Space Force, IC’s battle over commercial ISR reignites as appropriators add fuel
More than a dozen sources tell Breaking Defense that tensions between the NGA and Space Force are rising on commercial ISR, with White House officials watching closely.
Senate appropriators back funds for Taiwan, unfunded requirements, industrial base in $831B bill
A draft version of the bill provides funds for an amphibious ship, but not for a new F-35 engine, both contentious debates in the military and on the Hill.
Michigan: Arsenal of Democracy for dangerous times
Michigan’s defense ecosystem and expertise makes it a special asset for production.
Lawmakers Throw Wrench Into Air Force ISR Divestment Plan
House authorizers threw shade at the service for not heeding long-standing warnings of the potential for a gap in tactical aircraft availability.
Army Soldier Tech Team Seeks Hill’s Trust After Cuts
After skeptical staffers slammed the IVAS targeting goggles, the Army generals responsible have been emphasizing their solicitousness towards Congress.
Air Force Woos Congress On Space Acquisition Reform
"Given where we are at this point in the administration, it's unlikely that we would see a nominee" for an independent Space Force acquisition head, said Shawn Barnes, Air Force deputy assistant secretary for space acquisition.
NDAA Adds 14 F-35s, OKs $9.1B; Fully Funds B-21
Authorizers want CAPE to assess costs and risks of the "aggressive and uncertain plan" Digital Century Series approach to acquire NGAD aircraft.
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Cybersecurity skills don’t come from a manual, but from practical hands-on training
Cybersecurity skills must evolve in near-real time as Zero Day threats continue and AI provides new challenges.
Death To OCO: What Would Dem Sweep Mean For War Funding?
Deficit hawks are now nearly extinct and defense hawks are weakened. If the Democrats sweep the next election, eliminating OCO might be the mechanism for a Biden administration to cut defense.
Note To Putin: Trump Unleashes $400M For Ukrainian Military
After weeks of uncertainty over the Trump administration's policy toward Ukraine, senators and State Department officials say the spigot of aid has been turned back on.
Sen. Hoeven: Fully Fund GBSD & Nuke Warhead Modernization
You don’t see lots of op-eds from members of the House or Senate appropriations committees. Why? The so-called cardinals — whose influence has slipped with the demise of regular budget order in the two chambers — remain among the most powerful figures on Capitol Hill because they have a greater say than most of their […]
CBO: HASC ‘Space Corps’ To Cost $3.6 Billion Through 2024
The HASC 'Space Corps' will be much cheaper than the Trump Administration's plan for a Space Force, says CBO.
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Streamlining federal operations: achieving mission success with unified network observability
Consolidate network monitoring, performance management, and fault isolation into a single, comprehensive solution.
Talk To Us First, THEN Congress: Navy Acquisition Officials
“From an industry perspective, calling us, engaging us, talking to us, and synchronizing that alignment can be most helpful. It can also be, frankly, harmful if the appropriators or the authorizers get some stray voltage that doesn’t match up to the story."
Aircraft Win Big In FY19 Appropriations: Munitions, Space, Marines Hammered
The big news about the $674.4 billion defense appropriation that conferees agreed to yesterday is that, for the first time in nine years, it's on time. But in a budget this big, even the "small" items are billions of dollars, and there are plenty of devils in them thar details.
Defense Bill Closer, But Risks Remain
Thursday's overwhelming Senate vote to pass the bill clears a major hurdle in getting the budget passed on time. But Not only do the House and Senate have little time to knock out final appropriations language and vote on it, but President Trump has signaled he wouldn't be opposed to a government shutdown this fall, which would bring everything to a grinding halt.
Congress Divided On $75M For Army Scout Aircraft: Fly The Deadly Skies
WASHINGTON: Senate appropriators want to give the Army $75.4 million to kick-start its new scout aircraft, but key authorizers told us they are skeptical. (House appropriators are so far silent). The crucial questions: Can a manned, low-altitude, lightweight aircraft survive against the Russian threat? And can the Army afford the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) […]