Tag

Defense Policy

All articles tagged with #defense policy

national-security7 days ago•23 min saved

Pentagon weighs smaller Gulf footprint as Iran war winds down

The Pentagon is assessing its U.S. military footprint in the Middle East as the Iran war potentially winds down, including whether to rebuild strike-damaged bases and where troops might be relocated (with discussions about moving assets to safer locations like Jordan or Israel). The informal review, described by eight people familiar with the matter and not yet formal, reflects a broader debate over defense posture, whether to prioritize homeland defense, and the financial implications of base reconstruction.

via The Washington Post|

#defense-policy #iran-nation #mideast-conflict

technology16 days ago•20 min saved

Pentagon pushes to speed weapons production as Iran war drains munitions

The Defense Department has directed U.S. defense contractors to rapidly boost production and delivery of weapons and munitions in short supply due to the war with Iran, a move detailed in a memo obtained by The Washington Post; progress is likely constrained by congressional funding gridlock.

via The Washington Post|

#aerospace-and-defense-industry #defense-policy #military-technology

defense1 month ago•4 min saved

House Advances 2027 NDAA, Keeps DoD Civilians and Union Rights Intact

The House narrowly passed its fiscal 2027 defense policy bill, backing a 5–7% pay raise for service members but not guaranteeing a DoD civilian pay raise, and rejected amendments to probe military civilian workforce reductions and anti-union provisions. The legislation also bars funding to terminate certain civilian employees and to implement executive-order changes limiting collective bargaining, with Senate counterparts debating pay scales and facing similar Democratic opposition.

via Federal News Network|

#defense #defense-policy #dod-civilians

national-security1 month ago•24 min saved

House approves massive defense bill, paving way for Iran war funding

The House passed a $1.15 trillion defense policy bill and advanced a measure to fund the Iran war, with Republicans overpowering Democrats who warn Congress isn’t restraining the administration’s expanded use of military force; the measures face Senate hurdles amid debates over funding and War Powers.

via The Washington Post|

#defense-policy #donald-trump #iran-war-funding

politics1 month ago•24 min saved

GOP Senator blocks push to halt Qatar-gifted Air Force One upgrades

A Republican senator blocked Democrats’ bid to bar the Defense Department from spending on retrofit work for a Qatar-gifted Boeing 747-800 that’s been modified to serve as Air Force One. Democrats led by Schumer argued the upgrades raise ethical and security concerns, but Sen. Deb Fischer argued the bill would hinder presidential safety in a nuclear scenario and could constrain other presidential aircraft, effectively defeating the unanimous-consent attempt.

via The Washington Post|

#air-force-one #defense-policy #donald-trump

politics1 month ago•15 min saved

Taxpayer-Funded Testosterone Screening for Troops? Hegseth Pushes Plan

Pete Hegseth promotes a Pentagon-backed annual screening for testosterone deficiency among service members over 30 (voluntary for those under 30) with the option of testosterone replacement therapy for those diagnosed. The move ties to Warfighter Performance Optimization, but raises questions about the scientific basis and FDA approvals, especially since estrogen-based therapy for women was not addressed.

via Rolling Stone|

#defense-policy #pete-hegseth #politics

politics1 month ago•8 min saved

Trump Ally Ronny Jackson Enters GOP Race for House Armed Services Chair

Rep. Ronny Jackson, a Trump ally and former White House physician, formally joined the race to chair the House Armed Services Committee, joining Reps. Rob Wittman and Trent Kelly as term limits threaten current chair Mike Rogers. Jackson leverages his Trump ties and fundraising to position himself as a contender, though Wittman is the early favorite if reelected. The piece also notes ongoing drama around Lindsey Graham’s death, with Tim Scott backing Trey Gowdy to fill the Senate seat and potential replacements in South Carolina, alongside uncertainties about the timing of the annual defense policy bill (NDAA) in a razor-thin GOP majority.

via Politico|

#defense-policy #donald-trump #house-armed-services-committee

world1 month ago•6 min saved

Poland Halts MiG-29 Deliveries to Ukraine Over Drone-Tech Demands

Poland has paused the transfer of additional MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine, arguing Kyiv won’t share drone-production technology in an exchange and signaling a shift toward a reciprocal defense deal, while the exact drone tech sought and the outcome of the talks remain unclear as relations between Warsaw and Kyiv deteriorate.

