Boeing and Machinists End Strike
Filed under: Boeing, Military Aviation, commercial aviation, production program
The Machinist Union ratified the new contract with Boeing yesterday. Excite News reports that the contract which settled an 8 week strike was approved by almost three quarters of the union members. The strike had slowed production of Boeing’s civil aircraft and there is no report of when full production rates will be re-achieved. Boeing has suffered lately with delays to their newest aircraft, the 787 Dreamliner. It also still continues to sell significant numbers of 737 and 777 aircraft. The largest military contract that Boeing desires is the KC-X tanker which would purchase 767 aircraft for that role, the contract remains in stasis as DoD waits for the next administration.
Boeing may refuse to bid on KC-45 recompete
Filed under: Boeing, Contract Awards, Department of Defense, EADS, Federal Budget Process, Military Aviation, Northrop Grumman Corp., Proposal, Protest, U.S. Air Force, commercial aviation, development program, logistics, production program
Rumors are swirling that Boeing may not bid on the new contract for the KC-45. See an article here. Supposedly Boeing is piqued that the new requirements supposedly favor Northrop Grumman and EADS and will not submit a bid. If there is only one bid it may require the whole process to start over again, of course if DoD and the Air Force change the requirements EADS could claim the same thing and the whole program will get stuck. Unfortunately DoD and the Air Force have to do the new process as GAO upheld the Boeing protest. More to come on this very complicated story.
DoD invests in automated medical diagnostic equipment
Filed under: CombiMatrix, Contract Awards, Department of Defense, IT, development program, logistics, medicine
CombiMatrix received a contract from DoD to continue development of hand-held diagnostic equipment for use in the field. See the press release here. The contract is worth over $900 K. DoD as well as other government agencies are evaluating products based on CombiMatrix’s systems to detect bacteriological and chemical systems. This contract builds upon those earlier efforts.





