Sunday, October 19, 2025
President Trump has nominated Pentagon official Michael Payne to be director of cost assessment and program evaluation.
If confirmed, Payne, who currently serves as acting CAPE director, will be responsible for overseeing analyses of numerous defense programs, including major weapon systems, and advising the defense secretary and deputy defense secretary on future investment plans.
This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 omnibus reprogramming request, plus coverage from the House and Senate Armed Services committees' Defense Department programmatic tables meant to guide $150 billion in budget reconciliation spending, Boeing's quarterly earnings and more.
Inside Defense obtained a copy of the Defense Department's fiscal year 2025 omnibus reprogramming request:
Pentagon seeks $5.4B funding shift to precision strike, space and more
The Pentagon is asking Congress for permission to reprogram $5.4 billion in previously appropriated funds to boost long-range strike, hypersonic weapons and space capabilities, a major realignment of defense dollars that underscores shifting priorities amid intensifying global threats.
More coverage from the House and Senate Armed Services committees' Defense Department programmatic tables meant to guide $150 billion in budget reconciliation spending:
Lawmakers push $4 billion maritime industrial base investment in reconciliation spending guidance
Congress wants the Pentagon to use over $4 billion of its budget reconciliation package to upgrade the maritime industrial base, according to programmatic guidance tables that recommend supplier development, workforce support and technology modernization investments including the implementation of artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing techniques.
Document: Lawmakers' DOD reconciliation guidance tables
Senior Boeing executives discussed the company's quarterly earnings this week:
Boeing pumps the brakes on defense losses
Boeing's defense division turned a profit in the second quarter of this year, the company revealed today, a marked shift after it has consistently taken on significant charges in previous quarters.
The Government Accountability Office reported on July 24 that although the Defense Department is working to improve its ability to identify supply chain risks from reliance on foreign sources -- ranging from raw materials to manufacturing and components -- these efforts remain too narrow, uncoordinated, and limited in scope:
Watchdog urges Pentagon to tackle foreign dependency risks in defense supply chains
A new government watchdog report reveals the Defense Department is aware of immediate steps to identify and address threats from foreign influence in critical defense supply chains but has yet to implement or strategize on them.
Document: GAO report on the defense industrial base
The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense program just issued a new, multibillion-dollar contract:
Lockheed Martin nabs $2.1B for THAAD interceptor production amid planned upgrades
The Pentagon has awarded Lockheed Martin a $2.1 billion contract modification to produce additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors, expanding Army inventory levels as the Missile Defense Agency moves forward with a parallel effort to modernize the system through 2027.
The Pentagon's innovation engine is granting Pratt Miller a contract to prototype its containerized solution to make, store and distribute hydrogen aboard ships and ashore, the Defense Innovation Unit announced yesterday.
Pratt Miller -- a subsidiary of defense giant Oshkosh -- will prototype its Expeditionary Hydrogen On Ship and Shore (EHOSS) project solution, which comes in a container that can produce, store and pump out more than 20 kilograms of hydrogen daily -- creating a small, self-sufficient “micro hydrogen supply chain,” DIU said.
“Self-sufficient” is key -- given the system doesn’t rely on outside fuel, it is especially well-suited for use cases in remote, wide-range and otherwise contested environments, according to the release.
The unit -- which gives off little sound and heat -- produces hydrogen energy that can fuel uncrewed systems and serve as a lifting gas for high altitude balloons. It also includes commercial-off-the-shelf components that support data collection and remote monitoring.
DIU is the lead organization for the EHOSS project but collaborates with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and several of the Navy and Army Departments’ components to carry out the initiative.
“Integrating hydrogen generation into our expeditionary energy toolkit enables us to leverage the force multiplying capabilities that hydrogen-consuming technologies have to offer,” Capt. Josh Ashley, a science and technology analyst at the Marine Corps Expeditionary Energy Office said. “EHOSS gives us the ability to fuel key capabilities without creating new logistics supply requirements that enhance flexibility and enable smaller operational footprints -- attributes that directly impact dominance in distributed maritime operations."
The Space Force awarded five businesses up to $4 billion for Protected Tactical Satellite Communications - Global, according to government notices posted last night.
The Space Force has committed $37.3 million to Viasat, Northrop Grumman, Astranis Space Technologies, Intelsat General Communications and Boeing to design and demonstrate capabilities for PTS-G.
The service had planned to award up to four contracts, it said in its November request for proposals.
