Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak around the Washington area this week.
Saturday, January 18, 2025
Saturday, January 18, 2025
Key Issues MADCAP SPY-6 radars Regional Sustainment Framework
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.
Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak around the Washington area this week.
Pentagon acquisition chief Bill LaPlante is going to Brussels next week to urge NATO armaments directors to continue surging weapons production to assist Ukraine and deter Russia, but he noted today that he will be doing so as Congress, unable to pass defense spending bills and other appropriations packages, is sliding toward a government shutdown.
The State Department has approved a possible $5 billion foreign military sale to South Korea for 25 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, according to a Defense Security Cooperation Agency notice.
The State Department has approved a possible $389 million foreign military sale to Poland that would cover sustainment of its F-16 fleet, according to a Defense Security Cooperation Agency notice.
House GOP leadership has delayed a vote on the fiscal year 2024 defense appropriations bill amid in-fighting over government spending and a looming federal shutdown.
The Defense Department has issued guidance to help military personnel and Pentagon civilians prepare for a possible government shutdown on Oct. 1.
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- Pentagon acquisition chief Bill LaPlante today repeated his mantra of "production, production, production," asserting that such an approach should be baked into the weapons design process and prized when it is time to award final contracts.
The State Department has approved a $4 billion foreign military sale to Poland for an Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System, according to a Defense Security Cooperation Agency notice.
President Biden intends to veto the House's defense appropriations bill if, in the unlikely event, that is the final version he is presented by Congress, according to a statement from the White House Office of Management and Budget.
The Air and Space Forces Association hosts its annual Air, Space, Cyber Conference this week, while senior defense officials are scheduled to appear before the Senate for confirmation hearings.
The Defense Department has created a special working group charged with increasing oversight of Pentagon services contracts, which account for about $200 billion in annual spending, according to the Government Accountability Office.
The Defense Department today announced a $600 million military aid package intended to support Ukraine's long-term security needs, including additional ammunition, air defense equipment and electronic warfare systems.
Anduril, a non-traditional defense startup based in California, has acquired drone maker Blue Force Technologies amid a flurry of announcements from senior Pentagon officials in the past few weeks that fleets of autonomous weapon systems must be fast-tracked to compete with China.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said today that the Pentagon's new program to buy thousands of small autonomous drones, recently dubbed "Replicator," will be implemented in the next 18 to 24 months without asking Congress for additional funding in the coming fiscal year.
The Defense Department today announced a $175 million weapons package for Ukraine that will be drawn directly from U.S. stocks, including depleted uranium ammunition for Abrams tanks that is slated to arrive on the battlefield this fall.
The Defense Department inspector general is launching an audit this month examining the process by which the Pentagon values weapons being transferred to Ukraine, which follows an accounting error that resulted in DOD having $6.2 billion more in funding than it initially projected.
The Defense Department has nearly $6 billion remaining in congressionally appropriated funds used for transferring weapons to Ukraine, giving the Pentagon some cushion as the threat of a shutdown looms over the federal government and as some lawmakers voice reluctance about passing a supplemental spending bill to continuing aiding Kyiv against Russia.
Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak at several events this week.
The White House is asking Congress to avert a looming government shutdown by passing a stopgap continuing resolution that, among other things, would include authority for the Defense Department to spend money on the Columbia-class submarine program to avoid a 20-month delay, according to the Office of Management and Budget.
The Pentagon this week revealed what some drone manufacturers hope is a game-changing moment with the announcement of the new "Replicator" program and top defense officials, though reluctant to provide details, say the decision to award contracts in the next 18 to 24 months for thousands of small, autonomous weapon systems signals a major milestone in the mission to counter China's massive military.