The Pentagon wants the Defense Science Board to tackle the question of whether the nation is able to sustain an adequate nuclear deterrent workforce. Pentagon acquisition chief Kenneth Krieg has instructed the DSB to form a task force to build upon the 1999 Chiles Commission report on maintaining nuclear weapons expertise and subsequent efforts by the Energy Department and the DSB’s own recent report covering DOD’s strategic forces skills. Krieg has appointed retired Adm. Henry Chiles as task force chairman.
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.