The Space Force is requesting $239.6 million in fiscal year 2026 for PTS-G research, development, test and evaluation, according to budget documents. The service had requested $248 million in FY-25 for the new-start effort but only received $101 million for the year through the continuing resolution passed in March.
The funding for FY-26 would be used to “design, demo, engineer, manufacture and test” four space vehicles -- two with Ka-band capabilities and two with X-band capabilities, according to the budget documents.
PTS-G will serve a medium-assurance capability role for SATCOM, bridging the gap between the focused PTS-Resilient program and lower-assurance MILSATCOM and commercial services, according to the service. It will work across military Ka-band and X-band wavelengths.
Initial operational capability is expected in FY-28 with full operational capability in FY-30. The budget documents show the program purchasing 12 satellites in total.
This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on a Government Accountability Office report on the defense industrial base, plus coverage of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense program and more.
The Government Accountability Office reported on July 24 that although the Defense Department is working to improve its ability to identify supply chain risks from reliance on foreign sources -- ranging from raw materials to manufacturing and components -- these efforts remain too narrow, uncoordinated, and limited in scope:
Watchdog urges Pentagon to tackle foreign dependency risks in defense supply chains
A new government watchdog report reveals the Defense Department is aware of immediate steps to identify and address threats from foreign influence in critical defense supply chains but has yet to implement or strategize on them.
Document: GAO report on the defense industrial base
The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense program just issued a new, multibillion-dollar contract:
Lockheed Martin nabs $2.1B for THAAD interceptor production amid planned upgrades
The Pentagon has awarded Lockheed Martin a $2.1 billion contract modification to produce additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors, expanding Army inventory levels as the Missile Defense Agency moves forward with a parallel effort to modernize the system through 2027.
More THAAD-related news:
DOD eyes 'adjunct' radar for AN/TPY-2 to see farther, react faster, track more
The Pentagon is looking to upgrade one of its most widely deployed missile-tracking radars with a powerful new antenna array, a move that could give the U.S. military an improved ability to detect and track advanced threats such as hypersonic weapons and maneuvering ballistic missiles.
Document: MDA's RFI for AN/TPY-2 'adjunct radar'
In a July 28 solicitation, the Navy asks industry members for submissions on three separate Modular Attack Surface Craft capabilities: a base model, a high-capacity MASC and a single payload MASC:
Navy seeks several solutions for MASC, asks for white papers
The Navy is seeking several solutions for a new medium unmanned surface vessel, following months of discussions within the service for a planned merger of MUSV and large unmanned surface vessel efforts.
Document: MASC solicitation guidance
Guidance tables sent by lawmakers to the Defense Department show how Congress wants DOD to spend the money it allocates in numerous areas, including missile defense, shipbuilding, munitions, unmanned drones, industrial base support and more:
Hill leaders seek Pentagon's $150B spending plan, send 'guidance' tables to direct funds
The chairmen of the House and Senate Armed Services committees, in a bid to maintain oversight of the $150 billion poised to be injected into the Defense Department via a recently passed budget reconciliation bill, have sent the Pentagon new programmatic guidance tables showing congressional intent and want to see DOD's own detailed spending plan by Aug. 22, according to documents obtained by Inside Defense.
Document: Lawmakers' DOD reconciliation guidance tables
This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on missile defense radars as well as lawmakers telling the Defense Department where it should spend the money Congress gives it.
On July 24, the Missile Defense Agency invited industry proposals to design and build an "adjunct radar" system for the AN/TPY-2 -- a high-resolution radar used around the world to spot and track incoming missiles:
DOD eyes 'adjunct' radar for AN/TPY-2 to see father, react faster, track more
The Pentagon is looking to upgrade one of its most widely deployed missile-tracking radars with a powerful new antenna array, a move that could give the U.S. military an improved ability to detect and track advanced threats such as hypersonic weapons and maneuvering ballistic missiles.
More missile defense radar news:
Pentagon seeks mobile radar to bolster Golden Dome missile defense underlayer
The Pentagon is seeking industry proposals for a new mobile radar system that could form a key part of the ground-based layer of its nascent Golden Dome for America missile defense initiative, issuing a detailed request for information that outlines ambitious tracking, discrimination and deployment requirements.
