Hunter is joined by Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), the committee’s ranking minority member, in urging that Congress shine more light on how the Pentagon arrives at its conclusions in its Quadrennial Defense Reviews. The latest such QDR is in its final stages now; all signs are that it will bring enormous changes in US policy, force structure, and organization. House panel members believe their CDR will complement the QDR, providing more information about service needs and threats faced. They say it’s a totally bipartisan effort with enormous potential. At a Sept. 21 hearing, Skelton said that the panel’s CDR “could be the pole star of what we do in this Congress.”
Space Systems Command has awarded a massive $2.29 billion contract to SpaceX for the “backbone” of its new Space Data Network, a constellation of satellites in low-Earth orbit that will provide connectivity for the entire joint force.