Senate appropriators are looking to accelerate two weapons programs—the U.S. Air Force’s Golden Horde and the Army’s long-range fires and air and missile defense development.

Aerospace DAILY understands that SOCOM expects an independent review of the Armed Overwatch program will be complete in early or the spring of 2021, allowing the flight demonstration to begin in the summer. 

Senate appropriators are calling out the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps for misusing aircraft advance procurement funding, according to a report accompanying the panel’s mark of the fiscal 2021 defense appropriations bill.

The day after President Donald Trump fired former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, a slew of Pentagon officials have resigned from their posts, including the acting under secretary of defense for policy.

Senate appropriators propose blocking the military and intelligence community from using any provider other than the Space Force launch enterprise for National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions unless granted a waiver by the defense secretary or director of national intelligence.

Senate appropriators are seeking a comprehensive acquisition strategy for the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor program from both the Missile Defense Agency and Space Development Agency (SDA), according to a report accompanying the panel’s mark of the fiscal 2021 defense appropriations bill.

Senate appropriators agree that the requirements and acquisition strategy for the U.S. Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) are fuzzy, and also dismiss the Pentagon’s Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) legislative proposal, according to a report accompanying the panel’s mark of the fiscal 2021 defense appropriations bill.

The combined package worth nearly $23.4 billion still needs to be approved by Congress, where some lawmakers have already voiced objections.