress is poised to deny the Pentagon's plan to find savings by reforming military compensation, cutting aging weapon systems and closing excess military bases and facilities amid the onset of sequestration.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey wants Congress to know the Defense Department will require more base budget funding in fiscal year 2016 than the $535 billion it has planned, especially since that amount is already $35 billion above the spending caps mandated by sequestration.
Retiring House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-CA) today congratulated Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX) on receiving a recommendation from the House Republican Steering Committee that he take over as chairman of the panel.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has singled out autonomous systems as a key investment area in the Pentagon's new innovation initiative amid the Army's ongoing efforts to plumb industry for potential unmanned ground vehicle technologies.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has formally launched an ambitious and long-expected innovation investment strategy intended to shape the future of the Pentagon for years to come.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel wants Congress to know that 40 percent of the recent supplemental budget request to train and equip the Iraqi army to fight Islamic extremists will remain fenced off until the Iraqi government matches that amount.