Defense & Military

The path to achieve the White House’s call for a $1.5 trillion defense topline in 2027 appears murkier now after President Donald Trump has cast doubt on the prospects of a second reconciliation bill. After Republicans included $150 billion for defense in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signs pointed to a push […]

The Defense Department and Leidos are negotiating framework agreements for co-investments in key acquisition programs for the company, Leidos CEO Tom Bell said on Tuesday. The forthcoming co-investment opportunities are in areas where Leidos has already increased capital expenditures, and internal research and development spending over the past three years, Bell said during the company’s […]

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright will accompany Valar Atomics’ Ward250 advanced reactor from California to Utah Feb. 15, the Department of Energy said in an email Tuesday. The Ward250 reactor will be transported from March Air Force Base (AFB) in California to Hill AFB in Utah. DOE said the reactor would not be fueled and […]

President Trump Tuesday signed a spending package ending the partial government shutdown that temporarily affected the Pentagon, with the legislation that included the final $839 billion fiscal year 2026 Defense Appropriations Bill with an $8.4 billion increase after the Senate passed it 71-29 last week and the House narrowly passed it 217-214 Tuesday. The spending […]

The top lawmaker on the House’s Navy acquisition oversight panel Jan. 14 backed the Donald Trump administration’s plan to build a new fleet of battleships, calling the initiative a “great idea.” Rep. Trent Kelly (R-Miss.), chair of the House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee also offered his support for the Trump administration’s recently […]

Exchange Monitor’s annual Nuclear Deterrence Summit will feature speeches from big nuclear weapons complex players, including National Nuclear Security Administration head Brandon Williams and the first public appearance by newly sworn-in U.S. Strategic Command commander Adm. Richard Correll. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) whose state houses silos for the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missiles, will also speak. […]

The House on Thursday evening voted 341-88 to pass the final $839 billion fiscal year 2026 Defense Appropriations Bill. The measure was part of a three-bill “minibus” spending package, which also included the  Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Transportation appropriations bills. It now heads to the Senate. The upper […]

Exchange Monitor’s annual Nuclear Deterrence Summit will feature speeches from big nuclear weapons complex players, including National Nuclear Security Administration head Brandon Williams and the first public appearance by newly sworn-in U.S. Strategic Command commander Adm. Richard Correll. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) whose state houses silos for the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missiles, will also speak. […]

The top lawmaker on the House’s Navy acquisition oversight panel on Wednesday backed the Donald Trump administration’s plan to build a new fleet of battleships, calling the initiative a “great idea.” Rep. Trent Kelly (R-Miss.), chair of the House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee also offered his support for the Trump administration’s recently […]

The annual Nuclear Deterrence Summit will feature speeches from big players in the nuclear weapons complex such as National Nuclear Security Administration head Brandon Williams, newly sworn in U.S. Strategic Command commander Adm. Richard Correll, and Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) whose state houses silos for the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missiles. The agenda will also feature […]

The Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico is now a Department of Defense-approved industry partner, DOE said last week. The Pentagon’s SkillBridge program allows service members up to a six-month internship paid for by the Department of Defense, according to a Jan. 8 press release. “SkillBridge offers the perfect opportunity for […]

As the anchors of a “Golden Fleet,” President Donald Trump pledged to build 20 to 25 gun and missile-equipped battleships named after himself that are to carry the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N). Flanking Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate Dec. 22 for his pledge were Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Navy Secretary John Phelan and Secretary […]

The Navy plans to award a sole source contract to the service’s two largest shipbuilders, General Dynamics (GD) Bath Iron Works and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding, for the Donald Trump administration’s new battleship design. In December, Trump and senior administration officials announced plans for a new class of battleships named after the president, […]

As the anchors of a “Golden Fleet,” President Donald Trump pledged to build 20 to 25 gun and missile-equipped battleships named after himself that are to carry the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N). Flanking Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate Dec. 22 for his pledge were Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Navy Secretary John Phelan and Secretary […]

A Bechtel National company has landed a Department of Defense contract modification worth nearly $928 million for naval nuclear propulsion components, the Pentagon said last week. Bechtel Plant Machinery., Monroeville, Pa., was awarded the modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, according to a Dec. 19 summary of contract news from the Pentagon. About two-thirds […]

