The Air and Space Forces Association hosts its annual warfare symposium this week, while senior defense officials are scheduled to speak at several events around Washington.
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Saturday, October 18, 2025
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 Air and Space Forces Association hosts its annual warfare symposium this week, while senior defense officials are scheduled to speak at several events around Washington.
Leaders from some of the largest defense industry associations told lawmakers today that Congress should reform the Pentagon's labyrinthine acquisition system in favor of all military contractors, not just new-entrant technology companies angling to disrupt the status quo.
Billionaire financier Stephen Feinberg said today that if he is confirmed as deputy defense secretary, he will establish a "war room" to review Pentagon spending in detail to ensure it is aligned to compete with China, highlighting his belief that the department is overly reliant on legacy systems and large prime contractors.
Stephen Feinberg, the billionaire financier nominated by President Trump to serve as the Pentagon's No. 2 civilian, declined to comment during a Senate hearing today on whether he believes Russia has invaded Ukraine, taking criticism from Democrats. Feinberg, however, has submitted written testimony to lawmakers in which he characterizes Russia's actions in February 2022 as "further invasion."
Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak at several events around Washington this week.
The Pentagon announced this evening that President Trump intends to nominate retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, replacing Gen. CQ Brown, who has been fired.
The Defense Department is planning to reduce its civilian workforce between 5% and 8%, according to a statement from a senior defense official, who also announced the coming planned termination of about 5,400 probationary workers next week and a DOD-wide hiring freeze.
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers wants Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to explain why the Trump administration is considering firing senior military leaders, which critics have likened to a political "purge."
The Defense Department, with an eye toward budget efficiency, has begun a review of all contracts for consulting services, according to a new memo from the Pentagon's acting acquisition chief.
The Defense Department is developing a $50 billion list of budget "offsets" that can be cut from the unreleased fiscal year 2026 spending request and re-invested in new priorities like Iron Dome for America and border security, exempting more than a dozen areas from the review like collaborative combat aircraft, Virginia-class submarines and one-way autonomous drones. (UPDATED)
The Senate Armed Services Committee is slated to hold a nomination hearing on Feb. 25 for billionaire investor Stephen Feinberg to be deputy defense secretary.
Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak at several public events this week.
The Pentagon is being asked to provide senior lawmakers with a list of weapons programs, military infrastructure and processes that could be cut from the budget if they are not aligned with the National Defense Strategy.
President Trump said today he wants to schedule meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladmir Putin to reduce their nuclear arsenals and cut military spending "in half."
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) said today that the panel's top priority in the coming year -- along with increasing defense spending -- will be reforming the Pentagon's notoriously slow and cumbersome acquisition system, a perennial concern on Capitol Hill.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said today Ukraine should recognize that returning to its pre-2014 borders with land currently occupied by Russia is an "unrealistic objective," noting that adding the country to NATO is also off the table.
The House Budget Committee has released a resolution that increases defense spending by $100 billion, a competing "blueprint" with one being crafted in the Senate that would boost the military topline by $150 billion.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said today he is ready to welcome Elon Musk's team of government cost-cutters to the Pentagon, anticipating they will identify "billions" in wasteful spending that can be redirected toward military readiness.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) said he "anticipates" the fiscal year 2026 defense spending bill will be marked up in "late April," according to a letter sent to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL).
Several Washington think tanks are hosting events this week related to defense and national security. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to embark on a week-long trip to Germany, Belgium and Poland for meetings with NATO nations.