Defense & Military

Hurricane Harvey does not appear to have done any damage to the STURGIS barge, which is being decommissioned at the Port of Galveston in Texas, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday. “A team member was able to assess the Port earlier this week and noted no visible damage to the project site or […]

Hurricane Harvey does not appear to have done any damage to the radioactively contaminated STURGIS barge, which is being decommissioned at the Port of Galveston in Texas, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday. “A team member was able to assess the Port earlier this week and noted no visible damage to the project […]

The Senate appears set to take up the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2018 when Congress returns from recess next week. The annual military authorization legislation — practically speaking, a policy bill that is a suggestion for subsequent appropriations bills that actually set agency budgets — would authorize the Energy Department’s semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration […]

The Pentagon should not have rushed to hand out more than $1 billion in contracts to modernize U.S. nuclear missiles before the Donald Trump administration completes the Nuclear Posture Review it started in January, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee said Sunday. “We should not be doubling down on these legacy nuclear […]

The U.S. Air Force does not have adequate resources to address the long-term needs of its nuclear command, control and communications (NC3) systems, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said Aug. 15. “We found that the Air Force has continued to take steps to provide an Air Force-wide NC3 oversight structure for the NC3 Weapon System, […]

Marc Selinger Defense Daily The U.S. military should continue improving its stealth aircraft technology to keep its advantage over possible rivals in the coming decades, according to a report released Aug. 2 by the Air Force Association’s Mitchell Institute. Stealth aircraft have played an important role in U.S. operations since the 1991 Persian Gulf War, […]

The Senate this week confirmed a host of Defense Department nominees just before the chamber left for its congressional recess, breaking a months-long stalemate due to friction between Republicans and Democrats over the health-care debate. The Senate on Monday confirmed by unanimous consent Air Force Gen. Paul Selva for a second term as vice chairman […]

Marc Selinger Defense Daily The U.S. Department of Defense’s nuclear posture review is looking at whether the schedule for replacing the three legs of the aging nuclear triad should be revised, a Pentagon official said Aug. 3. Asked whether the Air Force should speed up the land-based leg, the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), Air […]

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed by voice vote eight more Defense Department nominees, a day after the chamber approved Air Force Gen. Paul Selva for a second term as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The latest round of confirmations ahead of the upcoming Senate recess included Richard Spencer as Navy secretary, […]

The Senate on Monday confirmed by unanimous consent Air Force Gen. Paul Selva for a second two-year term as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a position he has held since July 2015. The Pentagon in May announced Selva’s nomination for reappointment to his position. Before this post, he led U.S. Transportation Command […]

A “tit-for-tat” response to Russia’s violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty may not be the best option for the United States, Gen. John Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, said Wednesday on a conference call with reporters during the Deterrence Symposium in Omaha, Neb. U.S. officials have concluded that Russia deployed a ground-launched nuclear-capable […]

Marc Selinger Defense Daily U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) is streamlining its component structure by consolidating 18 component commands into four, the head of STRATCOM said July 26. Under the reorganization, one component command will be responsible for all air and missile capabilities, while the others will oversee maritime forces, missile defense and space, said Air Force […]

A “tit-for-tat” response to Russia’s violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty may not be the best option for the United States, Gen. John Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, said Wednesday on a conference call with reporters during the STRATCOM Deterrence Symposium in Omaha, Neb. U.S. officials have concluded that Russia deployed a ground-launched […]

Marc Selinger Defense Daily Former Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan was sworn in as the 33rd deputy secretary of defense during an informal ceremony July 19, a day after the Senate voted, 92-7, to confirm him as the Pentagon’s second-ranking official. Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), endorsed Shanahan before the vote, […]

Marc Selinger Defense Daily The Department of Defense plans to send a reprogramming request to Congress to ensure the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx) does not run out of money for the rest of the current fiscal year, a top military officer said July 18. DOD, which has placed “tremendous demands” on DIUx, began developing […]

