# DOD DEFENSE DIGEST
Welcome to this week's Defense Digest, where we bring you the latest from the Pentagon. I'm your host, bringing you the most significant developments from the Department of Defense.
The biggest headline this week: The House has narrowly passed a massive reconciliation bill that includes $150 billion for defense spending. By a razor-thin margin of 215-214-1, this GOP-backed package aims to boost the Trump administration's defense priorities, including the ambitious Golden Dome program.
This funding is crucial for the administration's goal to hit $1 trillion in defense spending for fiscal year 2026. As Senator Roger Wicker acknowledged during a hearing this week, "Much of the funding of the defense reconciliation bill will be unspecific because of House and Senate rules, and would technically be at the discretion of the Department of Defense."
In border security news, approximately 1,115 additional service members have been approved to deploy to the Southern Border. These troops will provide enhanced sustainment, engineering, medical, and operational capabilities as part of the DOD's approach to gain "full operational control" of the southern border under President Trump's Executive Orders.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a pay raise for Army paratroopers, demonstrating the administration's commitment to supporting specialized forces. The Pentagon is also accepting a Qatari jet to be modified for use as Air Force One, with the Air Force preparing to award a contract for modifications that could cost over $1 billion according to one senator.
In policy changes, the DOD published organization-defined parameters for NIST SP 800-171 Revision 3 in April, affecting cybersecurity requirements across defense contractors.
Looking at budget planning, DOD's 2025 budget totals $850 billion, which is actually 1.7% less than 2024 in real terms. Over the next five years, day-to-day operations costs are projected to increase from $522 billion to $537 billion, while acquisition costs will see only a slight 0.9% increase.
For more information on these developments, visit defense.gov, where you can also subscribe to receive DOD updates directly to your inbox.
This has been Defense Digest. Join us next week for more defense news and analysis.
Welcome to this week's Defense Digest, where we bring you the latest from the Pentagon. I'm your host, bringing you the most significant developments from the Department of Defense.
The biggest headline this week: The House has narrowly passed a massive reconciliation bill that includes $150 billion for defense spending. By a razor-thin margin of 215-214-1, this GOP-backed package aims to boost the Trump administration's defense priorities, including the ambitious Golden Dome program.
This funding is crucial for the administration's goal to hit $1 trillion in defense spending for fiscal year 2026. As Senator Roger Wicker acknowledged during a hearing this week, "Much of the funding of the defense reconciliation bill will be unspecific because of House and Senate rules, and would technically be at the discretion of the Department of Defense."
In border security news, approximately 1,115 additional service members have been approved to deploy to the Southern Border. These troops will provide enhanced sustainment, engineering, medical, and operational capabilities as part of the DOD's approach to gain "full operational control" of the southern border under President Trump's Executive Orders.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a pay raise for Army paratroopers, demonstrating the administration's commitment to supporting specialized forces. The Pentagon is also accepting a Qatari jet to be modified for use as Air Force One, with the Air Force preparing to award a contract for modifications that could cost over $1 billion according to one senator.
In policy changes, the DOD published organization-defined parameters for NIST SP 800-171 Revision 3 in April, affecting cybersecurity requirements across defense contractors.
Looking at budget planning, DOD's 2025 budget totals $850 billion, which is actually 1.7% less than 2024 in real terms. Over the next five years, day-to-day operations costs are projected to increase from $522 billion to $537 billion, while acquisition costs will see only a slight 0.9% increase.
For more information on these developments, visit defense.gov, where you can also subscribe to receive DOD updates directly to your inbox.
This has been Defense Digest. Join us next week for more defense news and analysis.
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