Guidance tables sent by lawmakers to the Defense Department show how Congress wants DOD to spend the money it allocates in numerous areas, including missile defense, shipbuilding, munitions, unmanned drones, industrial base support and more:
Hill leaders seek Pentagon's $150B spending plan, send 'guidance' tables to direct funds
The chairmen of the House and Senate Armed Services committees, in a bid to maintain oversight of the $150 billion poised to be injected into the Defense Department via a recently passed budget reconciliation bill, have sent the Pentagon new programmatic guidance tables showing congressional intent and want to see DOD's own detailed spending plan by Aug. 22, according to documents obtained by Inside Defense.
Document: Lawmakers' DOD reconciliation guidance tables
A new analysis shows the terms "autonomy," "autonomous," and "remotely operated" appear in 62 procurement budget justification documents while 286 support various stages of research, development, test and evaluation:
Pentagon spreads autonomy funding across 348 budget lines in FY-26 request
The Pentagon's fiscal year 2026 budget request includes $13.4 billion for autonomous and remotely operated systems, but the funding is scattered across 348 individual budget lines -- illustrating both the breadth of investment and the challenge of managing a sprawling portfolio.
Senators are calling for a Government Accountability Office review of funding cuts to the director of operational test and evaluation office:
Senate defense committee seeks review of Hegseth's cuts to independent weapons testers
The Senate Armed Services Committee wants the Government Accountability Office to review Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's cuts to the Pentagon's independent weapons testing office.
Senior officials are slated to discuss defense issues at several public events this week.
Monday
The Hudson Institute hosts a conference on “bridging the valley of death” in defense innovation.
Thursday
The Senate Appropriations Committee marks up its version of the fiscal year 2026 defense spending bill.
The Senate Armed Services Committee holds a hearing to consider the nominations of four senior Pentagon officials, including comptroller and the director of operational test and evaluation.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts a discussion on the potential Chinese blockade of Taiwan.
The Hudson Institute hosts a discussion on Congress and maritime security.
This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest starts off with news about an upcoming Army experiment, the Army is making progress in giving ground commanders better control of the electromagnetic spectrum, the Navy may be looking at overseas shipbuilders, and we have a copy of U.S. European Command’s unfunded priorities list.
An Army experiment in Texas will look at how to defeat unmanned aircraft:
FY-26 Army experiment in Austin will test cUAS solutions in urban environment
The Army's Combat Capabilities Development Command C5ISR Center, in partnership with several other governmental organizations, will hold a weeklong exercise in Austin, TX early in fiscal year 2026, which will involve testing out industry counter-drone technologies in a dense urban environment.
The Army is making changes to one of its Brigade Combat Teams:
Manpack variant to take lead on TLS BCT, program office says
The Army is rearranging its Terrestrial Layer System Brigade Combat Team (TLS BCT) effort after finishing rapid prototyping by funneling the requirements and lessons learned into its man-packable version of the system, marking a slight shift in the Army's effort at providing commanders better access, awareness and control of the electromagnetic spectrum from the ground.
The Navy may include foreign shipyards in its shipbuilding program:
International allies must be part of shipbuilding capacity solution, CNO nominee says
Chief of Naval Operations nominee Adm. Daryl Caudle today told lawmakers he will consider tapping foreign shipyards to bolster the U.S. Navy's fleet via maintenance contracts and potentially new construction work, saying international allies must be part of the solution to domestic shipbuilding challenges.
Here’s a look at what U.S. European Command could not fit in its base budget:
EUCOM's unfunded list surges by more than $1B, highlighting needs of European allies
U.S. European Command has sent Congress a $1.6 billion unfunded priorities list, a major increase from the $141 million UPL it submitted last year, reflecting a significant surge in unmet requirements, including those intended to bolster U.S. allies, according to a previously unreported document obtained by Inside Defense.
Document: EUCOM's FY-26 unfunded priorities list
The Pentagon has once again scheduled an industry event for the Golden Dome effort:
Golden Dome Summit back on; Aug. 7 event part of push to engage nontraditional
The Pentagon is reviving a key industry summit for its Golden Dome for America missile defense initiative, renewing its push to attract nontraditional companies into the national security orbit as it races to draft an operational architecture by late September for a next-generation shield to defend the U.S. homeland.
The Air Force is planning an environmental impact study to beddown two squadrons of F-35A Lighting IIs at Moody Air Force Base, GA.
The squadrons would replace A-10 Warthogs planned for divestment at the base, according to a notice in the Federal Register.
