US accounts for 46 percent of $385bn space industry
The world space economy is currently valued at over $385 billion. At least 666 intelligence satellites from 38 countries monitor the globe; 790 communications satellites […]
Industry
DCMA has about 65,000 backlogged contracts
DCMA serves as the ACO [administrative contracting officer] with responsibility for more than 20,000 contractors and more than $223 billion in unliquidated obligations. In […]
Why Raytheon and UTC don’t want to build weapons platforms
Neither company [Raytheon nor UTC] works as a platform producer, eschewing the production of aircraft or ground vehicles and instead focusing on the technology that […]
Are OTA contracts being competed?
A number of nontraditional companies told CRS that they are more likely to work with DOD because of the department’s other transaction authorities. Despite these […]
FFG(X) update — and then there were four
The FFG(X) program is a Navy program to build a class of 20 guided-missile frigates (FFGs). The Navy wants to procure the first FFG(X) in […]
DOD scandal of the week: taking candy from a baby
A review of a sample of parts TransDigm Group sold the military revealed the company made excess profit ranging from 17% to 4,451% on 46 of 47 […]
The value of NASA contracts to SpaceX for launch
Again if you’ll compare the amounts Space[X] is receiving vs values to other launch providers for similar goals — they are always on the low […]
Unpalatable defense markets and the problem of non-obviousness
Here is Elad Gil on the Venture Stories podcast answering a question on why some markets become unpalatable: Sometimes its just competition, you can’t really […]
DOD trusted capital marketplace
Excited to announce this initiative from the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition & Sustainment)’s Global Markets & Investments (GMI): a NEW competitive Cornerstone Initiative Request […]
What are consumption-based solutions?
Volume 3 of the 809 Panel’s report takes on many of the problems of IT procurement. “Recommendation 43” focuses directly on the issue of consumption-based […]
The commercial aircraft duopoly
Airbus and Boeing operate a roughly equal duopoly in the market for single-aisle jets that Airbus values at $3.5 trillion over 20 years. Neither […]
Aerospace work isn’t too big and complex for new entrants
A significant gap has developed between DoD’s view of industry as an always-ready supplier of military capabilities and how industry actually makes decisions on what […]
Did Raytheon’s sensor spot a UFO?
Three F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets practicing dogfight maneuvers were interrupted and revectored mid-mission to investigate an Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon; military parlance for a UFO. […]
Big defense primes as gatekeepers to small, innovative firms
Aerospace giant Lockheed Martin and MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI) announced on Sunday the creation of the MIT-Lockheed Martin Seed Fund, promoting collaborations […]
Why does US defense industry fail in “normal” times?
Here is Fredric Scherer discussing why the US defense industry seemed to perform so well in urgent programs of the 1940s and 50s, and so […]