James Mattis

Austin Pledges New National Defense Strategy; Commits To Strong Civilian Leadership

Austin and Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken both praise allies, slam Trump admin. handling of alliances across the globe

‘With So Much At Stake’ SASC Rushes To Confirm Biden’s SecDef

Lloyd Austin could be voted in quickly, giving the Biden administration a confirmed Defense Secretary quickly after inauguration

Esper Presses Hard For New Civilian Casualty Policy

“The US is doing far more than its allies in coming to grips with causing civilian harm,” a human rights NGO representative who has met with Pentagon leaders said. Still, the gap between government estimates and those from groups on the ground is often wide. 

Budget Busters: What to Look For in 2019 and Beyond

The release of the 2020 defense budget is still over a month away, and it's already been a wild ride. A look at what has happened, and what might happen next.

DoD Acquisition Chief Presses For More F-35s In The Air

AOC: The top Pentagon buyer said today the operating cost for the F-35 has to come down at the same time that mission capable rates must ramp up by double-digits. And it needs to happen in less than a year. “Cost per flight hour needs to come down to fourth-generation [aircraft] levels and the availability […]

Will Budget Crunch Pentagon Laser & Space Investments?

Despite increasing uncertainty over President Trump's surprise proposal to cut $33 billion from defense, the Pentagon's R&D chief says he’s confident more cash will be pumped into laser weapons and new space capabilities.

HAC-D Members Want Investigation into JEDI Competition

Two lawmakers don't mention Amazon Web Services by name in their letter to the DoD IG, but the Web retailer is all over the complaint.

DoD Scrambles To Write Space Doctrine As Space Command Plan Takes Shape

The Pentagon's No. 2 civilian said Wednesday that the final figure for a Space Force is unclear and is far from a done deal, even though the Air Force recently threw out a figure of $13 billion. “The final answer won’t happen this month or next month," Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told a small group of reporters.

Pence, DoD Roll Out Harder Line on China, Russia

The Vice President joined Mattis, the Centcom chief, and Trump's NATO Ambassador in slamming Russian and Chinese moves. The push comes just before a major White House report takes even more specific aim at China's industrial policies.

US Puts Russia ‘On Notice’ Over Treaty Violation; NATO Agrees

US Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison sent a warning to Moscow about violating the INF treaty -- one that NATO allies appear prepared to back up.

White House & Pentagon Warn Russia, Iran on Syria

U.S. troops in Syria aren't going anywhere until Iran leaves the country, a senior Trump administration said Monday as Russia deploys an advanced air defense system that puts U.S. and Israeli pilots at greater risk.

Pentagon’s No. 2 Says Internal Battles Over Space Force Are Healthy

After an Air Force memo pushing back on some of Deputy Secretary of Defense Partrick Shanahan's early plans for the Space Force hit the streets this week, Shanahan sought to smooth things over.

Mattis’ Team Moves In, Promising Reforms

A slew of new civilian officials are settling in at the Pentagon, adding muscle to promises of change in how the military develops and buys technology, and how fast it can put that gear in the field.

Mattis: Open to Talks With Russians; No Policy Changes From Helsinki

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday he was open to the possibility of sitting down for talks with his Russian counterparts. "I am considering meeting with my counterpart, but there's been no decision," Mattis told reporters at a small, off-camera talk here.