Congress

The Senate Armed Services Committee's fiscal year 2021 defense policy bill pushes the Pentagon to continue modernizing its cybersecurity capabilities, as authorizers want to ensure the Defense Department doesn't fall behind the private sector in the rapidly evolving world of cyberspace.

Senate lawmakers are authorizing one fast attack Virginia-class submarine in this year's defense policy bill and approving twice the normal amount of advance procurement funding.

Senate defense authorizes are calling on the Air Force to ensure its efforts to achieve joint all-domain command and control fit into initiatives occurring throughout the military.

Pentagon acquisition chief Ellen Lord told lawmakers today the Defense Department will need to spend low, "double-digit" billions reimbursing contractors disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but she asserted DOD does not have the resources to so do without supplemental funding.

The Air Force plans to buy eight prototypes of the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon -- the service's flagship hypersonic missile that's under development -- according to a new report.

The Government Accountability Office says it is encouraged by the progress the Pentagon has made managing cost growth and schedule delays in its $185 billion portfolio of major acquisition programs, but warns that many programs are proceeding without "fundamental knowledge" or oversight.

Several Senate Democrats are criticizing the Defense Department for spending too little, too slowly to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Pentagon says it intends to send lawmakers a plan today for  using the $10.6 billion in coronavirus relief funds Congress provided in March.

A new report from the Government Accountability Office highlights risks in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program's test schedule and manufacturing practices -- noting concerns with the Pentagon's plans to continue delivering aircraft despite a nine-month operational testing delay.

The House Armed Services Committee is calling on the Defense Department to explain how the contracts for two nuclear modernization programs -- each with only one competitor vying for an award worth tens of billions of dollars -- will offer the best returns to the government.