Latest news with #DOD
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump plays a radical game by personally screening nominees for four-star generals
Ordinarily, when U.S. military leaders are being considered for a fourth star, they meet with the defense secretary at the Pentagon discuss their future and possible promotion. But with growing questions about Secretary Pete Hegseth and the degree to which he's calling the shots at the DOD, The New York Times reported on a different model in the current administration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has begun requiring that nominees for four-star-general positions meet with President Trump before their nominations are finalized, in a departure from past practice, said three current and former U.S. officials. The move, though within Mr. Trump's remit as commander in chief, has raised worries about the possible politicization of the military's top ranks by a president who has regularly flouted norms intended to insulate the military from partisan disputes. While the Times' reporting has not been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News, the White House effectively confirmed the story. 'President Trump wants to ensure our military is the greatest and most lethal fighting force in history, which is why he meets with four-star-general nominees directly to ensure they are war fighters first — not bureaucrats,' a White House spokesperson told the Times. We were warned that steps like these were coming. About a month before Election Day 2024, Trump said during an interview, 'The military is bad. We have generals that do such a bad job.' A week earlier, the Republican explicitly said he intended to create a system that would help keep 'woke generals' out of the Defense Department. He'd lashed out at U.S. generals before, but this was new: Trump sketched out a system in which military leaders would be subjected to some kind of ideological review. That was nine months ago. Now, the president is apparently taking related steps in the same direction, personally screening generals before they can earn their fourth stars. Journalist and historian Garrett Graff noted in response to the reporting, 'Trump is steadily poisoning the nonpartisan apolitical nature of the military's leadership—which will be a bell hard for future presidents to unring once it's happened.' Darin Self, a political scientist at Brigham Young University, added, 'You don't need a scholar of authoritarianism and the military like me to tell you this does not produce good outcomes.' There's a growing body of evidence to suggest the White House is blurring the lines between partisan politics and the country's armed forces, and the more these efforts advance, the more dangerous it becomes to our constitutional system of government. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on
News.com.au
a day ago
- Business
- News.com.au
US delays AUKUS review as defence spending row drags on
Anthony Albanese has denied the US is using its AUKUS review as 'leverage' after the Trump administration delayed it by several months. Donald Trump's defence policy chief, Elbridge Colby, announced the delay on Wednesday morning (AEST) but did not give a firm date. Instead, Mr Colby, an AUKUS sceptic, said the review would be completed 'in the fall' – much longer than the initial 30 days. It comes as the Albanese government resists Washington's demand to hike defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP in response to China's rapid military build-up. Mr Colby's office said the AUKUS review 'will be an empirical and clear-eyed assessment of the initiative's alignment with President Trump's America First approach'. — DoD Policy (@DOD_Policy) July 29, 2025 'As part of this process, the (US Department of Defence) looks forward to continuing regular engagements on this important matter with other parts of the US government, the US Congress, our allies Australia and the United Kingdom and other key stakeholders,' his office said. 'The department anticipates completing the review in the fall. 'Its purpose will be to provide the President and his senior leadership team with a fact-based, rigorous assessment of the initiative.' Speaking to reporters at Parliament House, the Prime Minister was asked if the delay was 'a cause for concern'. 'No, it is not surprising that that would be the case and something that we expected something like that,' Mr Albanese said. 'We expected a review from an incoming government just like the Keir Starmer government did (in the UK). 'We expect that those things take longer than just 30 days.' Asked if it was being used as 'leverage', he simply replied: 'No.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Boeing CEO says defense business can weather looming worker strike
