The National Security Personnel System isn’t going to save DOD money, but it will help better control personnel funds, said Gordon England, deputy secretary of defense. Speaking at a Senate hearing Wednesday, England said the Pentagon will be better able to track personnel dollars with the new system because “we approve the money, we approve bonuses.” In fact, it is not a goal of the NSPS to spend less than before on compensation, but now there is a “defined pot of money for raises and pay-for-performance,” England continued. When probed by Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) about a possible cost increase, England said NSPS would not be more expensive than the existing pay system. “NSPS is a must, it’s an investment, we will allocate money appropriately,” England remarked.
There is a new entrant in the highly competitive field of collaborative combat aircraft—semi-autonomous drones meant to fly alongside manned combat aircraft. Northrop Grumman unveiled its new Project Talon aircraft to a small group of reporters at the facilities of its subsidiary Scaled Composites.

