Congress
“Some of these people may have been in these jobs too long,” Navy Undersecretary Gregory Slavonic suggested of House and Senate Armed Services committee lawmakers, suggesting they should be subject to term limits.
By Paul McLeary
“We have ample margin for this hull form,” said Capt. Kevin Smith, the Navy’s frigate program manager. “Some of those could lead to direct energy type projects and other capability. But right now, just as an example for weight, we have at least 100 tons of margin for future upgrades.”
By Paul McLearyWhy cloud modernization is critical to multi-domain operations
JADC2 is a forcing function, driving digital transformation of network infrastructure.
Northrop Grumman, Leidos, and Huntington Ingalls have paused political contributions, and one defense expert expects more to join in
By Paul McLeary
A major overhaul is coming in software for missile warning
Space Systems Command’s FORGE program is the first, major missile-warning software modernization effort in 20 years.
Congress narrowly failed to block the controversial $23 billion deal the Trump administration forged with the UAE, and the Biden team has expressed skepticism, but the rush is on to wrap it up
By Paul McLeary
Lloyd Austin could be voted in quickly, giving the Biden administration a confirmed Defense Secretary quickly after inauguration
By Paul McLeary
Future inevitability of quantum computers is a security problem today
‘Store Now, Decrypt Later’ attacks must be thwarted now with Zero Trust cybersecurity.
Despite a heavy-handed military presence at earlier protests, there were no troops in evidence at the Capitol when it was overrun yesterday by pro-Trump rioters. Currently, 834 Guard troops are operational across DC, 741 of them guarding the Capitol and 93 manning traffic checkpoints.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
Other Transaction Authority awards have soared 712 percent since 2015, helping jumpstart R&D, including on COVID vaccines. But now the Space Force’s OTAs have been derailed by a court case against contractor NSTXL – and the whole OTA system is under fire.
By Theresa Hitchens
The Trump administration waited four years to come up with a plan to increase the size of the fleet, dumping it on the Pentagon’s doorstep even as the moving vans were getting ready to pull up to the White House.
By Paul McLearyBreaking Defense daily newsletter
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With over two decades in the Pentagon under Clinton, Bush, and Obama, Kathleen Hicks brings the civilian bureaucratic experience that retired Gen. Lloyd Austin sorely lacks. Neither has the political clout of a Jim Mattis or a Bob Gates.
By Colin Clark
With shrinking budgets and a growing need for new technologies, “the Army will need to make a compelling case to Congress to fund new capabilities and truncate legacy programs,” said CSBA’s Tom Mahnken.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
“Not sure if this is a black swan, but I would not be surprised if the next administration kicks off an internal review of the services’ roles and responsibilities, with an eye toward reducing excessive redundancy in force structure and capabilities,” Mark Gunzinger says
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“On the eve of Christmas Eve, this veto seems to be Trump’s parting gift to Putin and a lump of coal for our troops,” Sen. Jack Reed says.
By Colin Clark
The most overlooked story of 2020, including by this publication, is that having a president largely divorced from making military decisions worked pretty well for the US military.
By Colin Clark
A new approach to speed, scale and efficiency for the industrial base
Radars, EW, EO/IR, space imagery, and microelectronics are brought under one roof for a streamlined approach to common people and factories.
It will take time for the Biden administration to build its national security and defense strategies. In the absence of a new defense strategy, the most logical route for Congress would be to plan a two-year budget deal that buys back readiness and investment lost to the Budget Control Act.
By Mackenzie Eaglen