Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) on Thursday announced legislation called the Fair Defense Competition Act that would force the Defense Department to factor World Trade Organization decisions in its military acquisitions. Specifically, Brownback said it “would require the Pentagon to add the cost of illegal subsidies onto the price of a competitor’s bid proposal pursuant to a ruling by the WTO.” This move, both lawmakers said, would compel DOD to take a stand on trade issues in the Air Force’s KC-X tanker recapitalization program, something the Pentagon has thus far resisted. WTO ruled in March that EADS has received improper aircraft subsidies from European governments. That, so Brownback and Tiahrt said, gives EADS an unfair advantage over Boeing in the ongoing KC-X competition. The measure has bipartisan support, with Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) among those onboard. (Brownback-Tiahrt release)
The Pentagon agency charged with building and operating U.S. spy satellites recently declassified some details about a Cold War-era surveillance program called Jumpseat—a revelation it says sheds light on the importance of satellite imaging technology and how it has advanced in the decades since.
