As Congress debates whether the Pentagon needs more money to cope with the coronavirus outbreak, Huntington Ingalls Industries' chief financial officer said the Defense Department will certainly need additional funding to cover the increased costs of delayed programs -- even if it opts not to help contractors.
Coronavirus
May 25, 2020
May 20, 2020
Mike Griffin, the Pentagon's chief technology officer, said he is concerned that weapon system research and development spending will soon be squeezed as the federal deficit mounts in the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak and pressure grows to rein in federal spending -- a view he said should come as no surprise to anyone.
May 18, 2020
The novel coronavirus outbreak is delaying plans for a limited-user test of the Integrated Battle Management System -- a high-stakes do over for the $7.7 billion Army Integrated Air and Missile Defense program following a failed 2016 assessment -- and is also expected to push a production decision from September to November.
May 15, 2020
The Air Force's top acquisition official told reporters yesterday he's approved an accelerated award of a "major satellite contract" that could be announced this week -- part of a larger effort to increase companies' cash flow during the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 14, 2020
The Defense Department inspector general today released new plans to audit the Pentagon's response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including oversight of $10.6 billion Congress has authorized for DOD to focus on the pandemic.
May 14, 2020
The Air Force Sustainment Center is working to mitigate possible supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, paying close attention to potential component shortages and reductions across the transportation network.
May 11, 2020
The Pentagon is moving aggressively under its cybersecurity certification program to create a framework and structure for contractors, vendors, and suppliers to get up to speed on what they will need to do to get certified, according to a top Defense Department official, but the process of changing acquisition rules to make the program effective could be delayed.
May 7, 2020
The president's nominee to be the next Air Force Chief of Staff told lawmakers today that, if confirmed, his first action as chief would be to develop a framework for the "post-COVID-19 security environment," noting the Defense Department may need to reconsider its priorities in light of the pandemic and address “redundancies” in its approach to modern air warfare to be more effective and efficient.
May 6, 2020
Though many defense contractors say they're now taking a break from mergers and acquisitions, some say they expect to be able to capitalize on a wave of deals once the COVID-19 pandemic has come to an end.
May 5, 2020
The Pentagon’s top weapons buyer is eyeing legislation to boost the U.S. government’s ability to scrutinize foreign investments, as officials worry about shell companies and “adversarial” investments in critical suppliers who may be especially desperate for cash during the COVID-19 outbreak.
May 4, 2020
The second Advanced Battle Management System demonstration, already delayed from April to June because of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been pushed back another two to three months, according to the head of U.S. Northern Command.
May 4, 2020
Defense Secretary Mark Esper confirmed today the Pentagon intends to seek supplemental funding from Congress to help finance its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including money to “keep priming” the defense industrial base, especially small suppliers and subcontractors.
May 4, 2020
The Pentagon intends to roll out this month detailed guidance for reimbursing defense contractors whose employees can’t work because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new memo.
May 1, 2020
The Air Force this week awarded General Electric four undefinitized contract actions worth $707 million to produce F110 engines for foreign military sales customers -- a move the service's acquisition executive said was made, in part, to support the propulsion industrial base as it faces severe impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
April 30, 2020
Pentagon acquisition chief Ellen Lord said today that for the first time since the outbreak of COVID-19, more defense companies are re-opening than closing.
April 29, 2020
Boeing faces a charge of $168 million on the VC-25B Air Force One replacement program as a result of "engineering inefficiencies" associated with the coronavirus pandemic, the company revealed in a filing today.
April 29, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic is expected to delay defense research at U.S. universities, as administrators and researchers grapple with social distancing measures, lab shutdowns, travel restrictions and potential gaps in grant funding.
April 29, 2020
The leaders of both General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman said today they are seeing some employees fail to show up for work, but said they expect absentee rates to soon improve.
April 29, 2020
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) said today he doesn't think the Defense Department should receive industrial base stimulus money in an upcoming COVID-19 rescue package, but the DOD acquisition chief says the department is planning to ask for billions.
April 28, 2020
The Pentagon is gaining new insights about risks to its international supply chain due to efforts to monitor and shore up the defense industrial base during the economic downturn caused by COVID-19.