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said Tuesday he's not worried about the impact of an impending strike that would include 3,200 union workers that produce fighter aircraft and munitions at factories in Missouri and Illinois. The threat of a strike follows the employees' rejection Sunday of Boeing's most recent contract proposal. The International Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union said in statement a strike could begin Aug. 4 if the parties don't reach a deal before the end of a weeklong cooling off period. Ortberg noted during the company's second quarter earnings call that the scope of the potential strike — which includes mechanics in plants in St. Louis and St. Charles, Missouri — would be much smaller than that of the 30,000-worker strike last fall. During that strike, the company took a $661 million charge on its KC-46 tanker development contract with the U.S. Air Force, in part due to work stoppages on the Air Force's KC-46 tanker. 'We'll manage through this,' he said. 'I wouldn't worry too much about the implications of the strike.' Along with the KC-46, Boeing holds contracts for several major Defense Department programs, including the Air Force's F-47 and F-15EX fighters, T-7 training jet and the Air Force One recapitalization effort. Ortberg, who took over as CEO nearly a year ago, said the company is making a 'turnaround,' after taking major losses in 2024. On the defense side, the firm is making 'renewed efforts around baseline and risk management' on key military programs. The goal is to get to 'high single-digit' profit margins in the near future. One of those efforts is to avoid entering into fixed-price development contracts with DOD, which put the company at risk of accruing major charges from the government for exceeding cost and schedule targets. Boeing's KC-46 work offers a cautionary tale for this approach, after years of quality problems and overages have resulted in more than $7 billion in additional costs for the company. 'We're not making the errors of the past and signing up for fixed-price development, high-risk programs,' Ortberg said, noting that while the company carries several major development programs, it's working closely with the DOD to de-risk that work. 'We're just going to have to keep doing that,' he said. Sign in to access your portfolio
AllAfrica
3 days ago
- Business
- AllAfrica
Trump's AI Action Plan aims for global domination
'Winning the Race: America's AI Action Plan' envisions a world controlled by all-knowing US technology. It begins by declaring that 'The United States is in a race to achieve global dominance in artificial intelligence (AI). Whoever has the largest AI ecosystem will set global AI standards and reap broad economic and military benefits. Just like we won the space race, it is imperative that the United States and its allies win this race.' Released by the White House on July 23, the plan 'identifies over 90 Federal policy actions across three pillars – Accelerating Innovation, Building American AI Infrastructure, and Leading in International Diplomacy and Security – that the Trump Administration will take in the coming weeks and months.' In retrospect, it appears that the release of China's DeepSeek AI model last January really was a 'Sputnik moment.' With 23 pages of text, the Action Plan offers a highly detailed assessment of what needs to be done to 'achieve the President's vision of global AI dominance.' It is a mission statement from an activist government, complete with an alphabet soup of departmental acronyms. For example: 'Led by DOD, DHS, and ODNI, in coordination with OSTP, NSC, OMB, and the Office of the National Cyber Director [ONCD] encourage the responsible sharing of AI vulnerability information as part of ongoing efforts to implement Executive Order 14306, 'Sustaining Select Efforts to Strengthen the Nation's Cybersecurity and Amending Executive Order 13694 and Executive Order 14144.' That's Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Office of Science and Technology Policy, National Security Council and Office of Management and Budget. Also, 'Through DOL, DOE, ED, NSF, and DOC, partner with state and local governments and workforce system stakeholders to support the creation of industry-driven training programs that address workforce needs tied to priority AI infrastructure occupations.' That's Department of Labor, Department of Energy, Education Department (Department of Education), National Science Foundation and Department of Commerce. Trump's opponents claim that he is gutting the federal bureaucracy and wiping out decades of accumulated expertise. It seems more accurate to say that he is wiping out opposition to his policies within the bureacracy and changing it to suit his own purposes. That is what we might expect from those responsible for the Action Plan: White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios, AI and Crypto Czar David Sachs and Secretary of State and Acting National Security Advisor Marco Rubio. Krastios served as Chief Technology Officer of the United States and Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering in the first Trump administration. Before that, he was a financial professional and investor who eventually became Peter Thiel's chief of staff. Theil was a co-founder of both PayPal and Palantir, the prominent developer of defense and intelligence data analytics software. Sachs, who is also chairman of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, is a venture capitalist and entrepreneur who started working for Thiel prior to the formation of PayPal, where he became COO. He is a member of the 'PayPal Mafia,' which also includes Elon Musk. According to Krastios, 'America's AI Action Plan charts a decisive course to cement US dominance in artificial intelligence.' According to Sachs: 'Artificial intelligence is a revolutionary technology with the potential to transform the global economy and alter the balance of power in the world… To win the AI race, the US must lead in innovation, infrastructure, and global partnerships. At the same time, we must center American workers and avoid Orwellian uses of AI.' 