Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the resumption of nine Defense Department advisory committees including the Defense Innovation Board, and has tapped former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to lead that key group.

The U.S. Senate on Feb. 9 voted 93-2 to approve the nomination of Douglas Bush to be the assistant secretary of the U.S. Army for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.

The Irish government says it will consider a report that urges the country to consider acquiring combat aircraft to provide a national air policing capability. 

The distance involved in operations over Afghanistan and the persistent need for overhead surveillance to develop targets has taken a toll on deployed MQ-9 Reapers, though there are continuing talks with neighboring nations about basing rights, the pick to lead U.S. forces in the region told lawmakers Feb. 8.

The Japanese defense ministry’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency estimates it would cost 646.5 billion yen ($5.61 billion) to upgrade and operate 68 Mitsubishi F-15Js from 2019-49, the agency announced Feb. 4.

Two new-build Falcons will be acquired, replacing the long-serving BAe 146 regional airliners that have been used for the RAF’s Command Support Air Transport (CSAT) mission. 

The U.S. Army is expected to bear the brunt of budget cutbacks when the Pentagon’s spending plan is finally rolled out, and that could require some bold moves including ending what the service had said is its top aviation procurement priority.

The U.S. Air Force’s new head of acquisition started work Feb. 7 and he already has extensive additional duties.