A Bechtel National company has landed a Department of Defense contract modification worth nearly $928 million for naval nuclear propulsion components, the Pentagon said last week. Bechtel Plant Machinery., Monroeville, Pa., was awarded the modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, according to a Dec. 19 summary of contract news from the Pentagon. About two-thirds […]

A recent report by the United Coalition for Advanced Nuclear Power (UCAN Power) says America’s commercial power industry will benefit from the Pentagon’s growing role in nuclear technology. The report drafted in November outlines “34 tangible recommendations” that the Department of Defense (DoD), or as the White House calls it the Department of War (DOW), […]

A recent report by the United Coalition for Advanced Nuclear Power (UCAN Power) says America’s commercial power industry will benefit from the Pentagon’s growing role in nuclear technology. The report drafted in November outlines “34 tangible recommendations” that the Department of Defense (DoD), or as the White House calls it the Department of War (DOW), […]

A recent report by the United Coalition for Advanced Nuclear Power (UCAN Power) says America’s commercial power industry will benefit from the Pentagon’s growing role in nuclear technology. The report drafted in November outlines “34 tangible recommendations” that the Department of Defense (DoD), or as the White House calls it the Department of War (DOW), […]

A recent report by the United Coalition for Advanced Nuclear Power (UCAN Power) says America’s commercial power industry will benefit from the Pentagon’s growing role in nuclear technology. The report drafted in November outlines “34 tangible recommendations” that the Department of Defense (DoD), or as the White House calls it the Department of War (DOW), […]

The Pentagon has completed its review of the trilateral AUKUS security agreement, top department spokesperson Sean Parnell has confirmed.  While the review has yet to be released publicly, Parnell in a statement affirmed the department concluded the security pact between the U.S., Australia and United Kingdom should move “full steam ahead” consistent with President Donald […]

The Pentagon has completed its review of the trilateral AUKUS security agreement, top department spokesperson Sean Parnell has confirmed.  While the review has yet to be released publicly, Parnell in a statement affirmed the department concluded the security pact between the U.S., Australia and United Kingdom should move “full steam ahead” consistent with President Donald […]

The Change of Command ceremony for the commander of the U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) will be held Friday, Dec. 5, where Vice. Adm. Richard Correll will replace Gen. Anthony Cotton. Correll was confirmed Thursday, Nov. 21 in the Senate by voice vote. The ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Central time at Offutt Air […]

As the Air Force considers when to hold its first flight test in its Northrop Grumman-developed Sentinel missile, Lockheed Martin has received a nearly $454 million contract add-on from the Air Force Nuclear Weapon Center at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The add-on is for the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile’s (ICBM) Mk21A re-entry vehicle. […]

As the Air Force considers when to hold its first flight test in its Northrop Grumman-developed Sentinel missile, Lockheed Martin has received a nearly $454 million contract add-on from the Air Force Nuclear Weapon Center at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The add-on is for the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile’s (ICBM) Mk21A re-entry vehicle. […]

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) on Nov. 21 announced its Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) Division has delivered the future USS Massachusetts (SSN-798) Virginia-class fast-attack submarine to the U.S. Navy.  The company noted this is the 12th Virginia-class boat NNS has delivered to the service. SSN-798 was first christened in May 2023 and is the fifth Navy […]

The Army and Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) are requesting bids to provide nuclear power plant energy solutions that would be demonstrated on a military installation within the U.S. by 2030. The goal of the effort, named the Janus program, is to develop prototype Microreactor Power Plants (MPPs) to provide power to “installations and non-permanent operations” […]

The Army and Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) are requesting bids to provide nuclear power plant energy solutions that would be demonstrated on a military installation within the U.S. by 2030. The goal of the effort, named the Janus program, is to develop prototype Microreactor Power Plants (MPPs) to provide power to “installations and non-permanent operations” […]

Brendan Rogers, nominated to be assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations and environment, called small modular reactors (SMRs) as a viable option to power military installations at a Senate nomination hearing last week. Rogers, among other Department of Defense nominees, Marc Berkowitz, James Caggy and Joseph Jewell, testified before the Senate Armed Services […]

President Donald Trump’s White House statements during Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s recent visit confirmed Trump supports advancing AUKUS, regardless of an ongoing Department of Defense review, a DoD nominee said last week.  Austin Dahmer, nominee to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities, made these comments during his testimony to the […]