Pentagon acquisition chief Ellen Lord said today the Defense Department is working on a plan that could allow it to reimburse contractors experiencing pandemic-related hardships and inefficiencies with lump sums, rather than negotiate many smaller settlements.
Coronavirus
August 12, 2020
The Navy's acquisition executive said today the service is not "out of the woods" in terms of a shipyard being shut down as a result of the coronavirus.
August 6, 2020
The Pentagon is telling Congress it needs $11 billion in emergency supplemental funding to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across its acquisition portfolio and the U.S. defense industrial base, according to a new document obtained by Inside Defense outlining expected delays to specific programs.
August 5, 2020
Sikorsky will deliver the first production lot of HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopters one month later than expected next year because of issues created by the coronavirus pandemic, according to an Air Force spokesman.
July 30, 2020
Several defense contractors this week said sales rose during the most recent quarter, despite the ongoing pandemic.
July 29, 2020
General Dynamics reported a $40 million charge in a program at its information technology business in its most recent quarter because the company is unable to get its employees to the European worksite, according to its chief executive.
July 28, 2020
A new report on the state of the space industrial base released today highlights the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on space companies, and urges the Defense Department to take advantage of "offensive and defensive economic tools" to support technology development that will be key to a healthy industry base today and in the future.
Senate COVID relief proposal includes billions for defense contractor reimbursements, weapon systems
Senate Republicans have released their proposal for a fourth round of COVID-19 legislation that includes $11 billion for defense contractor reimbursements, as well as billions more for the Defense Department to purchase new weapon systems.
July 10, 2020
House appropriators are criticizing the Defense Department for spending most of its COVID-19 relief funds propping up weapon systems manufacturers, rather than bolstering the U.S. supply of personal protective equipment.
July 9, 2020
In a new letter sent to the Pentagon this week, eight of the largest defense contractors say they are preparing their estimated costs related to COVID-19 relief legislation and warn the Pentagon will need additional funding to cover these expenses.
July 8, 2020
Pentagon acquisition chief Ellen Lord says the United States should "re-shore" the production of key capabilities like microelectronics after the COVID-19 crisis exposed weaknesses in the Defense Department's supply chain.
July 7, 2020
BAE Systems' U.S. business now has a committee assessing the future of work at the company given the changes brought by the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, according to BAE's new chief executive.
July 6, 2020
The Pentagon’s chief pricing official has issued new guidance to acquisition program managers on how to assess the costs and impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on defense contractors, noting that additional funding has not yet been appropriated by Congress to reimburse companies for pandemic-related hardships or delays.
June 30, 2020
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) said today he believes the Defense Department does not require supplemental funding to reimburse defense contractors for coronavirus-related hardships, despite the Pentagon acquisition chief's call for "low double-digit billions.
June 25, 2020
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) is proposing $1 billion for a new "pandemic preparedness" fund for the Pentagon to conduct medical research and bolster small businesses critical to national security.
June 23, 2020
The commanding general of U.S. Army Recruiting Command said today the service is developing a new concept focused on tech-savvy recruiters while shifting all recruiting operations virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.
June 22, 2020
Pentagon acquisition chief Ellen Lord said today the defense industrial base is making an "enormous recovery" after a three-month slowdown caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, but she stressed the continued need for supplemental funding in the "lower double-digit" billions to reimburse contractors for pandemic-related disruptions.
June 21, 2020
A House panel is proposing legislation that would direct the Navy to arm DDG-1000 destroyers with an intermediate-range hypersonic weapon, require a sweeping analysis of alternatives before the Missile Defense Agency commits to a new layered homeland defense architecture, require the president to participate in an annual nuclear command and control exercise, and provide an unclassified report on foreign nuclear weapon programs.
June 11, 2020
The top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee said today they support Pentagon acquisition chief Ellen Lord's assessment that the Defense Department will need billions in supplemental funding to reimburse contractors for costs related to COVID-19.
June 11, 2020
The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 25-2 Wednesday evening to approve its version of the fiscal year 2021 defense authorization bill, including billions of dollars in new U.S. military investments focused on deterring China in the Indo-Pacific region.