The House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee met last week—in closed sessions—with the Air Force and Navy in one session, the Army and Marine Corps in another, and Guard and Reserve in a third. The subject was readiness. According to Government Executive, panel chair Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), who has vehemently opposed the war in Iraq, wants to tie any future war supplemental to US force readiness.
The Air Force is upgrading some 70 MQ-9 Reapers to a new configuration that will keep the type capable and relevant to the near-peer fight for another 15 years. It awarded General Atomics a $272.3 million contract to enhance the Reaper's weapons, electric power, connectivity, and resistance to jamming, among…