According to a Washington Post report, retired Adm. Dennis Blair has decided to step down from his position on the board of EDO Corp. following Tuesdays allegations of conflict of interest because he also leads the Institute of Defense Analyses, which provided DOD a favorable assessment of the Air Force’s F-22A multiyear procurement plan. EDO is a minor subcontractor on the F-22 program. At a Senate panel hearing, lawmakers questioned the independence of IDA’s findings, although IDA researcher Richard Nelson noted the institute’s review concluded USAF had overestimated the MYP savings. The Post reports that Blair has offered conflicting accounts of the extent of his role in the F-22 review.
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.