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

New defense entrants see promise in Hegseth's 'acquisition transformation' plan

Startups and scaleups in the defense industry are saying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's plan to "transform" the defense acquisition ecosystem signals the Pentagon is ready to act like a rational buyer and open the market to new industrial base players.

Boeing workers in St. Louis approve new contract, end strike

Boeing machinists in the St. Louis area have voted to accept a contract agreement with the defense contractor and return to work after striking for more than three months, according to an announcement from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

Raytheon, Avio to establish SRM facility

RTX's Raytheon has signed a memorandum of understanding with propulsion technology company Avio to help the latter company establish a solid-rocket motor production facility within the United States, according to an announcement.

National Defense ISAC leader raises questions over CMMC assessment capacity, controlled unclassified information

The long-awaited rollout of contract requirements for the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program raises questions about the current capacity for getting a level two assessment and reducing the flow of controlled unclassified information, according to defense info-sharing leader Steve Shirley.

CMMC final rule goes into effect, kicking off four-phase timeline for contract requirements

The Pentagon's four-phase timeline for incorporating cyber certification requirements into contract solicitations kicked off recently, with a final rulemaking amending defense acquisition rules officially going into effect.

Joby logs first flight of hybrid VTOL aircraft

Joby Aviation flew its autonomous hybrid electric vertical takeoff and landing demonstrator for the first time, the company announced last week, completing the feat roughly three months after it initially revealed the aircraft's concept.

The week ahead

Washington think tanks are scheduled to discuss the national security implications of artificial intelligence and space capabilities this week.

Army identifies leadership slate for sweeping acquisition overhaul

The Army has selected the senior leaders who will helm its largest acquisition restructuring in decades, an overhaul intended to speed the delivery of new weapons and technology to soldiers and push decision-making authority closer to the point of need.

Pentagon's new MOSA push could accelerate Navy's hybrid fleet, experts say

The Pentagon's new plan to overhaul its defense acquisition system could help the Navy with the rapid buildup of a hybrid fleet by placing an increased focus on modularity among platforms, according to experts.

Pentagon CTO unveils trimmed critical technology list

The Defense Department's research chief today revealed an updated list of critical technology areas -- bringing the number of high-priority topics for the Pentagon to focus on from 14 to six.