Former Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan was sworn in as the 33rd deputy secretary of defense during an informal ceremony July 19, a day after the Senate voted, 92-7, to confirm him as the Pentagon’s second-ranking official. Sen. Jack Reid (D-R.I.), ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), endorsed Shanahan before the vote, calling him “fully qualified […]

The Department of Defense plans to send a reprogramming request to Congress to ensure the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx) does not run out of money for the rest of the current fiscal year, a top military officer said July 18. DoD, which has placed “tremendous demands” on DIUx, began developing the reprogramming proposal after […]

President Donald Trump has nominated Capitol Hill aide and Air Force veteran Matthew Donovan to be Air Force undersecretary. Donovan most recently was majority policy director for the Senate Armed Services Committee. He also worked for the committee’s airland and seapower subcommittees. During his 31 years in the Air Force, he led the Air Force […]

President Donald Trump has nominated Capitol Hill aide and Air Force veteran Matthew Donovan to be Air Force undersecretary. Donovan most recently was majority policy director for the Senate Armed Services Committee. He also worked for the committee’s airland and seapower subcommittees. During his 31 years in the Air Force, he led the Air Force […]

Marc Selinger Defense Daily The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) approved by voice vote June 28 the nomination of former Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan to be deputy secretary of defense. The committee’s action came after Shanahan submitted 10 pages of revised answers to the panel’s “advance policy questions.” At his June 20 confirmation, Shanahan drew fire from Sen. […]

The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) approved by voice vote June 28 the nomination of former Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan to be deputy secretary of defense. The committee’s action came after Shanahan submitted 10 pages of revised answersto the panel’s “advance policy questions.” At his June 20 confirmation, Shanahan drew fire from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the committee […]

The Donald Trump administration’s nominee for deputy secretary of defense faced a rocky confirmation hearing Tuesday, probed by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) about his stance toward Russian activity abroad and within an arms control agreement with the United States. Specifically, Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan said in responses to advance questions that […]

The Donald Trump administration’s nominee for deputy secretary of defense faced a rocky confirmation hearing Tuesday, probed by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) about his stance toward Russian activity abroad and within an arms control agreement with the United States. In one of several exchanges with McCain, Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan reaffirmed […]

Marc Selinger Defense Daily The U.S. Department of Defense is scrutinizing all three legs of the nation’s aging nuclear triad as part of its nuclear posture review, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said June 14. “We’re looking at each leg of the triad and we’re looking at each weapon inside each leg,” Mattis testified before the […]

The U.S. Department of Defense is scrutinizing all three legs of the nation’s aging nuclear triad as part of its nuclear posture review, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday. “We’re looking at each leg of the triad and we’re looking at each weapon inside each leg,” Mattis testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense panel. […]

Marc Selinger Defense Daily The U.S. Air Force’s efforts to improve its readiness and modernize its capabilities will be derailed if Congress does not repeal across-the-board budget cuts that are set to return in fiscal year 2018, service Secretary Heather Wilson said June 5. Funds provided for fiscal year 2017 stopped the Air Force’s readiness […]

The White House last week formally nominated two former National Nuclear Security Administration officials to key administration positions at the Pentagon and the Energy Department. One, Robert Hood, was nominated to be assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs. Hood was most recently vice president for government affairs at CH2M, an Energy Department contractor, and […]

The White House last week formally nominated two former National Nuclear Security Administration officials to key administration positions at the Pentagon and the Energy Department. One, Robert Hood, was nominated to be assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs. Hood was most recently vice president for government affairs at CH2M, an Energy Department contractor, and previously […]

The leaders of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff have been nominated to stay in their positions, the Defense Department announced on May 19. The Pentagon said in a statement that Air Force Gen. Paul Selva has been nominated for reappointment as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford as chairman. […]

Marc Selinger Defense Daily The Air Force’s fiscal year 2018 budget request contains billions of dollars to ramp up development work on several major new aviation and missile programs, including the B-21 bomber and the Long Range Standoff Weapon (LRSO). The B-21 Raider, which will replace aging bombers, would receive $2 billion in FY 2018, up from […]