“The proposed action is needed to maintain combat capability and mission readiness of existing fighter squadrons following the scheduled divestment (i.e., retirement) of A-10C aircraft,” the notice states.
The F-35As at Moody AFB would be operational by October 2030, the report states, after the A-10 aircraft are fully divested.
The beddown would include aircraft operations, personnel to support operations and related facility and infrastructure demolition, construction and renovation.
The study will assess the beddown and the no action alternative, which would see the 74th and 75th Fighter Squadrons deactivated.
This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the negative effects of continuing resolutions on the Army, the Joint Strike Fighter program, artificial intelligence and more.
The continuing resolution "environment" in Congress that has lasted for more than two decades has hurt the Army in areas like being able to increase production rates for certain programs:
Army readying itself for continuing resolution atmosphere in FY-26, says budget czar
The likelihood of a continuing resolution in fiscal year 2026 will mean the Army could use some similar flexible spending authorities that were baked into the FY-25 yearlong CR, the service's budget director emphasized today.
As Lockheed Martin incrementally meets F-35 Joint Strike Fighter TR-3 stability and system integration criteria, the withheld amount owed by the Pentagon lessens:
Final withheld F-35 payment to Lockheed to be released in 2026
By next year, Lockheed Martin could be fully reimbursed for F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft after the Pentagon moved to withhold a portion of the payments until the company could deliver complete Technology Refresh-3 capable jets.
The Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the fiscal year 2026 defense policy bill would require the Defense Department to establish teams dedicated to testing and experimenting with artificial intelligence capabilities, among other efforts to advance the military’s use of the technology:
Senate authorizers tell DOD to plan better to leverage AI for military use
Lawmakers want the Pentagon to develop guidance for its wide array of data and AI initiatives, per a Senate panel report released Sunday.
Of the 153 projects identified as unneeded in the fiscal year 2026 budget request, 144 would come from Air Force sites -- and cost about $101.4 million to destroy -- while nine are designated as Space Force infrastructure and would charge $6.1 million to knock down:
Air Force pegs 153 projects for demolition in FY-26 as excess capacity woes mount
The Air Force is asking to get rid of 153 facilities and other infrastructure next year in an effort to shift spending toward modernization and the development of priority systems, a service spokesperson told Inside Defense.
The House Armed Services Committee held a hearing this week on acquisition reform:
Reform-minded lawmakers eye Duffey's growing to-do list as DOD's new acquisition boss
Michael Duffey, the Pentagon's new acquisition chief, was reminded by lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee today of the many matters that require his attention, including a major defense program review, controversial "right to repair" policies, the perennial task of reforming the military's bureaucratic procurement system as well as the need to be more transparent with Congress.
Award of M1E3 Abrams subcontract to Spanish company draws congressional ire
The Army's decision to award a subcontract for the main propulsion system of the M1E3, the next-generation Abrams tank, has drawn the anger of members of Congress.
The Air Force is still trying to nail down the total number of Grey Wolf helicopters it plans to procure:
Senators want Air Force to recommit to more MH-139 helos
Senate authorizers are trying to reverse the Air Force's decision last year to significantly reduce its planned buy of MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopters, citing a rapid need to fully replace Vietnam War-era UH-1 Hueys.
Last but by no means least, General Dynamics held its quarterly earnings call this week:
Marine business growing rapidly at GD, though shipbuilding challenges continue
General Dynamics reported strong growth in its maritime business segment during its second quarter earnings call today, though the company faces enduring supply chain challenges and shipbuilding schedule and cost performance continues to suffer across the Navy’s portfolio.
The Defense Department is reviewing its participation in think-tank events, vetting organizations for political alignment with the Trump administration, according to the Pentagon's top spokesman.
"In order to ensure the Department of Defense is not lending its name and credibility to organizations, forums and events that run counter to the values of this administration, the Department's Office of Public Affairs will be conducting a thorough vetting of every event where defense officials are invited to participate,” said Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell.
The review, first reported by Politico, follows a decision earlier this month to cancel the appearances of senior defense officials at the Aspen Security Forum, citing the “evil of globalism.”
The public affairs review is a significant departure from previous years (as well as the first Trump administration), in which such events offered the public a venue to hear from -- and sometimes question -- senior defense officials about key priorities and the status of ongoing initiatives.
The crackdown also comes as the Office of Public Affairs has increased its staff and its presence on social media, opting to release informational videos with controlled messages, rather than hold regular Pentagon press conferences.
Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson posted to X that “the days of ‘business as usual’ are OVER!”
“The DOD's Office of Public Affairs will be conducting a thorough vetting of every event where Defense officials are invited to participate,” she wrote. “Going forward, no DOD official will attend events by America Last organizations that promote globalism and hate @POTUS!”
It is unclear how wide-ranging the vetting process will be, but major defense events are slated for the remainder of the year, including the Space and Missile Defense Symposium and Expo in Huntsville, AL, the annual Association of the United States Army conference in Washington, the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada, and the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, CA.
Meanwhile, smaller events and discussions are often hosted throughout the year by various think tanks, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Heritage Foundation, the Hudson Institute, the Atlantic Council, the American Enterprise Institute, the Brookings Institution, the Center for a New American Security and others.
The Senate confirmed former Space Force Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier as Air Force under secretary today in a 52-46 vote along party lines.
Lohmeier will join Secretary Troy Meink in leading the Air Force Department, which includes the Space Force.
Lohmeier -- one of several of President Trump’s controversial Defense Department picks -- had most recently served as commander of the 11th Space Warning Squadron. He was relieved of those duties in 2021 for self-publishing a book and subsequently speaking on a podcast alleging that Marxism was spreading through the Pentagon.
In the time since, he has been outspoken on social media about what he sees as negative impacts of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at DOD.
Lohmeier, during his confirmation hearing, committed to leaving politics out of his decisions as under secretary, even as Democrats grilled him for his openly expressed right-wing views.
Lohmeier graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2006 and began his active-duty career as a T-38 Talon instructor pilot and an F-15C Eagle fighter pilot before shifting his focus to space-based missile warning at the stand-up of the Space Force.
The U.S. Army joined two partner nations for a live-fire exercise within a combined High Mobility Artillery Rocket System battery for the first time during Talisman Sabre 25, underscoring the exercise's focus on proving out multinational interoperability in the Indo-Pacific theater.
United States forces, along with troops from Australia and Singapore, which have each purchased the system, fired together on a “deep-strike target” about 60 kilometers away “with precision,” Lt. Gen. Joel Vowell, deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific, told reporters during a Defense Writers Group virtual call on Tuesday.
“You had an integrated fires solution, with multiple different platforms from three different countries, firing simultaneous on a deep target,” he said. “That has not happened before.”
The Army has had “about 80 different firsts” during Talisman Sabre, the largest joint exercise involving Australia and the U.S., which this year has evolved to a record-breaking 35,000 troops from 19 nations actively participating.
The fire exercise took place July 14 during a scenario at Shoalwater Bay, Australia, and helped prove out the ability to coordinate targeting across international forces using target data from a “multinational intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance enterprise,” according to the Army.
“For me, it’s like-minded nations bringing together their modern technology on the battlefield to train and work together,” Lt. Gen. Mathew McFarlane, commanding general of I Corps, said in a statement. “What we have in mind is that no matter which country’s sensor detects a target, any other partner nation can engage the target.”
During the scenario, Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters took out enemy air defenses before U.S. HIMARS crews fired Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) while Australian and Singaporean HIMARS crept out from cover and fired precision long-range fires.
The live fire was also the first time the Australian Army had fired out of HIMARS with regional partners.
Another first for the Army during Talisman Sabre included using the Typhon Mid-Range Capability system to sink a maritime target at 166 kilometers, Vowell said.
“That was emblematic of the requirement the joint forces levied on the Army to be able to have a capability to hold maritime targets at risk from land,” he said.
Talisman Sabre kicked off July 13 and will wrap up on Aug. 4.
This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the Pentagon's Golden Dome missile defense system, plus the latest on the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program and more.
We start off with coverage of the Pentagon's Golden Dome missile defense system:
MDA seeks next-generation domestic missile launcher for 'Golden Dome' underlayer
The Missile Defense Agency is seeking industry concepts for mobile launcher systems capable of supporting a new underlayer of missile defense as part of the Pentagon's Golden Dome for America initiative, ideas that could be fielded within two years.
Guetlein outlines first Golden Dome priorities
As head of the "Golden Dome for America" initiative, Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein said today he will spend his first 60 days focused on building partnerships across the Defense Department and other federal agencies, developing a comprehensive command and control structure and assessing the industrial base for capabilities and capacity.
