Defense Business Alert

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord said today the Pentagon is working on new standards for the procurement of intellectual property, something she acknowledged has long been a "thorny" issue between the government and defense contractors.

Lockheed Martin Ventures has made a second investment in Ocean Aero, the developer of the Submaran unmanned maritime vehicle.

PAE, long known for maintaining facilities overseas for the State Department, has significantly expanded its reach, adding business process outsourcing and national security work, among other areas, to become a $2.5 billion contractor.

The coordinator of an influential Pentagon advisory panel says contractors who file bid protests against Defense Department acquisitions are slowing down efforts to modernize DOD's IT infrastructure.

When Huntington Ingalls Industries bought Camber in late 2016, it paired the government services company with six other businesses -- from an oil and gas company to its unmanned systems group -- to create a new division called technical solutions.

Trump administration officials said today the government has embarked on a new era in foreign military sales to boost the U.S. defense industry and maintain global influence amid the rise of China and resurgence of Russia.

Lynn Dugle, Engility's chief executive, said during a call with analysts today the contractor is seeing a much higher percentage of its existing programs being extended -- and often expanded -- rather than being recompeted.

The defense industrial base report, which is at the White House, focuses on the defense supply chain down to "the granular level," according to the Pentagon acquisition chief.

General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman, with new acquisitions under their belts, today reported sales increases during their most recent quarters.