The DOD's top two research and engineering officials are leaving their posts July 10 to pursue an opportunity in the private sector together, according to an email the pair sent out to Pentagon colleagues June 23. Michael D. Griffin was the first to occupy the newly re-minted post of director of research and engineering, the fourth-highest Pentagon position, which was restructured by Congress in 2016. His deputy, Lisa Porter, will be going with him, but they did not disclose the nature of their new venture. It's not clear who will be the acting USD/R&E until a replacement is nominated for the position, which requires Senate confirmation.

Congress is rekindling its fight with the Air Force over the fate of the RQ-4 Global Hawk fleet for fiscal 2021, as House lawmakers push back on plans to retire some of the high-flying intelligence aircraft that could be vulnerable to enemy fire. The Air Force wants to cut its Global Hawk fleet from 31 airframes to 10, divesting mostly Block 30 variants and a few Block 20 airframes. It would keep Block 40 drones, the most recent design. Members of the House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee want to withhold half of the funding for the Air Force’s future battle management network until certain conditions are met for the RQ-4, according to the panel’s version of the 2021 defense policy bill that was approved June 23.

A House panel plans to let the Air Force retire some of its KC-10s in a phased approach while blocking cuts to the KC-135 fleet, with a caveat. The House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee’s markup of the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act requires the Air Force to maintain a minimum of 50 primary mission inventory KC-10 in 2021, 38 in 2022, and 26 in 2021. The bill also prohibits the service from retiring any KC-135s until at least 2023. However, the markup says the ban on retirements does not apply to “individual KC-135 aircraft that the Secretary of the Air Force determines, on a case-by-case basis, to be no longer mission capable” because of mishaps, damage, or “being uneconomical to repair.”

Members of one House committee are calling for an investigation into Lockheed Martin for its handling of F-35 spare parts, while another has crafted language in its markup of the 2021 defense policy bill calling for an assessment of the Joint Strike Fighter’s troubled sustainment system. Democratic members of the House Oversight and Government Reform committee on June 23 announced they have requested information from Lockheed on the company’s alleged “failure to deliver spare parts” for the F-35 that were ready for installation. Separately, the House Armed Services readiness subcommittee in its markup of the fiscal 2021 defense policy bill is calling for an investigation into F-35 sustainment costs. Lockheed says it will work with the committees, and noted the company has made several improvements aimed at reducing costs and improving performance.

A provision to the 2021 defense policy bill aims to create space between sexual assault survivors and their alleged attackers at the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Military Academy, and the U.S. Naval Academy so the students can get the chance to finish their studies. “Being able to complete your education without fear of sexual assault is a basic civil right—one that has been denied to too many military service academy cadets and midshipmen,” Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), chair of the House Armed Services military personnel subcommittee, told Air Force Magazine in a statement.

The House Armed Services military personnel subcommittee wants to require the Defense Department to include more detail in its annual military suicide reports to Congress, including what steps military departments are taking to make it feel less controversial for troops to ask for help if they're struggling with issues of mental health or considering suicide.

Congress wants the Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command to provide a plan on how to counter emerging threats from foreign countries while continuing to fight terrorism and fix ethics and professionalism concerns in the Command. While USSOCOM has grown to face new threats, Congress is concerned the command is spread too thin and unable to maintain an advantage across all theaters. USSOCOM needs to assess how many forces should shift from historical efforts against terrorism to new operations regarding great power competition, according to the House Armed Services intelligence and emerging threats subcommittee’s version of the fiscal 2021 defense policy bill.

The Sig Sauer M18 handgun will replace the M9 pistol that has been in service since 1985. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Small Arms Program Office purchased some 125,000 M18s from Sig Sauer for $22.1 million, and delivery is slated to be complete by August 2022. The polymer M18s are lighter, cheaper, and more repairable than the all-metal M9s, said Merrill Adkison, Small Arms Program Office senior logistics manager, in an AFLCMC press release.

On March 23, the Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host a virtual Nuclear Deterrence Series event featuring Scowcroft Group Principal Frank Miller. At a time when nuclear modernization programs are accelerating around the world, proposals to recapitalize the U.S. nuclear arsenal are at the forefront of debates over defense spending. Miller will share his insights into the prospects for U.S. nuclear modernization programs and the value of nuclear deterrence in today's competitive security environment. The think tank will post event video on its website and YouTube page after the live event.