Defense Budget Alert

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- The Marine Corps plans to commence early next year a major realignment of its investment accounts, building a new five-year budget plan that sheds select weapons acquired during land operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and invests in capabilities optimized for expeditionary fights against technologically sophisticated adversaries such as China and Russia.

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- Defense Secretary Mark Esper called on Defense Department leaders to make “tough choices” in cutting legacy systems and investing in new technologies as DOD eyes the end-game in building its fiscal year 2021 budget request. 

A Marine Corps general overseeing weapons acquisition said today he is skeptical his service would receive program waivers under the current continuing resolution.

Lawmakers negotiating the fiscal year 2020 defense authorization bill have decided it would be best for congressional appropriators to address President Trump's use of Pentagon funds to construct a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border without the consent of Congress, though the authorization bill remains stalled over other issues.

Congress' inability to pass a fiscal year 2020 budget is delaying the start of a Pentagon study that could change the way defense contractors have been paid for years.

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said Thursday the Army has already felt the effects of the first continuing resolution that started Oct. 1, previously asking commands to reduce spending by 2%.

Air Force acquisition chief Will Roper told reporters today he expects the service will have a difficult time defending its fiscal year 2021 budget request, largely because it recommends shifting billions of dollars from legacy platforms to a digital infrastructure Congress may not be ready to embrace.

The Navy has drawn up and is continuously updating a list of programs that may eventually require waivers from Congress under the ongoing continuing resolution, according to two top service officials.

Air Force acquisition chief Will Roper told reporters today he expects the service will have a difficult time defending its fiscal year 2021 budget request, largely because it recommends shifting billions of dollars from legacy platforms to a digital infrastructure Congress may not be ready to embrace.