Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-California) has asked the U.S. Navy to offer the U.S. Coast Guard support in efforts to build a new heavy Arctic icebreaker ship as the platform is currently scheduled to deploy in 2025, Navy Times reported Monday.

Meghann Myers writes Hunter wrote a letter to Navy acquisition lead Sean Stackley that asks the service branch to provide insights on the Coast Guard’s Arctic missions.

Joe Kasper, Hunter’s chief of staff, told Navy Times the letter aims to start a discussion on whether the Navy should provide financial assistance for the Coast Guard’s acquisition program or help pay for the lease of a heavy icebreaker.

“The Navy’s going to have to support efforts to enhance ice-breaking capability in the Arctic if the Navy truly believes that capability is necessary,” said Kasper.

The U.S. government has fully removed its decades-long ban on sales of military equipment and weapon systems to Vietnam as the two countries aim to renew their bilateral relationship, Reuters reported Monday.

Matt Spetalnick writes President Obama said during a press conference Monday with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang in Hanoi the lifting of the U.S. arms embargo on Vietnam was not related to China’s increased military activities in the South China Sea.

“It was based on our desire to complete what has been a lengthy process of moving towards normalization with Vietnam,” Obama told reporters.

The U.S. issued a policy in October 2014 to ease restrictions on weapon shipments to Vietnam in an effort to help that country address maritime surveillance and security challenges.

Vietnam’s arms procurement requests will be considered by the federal government on a case-by-case basis, according to Spetalnick’s report.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Arizona) has said he plans to propose an amendment to the fiscal year 2017 defense policy bill to authorize $17 billion in additional funds for the Defense Department, Defense News reported Monday.

Joe Gould writes McCain told attendees at a Thursday event hosted by the Brookings Institution that he would introduce the amendment despite the spending caps in the fiscal 2015 budget deal.

“I don’t know whether or not this amendment will succeed, but the Senate must have this debate and senators must choose a side,” McCain said.

According to Defense News, McCain raised the debate on defense spending in a letter published Friday in which he called for additional funds to procure more F-18 and F-35 fighter jets, support shipbuilding efforts for Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Virginia-class submarines as well as stop the planned force reductions to the Army and Marine Corps.

The full Senate is scheduled to take up this week the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act that would allocate $602 billion in funds for DoD, Gould reports.

Resolute Support foreign ministers have agreed to continue the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan beyond 2016 to assist in the stabilization efforts of the country through political, military and financial support.

Ministers had also reviewed the financial support to the Afghan security forces with $1.4 billion U.S. dollars in the Afghan National Army Trust Fund, NATO said Friday.

“The Afghan forces are showing real courage, determination, and professionalism; and they are benefitting from our training, advice and assistance; but Afghanistan continues to face serious security challenges,” said Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General.

“That is why today, ministers agreed to sustain the Resolute Support mission beyond 2016. Our military authorities will now address the details of the mission beyond 2016, including in the regions of Afghanistan.”

The Afghan foreign minister updated the ministers on the Afghan National Unity Government’s efforts to stop corruption, uphold human rights and advance the peace process.

Stoltenberg added, “I am confident that we will be able to announce at the Warsaw Summit firm commitments to continue funding the Afghan forces through the year 2020.”

“This is critical for Afghanistan’s ability to build sustainable security forces and ensure Afghanistan’s lasting security. Ministers also reaffirmed our long-term ambition for a strong political partnership and practical cooperation with Afghanistan.”