Defense News reports that “the uncertainty over whether Congress will pass a budget has been “very challenging” for both the Air Force and its industry partners, the service’s top military acquisitions official said Wednesday.”  

“’The last couple of years, and this year included, have been a real challenging time because of the uncertainty,’ Lt. Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski, military deputy for acquisition, told reporters at an event hosted by the Defense Writer’s Group. ‘First the challenge of the budget going down, but even more the uncertainty of not knowing when you’ll have the ability to execute your contracts.'”  

“’It’s made it very challenging, both for us and for industry.’”  

“The good news, such as it is, is that the Air Force has become used to the budget uncertainty and planned accordingly to keep major programs on track this year. But not knowing what fiscal parameters the service will have to operate under next year challenges what acquisition decisions can and must be made to meet priorities.”