The Army is working to integrate modern capabilities on the battlefield to provide a layered approach to addressing a widening array of complex threats.
There are bipartisan calls to hit the breaks as defense spending nears $1 trillion. Others say that amount is not enough to fund U.S. strategy worldwide.
If Boeing ends up acquiring Spirit, it would bring the aircraft component manufacturer back under Boeing's wing for the first time in nearly two decades.
The defense industry has lobbied hard to fully restore a Trump-era R&D tax credit. The House has passed a compromise bill restoring it, but not the Senate.
Lawmakers kicked FY24 defense funding further down the road, raising fears at the Pentagon that congressional inaction may soon result in a 1% sequester.