Welcome to today's Defense Business Briefing, your weekly roundup of the latest defense industry news.
Defense CEOs back Trump's new tariffs on China
Leaders from some of the nation's top defense companies flanked President Trump as he signed off on new tariffs aimed at punishing China for years of "unfair" trade practices and intellectual property theft.
DOD plans to release second draft solicitation for JEDI cloud
The Defense Department plans to release a second draft request for proposals for the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) cloud competition in April after the first draft received more than 1,000 comments.
CSRA touts new cloud partnership with Google
CSRA has joined the Google Cloud Partner Program, as the Defense Department prepares an enterprise-wide move into the cloud.
Boeing HorizonX Invests in Australian startup
Boeing's HorizonX Ventures has invested in Myriota, a nanosatellite technology startup based in Adelaide, Australia.
PAE ISR selected to take part in Virginia export acceleration program
Unmanned systems developer PAE ISR has been accepted into the Virginia Economic Development Partnership's Global Defense Program, the company announced this week.
State Department clears $1B in Saudi weapons sales
The State Department has approved $1 billion in possible foreign military sales to Saudi Arabia, according to a Defense Security Cooperation Agency announcement.
The week ahead
While Congress is off on its Easter break this week, a slew of senior Army officials are slated to speak at the AUSA Global Force Symposium in Huntsville, AL. DOD officials will also be making appearances at the Acquisition Excellence 2018 Conference, along with events at the Center for a New American Security and the Atlantic Council.
Following legal victory, Army augments training helicopter fleet
The Army on March 22 awarded Airbus $116.9 million for procurement of 16 UH-72 Lakota helicopters, according to a Defense Department announcement, obligating nearly $58.5 million in FY-16 funds at the time of the award.
Air Force eyes risk to future KC-46 FRPD; Boeing focused on first deliveries
As the Air Force and Boeing work toward the first KC-46 tanker deliveries later this year, the service expects a full-rate production decision will slip past the current estimate of May 2020.
SECAF: Air Force may seek congressional help negotiating for data rights
The Air Force may need Congress' assistance in negotiating with industry for intellectual property rights for new programs and for older systems with obsolete or obscure parts replacement needs, according to service Secretary Heather Wilson.