Defense

Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll says he is locked in a “holy war” on Capitol Hill as he works to convince lawmakers to grant the service more flexible funding authority for electronic warfare, unmanned aerial systems and counter-drone efforts. The resistance Driscoll has encountered in his first eight months in the job is part of a longstanding tension between the Pentagon and Congress over the…

PARIS — France said it’s fully committed to reaching a “mutually acceptable solution” with Germany and Spain this year on the next phase of the Future Combat Air System, as prospects for the next-generation fighter project remain troubled amid infighting amongst the industrial partners. France, Germany, Spain and the companies involved are “fully mobilized” to prepare phase 2 of the…

BERLIN – Switzerland’s order of F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin will be significantly more expensive than originally expected, prompting introspection in Bern about possibly altering the procurement. The original Swiss plan was for 36 jets of the F-35A variant at a fixed price of 6 billion Swiss francs ($7.55 billion). The procurement was decided in 2021 and the contract signed…