Speculation is flying around the Beltway, if not in middle America, about the impact on defense of a potential Democratic Congress. Government Executive’s Megan Scully reports that Democratic leaders would shy from dramatic cuts to war funding or “trim overall defense spending.” A Democratic majority probably would not target the Future Combat System or the Joint Strike Fighter, but would look more closely at the Missile Defense System. Scully’s sources also believe the Navy could get a boost. On the other hand, senior defense analyst Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute says in a new issue brief that research shows that “since 1976 Democratic control of the government has been a powerful predictor of declines in defense [research and procurement] outlays.”
Navy CCA Program’s Shape Coming into Focus
Oct. 17, 2025
In announcing its Navy Collaborative Combat Aircraft contract, General Atomics has provided some clues as to where the service is heading with its version of an armed, autonomous fighter escort. It will likely be quite different from the Air Force version.
