Tag Archives: Pentagon

Pentagon Reaches Deal on $10 billion Arms Sale to Middle East Allies

Craig Whitlock (@CraigMWhitlock), Washington Post. Friday brought news of a complex multi-billion dollar weapons deal with Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates just as Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel headed to the region. The Pentagon has been very clear that this deal is designed to equip our friends in the face of Iranian threats and the U.S. effort to “pivot to Asia”. The sale includes aerial refueling aircraft, V-22 Ospreys and anti-radar missiles for Israel, aircraft missiles for Saudi Arabia and two dozen F-16s for the UAE. Hagel made it clear in …

Spending Cuts Threaten Military Town’s Businesses

Parija Kavilanz (@ParijaKavilanz), CNN Money. There are ten thousand stories about sequester and its effects this week. The bottom line is that it was officially put into effect by executive order on Friday evening directing some $85 billion in cuts across a wide swath of the federal government by September. But the real effect is already being felt by small businesses like those highlighted in this story in Colorado Springs where orders for everything from cotton rags to maintenance on aircraft have all been cut back putting jobs and entire companies at risk. The next big fight will be the actual…

Double Whammy for Pentagon

David Rogers, Politico. While much of what little public focus there is about impending defense cuts focuses on the sequestration train wreck set to come crashing into the station on March 1, it’s actually a double tap situation for DoD as they struggle now under a Continuing Resolution as well. The CR was put into effect last summer as political cover for the parties in an election year and is set to expire on March 27, but if the past is any guide it will likely extend to the whole year as Congress once again kicks the can on a budget decision. The CR leaves funding…

Veterans Agency Can Ignore Vets Status in Contract Awards

Tom Schoenberg and Kathleen Miller, Bloomberg. A Federal Claims court judge in Washington has ruled that the Department of Veterans Affairs does not have to give preference to veteran owned small businesses in all contracts setting aside a ruling by the Government Accountability Office. The case is a milestone that could impact nearly $3 billion in federal contracts a year that could go to veteran owned businesses. The issue hinged on a loophole in the law that allows the government to use the general schedule of contractors and the discounts they often provide for contracts. The government’s concern is the challenge…

Women Holding Three of Top Spots in Defense Contracting

Marjorie Censer, Washington Post Capital Business. The male dominated world of defense manufacturing and contracting will look quite a bit different come January. That month Linda Hudson, CEO of BAE Systems, Inc., will be joined by two other female CEO’s in an industry that has long been the domain of mostly men and military veterans. Giant company Lockheed Martin will be led by Marilyn Hewson and General Dynamics will be taken over by Phebe Novakovic, adding a decidedly more equal opportunity flavor to the industry.

Insight: Lockheed’s F-35 Logistics System Revolutionary But Risky

Andrea Shalalai-Esa, Reuters. One of the unique aspects…