Based in Washington, Michael Bruno is Aviation Week Network’s Executive Editor for Business. He oversees coverage of aviation, aerospace and defense business issues, and is editor in chief of Aviation Week Executive Intelligence newsletters. Beyond reporting, Bruno helps organize related Aviation Week conferences, hosts podcasts and webinars, and speaks publicly as a subject matter expert on industry issues. Since joining Aviation Week in 2005, he has won several Jesse H. Neal and Aerospace Media awards. He has a master's degree from Syracuse University and a bachelor's from Vanderbilt University.
The House Armed Services Committee, for now under Republican control and led by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), will host a Nov. 14 hearing to receive testimony on the national security implications of the proposed Lucent/Alcatel merger.
Democrats' plans to make the war in Iraq their top priority in the next session of Congress could take the heat off some troubled defense programs--especially if the party regains control of the U.S. House or Senate. Ironically, if Republicans stay in power, military aircraft procurement and the Army's Future Combat System could come under greater scrutiny in oversight hearings that would divert attention from the war.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld once argued forcefully against congressional proposals to expand the U.S. Army to ease the strain of occupying Iraq. "We simply do not expect to have 100,000, 120,000 troops in a single country permanently deployed," he said. That was nearly three years ago. Last week, Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker revealed the Army is budgeting to keep 120,000 soldiers in Iraq--plus 20,000 Marines--through 2010.
