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Nuclear Modernization

DoE, DoD, ‘Sorting Out’ Plutonium Pit Needs; New Pits ‘a Hedge,’ NNSA Says

Thursday, April 28th, 2022

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DoE, DoD, ‘Sorting Out’ Plutonium Pit Needs; New Pits ‘a Hedge,’ NNSA Says

The Pentagon and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) are still “sorting out” exactly how many nuclear-weapon triggers the military needs and by when, the head of the civilian agency said in congressional testimony Wednesday. Law requires the semiautonomous Department of Energy nuclear-weapons agency to make 80 pits a year by 2030 — a goal the agency last year acknowledged it would miss by at least two to five years. “Is 80 the magic number?” Sen. Angus King (D-Maine) asked…

Congress

Dems’ Big Night Set To Reshape Top Defense Committee Spots, As Key GOP’ers Knocked Off

Democrats’ sweeping victories in Tuesday’s midterms, taking back control of the House and Senate, are set to reshape key spots atop defense committees, to include House Armed Services panels and […]

Congress

Key Defense Committee Members Face Tight Midterm Races, Including HASC GOP’ers In Virginia

As the mid-term elections near with polls showing an increasing likelihood of a switch in majority control in the House and potentially the Senate, three Virginia Republicans on the House […]

‘Theoretical Potential’ to Achieve 1,509 Combat-Coded Fighters by 2035, USAF Says

In the latest U.S. Air Force fighter force structure report submitted to Congress, the service speaks of a “theoretical potential” to achieve a goal of 1,509 combat-coded fighters in the […]

Budget

Hegseth Pushes For Reconciliation With At Least $350 Billion For Defense ‘Regardless’ Of Midterms Outcome

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday the Trump administration plans to continue its push for at least $350 billion in defense funds via the reconciliation process “regardless of what happens […]