The U.S. government said Nov. 15 that a Russian anti-satellite missile test created hundreds of thousands of new pieces of orbital debris in a "dangerous, reckless, and irresponsible" act that threatens the interests of the whole world. State Department spokesperson Ned Price confirmed reports, saying in the department's daily briefing that Russia had "recklessly conducted a destructive satellite test of a direct-ascent satellite missile against one of its own satellites."

The fastest ways to hobble a major acquisition program are to put it through the funding instability of continuing resolutions or to apply constant major changes to the requirements once the program is well underway, panelists said on an AFA Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies webinar Nov. 15. The one major aircraft program over the past three decades that escaped serious problems in development and production—the Navy’s F/A-18E/F—benefitted from being largely left alone by Congress and senior Pentagon leaders in these regards.

A complete change in leadership is coming for one of the most important committees in the Senate, a change that could have trickle-down effects for the defense subcommittee that wields major influence over the Pentagon’s budget. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Nov. 15 that he would not seek reelection in 2022. Leahy currently serves as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which oversees all discretionary spending legislation.

The White House directed the Department of Veterans Affairs to help veterans exposed to burn pits and other in-service toxic hazards get the care they need, but a leading veterans group says the effort is just more “wonky doublespeak that doesn’t accomplish or change anything.”

"Foreign adversaries increasingly are incorporating technological superiority into strategic planning to gain advantage over the U.S. While sometimes coming from true scientific advances and genuine research and development, for some adversaries reverse engineering, intellectual property theft, corporate espionage, and cyber intrusions constitute official state policy. Many new players in the tech space are seeking defense contracts. While bringing fresh ideas and innovation, they need partnerships with experienced contractors that can lead the efforts," writes Michael Marks, head of a consultancy specializing in competitive intelligence, opposition research, technology scouting, forecasting, and predictive analysis.