Department of War? Closer to Official Name Change. Three of four congressional committees with influence over defense policy have voted to change the official name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War—but final approval of the Pentagon...
House Appropriations Committee
Three of four congressional committees with influence over defense policy have voted to change the official name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War—but final approval of the Pentagon rebrand is months away and not yet assured.
Air Force plans to increase flying hours and to improve parts availability took a hit June 24 as the House Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill cutting back both initiatives.
The Pentagon is asking to shift money from the Navy’s E-2D Hawkeye and classified Air Force accounts to fund a $1.55 billion spending plan for its revived E-7 Wedgetail program in fiscal 2027, according to budget amendments submitted to Congress last week.
The famed U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane could get a reprieve from the Air Force’s chopping block under a new 2027 spending bill proposed by the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.
The House Appropriations Committee wants the Air Force to be more open about how it manages its multibillion-dollar weapons acquisition programs to ensure they are fully funded and ready for the next fight.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s first trip to Capitol Hill to argue for next year’s Pentagon budget shed new light on funding for some of the Air Force’s top-priority acquisition programs, even as the department continues to hide its 2026 request from view.
Absent a full defense budget request from the White House nearly six months into President Donald Trump’s tenure, lawmakers are taking matters into their own hands.
The House Appropriations Committee’s mark of the 2025 defense bill would strip $324 million from the Air Force's budget request for the Sentinel ICBM. The committee also wants longer tenure for program leaders and an evaluation of making at least some of the force road-mobile.
The House Appropriations Committee released its version of the fiscal 2025 defense appropriations bill on June 4, an $833 billion bill that would increase funding for the F-35 and block the service from retiring the U-2 spy plane and some F-15s.
With less than three weeks left before Congress’ latest continuing resolution funding the government runs out, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III sent a letter to leading lawmakers, urging them to pass a spending bill before the start of 2023. Austin sent copies of the letter ...
As voters head to the polls Nov. 8 for the 2022 midterm elections, major potential changes to congressional power hang in the balance. For the Department of Defense—and the Air Force, in particular—here are meaningful shifts to watch for and new faces to track.