On Feb. 7, 2012, the House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing on export controls and arms sales. Includes excerpts from the question-and-answer portion of the hearing featuring the testimony of Aerospace Industries Association President and CEO Marion Blakey; DDi Corp. Chief Executive Officer Mikel Williams; and Satellite Industry Association President Patricia Cooper.
On Feb. 7, 2012, the House Foreign Affairs terrorism, nonproliferation and trade subcommittee held a hearing on the U.S.-Philippines alliance. Includes excerpts from the question-and-answer portion of the hearing featuring the testimony of Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Peter Lavoy and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell.
In a Feb. 10, 2012, letter to President Obama, 12 senators voice their concern over China's "aggressive military modernization and the lack of transparency regarding the strategic purposes behind it," in the context of the impending visit of Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping.
On Feb. 8, 2012, Army Lt. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, deputy commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, briefed reporters at the Pentagon about the situation in that country.
On Feb. 9, 2012, the Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing to consider the nomination of Navy Adm. Samuel Locklear to become the next head of U.S. Pacific Command. Includes advance policy questions as well as excerpts from the question-and-answer portion of the hearing.
In a Feb. 3, 2012, letter to Air force Secretary Michael Donley, Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA) questions the service's math, arguing that a Reserve facility in his district has too many civilian employees for the Air Force to close it without lawmakers' permission.
In a Feb. 9, 2012, report, the Government Accountability Office finds that the Defense Department "needs to better oversee in-sourcing data and align in-sourcing efforts with strategic workforce plans."
In a Feb. 9, 2012, Federal Register notice, the Navy announces it intends to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement to evaluate the consequences of building and operating a live-fire training range on the Pacific island of Guam, where the service plans to relocate troops now based on the Japanese island of Okinawa.
On Feb. 2, 2012, Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member John McCain (R-AZ) and Sens. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Cornyn (R-TX) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) filed a bill that would replace cuts during the first year of sequestration with savings found through federal employee attrition and pay freezes.
In a Feb. 8, 2012, report, the Government Accountability Office found that the National Nuclear Security Administration "needs to improve guidance on weapon limitations and planning for its stockpile surveillance program."
In a Feb. 8, 2012, House floor statement, Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) introduced the "Smarter Approach To Nuclear Expenditures Act." Also includes the text of the legislation.
On Feb. 6, 2012, the House Armed Services Committee's Business Challenges within the Defense Industry Panel held a hearing on "Doing Business with DOD: Contracting and Regulatory Issues." Includes excerpts from the question-and-answer portion of the hearing, as well as the opening statement of panel Chairman Bill Shuster and the prepared testimony of Allan Burman, president of Jefferson Solutions and Joel Johnson, former vice president of the International Aerospace Industries Association of America.
In a Jan. 12, 2012, decision, the Government Accountability Office Comptroller General denies a protest by Reston, VA-based STG, Inc. of the issuance of an Army task order to General Dynamics Information Technology for command, control, communications, and computer information (C4I) operations and maintenance services in support of the United States Forces Korea mission.
In a Dec. 2, 2011, decision, the Government Accountability Office Comptroller General denies a protest by Orlando, FL-based CAE USA Inc. of an Army contract to Science Applications International Corp. for support of the service's Synthetic Environment Core, Common Virtual Environment Management (SE Core CVEM) program.
In a Dec. 21, 2011, decision, the Government Accountability Office Comptroller General denies a protest by Science Applications International Corp. of the issuance of an Air Force task order to Dayton, OH-based MacAulay-Brown, Inc. for intelligence processing, exploitation, and dissemination (PED) support.
On Feb. 6, 2012, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey released his "Strategic Direction To The Joint Force," a pamphlet outlining his thoughts on where he plans to focus his efforts as chairman.
In a Feb. 6, 2012, letter to Government Accountability Office Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) and Ranking Member John McCain call on GAO to assess the effects of the Pentagon's placing the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing version of the Joint Strike Fighter on probation.
