EADS Continues Efforts To Gain Support Of Tanker
Filed under: Alabama, Congress, EADS, KC-X, KC-X Tanker News, Syndicated Industry News
It has been reported that EADS spent almost $200,000.00 last quarter on just tanker related lobbying. It is not uncommon for larger companies of all sorts to spend time in Congress working to support their programs and proposals.
The KC-X contract being so important this effort will be even more concentrated. EADS work with its supportive Congressional members has already worked out well especially with the delegation from Alabama. Support like this will be key as the RFP goes final, proposals are submitted and the source selection works its course. The next quarter reports should show similar numbers.
Recent Raytheon Acquistion BBN Awarded Army Contract
Filed under: BBN Technologies, Business Line, Companies, Contract Awards, Events, IT, Massachusetts, Raytheon, Services, States, U.S. Army, development program, logistics, production program
In a continuing program to improve the defenses of vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan the U.S. Army awarded BBN Technologies a contract for another thousand Boomerang Shooter Detection Systems. The contract for these systems and their mounting kits is worth about twenty-two million dollars. The system has already been installed on vehicles and detects incoming fire and tries to determine the location of the enemy.
BBN Technologies was recently acquired by Raytheon. This is a major M&A event and one of several that occurred recently. As with the other ones it may indicate that there will be significant consolidation of the defense industry as the larger companies move to shore up revenue and earnings through M&A.
Unitech to be Purchased by Lockheed
Filed under: Acquisitions, Business Line, Events, Florida, IT, Lockheed Martin, Unitech, training
Lockheed Martin has agreed to buy Unitech sometime this year. Unitech is a smallish simulation producing company located in the Orlando area. The Orlando Sentinel reports that a deal to buy the company was worked out recently. Unitech complements the work that Lockheed has done in the simulation area in Orlando for years. The company has earnings of around $140 million, and it is common in these types of deals for private companies to pay about one year’s earnings for it. Many smaller defense contractors grow from one or two contracts to a size of between one to two hundred million and are then bought by another company. Larger companies buy them to gain work or expertise in a discipline or area that they might not have.
BAE Subs Out Weapon Part Production
Filed under: Contract Awards, Federal Budget Process, TTM Technologies, production program
As with any large contract the prime contractor, here BAE Systems, has to find companies to make the piece parts and award sub-contracts. In this press release at MarketWatch.com; TTM Technologies announces that they have won a contract from BAE to provide circuit boards and assemblies for use in thermal sights. The contract is wroth $65 M over the next few years. All across the US are many small companies making individual parts and sub-assemblies that are fit together by larger companies to make the actual delivery hardware for the customer. Read more
Small business prospers
Filed under: Akimeka Technologies, Congress, Contract Awards, Federal Budget Process, IT, SETA
This article from Hawaii describes how a small, minority owned business is prospering under DoD contracting rules. Most agencies and large contracts are required to share the work among small, disadvantaged business by Federal law and regulation. Here, Akimeka Technologies, a Hawaiian company, that provides IT services benefits from those rules. Larger companies will team with it to cross off that requirement, or they have a step-up in bidding on work due to their status. Of course they need to be able to do the work required, but many companies get a start like this due to the targeted efforts of the DoD.
For more see the article on Pacific Business News.



