January 6, 2024 | International, Land
U.S. Army signs agreement with BAE Systems for new M777 structures
BAE Systems will work with its supply chain in the UK and the US to produce the major M777 titanium structures, which form the basis of the gun
November 19, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
Pentagon is bullish on health of defense industrial base, even as COVID-19 cases mount
By: Valerie Insinna
WASHINGTON — Despite increasing coronavirus cases in the U.S., the Pentagon's top weapons buyer on Wednesday sounded a note of confidence that defense companies would remain open throughout the winter and keep weapons production on track.
“I am concerned about that — as we see within [the Defense Department] — the number of [COVID-19 positive] individuals still are increasing in industry,” Ellen Lord, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said during the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' Ascend conference.
However, she added she doesn't anticipate another wave of facility closures.
“We're very hopeful that all of the steps that industry took during the pandemic — to space out [production] lines, to do telework, to find ways to comply with all the CDC regulations — that those have really prevented severe cases and the need to shut down,” she said, using an acronym for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“So I'm optimistic that although cases are going up, industry is going to continue to be very resilient. And we will continue at pretty impressive productivity rates,” she added.
At the height of the pandemic earlier this year, almost 700 defense companies shut down operations in the hopes of quelling the spread of the virus. By June, that number had decreased to 33 businesses, according to data from the Defense Logistics Agency and the Defense Contracts Management Agency
Currently, only one of those companies remains closed, Lord said.
However, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has been trending upward in the country since the end of September, with a high of almost 195,000 new cases reported Nov. 12, according to CDC data.
But there is cause for hope: On Wednesday morning, Pfizer announced that phase 3 trials of its vaccine showed it was 95 percent effective in preventing the virus, and the company could seek emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration within days, CNN reported.
During the conference, Lord was asked whether defense contractors would get priority access to COVID-19 vaccines, given the defense industry's status as an “essential” business sector during the pandemic.
“I don't have the answer to that,” she said. “That's being sorted out right now in the White House.”
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November 28, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Land
United Technologies is breaking into 3 independent companies
By: The Association Press NEW YORK — United Technologies is breaking itself into three independent companies now that it has sealed its $23 billion acquisition of aviation electronics maker Rockwell Collins. The company's announcement Monday was the latest by a sprawling industrial conglomerate deciding it will be more efficient and focused as smaller, separate entities. "Our decision to separate United Technologies is a pivotal moment in our history and will best position each independent company to drive sustained growth, lead its industry in innovation and customer focus, and maximize value creation," said United Technologies CEO Gregory Hayes. The three companies will be United Technologies, which will house its aerospace and defense industry supplier businesses; Otis, the maker of elevators, escalators and moving walkways; and the Carrier air conditioning and building systems business. The separation is expected to be completed in 2020, United Technologies said. On Friday, United Technologies said it received final regulatory approval for its deal for Rockwell Collins, a Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based maker of flight deck avionics, cabin electronics and cabin interiors. The newly minted combined aerospace business would have had sales of about $39 billion last year, United Technologies said. Hayes will stay on as CEO of the aerospace business. The company did not name leaders for the separated Otis and Carrier businesses. Founded in 1934, United Technologies is based in Farmington, Connecticut, and currently employs about 205,000 people. It did not say if any jobs would be lost in the breakup. The company got embroiled in politics in 2016 when then-presidential candidate Donald Trump criticized plans to close a Carrier plant in Indianapolis and shift production to Mexico. Weeks after Trump won the election, Carrier announced an agreement brokered by the president-elect to spare about 800 jobs in Indianapolis, where the company has pledged to keep nearly 1,100 jobs. That's down from the approximately 1,600 factory, office and engineering jobs at the facility. https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2018/11/27/united-technologies-is-breaking-into-3-independent-companies
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May 16, 2024 | International, Land
Four ways US Army’s Pacific chief plans to boost regional land forces
More countries are joining multilateral exercises and training events to strengthen a network to deter aggression in the Pacific.