'Orwellian uses of AI' – we will come back to that. Rubio said, 'Winning the AI Race is non-negotiable.' As if China, the European Union and others negotiate their progress in science, technology and entrepreneurship with the US. The Action Plan has three main 'pillars': (1) Accelerate AI Innovation, (2) Build American AI Infrastructure, and (3) Lead in International AI Diplomacy and Security. To accelerate innovation, the authors recommend the elimination of red tape and the denial federal funding to states with regluations that 'may hinder the effectiveness of that funding.' 'President Trump,' they write, 'has already taken multiple steps toward this goal, including rescinding Biden Executive Order 14110 on AI that foreshadowed an onerous regulatory regime.' – i.e.. extending the roll-back of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, as well as attempts to limit the influence of big tech companies, from the federal government to states controlled by the Democrats. The goal is to 'Ensure that Frontier AI protects free speech and American values,' as they define them. The authors also want to support next-generation manufacturing, invest in AI-enabled science, build world-class scientific datasets, prioritize AI skills in education and workforce training programs, facilitate AI adoption across society as a whole, and accelerate AI adoption in government, particularly in the Department of Defense. To support next-generation manufacturing, the plan is to: Invest in developing and scaling foundational and translational manufacturing technologies via DOD, DOC, DOE, NSF, and other Federal agencies using the Small Business Innovation Research program, the Small Business Technology Transfer program, research grants, CHIPS R&D programs, Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act authorities, Title III of the Defense Production Act… and other authorities… Led by DOC through NTIA [National Telecommunications and Information Administration], convene industry and government stakeholders to identify supply chain challenges to American robotics and drone manufacturing. In order to speed up the rebuilding of US semiconductor manufacturing, the authors recommend 'removing all extraneous policy requirements for CHIPS-funded semiconductor manufacturing projects' – e.g., collective bargaining, hiring based on social position rather than experience and ability, and other Biden-era priorities – in favor of return on investment. All this will require streamlined permitting for data centers, semiconductor manufacturing facilities and energy infrastructure. The Action Plan declares that: AI is the first digital service in modern life that challenges America to build vastly greater energy generation than we have today. American energy capacity has stagnated since the 1970s while China has rapidly built out their grid. America's path to AI dominance depends on changing this troubling trend. This means dumping the climate change-focused concern with energy conservation and zero carbon. To this end, President Trump issued an Executive Order last February that established the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC). The order states that: 'We must expand all forms of reliable and affordable energy production… including our crude oil, natural gas, lease condensates, natural gas liquids, refined petroleum products, uranium, coal, biofuels, geothermal heat, the kinetic movement of flowing water, and critical minerals.' The administration also wants to 'Expedite environmental permitting by streamlining or reducing regulations promulgated under the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, and other relevant related laws.' Despite claims to the contrary, its policies are likely to accelerate environmental degradation. In order to 'Lead in International AI Diplomacy and Security,' the Action Plan states that the US 'must drive adoption of American AI systems… throughout the world… by exporting its full AI technology stack – hardware, models, software, applications, and standards – to all countries willing to join America's AI alliance.' This means countering the AI governance and development policies of the UN, OECD, G7, G20, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and other international organizations, which have too often 'advocated for burdensome regulations, vague 'codes of conduct' that promote cultural agendas that do not align with American values, or have been influenced by Chinese companies attempting to shape standards for facial recognition and surveillance.' Never mind that the best facial recognition technology is Japanese. All international organizations are suspect. Even the G7 cannot be trusted. While promoting the use of American AI throughout the world, the plan also recommends expanding controls on exports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment from EUV lithography and other advanced technologies to sub-systems in cooperation with 'partners and allies,' using the Foreign Direct Product Rule (controls on the sale of any product made anywhere in the world using American technology) and secondary tariffs to force them to cooperate, if that is necessary. This is a carry-over from the Biden administration that reflects ongoing frustration with European and Japanese unwillingness to sacrifice even more of their business in China, which is the world's largest market for semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Trump's current approach to semiconductor sanctions on China reflects both the ideals of the plan and objective reality. He recently lifted restrictions on the sale of both Nvidia's H20 AI processors and EDA (electronic design automation) chip design software