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Budget

Counter-Drone Lasers Funded In FY 2017 Omnibus Bill

By Marc Selinger

Thursday, May 4th, 2017

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Counter-Drone Lasers Funded In FY 2017 Omnibus Bill

Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). Official Senate photo.

The fiscal year 2017 omnibus appropriations bill could help move laser weapons to the battlefield after decades of development, according to a key lawmaker.The recently unveiled legislation contains $16.7 million for the Marine Corps to buy five Boeing [BA] 2-kilowatt laser systems to defend against enemy unmanned aerial vehicles. The funding would support “the rapid production and procurement of the Department of Defense’s first-ever directed energy weapon system to be fielded to U.S. troops in an operational environment,” said Sen.…

Congress

With $1.5 Trillion Request, Army, Air Force, Navy’s Unfunded Lists Focus Solely On MILCON Projects

With the Trump administration’s push to massively increase defense spending to $1.5 trillion in fiscal year 2027, the Army, Air Force and Navy have eschewed submitting large unfunded priorities lists […]

Unmanned Systems

Bipartisan House Bill Would Give National Guard To Counter-Drone Authorities

Seeking to close gaps that may arise between state and local law enforcers in different jurisdictions, a bipartisan contingent of House members this week introduced a bill that would allow […]

Congress

Munitions Fired Represent Most of $25 Billion Spent By Pentagon on Iran War So Far

Munitions fired in the two-month old “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran represent most of the $25 billion cost the Pentagon has incurred thus far in the conflict, the acting Defense […]

Congress

Slotkin: Pentagon Should Use Anthropic’s Mythos To Spot Cyber Security Gaps

The Pentagon should be using Anthropic‘s recently announced Mythos artificial intelligence model to spot gaps in cyber security, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) said on Tuesda. “I think the thing that […]