What Pete Hegseth’s hearing tells us about Trump’s plans for the Pentagon
While the hearing didn't dive into foreign policy, Hegseth offered a peek into weapon programs that may get more attention.
Navy unveils shipbuilding plan: Virginias to replace subs sold to Aussies, but impacts of AUKUS unknown
It was not clear when President Joe Biden and his counterparts announced AUKUS' details whether those subs would be replaced by new Virginia-class boats or SSN(X).
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GPS: Still the gold standard in global navigation
The GPS network continues to prove its unmatched reliability, and it’s only getting stronger.
The Navy’s Navigation Plan is good, but Congress has some heavy lifting to do to make it work
"The threat before the nation requires timely action, and the current trajectory simply doesn’t match reality," writes Brent Sadler of the Heritage Foundation.
The Five Surprises In Pentagon’s 2022 Budget
Most observers had expected an increase in the Navy's shipbuilding accounts with this budget, especially after the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, said that, even as an Army general, he would support budget increases for the Navy and Air Force in light of the Chinese threat. But this budget decommissions 12 ships and buys relatively few replacements.
New Democratic Push For DoD Cuts Highlights China, Shipbuilding Woes
"If we get into a conflict with China, this is not going to be like a World War II conflict where we have massive elements of the industrial base that can quickly convert to manufacturing the necessities for war...that's just not going to happen," Rep. Rob Wittman says.
New Navy Command To Oversee Unmanned Ships As They Work With Fleet
The Navy is standing up its first operational unmanned ship command, a big moment in the Pentagon's move toward autonomy
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Powering the future: Securing America with domestically made microelectronics
Onshoring and investment in military-specific semiconductors anchor a cornerstone of the defense industrial base.
UK All In On FCAS Fighter In New Defense Plan
"We've committed to 48, we'll buy 48” F-35s, UK Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, said. The original plan was to buy 138 fifth-generation fighters, but British officials in recent months have declined to say that number is still the target.
New Pentagon No. 2 Hits China In First Speech As Tensions Rise
Beijing represents “a threat to regional peace and stability, and to the rules based international order on which our security and prosperity, and those of our allies, depend,” Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said
Top Lawmaker: Army Budget Needs ‘Not Even Close’ to Navy, Air Force
Rep. Joe Courtney's comments on on the heels of other lawmakers and military officials pushing for the Navy to get a larger slice of the 2022 defense budget
Navy’s New Unmanned Plan Short on Specifics, But Big On Ambition
"There is an underlying commitment to move as fast as you can... because the pacing threat is constantly moving and accelerating," said Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, commander of Marine Corps Combat Development Command.
10 Breaking Defense op-eds that defined 2025
It's been a whirlwind of a year — and the defense establishment has plenty of thoughts on how it's unfolded and what might come next.
Biden Taps Two Admirals To Face China Challenge
If confirmed by the Senate, Adm. John Aquilino and Vice Adm. Samuel Paparo will enter their jobs amidst increasing competition in fleet size, precision missiles, hacking, & espionage.
EXCLUSIVE Eying China, CNO Plans Hypersonics & Lasers On Zumwalt Destroyers
"Take a look at what China's really investing in," Navy CNO Adm. Mike Gilday said. "Yes, they are putting more ships in the water, but they're investing heavily in anti-ship missiles as well as satellite systems to be able to target ships. And so I'm mindful of that."
New Hicks Memo Sets Acquisition, Force Posture 2022 Budget Priorities
DepSecDef Hicks writes that “due to the limited amount of time available before the Department must submit its FY 2022 President's Budget request, the process to re-evaluate existing decisions will focus on a very small number of issues with direct impact on FY 2022 and of critical importance to the President and the Secretary.”
DoD Budget ‘Bloodletting’ Inches Closer To Reality
The Pentagon is at an "inflection point" in terms of how to split the military budget between the services, Rep. Joe Courtney said, a growing recognition that the budget calculus is about to change.