COLOGNE, Germany – German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is pushing for a new yardstick to measure Berlin’s contributions to NATO, suggesting the country could shoulder 10 percent of alliance requirements. The figure is meant to reflect the share of NATO’s total “planning targets,” which are tabulated periodically, a defense ministry […]
defense spending
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WASHINGTON — Pentagon leaders need “around $10 billion” in the next pandemic aid package to cover defense contractors’ coronavirus-related costs, according to a top defense leader. But it’s unclear how the hefty funding handout will square with Republican skepticism of new deficit spending after already approving aid packages worth trillions. […]
As they look at the state of their coronavirus-hit economies and U.S. President Donald Trump’s poor standing in opinion polls, many European leaders may be tempted to put on hold any plans to meet NATO’s target of spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense. But Europeans need to […]
LONDON — Producing a promised new defense and security review was never going to be straightforward for the British government, but the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and the fast-evolving geostrategic position has muddied the waters even further, leaving open the question of future investment priorities. The integrated defense, security […]
WASHINGTON — Elaine McCusker, who has been serving as the Pentagon’s acting comptroller for 18 months, has resigned, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced Tuesday. “Today Elaine McCusker submitted her resignation as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) effective Friday, June 26, 2020,” Esper said in a statement. “Since joining […]
WASHINGTON — As the Pentagon has begun focusing on new technologies such as artificial intelligence and directed energy, department officials have loudly declared the need to keep close watch in order to ensure that foreign nations are not buying their way into the defense industrial base. But a new report […]
When budgets are tight, we pit current security needs against future security needs. That is dangerous. Source link
A new budget proposal for the European Union shows that the bloc’s defense plans are back on the table as the continent pushes to revive its economy following the coronavirus crisis. Source link
New support for an Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative suggests it’s a lock for the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act. Source link
Lorenzo Guerini said he “confirmed that the program would continue,” after calls from Italy’s Five Star party to halt F-35 purchases for a year to pay for a coronavirus rebound. Source link
A new report predicts that Brexit will be “more harmful and long-lasting” for the British army and U.K.’s defense sector than for the European Union. Source link
A parliamentary committee says the government has admitted that costs on three nuclear projects “could keep rising, as its poor contract design has left the taxpayer to assume financial risk, while… Source link
Talks between the 27 EU member countries over their next long-term budget have been blocked for more than a year, well before the coronavirus hit Europe. Source link
Our pursuits to fix financial shenanigans and sow fiscal discipline into the defense budget are more important than ever. Source link
“We have a lot of legacy programs out there right now. I could pick dozens out from all branches of the services. So that is where I would start,” said Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. Source link