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.
Concerned about how artificial intelligence might be used to generate target lists or operational plans, lawmakers want to expand limits on autonomous weapons to address mission planning and target selection. The House Armed Services Committee's version of the 2027 National Defense Authorization bill would direct the Pentagon to revise Defense…