Obama Fights The Big Fights On Defense Spending
Any new administration comes into Washington claiming that they will work to end the problems with the U.S. Federal budget. We will balance it and...Old Habits Die Hard With Earmarks
Despite pressure from Obama's new administration Congress keeps funding programs with earmarks that are not necessarily wanted.Michingan Economy Losing Defense Dollars As Well
Filed under: Business Line, Congress, Contract Awards, Department of Defense, Events, Michigan, Restructuring, Services, States, logistics, production program
Michigan is seeing its car based economy erode quickly with the bankruptcies of Chrysler and General Motors and now word is that the defense dollars flowing to the state are down as well. Crain’s Detroit Business is reporting that defense contracts fell by almost a third compared to the same period last year. One of the problems faced seems to be that the U.S. Defense Department is putting work out to bid but then not awarding the contracts. This may be due to a reassessment of needs by the new Administration, or just changing the timing of the work.
Michigan has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country with no real changes on the horizon that will turn that around. Defense dollars were offsetting some of the losses in civil industry and the state has aggressively gone after them. It is expected that in the next few years to be some major cuts to defense spending and this may exacerbate the problems the state is experiencing.
VH-71 Suffers Cost Breach and Connecticut is Lobbying
Filed under: Business Line, Companies, Congress, Connecticut, Contract Awards, Department of Defense, Events, Federal Budget Process, Lockheed Martin, Military Aviation, Proposal, Restructuring, Services, Sikorsky, States, U.S. Navy, UTC, commercial aviation, development program, production program
The Connecticut Post reports that the VH-71 new Presidential helicopter program suffered a “Nunn-McCurdy” cost breach. There are two levels of this breach and the higher one, a 25% increase, requires the Secretary of Defense to certify the program is still required for the U.S. national defense. The fine Senators and Congressmen from Connecticut have pricked up their ears at this development and want to meet with DoD to discuss canceling the program and giving it to Sikorsky. The contract with Lockheed Martin has seen considerable cost growth due to requirements creep since the contract was awarded. This has required wholesale changes to the EH-101 platform selected. Hence the great increase in cost and schedule for the program. Of course the DoD will have to weigh the savings if another vendor proposes something cheaper with the time required to restart the program. With a new administration it is conceivable that the contract could be canceled and started over, like ARH, but it probably won’t happen.
KC-X Competition to Restart Soon
Filed under: Boeing, Business Line, Congress, Contract Awards, Department of Defense, EADS, Events, Federal Budget Process, GAO, Military Aviation, Northrop Grumman Corp., Proposal, Protest, U.S. Air Force, commercial aviation, development program, logistics, production program
Secretary of Defense Gates testified today to Congress as he continues his role with the new Obama administration. Reuters reports that Gates said the KC-X tanker competition would restart this spring with an expected award date in the first or second quarter of Fiscal Year 2010. If you remember the original contract was awarded to a team of Northrop Grumman and EADS but Boeing protested and the GAO upheld it. The original plan to conduct a recompete in late 2008 was postponed with a decision to wait for a new administration. One key change is that DoD will handle the proposal and source selection instead of the U.S. Air Force.
Florida Worries About the Defense Budget
Filed under: Department of Defense, Federal Budget Process, Florida, Lockheed Martin, Military Aviation, Restructuring, production program
This article in the OrlandoSentinal.com describes concerns that with the continued payout of money to save finance and other companies the US government may be forced to cut the defense budget. Concern surrounds the two big ticket fighter aircraft currently in production for the US military. The F-22 program is winding down unless Congress decides to extend the production beyond current planned numbers. There are also worries that the F-35 JSF program will be cut back or canceled. These programs provide a lot of work to Lockheed in the Orlando area. Read more
We’re still in, says EADS
Filed under: Boeing, Contract Awards, Department of Defense, EADS, GAO, Military Aviation, Proposal, Protest, U.S. Air Force, commercial aviation, logistics, production program
Denying a report in a German magazine, reported here, EADS restates that they will remain competitors for the KC-45 contract. Secretary of Defense Gates recommended postponing the reopening of the KC-45 bid process until next year when a new administration will be in power. EADS was reported as not wanting to participate in future contract proposals if the current one was delayed. The company is now saying that that is not the case.
See CNNMoney.com for that story.
US defense budget spreads the wealth
Filed under: DRS Technologies, Federal Budget Process, IT, SETA, development program, logistics, production program
These three articles illustrate how the US defense budget as it has grown over the last several years effects localities economically. This one and this one discuss how Western Pennsylvania relies on the budget to support local industry. This article about Hawaii shows the effect of the Pacific Missile Range Facility on the island of Kaua’i. Although tourism is the major economy on that island the conduct of AEGIS missile defense tests certainly adds money to the local economy. Read more



