Policy
Navy Secretary Seeks 3-5% Annual Budget Increases
“I think more members of Congress understand the real threat that China presents,” Del Toro said.
Ideas
New Tech Will Erode Nuclear Deterrence. The US Must Adapt
A nuclear-only review can’t properly assess sensors and weapons from hypersonics to directed energy.
Threats
Navy Fires Commander, Other Leaders of Damaged Submarine
A separate safety investigation is still proceeding into the Oct. 2 grounding of USS Connecticut.
Defense Systems
DOD revamps controversial CMMC program
After a nine-month review, the Defense Department is replacing its original cyber compliance program for the industrial base with CMMC 2.0, putting more emphasis on self-assessment.
Policy
Biden Administration Delays Contractor Vaccine Mandate Until Jan. 4
Defense firms had warned of layoffs and weapons-manufacturing delays.
Defense Systems
Biden administration picks former Microsoft exec for VA CIO
Kurt DelBene, a former senior executive at Microsoft and Defense Innovation Board member, is being tapped by the Biden administration to serve as CIO of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Science & Tech
North Korean Uranium Mining Picked Up From 2017 to 2020
Satellite photos show accelerated mining efforts but the meaning of the activity is still unclear.
Threats
Zero Religious Exemptions Granted for COVID Vaccines in Air Force, As Deadline Passes
Nearly 5,000 religious exemptions are still pending approval.
Policy
Marine Corps Seeks ‘Fundamental Redesign’ to Recruiting, Retention, Careers
Commandant wants to keep young Marines longer, bring in older ones with skills.
Threats
China Likely to Have ‘At Least’ 1,000 Nukes by 2030, Pentagon Estimates
Beijing’s new capabilities could embolden a Taiwan attack—but that’s not likely within the next two years, Milley says.
Ideas
Belarus’s Weaponized Migrants Offer a Primer on Gray-Zone Warfare
Western governments would do well to study Minsk’s actions—and prepare their populations to be on guard.
Science & Tech
Quantum Sensor Breakthrough Paves Way For GPS-Free Navigation
The main problem wasn’t weird subatomic physics. It was finding a simpler way to maintain a vacuum.
Ideas
Defense One Radio, Ep. 90: Project Convergence and the Louisiana Maneuvers
To understand how the U.S. Army intends to fight in coming years, we must look back to experiments in the early days of World War II.
Policy
