The Defense Department announced today that a new $275 million military aid package will be sent to Ukraine, transferring long-range ammunition, humvees, satellite communications gear and other capabilities.
Saturday, September 14, 2024
Saturday, September 14, 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.
The Defense Department announced today that a new $275 million military aid package will be sent to Ukraine, transferring long-range ammunition, humvees, satellite communications gear and other capabilities.
The Defense Department "does not intend to enact a policy to increase contract prices due to inflation,” according to a new letter sent by Pentagon acquisition chief Bill LaPlante to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and obtained by Inside Defense.
The Defense Department today released a new National Defense Strategy, accompanied by the Nuclear Posture Review and Missile Defense Review, that maintains the U.S. military's focus on China as a "pacing challenge," labels Russia as an "acute threat," and has upgraded the importance of defending Guam.
Defense Department technology chief Heidi Shyu said today she will be participating in a special Pentagon meeting this week to determine the fiscal year 2024 budget profile for future experimentation "sprints" intended to rapidly assess new military technology.
Former Defense Secretary Ash Carter died Monday evening in Boston, according to a statement from his family. He was 68.
Metrea, formerly known as Meta Aerospace, has developed and released a new publicly available tool that provides current and historical U.S. defense budget data that could aid researchers.
Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak around Washington this week at various think tank and military association events.
Two manufacturers of the COVID-19 vaccine accounted for a significant increase in the Pentagon's state-by-state spending in fiscal year 2021, driven by large contracts related to vaccine and treatment purchases, according to new data from the Defense Department.
Congress has given the Defense Department the authority to realign around $2.3 billion in various unspent appropriations toward priority weapons programs like systems to counter small, unmanned drones as well as toward "must-pay bills" brought on by "inflationary pressure," according to a Pentagon "omnibus" budgetary reprogramming document.
The White House is not threatening to veto the Senate's version of the fiscal year 2023 defense bill, but it does oppose several provisions related to procurement of major defense weapon systems, according to a new statement of administration policy released by the Office of Management and Budget.
The Heritage Foundation's annual index of military strength has rated the U.S. military as "weak" when measured against the requirements the conservative think tank says are necessary to win two "major regional conflicts."
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) said the confirmations of more than a dozen Defense Department nominees could remain stalled if Democrats lose their Senate majority next month as the party's focus would be to move as many federal judges as possible before yielding control to the GOP.
The Defense Department will be sending $725 million in military aid to Ukraine, including additional ammunition for long-range artillery systems.
Senior government officials are slated to speak in the Washington area this week.
The White House today released a National Security Strategy that seeks "deeper collaboration" with foreign allies when it comes to developing and producing weapon systems and military technology, a vision made more urgent by the war in Ukraine.
The annual defense authorization bill was introduced on the Senate floor today with 75 bipartisan amendments attached to it, including six other major authorization bills, though a final vote is not expected until after November's mid-term elections.
The Association of the United States Army holds its annual conference in Washington this week.
The Pentagon inspector general's office intends to begin an audit this month looking into the Defense Department's use of "controlled unclassified information" as a justification for restricting information, like what was seen when an annual weapons testing performance report was submitted to Congress earlier this year.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is questioning the Defense Department's push to provide inflation relief to defense contractors, sending a new letter to Pentagon acquisition chief Bill LaPlante voicing concern that DOD may be preparing to dish out "corporate welfare" without sufficient data to justify the cost.
Congress has granted the Defense Department authority to reprogram $700 million to pay for increases in the cost of fuel, according to a new Pentagon budget document.