


Lawmakers back White House FY26 plans for more troops, 3.8% pay hike
The military's active-duty end strength would grow by about 26,000 troops next year under plans being considered in the House and Senate.

Congress
Proposed Senate defense bill would add $500M in long-term Ukraine aid
The Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative is one of two main ways the Pentagon has provided military support to Ukraine over the last three years.

McCain urges Trump administration for Afghanistan strategy
As the U.S. readies to send 4,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, Senate Armed Services Committee Chair John McCain hammered the Trump administration for failing to produce a strategy for America’s longest war.

This week in Congress: NDAA and new Pentagon leaders
Defense and veterans hearings on Capitol Hill for the week of June 19.

Future US aircraft carrier cost estimate unreliable, says government accountability agency
A congressional watchdog report has recommended the U.S. Navy develop a new cost estimate for a future aircraft carrier being built in Virginia.

US lawmakers skeptical of arms sales to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Lebanon
U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle laid bare their suspicions about U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Lebanon over the countries’ alleged links to terror on Thursday, perhaps signaling choppy waters in the alliances.

Coming soon: Details for the Army’s Light Reconnaissance Vehicle
Requirements for the Army’s Light Reconnaissance Vehicle are expected soon, according to Col. Shane Fullmer, the program manager for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle joint program office.

Mattis: Trump authorized military to set troop levels in Afghanistan
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis confirmed Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump gave him authority to set troop numbers in Afghanistan but said new levels have not been decided.

US Senate advances Saudi guided-munitions sale, 53-47
The U.S. Senate has voted 53-47 along largely partisan lines to approve a $510 million sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia.

DoD needs 3-5 percent annual growth through 2023, top officials say
The Pentagon expects to request 3-5 percent base budget growth above inflation every year from 2019 through 2023, a dollar figure the nation’s top defense voices say is the bare minimum needed to maintain America’s military capabilities at current levels.

Mattis promises new Afghanistan strategy by mid-July
The defense secretary said American forces currently "are not winning in Afghanistan."
