Budget

Inflation and budget gridlock take a toll on the Pentagon

The prospect of increased weapons costs and rising wages are already causing significant problems for Pentagon planners as they craft President Joe Biden’s upcoming budget proposal for fiscal 2023, defense experts say.

Commentary

Pacific Deterrence Initiative: A look at funding in the new defense bill, and what must happen now

Congress established the PDI last year for two basic reasons: to better understand what the Pentagon was spending in the Indo-Pacific region, and to change the composition of that spending.

FY22 defense bill gives feds parental bereavement leave, makes changes at the Pentagon

Feds will receive two weeks of paid leave to grieve the death of a child, under the fiscal 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.

Congress passes defense policy bill with budget boost, military justice reforms

After months of debate and weeks of angst, the Senate has sent its annual defense bill to the president.

US Marine commandant: Fund ‘Force Design 2030,’ or leave the Corps in a ‘lurch’

The Marines ditched old gear, but the new systems to support future operating concepts haven't arrived yet. If the Pentagon and Congress don't support Force Design 2030 now, the commandant says, they'd be leaving the service in a tough spot.

Jet ejection seat, breathing system oversight strengthened in defense bill

The provisions of the defense policy bill aim to prevent further deaths and injuries among military pilots.

NDAA would put brakes on A-10 aircraft retirement, but let others go

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall recently cited the A-10 as an example of the kind of older aircraft the service wants to retire to free up resources to modernize for a high-end fight.

Sweeping military justice reforms, plan to add women to draft dropped from compromise authorization bill

Lawmakers hope to rush the slimmed down authorization bill through both chambers of Congress this week.

With defense bill stalled, will lawmakers ‘ping pong’ it home?

With hope of a normal legislative process almost gone, lawmakers are dusting off a nearly decade-old congressional playbook in the hopes of finding a way to get the annual defense authorization bill to the president’s desk before the end of December.

Commentary

Will the US be begging on Bragg Boulevard again?

America must act now to invest in new weapons, divest legacy systems as the new ones come online, and harden our space and cyber assets.

Senate appropriators back 5 percent boost in defense spending for FY22

The plan is about $24 billion more than the White House request, but is in line with spending totals backed by conservatives and moderate Democrats in Congress.

Here’s what the short-term budget deal will mean for Army modernization programs

The short-term budget deal approved by Congress, known as a continuing resolution, is freezing billions of dollars in planned acquisition programs across the Defense Department and will delay Army modernization efforts.

US Army secretary talks FY23 budget and the war for talent

What are Secretary Wormuth's biggest priorities, and what does she want her legacy to be?

‘No way around it’: Facing budget cuts, Army braces to fight for modernization

As budget experts caution the Army will see reduced or — at best — flat budgets in the coming years, service officials are readying for a more difficult look at how to cut costs to preserve modernization momentum. This could mean making harder decisions about the future of its inventory or making cuts to reduce readiness or end strength.

A debt limit default looms. Here’s why the Pentagon should be concerned.

A lack of progress on America's debt ceiling risks an economic meltdown.

Commentary

Presentation is key: Why the Pentagon’s budget data needs a makeover

Data is dispersed across PDFs and Excel files, making it difficult to accurately and comprehensively cover the financial tracks of an entire program.

House takes up progressive-led defense spending cuts this week

House progressives will have a few chances to hold down the defense budget this week, but it’s going to be an uphill fight.

$1B Iron Dome fund stripped from new continuing resolution

A proposal to send Israel $1 billion for the Iron Dome air defense system has been cut out of a stopgap government funding bill, meant to avoid a government shutdown after Sept. 30, in order to ease its passage in the House.

SecAF to Congress: Let us retire aircraft or we can’t beat China

"We will not succeed against a well-resourced and strategic competitor if we insist on keeping every legacy system we have,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said Monday.

Joint military drill to kick off in Ukraine as Congress seeks air defense boost for the country

Congress is keen to support Ukraine as the country tries to fill an air and missile defense capability, and lawmakers want to know how the Pentagon can help the ally.

Commentary

Congress should authorize and fund supply chain improvements in FY22 legislation

It's imperative Congress strengthen the Pentagon's supply chain risk management. Here's why.

Commentary

The peace dividend should go to country, not contractors

The defense industry and its allies in Congress and the Pentagon are inflating the threat of China.

Lawmakers set for battle over next-gen nuclear missile

Nuclear modernization opponents and defenders are gearing up to fight again this year over the future ICBM and other efforts.

Next Pentagon budget will detail climate change spending

The push comes after extreme weather, fueled by a warming of the earth’s atmosphere, has wreaked havoc on Americans across the country this summer.

Top US Air Force general supports proposed F-35 cost constraints

The U.S. Air Force’s top general backs proposed legislation that would cap the number of F-35s the Defense Department can buy unless it meets affordability goals for operating and sustaining the jet.