The 109th Congress in a last gasp effort passed a joint resolution designed to fund 2007 military construction efforts at last year’s level, but Pentagon officials already are citing shortfalls, particularly to handle required BRAC actions. The Air Force has complained that it may not be able to fund the F-22 bed down in the Pacific region, reports McClatchy Newspapers. The new Democratic-led appropriations committees want to remove earmarks from the separately passed MilCon bills, according to the Congressional newspaper The Hill.
Pentagon officials overseeing homeland counter-drone strategy told lawmakers that even with preliminary moves to bolster U.S. base defenses, the military still lacks the capability to comprehensively identify, track, and engage hostile drones like those that breached the airspace of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days in December…