Archive

Defense & Military

Reporting on Pentagon nuclear equities, Navy nuclear propulsion programs, and the DoD-NNSA intersection across the nuclear triad.

  • DoD nom stresses Trump’s support for AUKUS

    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 […]

  • Navy nominee pushes for SMRs to power military sites

    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 […]

  • Wrap up: Navy energy asst secretary wants SMRs; HII names new Newport News VP; Senate confirms Air Force chief of staff; more

    Brendan Rogers, nominated to be assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations and environment, promoted small modular reactors (SMRs) as a viable option to power military installations at a Senate nomination hearing last week. Rogers said SMRs had “great potential” and if confirmed, would look for ways to implement the new nuclear technology to […]

  • Navy nominee pushes for SMRs to power military sites

    Brendan Rogers, nominated to be assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations and environment, promoted 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 […]

  • Secretaries of Energy and Army announce joint nuclear microreactor program

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll announced a new nuclear reactor program Tuesday to deploy microreactors in the military. Called the Janus program, Wright and Driscoll announced the effort at the 2025 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference in Washington.  The announcement heavily referred […]

  • Secretaries of Energy and Army announce joint nuclear microreactor program

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll announced a new nuclear reactor program Tuesday to deploy microreactors in the military. Called the Janus program, Wright and Driscoll announced the effort at the 2025 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference in Washington.  The announcement heavily referred […]

  • Secretaries of Energy and Army announce joint nuclear microreactor program

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll announced a new nuclear reactor program Tuesday to deploy microreactors in the military. Called the Janus program, Wright and Driscoll announced the effort at the 2025 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference in Washington.  The announcement heavily referred […]

  • Secretaries of Energy and Army announce joint nuclear microreactor program

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll announced a new nuclear reactor program Tuesday to deploy microreactors in the military. Called the Janus program, Wright and Driscoll announced the effort at the 2025 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference in Washington.  The announcement heavily referred […]

  • Senate passes fiscal 2026 NDAA with $32.1 bill topline boost, AUKUS measure

    The Senate last Thursday evening voted 77 to 20 to pass its version of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes a $32.1 billion boost to the defense topline.  Lawmakers struck a deal earlier in the day on amendments after progress on the bill had stalled, with the upper chamber agreeing to […]

  • Bussiere to retire, White possible candidate for Air Force vice chief

    U.S. Air Force Gen. Thomas Bussiere, the head of Air Force Global Strike Command, is to retire after the White House recently withdrew his nomination as service vice chief of staff. In a LinkedIn post last Wednesday, Bussiere said he and his wife “made the difficult decision to request retirement from the United States Air […]

  • Bussiere to retire, White possible candidate for Air Force vice chief

    U.S. Air Force Gen. Thomas Bussiere, the head of Air Force Global Strike Command, is to retire after the White House recently withdrew his nomination as service vice chief of staff. In a LinkedIn post last Wednesday, Bussiere said he and his wife “made the difficult decision to request retirement from the United States Air […]

  • Lawmaker seeks defense site SMR study in NDAA

    An amendment to the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act by an Arizona Republican would require a study into the idea of siting small modular reactors (SMRs) at defense installations. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) has proposed an amendment, adopted by voice vote on the House floor, directing the secretary of defense to do […]

  • Lawmaker seeks defense site SMR study in NDAA

    An amendment to the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act by an Arizona Republican would require a study into the idea of siting small modular reactors (SMRs) at defense installations. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) has proposed an amendment, adopted by voice vote on the House floor, directing the secretary of defense to do […]

  • Trump names DoD “Department of War,” going back to WWII roots

    President Donald Trump on Sept. 5 signed an executive order establishing the Pentagon’s “secondary” name as the “Department of War.”  The directive is an initial step in moving to officially change the Department of Defense’s title, which would require congressional approval.  “This is something we thought long and hard about. We’ve been talking about it […]

  • Five organizations get green light on SLCM-N prototype designs

    Five organizations are being tasked with developing missile prototype designs for the nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missile program, according to an emailed press release by the National Security Technology Accelerator. The contracting platform National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL), upon inquiry from the Exchange Monitor, said Leidos, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman were awarded as prime […]

  • Senate and House NDAA next week

    The Senate voted Thursday to proceed with floor debate on its version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with the House to follow next week. The Senate voted 84-to-14 on the motion to invoke cloture, or to initiate the process for a debate on the bill, Tuesday evening. The chamber voted 83-13 to […]

