Tony Bertuca

The Defense Department has submitted an $18.2 billion proposal to congressional appropriators aimed at rapidly expanding production of critical missile systems after the recent U.S. conflict with Iran sharply increased demand for air and missile defense interceptors, according to a document obtained by

The Government Accountability Office has found the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) overstated or could not substantiate billions of dollars in claimed savings from Pentagon contracts, including a Defense Health Agency information technology contract that generated zero savings despite senior officials touting $1.7 billion in reductions. In a report released Thursday, GAO said DOGE's public " Wall of Receipts " claimed $61 billion in savings from terminated federal contracts, but the agency frequently did not follow its...

The Pentagon's recent decision to move decades of independent weapons testing reports behind a restricted government portal is part of a broader trend that could eventually reduce the amount of information the Government Accountability Office is able to publicly report about major weapons programs, according to a GAO official. Senior Pentagon officials on July 30 removed an archive of publicly released annual reports produced by the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E), citing concerns about the...

The Senate voted 51-47 to confirm Jay Hurst as Pentagon comptroller, filling the job at a time when senior defense officials are involved in high-stakes budget negotiations with Congress.

The Pentagon is challenging defense contractors to produce plans before Aug. 26 to accelerate production of 16 critical programs being eyed by senior officials for increased procurement in fiscal year 2028, including a next-generation interceptor, according to a memo obtained by Inside Defense. The Aug. 5 memo, sent by Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg to some of the world’s top weapons makers, tells contractors that the Pentagon is “fundamentally shifting” how it produces and fields weapon systems, with a...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking in South Carolina today, called on Congress to support the Trump administration's $1.5 trillion budget request for fiscal year 2027.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ) are pressing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to reverse sweeping cuts to the Pentagon's independent weapons testing office after a government watchdog warned the changes have constrained oversight and increased the risk of weapons reaching troops with unidentified operational shortcomings. In a letter to Hegseth released Thursday, the lawmakers cited a June Government Accountability Office report

L3Harris Technologies has appointed Sam Mehta as president and CEO, replacing Christopher Kubasik, who is stepping down immediately as chairman and CEO and leaving the company's board. The defense contractor announced the leadership changes Monday, saying its board determined Kubasik's departure was in the company's best interests after it became aware of conduct that was inconsistent with L3Harris' values and code of conduct. L3Harris said the matter was investigated with the assistance of independent counsel. The company did not disclose...

The White House is directing national security agencies to accelerate development of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, identifying a broad set of AI capabilities -- from sensor fusion and foundation models to autonomous command and control -- as priorities for maintaining U.S. battlefield superiority. The new National Security Science and Technology Strategy identifies AI and autonomy as one of three priority technology areas for maintaining U.S. military and national security advantages, alongside space and undersea capabilities. But the strategy goes...

The White House is directing the Defense Department to pursue more rapid and commercially provided access to space, including evaluating whether it can support national security launches within 48 hours of need. A new national space transportation policy issued by President Trump Aug. 20 directs the defense secretary, in coordination with NASA and other agencies, to evaluate within 180 days the regulatory, programmatic, operational and technological barriers to "prompt, responsive, and resilient access to space." The review must include...