WEEKLY UPDATE

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Last week, the conflict with Iran entered a critical phase as the administration approached the 60-day threshold under the War Powers Resolution, raising pressure on both the White House and Congress to define a path forward. April 29 will mark two months since the start of U.S. military strikes, triggering statutory requirements to either withdraw forces or seek congressional authorization, with a limited extension available on national security grounds. Republican lawmakers, including Thom Tillis and John Thune, indicated they will be looking for clear signs of progress or a defined end state, while others such as Jerry Moran have called for an end to offensive operations and a return of U.S. forces. The administration has already reset multiple timelines for concluding the conflict, and the two-week ceasefire announced earlier this month is set to expire in the coming days, with Pentagon officials signaling forces remain prepared to resume strikes if necessary. At the same time, Democrats are expected to bring forward additional war powers resolutions this week, potentially forcing a vote on congressional authorization and setting up a broader debate over the scope and duration of U.S. involvement.

Separately, the administration’s FY27 budget request continues to face scrutiny on Capitol Hill following White House budget director Russell Vought’s defense of the proposal before the House Budget Committee. Anchored by a $1.5 trillion defense topline, the request frames the increase as a “paradigm shifting” investment, emphasizing the need for multiyear procurement agreements to enable the defense industrial base to expand capacity and scale production. A central feature of the proposal is the push to move roughly $350 billion through reconciliation, allowing the administration to advance key priorities without bipartisan support, a strategy that is likely to draw significant Democratic opposition. At the same time, broader debates over defense spending are intersecting with ongoing disputes over U.S. security assistance, as Bernie Sanders plans to force votes on resolutions to block select arms sales to Israel, testing the level of congressional resistance amid the ongoing Iran conflict.

Last week, the annual Space Symposium in Colorado underscored a growing Pentagon-wide effort to overhaul acquisition processes and accelerate the delivery of critical capabilities, particularly within the United States Space Force. Much of the discussion centered on structural reforms aimed at reducing bureaucratic friction, including the creation of new acquisition portfolios designed to streamline decision-making and limit the number of approvals required before funds can be executed, alongside a broader push from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to move faster on procurement. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink framed the effort as a “once in a generation opportunity” to modernize the acquisition enterprise, while officials also highlighted expanded use of multiyear procurement contracts and new satellite buying approaches to provide industry with greater predictability and enable upfront investment. In parallel, senior leaders pointed to a shift in operational thinking toward orbital maneuver warfare, with Chief of Space Operations Chance Saltzman emphasizing closer alignment with United States Space Command on developing maneuverable, refuelable satellite architectures as part of a phased plan through 2040, reinforcing maneuverability as a central pillar of future space operations. (More on this below).

Last week, the annual Space Symposium in Colorado underscored a growing Pentagon-wide effort to overhaul acquisition processes and accelerate the delivery of critical capabilities, particularly within the United States Space Force. Much of the discussion centered on structural reforms aimed at reducing bureaucratic friction, including the creation of new acquisition portfolios designed to streamline decision-making and limit the number of approvals required before funds can be executed. The initiative aligns with a broader push from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to move faster on procurement, as the department prepares for a potential influx of resources. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink framed the effort as a “once in a generation opportunity” to modernize the acquisition enterprise and ensure the department maintains its operational advantage, while emphasizing that success will depend on both internal execution and external support.



In parallel with these structural reforms, the Space Force is pursuing new acquisition strategies to support long-term capability development, including expanded use of multiyear procurement contracts. Officials emphasized that such authorities are critical to enabling contractors to make upfront investments in infrastructure and production capacity, particularly as the department demands faster timelines and greater output. The service is also exploring alternative purchasing approaches for satellites, seeking to provide industry with greater predictability while reducing overall costs. These efforts reflect a broader shift toward aligning acquisition mechanisms with emerging operational requirements, particularly as space systems become more central to joint force operations.

Senior leaders also highlighted a significant evolution in the Space Force’s operational concept, particularly in the area of orbital maneuver warfare. Chief of Space Operations Chance Saltzman indicated that the service is increasingly aligned with United States Space Command on the need to develop maneuverable, refuelable satellite architectures capable of sustaining operations over extended periods. This marks a notable shift from earlier skepticism regarding the near-term utility of such capabilities. The service’s long-term planning framework outlines a phased approach through 2040, including demonstrations of on-orbit refueling and “space tug” systems between 2025 and 2030, operationalization of refueling and high-thrust transfer vehicles in the early 2030s, and eventual fielding of a comprehensive on-orbit logistics architecture. Senior officials, including Space Command head Stephen Whiting, emphasized that maneuverability will be central to maintaining U.S. advantage in a contested space domain, reinforcing its role as a core pillar of future space warfighting capability.

