Adm. Michael Rogers, head of the U.S. Cyber Command, has said at a House Armed Services subcommittee hearing that his organization seeks a $647 million budget for fiscal 2018, up 17 percent from the command’s current spending level, Nextgov reported Tuesday.

He told subcommittee members that the proposed funding increase would primarily support preparations to elevate Cybercom’s status from a sub-unified military command of to a full combatant command.

Rogers, an inductee into Executive Mosaic‘s Wash100 for 2017, added that President Donald Trump will determine when the elevation should occur.

Cybercom aims to buy cyber defense tools from the private sector in the next few months under an expanded authority granted by Congress in the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act.

The 2016 NDAA allocated $75 million for the command’s annual cyber technology purchases over five years.

A fiscal 2018 spending plan released by the Trump administration does not provide  retirement dates for the U.S. Air Force‘s A-10 Warthog and U-2 reconnaissance aircraft fleets, Defense News reported Tuesday.

Defense News obtained budget documents that say the Air Force plans to allocate money for its fleet of 283 A-10s; extend the service of U-2 planes; and continue sensor upgrades to RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft systems.

Lawmakers have previously introduced measures to keep the Air Force from retiring A-10 and U-2 platforms.

Trump’s budget request would allocate $183 billion for the Air Force, up from the $171 billion in fiscal 2017 appropriated funds, reported Defense News.

The proposed Air Force budget includes $24.7 billion for procurement; $49.2 billion for operations and maintenance; and $25.4 billion for research, development, testing and evaluation programs.

The Next Generation Air Dominance, Long Range Standoff Weapon, B-21 and Air Force One replacement acquisition programs would get funding increases under the budget proposal.

Gen. John Raymond, chief of the Air Force Space Command, has said the joint force should be prepared to address potential conflicts in the space domain as potential adversaries work to build technological capabilities that seek to deny access to space, Defense News reported Monday.

Raymond made the remarks at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on national security priorities in the space domain for fiscal 2018.

He also cited his priorities such as efforts to build up space situational awareness, increase the space architecture’s defense capability, facilitate professional development among the command’s airmen and advance operations of the National Space Defense Center.

Robert Cardillo, director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and an inductee into Executive Mosaic’s Wash100 for 2017, also discussed the need to leverage artificial intelligence, algorithms and machine-to-machine learning tools to automate GEOINT data collection and analysis and facilitate the delivery of intelligence and navigation support to warfighters.

Other officials that testified at the House panel hearing include Air Force Lt. Gen. David Buck, commander of the joint functional component-space at the U.S. Strategic Command; Betty Sapp, director of the National Reconnaissance Office; and John Hill, deputy assistant defense secretary for space policy.

Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State militant group has worked to reduce ISIS-held territory and diminish the group’s financial resources, leadership and freedom of movement since coalition efforts began in 2014, DoD News reported Friday.

Dunford told reporters in a Pentagon briefing that the coalition has closed the Turkish-Syrian border in an effort to decrease the flow of foreign fighters, weapons and money to ISIS.

The general noted that the number of foreign fighters who cross the border every month has dropped to less than 100 from approximately 1,500 during its peak.

Dunford said he is working with more than 60 defense leaders to expand the coalition and cut communications between ISIS affiliates and associates.

Defense Secretary James Mattis told reporters that the coalition applied changes in the delegation of authority and in engaging adversaries following a review of anti-ISIS efforts directed by President Donald Trump.

The coalition shifted from driving militants out of safe areas to surrounding the group in their strongholds in a push to prevent escaped foreign fighters from returning home, Mattis stated.

The secretary added the coalition has grown to 68 member nations and organizations, with 26 countries contributing approximately 4,000 non-U.S. troops.

Trump’s special envoy Brett McGurk said the coalition also launched a post-conflict effort that seeks to restore communities affected by the fight against ISIS.

Coalition forces trained Iraqis to de-mine facilities and the effort has removed 34 tons of explosive material to date and brought 1.7 million displaced individuals back to their homes in Iraq, McGurk noted.