The Government Accountability Office has urged the Defense Department to update its Financial Management Regulation to help maintain cash balances within upper and lower cash requirements.

GAO said Friday DoD’s Defense-wide Working Capital Fund reported that monthly cash balances were outside limits set by FMR for 87 of 120 months from fiscal years 2007 through 2016.

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Defense Information Systems Agency and Defense Logistics Agency use the DWWCF to charge for goods and services delivered to the U.S. military and other customers.

GAO noted the cash reserves were outside requirements primarily due to changes in fuel costs.

DoD’s FMR includes guidance on tools managers can use to help keep monthly cash balances within limits but the regulation does not contain instructions on when to use such tools.

The DWWCF might not be able to pay bills on time or hold funds that could be used for other priorities when monthly cash balances do not meet requirements for a long time, the report stated.

GAO recommended DoD to update the FMR to add guidance on when DoD managers should use available tools to maintain monthly cash balances within required levels.

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the fiscal 2018 defense policy bill would ban Kaspersky Lab‘s anti-virus software from Defense Department systems and reorganize the DoD chief information officer position, Defense One reported Friday.

SASC unanimously approved the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, that calls for the department to divide the current CIO duties between the chief management officer and a new “chief information warfare officer.”

A provision of the bill would also prevent all DoD components from using anti-virus software made by Moscow-based company Kaspersky, due to reports that the firm might be influenced by the Russian government.

Kaspersky said it does not have ties with any government and has not supported cyber espionage activities.

Both provisions are not included in the House Armed Service Committee’s version of the 2018 NDAA, according to Defense News.

Matthew Donovan, a policy director and professional staff member at the Senate Armed Services Committee, has been nominated to serve as the next U.S. Air Force undersecretary, Air Force Times reported Thursday.

In his current role, Donovan advises committee Chairman John McCain (R-Arizona) on matters related to the Defense Department‘s fixed-wing, manned and unmanned tactical aviation programs for all four service branches, as well as on Air Force aircraft procurement, research, development, bomber, mobility and sustainment efforts.

The 26-year Air Force officer has recorded more than 2,900 flight hours with F-15 and F-5E aircraft during his military career.

He also supported various combat missions as a pilot under Operation Southern Watch in Iraq and led the 95th Fighter Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base.

Donovan worked as a senior defense policy analyst at Science Applications International Corp. from October 2008 to March 2009.

Patrick Shanahan, senior vice president of supply chain and operations at Boeing, has been approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee to serve as deputy defense secretary, DoD Buzz reported Wednesday.

The panel sent Shanahan’s nomination to the full Senate floor through a voice vote Wednesday three months after President Donald Trump nominated him for the post.

The committee voted on his nomination after he stated his position on whether the U.S. government should supply lethal defensive equipment to Ukraine amid Russia’s aggression.

Shanahan will succeed Robert Work in the Defense Department role once approved by the full Senate.

The 30-year Boeing veteran previously served as VP and general manager of the aerospace company’s missile defense systems and rotorcraft systems segments.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO secretary general, said that the alliance has committed to continue supporting Afghanistan and its forces through 2017 and beyond, DoD News reported Thursday.

The report noted that approximately 39 countries will collaborate to help boost security in Afghanistan through the delivery of funding assistance for Afghan security forces and the deployment of troops under the Resolute Support Mission.

NATO member states have planned to increase military spending in response to President Donald Trump’s recommendation for allies to spend more for national defense.

“We count on our Afghan partners to make good on their commitments, including: key reforms on good governance and the rule of law, fighting corruption and protecting the rights of women and girls,” said Stoltenberg.

Stoltenberg discussed the impact of burden-sharing at NATO summits in Wales and Warsaw wherein allies have agreed to spend two percent of gross domestic products on security technologies.

The House Armed Services Committee voted Wednesday on its version of fiscal 2018 defense policy bill that would establish a new military branch to oversee the U.S. Air Force’s space programs and missions, Federal News Radio reported Thursday.

Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Alabama) and Jim Cooper (D-Tennessee) introduced into the House panel’s National Defense Authorization Act a provision that would direct the Defense Department to form the U.S. Space Corps by January 2019 and order the Air Force secretary to manage the new organization.

The measure would also require the appointment of a Space Corps chief of staff and ask DoD to report to Congress in March and August 2018 on how it will establish the new military branch.

“We started working on it vigorously in September, and we’ve had countless meetings with a number of experts who have advised us as to how this should be construed,” Rogers said.

“This idea for a space corps as one of the solutions to Air Force space came from the Rumsfeld Commission in 2001,” he added.

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s defense policy bill for fiscal 2018 would provide the U.S. Air Force with $1.2 billion in funds to acquire a new light attack aircraft through the OA-X procurement program, Defense News reported Thursday.

The Senate panel approved its version of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act through a unanimous vote Wednesday.

“The idea behind putting in funding is to actually move this program along,” a Senate aide told reporters Thursday.

“The best way to do that is to provide funding to get the program started.”

The Air Force plans to decide on the potential OA-X program once it conducts a flight demonstration in August at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.

A team composed of Sierra Nevada and Embraer’s defense and security business will participate in the event to demonstrate the A-29 Super Tucano aircraft.

Textron will also showcase the Scorpion jet and AT-6 aircraft at the event, the report added.