Guetlein given direct line to deputy secretary as Golden Dome effort kicks off
The Pentagon has granted Gen. Mike Guetlein an unusually direct reporting chain in his new role overseeing the Golden Dome for America missile defense initiative, underscoring the program's elevated status and urgency.
. . . Followed by the latest on the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program from our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity:
Second CMMC rulemaking setting timeline for program launch enters interagency review process
The official kickoff for the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program is getting closer to fruition with a final rule to establish a timeline for contracts now entering the interagency review process at the Office of Management and Budget.
. . . Plus more coverage of the Senate Armed Services Committee's fiscal year 2026 defense policy bill:
Senate authorizers still want the Army to buy six RCVs next year
Lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committee are tasking the Army with buying six more Robotic Combat Vehicles in fiscal year 2026 despite the service cancelling the competition two months ago in a move that committee members hope will salvage autonomous progress made by the program.
Senators want to know why Navy hasn't implemented GAO shipbuilding recommendations
Lawmakers want to know why the Navy has not implemented the majority of shipbuilding improvement recommendations provided by government auditors over the past decade, with the Senate Armed Services Committee's draft defense policy bill directing the Navy secretary to deliver a report on the subject by May 2026.
Lockheed Martin's CEO discussed his company's quarterly earnings this week:
Lockheed takes $950M loss on classified program in second quarter
Lockheed Martin logged a $1.8 billion loss in the second quarter of 2025, $950 million of which came from a "critical" classified aeronautics program, company CEO Jim Taiclet told investors this week.
Looks like Boeing will be getting an order for more KC-46 airborne refueling tankers:
Air Force to buy 75 more KC-46s, nixes 'bridge' tanker competition
The Air Force has decided to purchase another 75 KC-46 Pegasus tankers after its current contract expires, putting an end to whispers the service would instead hold a competition to fill aerial refueling gaps.
New Jersey lawmakers are scrambling to defend Picatinny Arsenal from possible budget cuts:
New Jersey lawmakers cry foul over Army PEO restructuring plan
The Army is weighing a plan to consolidate its acquisition offices that is ruffling the feathers of New Jersey lawmakers who say the proposal will harm rather than help the service's munitions procurement and will cripple Picatinny Arsenal, NJ, which oversees that work.
Document: New Jersey lawmakers' letter on proposed Army cuts to Picatinny Arsenal
Officials declined to provide specifics today on the future of the Navy's sixth-generation tactical aircraft program, after a lawmaker raised questions and concerns about the Defense Department's lack of prioritization for F/A-XX.
As representative for Virginia’s second congressional district -- which encompasses the East Coast Master Jet Base, or Naval Air Station Oceana -- Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) is familiar with the aging fleet of F/A-18 Super Hornets that reside there, jets that could be replaced by a future F/A-XX fleet.
“I’m out of time, on my naval aviation side,” Kiggans said Wednesday at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on defense acquisition reform. “My Hornets are over 30 years old out there, and they’ve been a great fighting platform, but when you look at what we’re faced with our potential fight, potential China fight, I need F/A-XX, I need F-35s, I need to get them in the hand of my carrier air wings on the East Coast Master Jet Base.”
While the Defense Department chooses to prioritize the Air Force’s F-47 program, the future of F/A-XX hangs in the balance, a fact Kiggans expressed frustration with today, adding that F-47s cannot be used on aircraft carriers. Meanwhile, officials present at the hearing offered no details on current negotiations surrounding F/A-XX.
“As you know, the chief of naval operations has a requirement for sixth-generation aircraft for the future carrier air wing, and the department’s committed to getting our warfighters the sixth-gen aircraft they need as soon as possible,” Jason Potter, currently performing the duties of assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, told Kiggans.
Stakeholders across DOD are working to manage risks across the F/A-XX program to make sure delays are avoided, Potter added, and the department expects to “have a way ahead in the near term.”
The House Armed Services Committee chose to allocate over $74 million in research, development funding for F/A-XX in fiscal year 2026, mirroring the Navy’s budget request, which is meant to fund the completion of the aircraft’s design.
Meanwhile, the Senate Armed Services Committee included a $500 million boost for the program in its budget plan -- funding that would specifically go toward advanced component development and prototypes.
The House Appropriations Committee’s budget proposal -- released before the Navy delivered its proposal to Congress -- included $972 million for F/A-XX. The White House Office of Management and Budget responded to this proposal in a July 15 policy statement, which argued that an F/A-XX contract award could delay F-47.