In a Feb. 6, 2012, letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) and Ranking Member John McCain (R-AZ) write they "are seriously concerned about the lack of notice and consultation" regarding Panetta's lifting the two-year probation on the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing version of the Joint Strike Fighter.
On Feb. 3, 2012, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley briefed reporters on the service's "priorities and choices that we made in response to the new strategic guidance" as they relate to the fiscal year 2013 budget request.
On Feb. 4, 2012, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
The Dec. 21, 2011, report to Congress outlines the Phased Adaptive Approach to missile defense in Europe.
The January 2012 draft statement of work outlines the work prospective contractors will be required to do when devloping and building the Joint High Speed Vessel.
On Feb. 3, 2012, the Air Force released a white paper describing "force structure changes which support the new DOD strategic guidance retiring 286 aircraft over the next five years, including 227 in fiscal year 2013."
In a limited-source justification document, signed Jan. 18, 2012, the Navy states it will transfer the amphibious ship Ponce (LPD-15) to Military Sealift Command in March and that the vessel should be ready to leave for the 5th Fleet area of responsibility by June 1, 2012.
In a Jan. 24, 2012, broad agency announcement posted on Federal Business Opportunities, the Office of Naval Research solicits industry help in investing in "high-risk technologies" that could later be implemented into Joint Counter RCIED (Remote-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device) Electronic Warfare (JCREW) systems.
On Jan. 30, 2012, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus spoke about energy security in a speech at Harvard University.
In a Jan. 30, 2012, Federal Business Opportunities notice, Naval Air Systems Command announces it "intends to enter into sole source negotiations with the Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, NY, for requirements analysis efforts on the MQ-4C Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) integration into the Joint Unmanned Aircraft System Mission Environment (JUAS ME)."
In a Feb. 2, 2012, sources-sought notice posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website, Army officials announce they are looking for an "improved" version of the Lockheed Martin-made Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System missile.
On Jan. 31, 2012, industry and service officials met at Tinker Air Force Base, OK, to discuss future sustainment strategies for the Air Force's fleet of E-4B National Airborne Operations Center aircraft, which have been in operation for more than 30 years.
On Jan. 30, 2012, the Air Force Electronic Systems Center posted an updated version of the Deployable Radar Approach Control system requirements document on Federal Business Opportunities.
The Jan. 31, 2012, Congressional Research Service report includes background, analysis and issues for Congress regarding the 1982 Nunn-McCurdy Act. (Note: The issue date on the document -- Jan. 31, 2011 -- is a typo.)
The Jan. 10, 2012, Joint Staff instruction "implements the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) as an advisory council to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff" and "further delineates the roles and responsibilities of the JROC, its subordinate boards, and other
organizations with equity in the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) and other departmental processes."
The Jan. 10, 2012, Joint Staff instruction "establishes the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) as the process used by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) to fulfill its advisory responsibilities to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in identifying, assessing, validating, and prioritizing joint military capability requirements."
The Feb. 2, 2012, Government Acccountability Office study find that the Pentagon's reports to Congress on estimated weapon system operations and sustainment costs "are often inconsistent and sometimes unreliable, limiting visibility needed for effective oversight of these costs."
In a Feb. 1, 2012, letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Virginia Reps. Randy Forbes (R), Robert Scott (D), Rob Wittman (R) and Scott Rigell (R) reiterate their call for the Pentagon "to reconsider its 2008 decision to homeport a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN) at Naval Station Mayport, FL."
The Feb. 1, 2012, Defense Department guidebook "addresses public-private partnering as a useful tool for all aspects of integrated product support."
The Jan. 9, 2012, white papers outline the possible effects of sequestration on U.S. Southern Command, as well as the efficiencies the command has implemented.
On Feb. 1, 2012, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz released the service's "Priorities for a New Strategy with Constrained Budgets" white paper.
The Dec. 12, 2011, briefing slides were presented at a joint Missile Defense Agency-Air Force industry day on the Airborne Weapon Layer (AWL).
The Feb. 1, 2012, Congressional Research Service report "reviews the process and procedures that currently apply to congressional consideration of foreign arms sales proposed by the president."