to China. Pressured into doing this by Chinese restrictions on exports of rare earth metals and magnets, he satisfied Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, but also helped Chinese designers of AI processors. Huang, who does not want to be locked out of the world's largest market for semiconductors and who has arguably replaced Elon Musk as Trump's chief technology guru, said: 'The reason why it was so important to get H20 back into the China market is that… 50% of the world's AI researchers are in China, tens of thousands of AI startups in China. We want to make sure we have every opportunity to compete in that marketplace and win those developers, and when that happens… when half of the world's AI researchers develop on an American tech stack, as the technology diffuses around the world and proliferates around the world, we become the global standard.' In their AI Action Plan, Krastios, Sachs, Rubio – and, by extension, President Trump – see the promise of AI as virtually unlimited: Winning the AI race will usher in a new golden age of human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security for the American people. AI will enable Americans to discover new materials, synthesize new chemicals, manufacture new drugs, and develop new methods to harness energy – an industrial revolution. It will enable radically new forms of education, media, and communication – an information revolution. And it will enable altogether new intellectual achievements: unraveling ancient scrolls once thought unreadable, making breakthroughs in scientific and mathematical theory, and creating new kinds of digital and physical art – a renaissance. An industrial revolution, an information revolution, and a renaissance – all at once. This is the potential that AI presents.' Nvidia's Huang is on the same page, declaring that 'The age of AI has started. A new computing era that will impact every industry and every field of science,' after receiving an honorary doctorate in engineering from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology last November As for the 'Orwellian uses of AI,' the authors note that 'Finally, we must prevent our advanced technologies from being misused or stolen by malicious actors as well as monitor for emerging and unforeseen risks from AI. Doing so will require constant vigilance.' Presumably, the primary malicious actor they have in mind is China, although hackers, scammers and thieves come to mind, as does what 'constant vigilance' might entail. In March, President Trump signed an executive order removing barriers to data-sharing across agencies of the federal government and Palantir has been hired to combine and organize that data. This opens the door to a degree of surveillance that could be used to create an American version of China's social credit system, which monitors and evaluates the trustworthiness of individuals and organizations in the eyes of the government. It might seem, therefore, that Trump is trying to meet the Chinese challenge by adopting Chinese methods; however, China leads the world in renewable energy and electric vehicles, while Trump is throwing environmental protection to the wind. Follow this writer on X: @ScottFo83517667
The Hill
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Pentagon halts participation in research, think tank events
The Defense Department (DOD) is halting the participation of its officials in research and think tank events, for now, according to a new directive issued this week. Now, the Pentagon will vet every event where national security officials are invited to speak to ensure the gathering is aligned with the values of the department. 'In order to ensure the Department of Defense is not lending its name and credibility to organizations, forums and events that run counter to the values of this administration, the Department's Office of Public Affairs will be conducting a thorough vetting of every event where Defense officials are invited to participate,' Pentagon's chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in an emailed statement to The Hill. The order, which went into effect on Tuesday, came just over a week after the Pentagon decided to pull senior DOD officials from the annual Aspen Security Forum, a four-day summit in Colorado, saying the national security gathering 'promotes the evil of globalism, disdain for our great country and hatred for the President of the United States.' Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson said in a Thursday post on the social media platform X that 'going forward, no DOD official will attend events by America Last organizations' that promote 'globalism' and 'hate' President Trump. The DOD has banned officials from participating in the Halifax International Security Forum, an annual gathering of military and foreign officials, slated to take place in November, and it is analyzing whether the Pentagon should be part of other security summits, according to Politico, which first reported on the decision. The order applies to civil servants, military officers and senior leaders, who will be asked to provide talking points for their speeches before going on stage, Politico reported, citing an internal email sent to DOD personnel. Former high-ranking DOD officials, including ex-defense secretaries, have participated in national security conferences where they have given speeches, outlining aspects of U.S. defense policy, and met with their counterparts. 'The days of 'business as usual' are OVER,' Wilson, the DOD spokesperson, wrote on X.
