In a Jan. 6, 2020 memo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper orders "aggressive reform plans" and "clean sheet budget reviews" in time for the fiscal year 2020 budget request so resources can be freed up for National Defense Strategy priorities.
Documents
January 21, 2020
January 17, 2020
In a Jan. 16, 2020 letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Jack Reed (D-RI) write about their concern "with reports that the president intends to raid another $7.2 billion from the Department of Defense to construct a border wall."
The Jan. 16, 2020 Congressional Research Service "defense primer" discusses Army Multidomain Operations.
In a Dec. 16, 2019 reprogramming request, the Defense Department asks congressional permission to shift $24 million to install airfield pavements at Kadena Air Base in Japan, replace fuel storage and distribution facilities at an airport in California, build a Marine Corps Reserve Center in Syracuse, NY and construct family housing at Kamp Walker, South Korea.
January 16, 2020
In a Dec. 13, 2019 decision publicly released on Jan. 16, 2020, the Government Accountability Office denies Raytheon's bid protest of the Navy's award to Lockheed Martin for the Ship Self Defense System.
The Jan. 10, 2020 Defense Department instruction "establishes a management structure for the acquisition of services and provides implementation procedures."
The Jan. 16, 2020 Government Accountability Office report finds that "additional verification checks could improve the accuracy and consistency of reported financial data" from National Nuclear Security Administration contractors.
In a Jan. 16, 2020 decision, the Government Accountability Office's comptroller general finds that "faithful execution of the law does not permit the president to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law," and concludes that the White House Office of Management and Budget violated the Impoundment Control Act.
On Jan. 16, 2020 the Senate Armed Services Committee held a heating on the nominations of James McPherson and Charles Williams to become Army undersecretary and Navy assistant secretary for energy, installations and environment, respectively.
January 15, 2020
The Jan. 15, 2020 Government Accountability Office report "(1) identifies selected stakeholders' views on the key national defense implications of the challenges facing the U.S. maritime industry, among other things, and (2) examines the status of the national maritime strategy and the extent to which [the Transportation Department] coordinated the strategy's development with relevant federal agencies."
On Jan. 15, 2020 the House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on the Defense Department's role in competing with China. Includes the prepared testimony of former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy, Andrew Philip Hunter from the Center for Strategic and International Studies and retired Navy Rear Adm. Michael McDevitt.
On Jan. 15, 2020 Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on lessons learned in that country.
January 14, 2020
The Jan. 14, 2020 Government Accountability Office report recommends "the Air Force, Army, and Navy emphasize key reliability practices when developing weapon systems."
The Jan. 13, 2020 Congressional Budget Office report discusses "whether appropriations enacted for the current fiscal year have exceeded the statutory caps on discretionary funding. In CBO's estimation, they have not, and a sequestration will not be required for 2020."
January 13, 2020
In a Jan. 13, 2020 request for information, the Air Force looks to transition to an open architecture system for electronic warfare that would allow airmen to coordinate operations across multiple platforms.
In a Jan. 10, 2020 notice, the Army's Program Executive Office for Aviation announced plans to hold an industry day the following Feb. 12 to discuss multidomain operations across its portfolio.
On Jan. 9, 2020 the Army released a request for information for the MQ-1C Gray Eagle extended range aircraft's full-rate production phase.
On Jan. 8, 2020 the Army released a request for information on the service's positioning, navigation and timing reference architecture.
January 10, 2020
A four-page executive summary of a Defense Science Board report, dated October 2019 and cleared for public release on Dec. 18, 2019, outlines the findings designed to advise U.S. military policymakers on state-of-the-art quantum mechanics and potential trajectory of related technologies that are predicted to outstrip the most powerful supercomputers.
In a Jan. 10, 2020 memo, the Defense Department inspector general's office announces it is opening an evaluation into "foreign influence" on the Pentagon's research and development programs.