“You get this dynamic, where [companies] become very focused on, ‘We need to finish, we’re going to finish what’s in the contract, anything that appears to us to be in any way, shape, or form not 100% required explicitly in the contract is an extra bill,'” Air Force acquisition executive Andrew Hunter said.
By Valerie InsinnaHow to unlock innovation and savings for DoD: “commercial,” not COTS
Overmatch is fleeting and while traditional acquisitions can’t always keep up with new threats, a different and approved practice can.
The major driver of the delay is the bankruptcy of GDC Technics, Boeing’s original subcontractor for the VC-25B’s interiors, and the hiring of a new interior supplier, said Andrew Hunter, the Air Force’s assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics.
By Valerie Insinna
Outgoing AF acquisition head Will Roper is rumored “to be in the mix” to take DoD acquisition czar Ellen Lord’s place, along with CSIS’s Andrew Hunter.
By Theresa Hitchens
Industry and Congress were deeply skeptical of the Army’s suggestion to enter a government design team in the OMFV competition. Now the Army has backed off.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
To end annual panic spending to use up the budget, HASC wants to let DoD keep 50% of unspent Operations & Maintenance funds – if the appropriators allow it. A floor flight looms.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
Pentagon programs that claim they’re ‘agile’ rarely are, GAO data shows. But how well does a Silicon Valley software strategy translate to weapons programs?
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
Amazon’s new protest to the Pentagon isn’t about getting the Defense Department to change its mind, experts say. It’s really a signal to the judge in the long-running court battle over the JEDI contract.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
Gray Eagle is the low-cost, low-risk answer to Army modernization
Gray Eagle STOL and Gray Eagle 25M are the best options for Army aviation as it assesses where to move from its current inflection point.
After decades of building traditional helicopters in traditional ways, contractors must get ready for the Army’s new high-speed Future Vertical Lift aircraft. Small makers of key parts need help.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
While the Defense Department IG said the award to Microsoft was fair, it was not allowed to ask vital questions about pressure from the Trump White House. That could trigger a congressional investigation, one expert told us.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
The ongoing reboot of the Bradley replacement program reminds many in Congress and industry of the disastrous Future Combat Systems. The Army has changed a lot since FCS – but has it changed enough?
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
“I know $178 billion, by anybody’s standard, is a lot of money, but I gotta tell you, this is a million-man Army,” the deputy comptroller told reporters. But cutting manpower is off the table – for now.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
With only one company qualifying, is the Army’s decision to cancel the competition and start over a major defeat, or it is a necessary and timely course correction?
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
If you want to prototype 5G networks on a military base, you need to join the National Spectrum Consortium first. That’s an increasingly common model.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
What went wrong and what happens next? CSIS experts Mark Cancian & Andrew Hunter dive deep into JEDI.
By Mark Cancian and Andrew Hunter