Tag Archives: defense

Pentagon Approves Use of Advanced Devices from Apple and Others – but Don’t Expect Quick Change

Chris Carroll (@ChrisCarroll_), Stars and Stripes. On Friday the Defense Information Systems Agency announced the long rumored approval of the Security Technical Implementation Guide, or STIG, for Apple iOS6 devices to be used on the Defense Department’s networks. This move effectively clears the department’s various entities to purchase products like iPhones and iPads officially for the first time joining previously approved Samsung Android devices. While there is some excitement among Apple diehards, Carroll points out that it won’t be an overnight change by any means. BlackBerry clearly owns the government market…

2014 DoD Budget a Step Toward ‘Grand Bargain’

John T. Bennett (@BennettJohnT), Defense News. The Obama Administration issued its 2014 budget last week including a $526.6 billion request for the Pentagon that ignores sequestration and mandatory limits set by Congress. There is a lot of slicing and dicing of the various numbers this week but the general consensus is that the request is really a political move to build the foundation for a hoped for “grand bargain” fiscal deal with the House Republicans. Within the budget is a call for another round of base closings and full funding for the F-35 but most see it as an…

Lockheed Machinists Vote Overwhelmingly to Strike

Bob Cox, Star-Telegram. Machinists at Lockheed Martin’s Texas manufacturing facility voted to reject the company’s final contract offer on Sunday, leading to a likely shut down of the production line for F-35 and F-16 fighters and yet another setback for the troubled program. At issue were proposals surrounding pensions for future employees and a reduction in health care plans and higher costs for employees. The Machinists Local 776 represents some 3,600 workers at the Ft. Worth facility, and Lockheed already warned government contracting officers of the possible work disruption last week.

SAS12: The Navy’s Happy Warrior Strikes Back

Phillip Ewing, DoD Buzz. Going into last…

Bidding Reopens Next Week on Controversial Afghan Aircraft Contract

Agence France-Presse. The Air Force announced it will try again to reopen the contract competition for the Afghan Air Force light attack aircraft, after canceling the award of the contract to Brazil’s Embraer and Sierra Nevada two months ago amid allocations of mishandling of the competition. The new contract will not see award until early 2013 most likely, and comes as rumors of an impending bankruptcy by competitor Hawker-Beechcraft swirl. Overall the new plan means a delay of just over 15 months from the original plan to give the Afghans their own ground support aircraft.

U.S. Navy’s LCS Yet to Fullfill…

“Doing More With Less”

Steven VanRoekel, U.S. CIO

That’s the subtitle from the presentation “Federal Information Technology FY2013 Budget Priorities” delivered by Steven VanRoekel, U.S. CIO, at the AFCEA Bethesda Federal Budget Preview. And it’s a relevant theme as federal IT spending has flatlined the last couple years at $79 billion, after increasing at a rate of 7% per year in the early 2000s.

The Big Winners and Losers for FY2013

In dollar terms the biggest increases and decreases by department:

Top 3 budget projected increases:

1.       Treasury – business systems modernization, tax-related systems

2.       Health and Human Services – health-care related systems…