Welcome to today's Defense Business Briefing, your weekly roundup of the latest defense industry news.
GD execs: Protracted shutdown brings substantial risk
Despite strong financial results during the third quarter of 2025, General Dynamics executives are reckoning with disruptions arising from the ongoing government shutdown, including contracting delays, supply chain problems and a general lack of certainty in their defense business outlook.
Public shipyards will continue working without pay as shutdown lengthens
The majority of employees at the nation’s four public shipyards are working without pay during the ongoing government shutdown, while approximately 2-4% of the workforce has been furloughed, a Navy official confirmed to Inside Defense.
Textron CEO: Company will find business opportunities despite RCV, FTUAS cancellations
Despite the Army’s decision to cancel two modernization programs earlier this year that Textron was involved in, the company’s CEO believes there will still be business opportunities in the area of unmanned aerial systems going forward.
Northrop CEO: Shutdown not affecting company -- yet
Northrop Grumman’s finances haven’t been affected by the government shutdown, CEO Kathy Warden said today, but that may change if a funding package isn’t passed within a few weeks.
Textron names Maldonado president and CEO of Bell
Textron announced that Danny Maldonado has been named president and CEO of the company's Bell segment.
The week ahead
Senior defense officials are scheduled to appear on Capitol Hill for nomination hearings this week.
DOD’s decision to classify budget reconciliation spending plan draws concerns
Amid recent departures from long-standing government funding norms -- and an ongoing crackdown on information that has traditionally been available to Congress and the public -- the Pentagon, in choosing to classify its plan for spending $150 billion in budget reconciliation funds, has sparked questions and concerns in several corners of the Washington defense community.
Army’s initial sprint to produce 10,000 drones a month won’t require MILCON, official says
No new military construction will be required for the Army’s initial push to build 10,000 drones a month by the end of fiscal year 2026 under its new SkyFoundry initiative, according to a service official.