Defense Business Briefing -- May 13, 2025

Welcome to today's Defense Business Briefing, your weekly roundup of the latest defense industry news.

This week's top story

Dems seek info on Musk's possible conflicts of interest in DOD, NASA contracts

Senior House Democrats are seeking information from the Defense Department and NASA over potential conflicts of interest regarding government contracts awarded to SpaceX and CEO Elon Musk, who also leads the "Department of Government Efficiency."

News & notes

MDA unveils sweeping solicitation with eye toward breakthrough capabilities

The Pentagon is opening the gates to an aspirational new era in missile defense development, publishing a wide-ranging, five-year solicitation that seeks paradigm-shifting approaches to delivering interceptors, battle management, electronic warfare, space systems, artificial intelligence and more.

MDA plans overhaul of missile defense targets with industry callout

The Missile Defense Agency wants to overhaul the payload systems it uses to test U.S. missile defense systems, launching a formal request for information to expand the flexibility, speed and realism of future target vehicles.

Bipartisan bill would promote defense industrial base careers to medically ineligible prospective service members

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced a bicameral bill intended to strengthen and expand the defense industrial base workforce via initiatives to recruit individuals who want to serve in the military but are medically ineligible to do so.

Rheinmetall building XM30 prototypes at recently acquired U.S.-based factories

American Rheinmetall is putting together mock-ups of its bid for the Army's Bradley Fighting Vehicle replacement at U.S. factories it bought last fall, the parent company's CEO announced.

Boeing says it can deliver new presidential jet by 2027 if USAF changes robust requirements

Boeing has told the Air Force it can deliver the first VC-25B jet -- the eventual replacement for presidential aircraft Air Force One -- by 2027, if some of the program's requirements are altered, according to a top service official.

Appointments & promotions

Trump taps former GE exec to be Pentagon comptroller

President Trump has nominated former General Electric executive Jeffrey Bornstein to be Pentagon comptroller.

Oshkosh names new chairman of the board

Oshkosh Corp. announced that Keith Allman, an Oshkosh director since 2015, has been appointed as the company's independent chair of the board.

What's happening

The week ahead

Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak at several public events this week, including congressional hearings.

For Inside Defense subscribers

Vision for Army aviation becoming further unmanned with latest shakeup

A year ago, the Army was already placing its aviation emphasis on drones, satellites and other unmanned technologies, having canceled the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft along with the RQ-7 Shadow drone as part of the February 2024 aviation "rebalance.”

C2BMC upgrade this summer to support Guam defense, hypersonic threats, more

The Pentagon is set to deliver a command and control upgrade to its global missile defense network this summer, enhancing the ability of U.S. forces to detect, track and respond to increasingly complex missile threats, including cruise missiles and maneuverable hypersonic weapons while also strengthening protection for the U.S. homeland and Guam.