Defense Business Alert

The Pentagon intends to launch a program next month to connect small, but promising technology companies with “trusted” venture capitalists, rather than risk the companies going into business with Chinese investors.  

The Pentagon has moved in recent years to better secure key technologies from potential adversaries like China, but those efforts are increasingly coming into conflict with the Defense Department's attempts to work with commercial businesses. 

Jacobs will operate KeyW as a bolt-on acquisition for the first six months while it addresses redundant costs, but the company will then make decisions about how to further integrate the contractor, a top Jacobs executive told Inside Defense this week.

As the Pentagon conducts high-level conversations with key U.S. allies on strengthening defense industrial base cooperation, a new proposal has emerged that could become legislation used to lower barriers for technology transfer between the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Defense industry advocates say they are waiting for the Pentagon to implement more than 150 acquisition reform measures passed into law several years ago, and they hope new legislation being drafted by House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Mac Thornberry (R-TX) will do something to break up the bureaucratic logjam.

A Defense Department investigation has found no conflicts of interest tainted the integrity of the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure acquisition, and DOD has identified proposals from Amazon and Microsoft as the only two bids in the "competitive range" eligible to win the award, worth up to $10 billion.

The National Defense Industrial Association is opposing a recommendation in the Section 809 panel's report to end mandatory small-business set-asides.

FLIR Systems is refocusing its attention on its government and defense business, making significant acquisitions to bolster its unmanned work and opening a new headquarters in Arlington, VA, to be closer to the Pentagon.

LMI Ventures, the new venture capital fund created by LMI, will focus on key technology areas that could benefit the company's customers and seek to make small bets in early-stage companies, according to LMI's chief executive.