The National Defense Panel delivered "Ensuring a Strong U.S. Defense for the Future" an assessment of the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review put forth by the Defense Department.
A steady flow of policy documents details how the branches of the military -- and the Defense Department as a whole -- will prepare for the wars of the future. But the changing nature of warfare may have the United States preparing for the wrong war. Retired Army Lt. Gen. David Barno is senior fellow and co-director of the Responsible Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security. He was the first Commander of Military Operations-Afghanistan. He writes on War On The Rocks, under the title "The Shadow Wars of the 21st Century," that war is morphing. He explained how on In Depth with Francis Rose.
News this week about Defense Department employees and contractors who have not paid their taxes is causing some buzz in the federal community. Federal News Radio's Web Manager Julia Ziegler joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss what feds think about their tax-delinquent colleagues.
The Army says the alternative and renewable energy industry should not look to the military as a giant source of investment capital for new technologies. But there are a few exceptions to that rule.
Service's latest strategy document sees a future in which it will need to be more flexible and adaptable, including in its acquisition and personnel policies and organizational structures.
Federal workers to see as much as 50 percent less cubicle or office space as part of how agencies are reducing office space costs. Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.) pressed GSA and others on their preparation to more efficiently deal with 100 million square feet of leased space that is scheduled to expire in the next five years.
Air Force leadership rolls out a new strategic plan today. "America's Air Force: A Call to the Future" is a 30-year plan that focuses on four key points the Air Force believes will shape the future of air power. But their plan isn't entirely a new concept. Russell Rumbaugh is Director of Budgeting for Foreign Affairs and Defense, and Senior Associate, at the Stimson Center. Russell and his colleague Barry Blechman from Stimson wrote in Breaking Defense about a concept called Strategic Agility. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he explained the connection between today's plan -- as introduced by Secretary James and General Welsh -- and the work he and Barry have done.
The Professional Services Council is the latest group to weigh in after members of Congress sent out the call for contributions to next year's likely round of acquisition reforms. PSC's reply rests largely on the idea that the executive branch can fix most of the current problems on its own.
About 83,000 Defense Department employees and contractors, who held or were determined eligible for a security clearance, owed more than $730 million in unpaid taxes as of June 2012, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. Per GAO's recommendations, the Office of Personnel Management, Office of the Director of National Intelligence and DoD are now working to include tax-compliance checks to enhance security clearance processes.
"Cut it some slack" is what Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall asks critics of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Kendall made those comments Thursday at a ceremony marking the delivery of two F-35s to Australia. The F-35 isn't likely to go away soon, but the buzz about what would replace it may be getting a little louder. Robert Farley is assistant professor at the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce. He writes in The National Interest about five options for replacing the F-35. He said on In Depth with Francis Rose that one choice is restarting the F-22 line.
Chief legal counselor to NSA says intelligence disclosures may have set back efforts to improve nation's cybersecurity posture because of increasing unease about public-private cooperation, and that it's time to reexamine the digital privacy trust relationship between government and the public.
Maj. Gen. Gregg Martin, the president of the National Defense University for the past two years, quietly stepped down last week. The university's vice president will lead the institution in his stead until the Pentagon recruits a permanent replacement.
The Pentagon's main IT provider shuttered its large data center in Huntsville, Alabama. in May, leaving only 10 of its large Defense Enterprise Computing Centers in its inventory. The mission of those remaining DECCs, however, is growing, not shrinking.
The National Security Agency's top lawyer says the Edward Snowden disclosures not only hurt U.S. intelligence gathering capabilities - they may have also damaged the chance of Congress successfully passing cybersecurity legislation anytime in the near future.
The Defense and Homeland Security departments are pushing project managers to test technology or weapons systems earlier in the acquisition lifecycle to understand and solve potential roadblocks sooner. DoD submitted recommendations to Senate leaders for how to better integrate testing and evaluation into the acquisition lifecycle.