National & World Headlines

• Bryan Clark: Navy’s ‘shrink or swim’ dilemma

  The Navy has to make some sink-or-swim decisions if it wants to remain intact. It must either maintain its fleet size and global presence and risk breaking the force or shrink to what it can afford. That's one finding of a comprehensive study by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. Former Navy Officer Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Center, joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to talk about how these decisions could affect the force.

  Federal Drive

  November 19, 2015
• DHS bulking up civilian agency cybersecurity

  The Department of Homeland Security has created a timetable to bolster the cybersecurity of civilian government systems, says DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson.

  Technology

  November 19, 2015
• DoD’s buildings are vulnerable to cyber attacks

  The Defense Department has no inventory on cyber access points in its buildings and is under-funding building maintenance, leaving military installations open to cyber attacks.

  Defense

  November 18, 2015
• Update to Congress on OPM cyber breach goes on without three key agencies

  The Office of Management and Budget, the Homeland Security Department and the Office of Personnel Management decided not to testify during a classified briefing before the House Armed Services Committee when they found out the meeting would be on the record and transcribed.

  Workforce

  November 17, 2015
• Bill Lucyshyn: True cost of DoD’s efforts to sign small contractors

  The Pentagon has spent more than half a century refining the ways it buys from small business. In recent years, the Defense Department has met its statutory goal of awarding 23 percent of its contracting dollars to small and disadvantaged concerns. But that emphasis has come at a cost and not necessarily in dollars. Bill Lucyshyn is former Research Director at DARPA and now director at the Center for Public Policy and Private Enterprise at the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy. He joins Federal Drive with Tom Temin with more on a just-completed study of the Pentagon and small business.

  Federal Drive

  November 17, 2015
• Scott Maucione: DoD asks contractors to invest in R & D

  The Defense Department is asking contractors to invest more of their revenues on research and development. Right now the industry average hovers at around 4 percent. Now DoD officials are calling on industry to shift its focus towards R & D and make it a higher priority. Federal News Radio's Scott Maucione tells Federal Drive with Tom Temin more. Read Scott's related story.

  Federal Drive

  November 17, 2015
• Jared Serbu: Despite lower funding level, two-year budget deal is ‘huge’ for Pentagon

  The Pentagon didn’t get everything it wanted out of the two-year spending deal the White House and lawmakers reached a couple weeks back. But for now, Defense budget officials are pretty pleased that they at least know what they’ll be allowed to spend for the next two years. Federal News Radio’s Jared Serbu has more.

  Federal Drive

  November 16, 2015
• Despite lower funding level, two-year budget deal is ‘huge’ for Pentagon

  Despite lower funding levels, Defense leaders count their blessings with two years of budget certainty.

  Defense

  November 16, 2015
• Marines further define new top cyber position

  The Marine Corps' information warfare chief will look into information operations and offensive weapons.

  Defense

  November 13, 2015
• Jared Serbu: New consequences for sailors who violate Navy cyber rules

  Over the next few months, sailors throughout the Navy’s fleet can expect to see new consequences when they violate the service’s cybersecurity policies. Troy Johnson is the director of the newly established Navy Cybersecurity division. He tells Federal News Radio’s Jared Serbu accountability measures are one element of what the Navy’s doing to drive home the fact that cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility.

  Federal Drive

  November 13, 2015
• Paul Scharre: Keeping up with the evolving nature of warfare

  Warfare is constantly evolving. From cavalry horses to B-2's, the military competes in a cycle of innovations, countermeasures, and counter-counter-measures to get the leg-up on their enemies. But what happens when the battlefield shifts to cyberspace and changes the whole game? Joining the Federal Drive with Tom Temin via Skype to talk about some of the factors that could shape the future of warfare is Paul Scharre, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

  Federal Drive

  November 13, 2015
• DLA moves toward a new era in contracting

  The Defense Logistics Agency is trying to expand the way it uses performance-based logistics to better the products used by service members.

  Defense

  November 12, 2015
• DoD needs to expand initiatives to harness Internet of things

  The Defense Department could be saving money and increasing efficiency with the Internet of Things, it just needs to broaden some of its ideas, states a new report.

  Technology

  November 12, 2015
• Kate Kidder: Blueprint for solving VA’s woes

  With one year before the next presidential election, it's a safe bet the next administration will face challenges dealing with military veterans and with the still-troubled Veterans Affairs Department. Now the Center for a New American Security has come up with a comprehensive blueprint for the military and veterans community. Report co-author Kate Kidder shared some of the highlights with Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

  Federal Drive

  November 12, 2015