To help fight inflation, the Pentagon was given $1.05 billion to disperse to industry. Now, documents reviewed by Breaking Defense and interviews with key officials reveal how and why certain programs won out.
By Michael Marrow and Valerie InsinnaTop defense insights from 2024
A curated look at standout opinions and analysis covering topics like uncrewed systems, NATO partnerships, US-Saudi defense dynamics, and evolving warfare strategies, spotlighting key issues shaping the global defense landscape.
“We learned in 2016 that recovering from artificial cuts is more expensive than getting it right in the first place,” David Norquist, NDIA’s president and CEO, told Breaking Defense.
By Justin Katz
The former No. 2 official at the Pentagon believes the department is going to have to get creative as inflation puts long-term contracts at risk.
By Aaron Mehta
“You always have to be careful when we streamline a process,” David Norquist, recently installed as president and CEO of the National Defense Industrial Association, told Breaking Defense.
By Aaron Mehta and Theresa Hitchens
The confirmation of the first African American SecDef comes after Avril Haines was confirmed Wednesday as the first woman to serve as Director of National Intelligence
By Paul McLeary
“We built three different future fleets,” Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist said. “We examined the ships and Marine units we have, and those we might build by 2045.”
By Paul McLeary
“We don’t have enough capacity for peacetime” repairs, said Rear Adm. Eric Ver Hage. “We can’t get ships delivered on time with the predictability we need today.”
By Paul McLeary
Answers at the edge: Where to find solutions that connect the battlespace
When it comes to a common operating picture, not everyone needs the same equipment. What they need is the same situational awareness.
The Navy and Marine Corps’ vision of a future surface fleet is starting to come together, even if they’re still waiting for the Defense Secretary and Congress to give their blessings.
By Paul McLeary
“I think it is not a good idea to think that the [Theodore Roosevelt] is a one of a kind issue,” vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Hyten said. “To think that it will never happen again, is not a good way to plan.”
By Paul McLeary
McCusker will be able to continue serving in an acting capacity for another seven months, Pentagon spokesman Chris Sherwood confirmed Tuesday. The 210-day clock “began when the nomination was withdrawn.”
By Paul McLeary
The letter, sent late Thursday to House Armed Services chair Rep. Adam Smith, underscores Esper’s goal of building a 355-ship fleet: “I personally believe the force structure we need is even larger,” he writes.
By Paul McLeary The Pentagon is about to pitch Congress on a plan to move $5.7 billion from legacy programs to new modernization efforts. Some offices are going to feel some pain.
By Paul McLeary
Congress worried that the SCO’s ability to act fast would be stymied by layers of bureaucratic approval required for any decisions. Under DARPA, it would have been bumped four reporting levels down.
By Theresa Hitchens
As the EU releases plans for new ships, drones, and missile defense systems, Washington and NATO worry the organization’s new weapons may not work seamlessly with the alliance’s.
By Paul McLeary
