The Senate Armed Services Committee on Feb. 5 opted to OK the nominations of William Lynn for the No. 2 defense post, Michele Flournoy for defense policy, Robert Hale for comptroller, and Jeh Charles Johnson for general counsel, according to various news reports. There are lingering questions over Lynn’s nomination—primarily because of his ties to defense contractor Raytheon—that could prompt one or more Senators to block his confirmation on the Senate floor. However, Associated Press reports that Lynn wrote to Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) that he would opt out of decisions on the “handful” of programs he worked on for Raytheon.
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.