Republicans reject Iran limits as war powers milestone nears (Politico 4/15)

“Senate Republicans rejected a fresh attempt to halt the U.S. military campaign against Iran on Wednesday, again backing up President Donald Trump as he projects optimism that the conflict could soon be over despite uncertain peace negotiations and a U.S. Navy blockade of Iranian ports. It’s the fourth time war powers legislation has failed since hostilities began.”



How the U.S. Navy Is Blockading the Strait of Hormuz to Choke Off Iran’s Ports (The Wall Street Journal 4/14)

“American military forces began blockading all traffic attempting to enter and leave Iranian ports on Monday, setting up a potential game of cat and mouse with shadow-fleet tankers that ship sanctioned Iranian oil from the Islamic Republic’s terminals. With enough warships, a blockade could intimidate many tankers attempting to move oil to and from Iran. But U.S. forces would also need to be ready to board and seize hostile ships that try to break the blockade.”

Space-based missile defense may cost too much for Golden Dome’s 12-figure spending plan (Defense One 4/16)

“Space-based interceptors may be too costly even for the massively budgeted Golden Dome missile defense system, the program’s leader said Wednesday. Acknowledging what many analysts have said ever since President Trump ordered up orbiting interceptors in one of the first executive orders of his second term, Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein told the House Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee on Wednesday that building and deploying satellites armed to down enemy missiles early in flight may never be affordable.”

The Pentagon wants a 188 percent bump for missile procurement. Can industry deliver? (Breaking Defense 4/13)

“The Pentagon’s budget request for fiscal 2027 increases funding for missile procurement by 188 percent — a shocking spike in demand that experts agree completely outstrips the defense industry’s production capacity. As a result, the experts say, the Pentagon and Congress are likely to provide the ability to spend this year’s funding over multiple years, while sending a signal to industry that munitions are a long-term priority amid global uncertainty.”

Trump nominates Niemi as Air Force’s inaugural chief modernization officer (DefenseScoop 4/17)

“Maj. Gen. Christopher Niemi has been nominated to serve as the Air Force’s first-ever chief modernization officer as part of a reorganization of the service’s Air Force Futures. The Trump administration announced Niemi’s nomination for promotion to three-star general on Wednesday. If confirmed by lawmakers, he would serve in a dual-hatted position as both the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for strategy, design and requirements and the service’s official chief modernization officer, according to an Air Force spokesperson.”

Pentagon, FAA sign safety agreement over counter-drone laser (DefenseScoop 4/13)

“The Pentagon and Federal Aviation Administration inked an agreement over the use of domestic counter-drone technology, the agencies said in a joint statement Friday, following back-to-back airspace incidents earlier this year and recent laser safety testing.”

Army pushes industry to share costs as GE seeks more funding for ITEP testing (Breaking Defense 4/17)

“The Army wants companies to ‘burden share’ costs when it comes to testing and development of programs, a senior aviation leader said. The comments come days after General Electric Aerospace’s statement that the company would need more money to wrap up qualification testing for the Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) in the next 12-18 months.”

Air Force secretary eyes multi-year deals for satellites, aircraft (Breaking Defense 4/17)

“The Department of the Air Force is seeking lawmakers’ blessing to award multi-year deals for aircraft and satellites, according to Secretary Troy Meink, expanding the Pentagon’s push to ramp up production for key weapons systems. Speaking Wednesday during a briefing with reporters at the Space Symposium conference here, Meink said Pentagon officials are ‘working with the Hill to help get that authority [for multi-year procurement] across the board, not only with munitions, but actually with the production of aircraft, with the production of spacecraft. And I think we’ve gotten really good support from the Hill on this.’”

Marine Corps’ inaugural agentic and genAI workshop spotlighted need for training, more trust (DefenseScoop 4/14)

“Senior military officials are reviewing all the insights and input gained from the Marine Corps’ first Generative and Agentic AI Workshop that was held in Quantico last month, according to Maj. Christopher Clark, who said the service aims to use those findings to inform integration plans and reliable tech deployments.”

Army asks lawmakers to back production halt to Paladin line (Breaking Defense 4/16)

“If the US Army gets its way, it will not be buying additional M109A7 Paladin Integrated Management (PIM) howitzers next year as it looks at alternative options to fill the gap, service Secretary Dan Driscoll told lawmakers today. ‘We are looking at a mobile tactical cannon, which can in place … [in] 40 seconds versus 15 minutes [with the PIM] which matters a lot with the drone threat,’ Driscoll told members of a House Appropriations subcommittee today.”