via TWZ|

#defense-policy #drones #mig-29

defense2 months ago•4 min saved

Pentagon backs $1.2B rare-earth loans to shore up magnet supply chain

The Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital announced two conditional loans totaling $1.2 billion to Energy Fuels and Phoenix Tailings to shore up a US-based rare-earth supply chain: $725 million to Energy Fuels to build a rare-earth separation and metallization facility (using the White Mesa Mill in Utah) with a 20-year repayment window, and $500 million to Phoenix Tailings to open a 'Freedom Facility' by 2028 to process light and heavy rare earths, advancing a mine-to-magnet supply chain; the move is part of a broader effort to secure domestic materials for future weapons, though lawmakers have raised concerns about legal bases and terms of related deals with MP Materials.

via Breaking Defense|

#defense #defense-policy #energy-fuels

world2 months ago•1 min saved

Beijing blasts US blacklist of Chinese tech giants

China strongly opposed the U.S. Defense Department’s update adding major Chinese tech firms—including Alibaba, Baidu, BYD, NIO, Trina Solar and JA Solar—to a list that bars DoD contracting with them and restricts purchases through third parties from 2027, saying the move undermines a recent Xi–Trump meeting and could harm bilateral ties; Beijing warned of retaliation while Beijing and Washington remain locked in broader security and tech competition.

via CNBC|

#blacklist #defense-policy #sanctions

military2 months ago•19 min saved

GOP Pushes to Officially Rename the Pentagon as the Department of War in NDAA

Republican lawmakers are backing the Trump-ordered bid to rename the Defense Department the Department of War, inserting language into must-pass defense bills to make the change official. The measure has advanced in early House and Senate versions but faces Democratic and procedural hurdles, and it would also rename Army bases honoring Confederate figures. The plan carries a price tag—CBO estimates costs could reach about $125 million.

via The Washington Post|

#congress #defense-policy #department-of-defense

policy2 months ago•4 min saved

Report Flags Lunar Mass Drivers as Dual-Use First-Strike Threat

A new American Foreign Policy Council report warns that deploying cargo catapults on the Moon—mass drivers—could be a dual-use technology enabling rapid, potentially undetectable first strikes. It outlines three dangers: direct ground impact from fired payloads, satellite destruction via tight-cone projectiles, and the ability to launch warheads exceeding current reentry limits with low heat signatures, raising concerns about a space-enabled arms race as nations seek a lunar foothold.

via extremetech.com|

#defense-policy #dual-use #lunar

world2 months ago•29 min saved

Balancing China With the World: A Juggler’s Challenge for U.S. Strategy

Mark Hertling argues that while China deserves the top spot in U.S. defense thinking, strategy must balance multiple, interconnected threats—Iran, Russia, Cuba, migration, the Arctic, and Taiwan—rather than treating China as the sole focal point. He notes that Taiwan’s role is conspicuously missing from major policy statements, and a true national-security approach requires coordinating diplomacy, economics, and military power across theaters to prevent any crisis from slipping while others are prioritized.

via The Bulwark|

#china #defense-policy #geopolitics

world2 months ago•6 min saved

Hegseth Pushes Transactional U.S.-China Ties, Skips Taiwan at Asia Defense Forum

At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged ‘drama-free’, transactional U.S.-China ties and avoided mentioning Taiwan, signaling a notable shift from prior, more forceful rhetoric. He praised allies’ defense spending and suggested fast-tracking arms sales to major spenders, while sidelining Taiwan and the South China Sea. The speech reflects a broader U.S. recalibration of China policy amid a paused arms sale to Taiwan and a shift in strategic framing away from China as the top threat in some defense benchmarks.

via Politico|

#arms-sales #china #defense-policy

world2 months ago•3 min saved

Russia Expands Private Armories to Guard Industrial Sites From Drones

Russia approved a state-level mechanism allowing private companies to purchase heavy weapons—such as anti-aircraft systems, turrets, radars, specialized vehicles and EW gear—to defend critical industrial facilities against Ukrainian drone attacks, with weapons to be deployed to mobile fire groups and transferred to military units; the move follows Putin's discussions with business leader Alexander Shokhin about arming the private sector and reflects rising concern over drone strikes on European Russia.

via The Moscow Times|

#defense-policy #drone-attacks #heavy-weapons