Senior military leaders are joining together to warn Capitol Hill that there will be readiness problems if an appropriations bill is not approved.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the Ronald Reagan National Defense Forum that the Pentagon is actively working to make it easier to land contracts and produce new, needed technologies at a time the Defense Department is desperate for innovation.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Dec. 4 that the department “is committed to ensuring Ukraine has what it needs to protect its sovereign territory.” 

The U.S. Air Force’s entire fleet had a mission-capable rate of 71.53% in fiscal 2021, a slight drop from 2020’s total rate of 72.74%.

The SLS is a cornerstone of NASA efforts to return to the Moon with human explorers and prepare for human expeditions to Mars.

The contract is significant for both countries and is France’s largest-ever arms export deal.

The service wants its systems to be smaller, more portable and more durable so that they can be deployed.

The cooperation agreement signed in Rome on Dec. 2 covers the supply of 18 Leonardo AW169M helicopters.