  • Five organizations get green light on SLCM-N prototype designs

    Five organizations are being tasked with developing missile prototype designs for the nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missile program, according to an emailed press release by the National Security Technology Accelerator. The contracting platform National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL), upon inquiry from the Exchange Monitor, said Leidos, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman were awarded as prime […]

  • Senate NDAA debate this week, House NDAA next week

    The Senate voted Tuesday to proceed with floor debate on its version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this week, with the House to follow next week. The Senate voted 84-to-14 on the motion to invoke cloture, or to initiate the process for a debate on the bill, Tuesday evening. This means the […]

  • DoD Russia/Ukraine official steps down after 25 years

    Laura Cooper, the former deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, announced on her LinkedIn profile that she logged her last day in federal service this summer. “After 25 years, my last day of federal service was June 28,” Cooper said last week in her post to LinkedIn. “It’s still a lot […]

  • House lawmakers introduce version of AUKUS industrial base collab bill

    Reps. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Gabi Amo (D-R.I.) introduced legislation Aug. 22 to exempt entities already approved for AUKUS work from another Foreign Military Sales requirement, matching a bill introduced in the Senate in June. The bill, dubbed the AUKUS Improvement Act, would specifically exempt the entities previously vetted by the State Department as AUKUS […]

  • House lawmakers introduce version of AUKUS industrial base collab bill

    Reps. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Gabi Amo (D-R.I.) introduced legislation Aug. 22 to exempt entities already approved for AUKUS work from another Foreign Military Sales requirement, matching a bill introduced in the Senate in June. The bill, dubbed the AUKUS Improvement Act, would specifically exempt the entities previously vetted by the State Department as AUKUS […]

  • Allvin latest casualty in involuntary departures of top officers

    U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin will be at least the fifth top echelon military officer to leave his post involuntarily since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term. The others include former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., Chief of Naval Operations […]

  • Radiant to provide microreactors for military base

    Radiant Industries has recently signed an agreement with Defense Innovation Unit and Department of Air Force to mass produce microreactors at a U.S. military base by 2028. The El Segundo, Calif.-based advanced nuclear company is developing a portable high-temperature gas-cooled microreactor called Kaleidos that has a net generating capacity of one megawatt.  The contract was […]

  • Amentum execs bank on nuclear, defense growth

    Earnings rose at Amentum, Chantilly, Va., during the past quarter, which the company attributed in part to the White House and congress prioritizing nuclear power and national defense.   Net earnings for the quarter ended June 27 were $10 million, or $0.04 a share, up from a $26 million loss, or a loss of $(0.29) a […]

  • DoD and USAF tightlipped on classification for Qatari Air Force One

    The Air Force has not divulged how much it reprogrammed in fiscal 2024 funds from the Sentinel to modify the Qatari jet for use as a stand-in Air Force One by President Donald Trump. The Qatari gift of a Boeing 747-8i luxury airliner to the U.S. for use as Air Force One was a gift […]

  • Amentum execs bank on nuclear, defense growth

    Earnings rose at Amentum, Chantilly, Va., during the past quarter, which the company attributed in part to the White House and congress prioritizing nuclear power and national defense.   Net earnings for the quarter ended June 27 were $10 million, or $0.04 a share, up from a $26 million loss, or a loss of $(0.29) a […]

  • Amentum execs bank on nuclear, defense growth

    Earnings rose at Amentum, Chantilly, Va., during the past quarter, which the company attributed in part to the White House and congress prioritizing nuclear power and national defense.   Net earnings for the quarter ended June 27 were $10 million, or $0.04 a share, up from a $26 million loss, or a loss of $(0.29) a […]

  • DoD and USAF tightlipped on classification for Qatari Air Force One

    The Air Force has not divulged how much it reprogrammed in fiscal 2024 funds from the Sentinel to modify the Qatari jet for use as a stand-in Air Force One by President Donald Trump. The Qatari gift of a Boeing 747-8i luxury airliner to the U.S. for use as Air Force One was a gift […]

  • MDA seeks new missile defense launcher for Golden Dome within two years

    The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is starting market research to find an “innovative missile defense launcher” and support equipment technologies that could be delivered within two years as part of the Golden Dome initiative. A Request For Information (RFI) published last week said the agency is seeking responses encompassing system-level, component-level, upgrades to existing systems, […]

  • Naval operations chief nominee favors more submarine outsourcing

    Chief of Naval Operations nominee Adm. Daryl Caudle told a Senate confirmation hearing last week that  shipyard recruitment has to expand and that more outsourcing production is needed.  The Senate Armed Services Committee heard testimony from Caudle on July 24.  “There’s more outsourcing opportunity that we need to do, even for our Virginia-class, the modular […]