Defense Budget Boosts Funds for New Tech, Innovation
US House lawmakers want to allocate more than $1.3 billion for the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit, part of a continued push by Congress to develop commercial technology at a faster pace.
F-35 Production Flight Operations Resume
Lockheed Martin resumed accepting flights of newly built F-35 Joint Strike Fighters early this week, nearly three months after an engine problem grounded new jets and halted deliveries.
Big Boost Proposed for DIU Budget
House lawmakers eye 70% funding boost for Pentagon’s commercial innovation hub, charged with transitioning commercial technology for military use. The unit’s leader, Mike Brown, unexpectedly announced in April he would retire from the position in September, reportedly over concerns about a lack of support for the DIU’s mission.
Hogan: Maryland Is Cyber Capital of US
Gov. Larry Hogan touts Maryland as the “cyber capital of America” at a recent bill signing in Annapolis. The state is home to 60 federal civilian agencies and 20 military installations. Three bills from this year’s legislative session aim to strengthen the state’s cybersecurity network.
US Closes Arms Deal for Ukraine
More than a dozen European allies will get nearly $400 million in a deal to buy American military hardware to backfill weapons they’ve donated to Ukraine from their own stockpiles. It is not a donation of drawn-down US stockpiles, but cash to purchase arms and military supplies from the US.
DoD’s Innovation Unit Delivering New Technologies
The Defense Innovation Unit is highlighting in its latest report new technologies that were transitioned to Defense Department partners last year. Among the accomplishments: eight successful transitions to DoD end-users, 1,116 commercial proposals received, and $892.7 million in contracts issued since June 2016.
Report: Presidential Helicopter ‘Unreliable’ in Emergencies
A Pentagon report says the new presidential helicopter is unreliable in emergency situations and not “operationally suitable.”
DoD Plans for Space Force Combatant Command
The Pentagon releases its four-prong approach for a Space Force combatant command as a sixth branch of the armed forces.
Arms Sales Rise for First Time Since 2010
Global arms sales by the world’s top 100 defense contractors rose last year for the first time since 2010,
Carter Remakes Silicon Valley Liaison Team
DefSec Carter shakes up DoD Silicon Valley tech office with a new organizational chart and casting change.
