Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Today's INSIDER Daily Digest has the latest on the Pentagon's use of lowest priced, technically acceptable contracting, a new deal between DOD and DHS, a possible congressional deal on defense spending, and a new report on the National Defense Strategy.
In a new Government Accountability Office report, the Defense Department said it's addressing how LPTA contracts should be used:
Pentagon revising LPTA guidance
The Pentagon is revising its guidance to program managers on the use of lowest priced, technically acceptable contracts, according to information it provided to the Government Accountability Office.
A top Pentagon cyber official spoke yesterday about a new yet-to-be-released memorandum of understanding with the Department of Homeland Security:
Senior DOD cyber official says new agreement with DHS includes incident-response planning
The Defense Department's leading cyber policy official says the Pentagon is taking an expanded role in incident-response planning for a cyber attack, under a recently signed agreement with the Department of Homeland Security intended to boost strategic deterrence and protection for privately owned critical infrastructure.
Mike Griffin, under secretary of defense for research and engineering, yesterday said DOD is keenly focused on laser scaling programs:
Pentagon tech chief signals funding increases for military's laser scaling programs
The Pentagon's chief technologist says the Defense Department will increase funding for laser scaling programs in its forthcoming budget request, as he believes directed-energy weapons are just a few years from being useful in battle.
Speaking at an event today, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen Wilson said the service is “refining” where it will find money to pay for readiness objectives.
Air Force eyes FY-19 reprogramming to meet Mattis' 80 percent fighter readiness mandate
Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen Wilson said today the service will need to reprogram funds in fiscal year 2019 to meet near-term readiness goals.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), possibly the next House Armed Services Committee chairman, said today that he will seek a defense spending deal, while Sen. Jim Inhofe, who heads the Senate Armed Services Committee, said separately he backs a $733 billion defense budget:
Smith eyes plan to trade boosts in conventional capability for nuke cuts
Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), expected to become the next chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said today he is considering negotiations with GOP defense hawks that could increase defense spending on conventional capabilities in exchange for cuts to the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
Inhofe backs $733B defense budget, despite White House call for $700B
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-OK) today came out in favor of a $733 billion total defense topline, putting him at odds with the White House, which has directed the Pentagon to plan for a $700 billion topline.
Finally, we have the latest on a new, 116-page report from the bipartisan National Defense Strategy Commission:
Independent commission: dramatic spending increase required for Trump defense strategy
The Defense Department's base budget requires sustained real growth of at least 3 to 5 percent annually over the next five years to execute the Trump administration's National Defense Strategy, according to an independent bipartisan commission. The finding implies military spending, excluding war costs, should reach between $691 billion and $746 billion by fiscal year 2023.