


Hegseth calls for extensive reforms to Pentagon drone-buying practices
The memo directs the military services to create active duty formations by September, built for the sole purpose of scaling the use of drones across DOD.

Pentagon
US resumes sending some weapons to Ukraine after Pentagon pause
The defense secretary directed the pause last week to allow DOD to assess its weapons stockpiles, in a move that caught the White House by surprise.

GOP leaders warn Trump not to abandon NATO post, Pacific buildup plans
Republican leaders are concerned about rumored plans to scale back American military involvement in Europe and Japan.

Shipyards, military clinics exempted from Pentagon hiring freeze
Advocates praised defense leaders for excluding shipyard workers and other key readiness jobs from a department-wide hiring freeze.

Uncertainty is the only constant in the Pentagon’s budget outlook
“It’s going to be kind of a disaster,” one military official said about the lack of a full budget, which means more limits on how the Pentagon spends.

Senate confirms Trump’s pick for deputy secretary of defense
Stephen Feinberg, a billionaire investor, has pledged to reshape the Pentagon's business practices.

Defense Innovation Unit picks four firms to test one-way drones
The companies, including two Ukrainian vendors, will test demonstrate their capabilities in April and May, and DIU will make final picks soon after.

Judge orders return of dismissed probationary workers at VA, DOD
Thousands of federal employees could be reinstated to their government jobs following the ruling.

Opinion
There is free-riding among the US military services, too
Pentagon leaders should move some acquisition authorities away from the services, structuring the budget around a true joint force design.

Hegseth mandates streamlined software acquisition approach in new memo
Hegseth directed DOD components to use the Software Acquisition Pathway in an effort to speed up the process for fielding software-heavy systems.

Trump to launch new White House office focused on shipbuilding
The president said the new effort will focus on ways to "resurrect the American shipbuilding industry."
