Policy
US Air Force’s nascent radar plane faces the axe
Hegseth says the E-7 Wedgetail may be discarded to fund Pentagon shift toward space-based ISR.
Ideas
The ‘buy-American’ push is backfiring
It’s time for U.S. and European policymakers to be smarter and more cooperative.
Policy
What will DOD civilians do at the border? The Pentagon won’t say.
The Defense Department declined to provide any details on Monday’s order to provide support to DHS.
Policy
Pentagon won’t say how many civilians have left since February
The department has used a mix of layoffs and voluntary resignations to cut workforce.
Threats
Air Force Reserve faces steep fighter cuts, uncertain future
Plan to eliminate multiple squadrons “takes us out of the fight,” the Reserve’s top general said in a Pentagon interview.
Policy
Hegseth halves staff of Pentagon’s testing-oversight office
The move may reduce the quality of DOT&E’s second opinions, but may not affect safety, former officials said.
Ideas
Don’t limit defense innovation by capping small-biz awards
A proposed change to the Small Business Innovation Research program would deprive the military of some of its best problem-solvers.
Business
Missile Defense Agency preps $151B contract vehicle for Golden Dome
MDA previewed a draft solicitation for work on the ambitious missile-defense system.
Policy
Pentagon orders civilian employees to submit money-saving ideas
It’s the last step in the "5 bullet points" weekly email exercise.
Science & Tech
For DOD, the future of large language models is smaller
Everyone loves big AI, but “maybe there is a smaller-parameter model that could run on a laptop.”
Policy
The DOD’s tech agency braces for 10% workforce cut
The agency hopes to bring some staff back in a “surgical rehiring,” said Lt. Gen. Paul Stanton, head of the Defense Information Systems Agency.
Policy
Space Force losing 14% of its civilian workers
That’s more than other military branches, and it means the service will end the year with nearly 1,000 fewer people than expected.
Policy
Special operations are becoming the Pentagon’s future ‘normal’
“SOF is floated as a one-size-fits-all solution for a lot of problems,” said one former official.
Ideas
The nation needs a ‘security clearance ready reserve'
A list of cleared, vetted people would serve as a strategic hedge against attrition, espionage and workforce volatility.
Business
Made in the USA: foreign defense companies eye bigger slice of the American pie
At a recent conference, several execs said Trump-administration turmoil hasn’t derailed plans to expand on U.S. soil.
Defense Systems