Welcome to today's Defense Business Briefing, your weekly roundup of the latest defense industry news.
Industry group lobbies Congress for transparency on DOD cloud strategy
An industry group representing information technology contractors wants Congress to provide greater transparency on the Pentagon's controversial plans to award a potentially lucrative cloud-computing contract to a single company.
Boeing buys KLX for $4.25 billion
Boeing has agreed to acquire Miami-based aerospace parts distributor KLX for $4.25 billion.
Pentagon won't confirm who's paying for F-35 production fix
The F-35 joint program office has resumed acceptance of the Lockheed-made jet but would not confirm who would be footing the bill -- despite past claims from Pentagon officials that the government would not be paying for the repair costs.
Orbital ATK reports higher quarterly sales
Orbital ATK reported first-quarter sales of $1.3 billion, up nearly 21 percent compared to the same quarter the previous year.
Leidos reports 5.3 percent dip in quarterly sales
Leidos reported quarterly sales had dipped 5.3 percent compared to the same quarter the year before.
Air Force to sole-source early SBIRS follow-on work to Lockheed, Northrop
The Air Force plans to award sole-source contracts to Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to produce the initial satellites in its new Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrastructure architecture.
HII CEO: Newport News Shipbuilding responded to Navy's two-carrier-buy RFP
Huntington Ingalls Industries has responded to the Navy's request for proposals on analyzing potential cost savings of a two-aircraft-carrier buy, according to the company's chief executive.
L3 to sell Vertex Aerospace business to American Industrial Partners
L3 Technologies has agreed to sell its Vertex Aerospace business to American Industrial Partners for $540 million in cash.
GAO launches new bid-protest system
The Government Accountability Office has established a new bid-protest process, which creates a new electronic docketing system and implements a new filing fee.
Austal USA buys Electrawatch
Littoral Combat Ship manufacturer Austal USA has bought Charlottesville, VA-based ElectraWatch in an all-cash stock purchase.
AeroVironment to use Flightwave VTOL tech in UAS
AeroVironment will incorporate FlightWave Aerospace Systems' Edge vertical-takeoff-and-landing technology in its next generation of unmanned aerial systems.
LMI adds chief technology officer position to senior leadership team
Government consulting firm LMI has realigned its senior leadership structure "to better position the company to serve its government clients in a rapidly changing, increasingly digital landscape," adding the position of chief technology officer.
L3 CEO: New executive leadership team should be complete by end of 2018
L3 Technologies' new executive leadership team should be complete by the end of this calendar year, according to the company's chief executive.
The week ahead
The week ahead features an appearance on Capitol Hill by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, along with the House Armed Services Committee's marathon debate over the fiscal year 2019 defense authorization bill.
Boeing touts progress toward first KC-46 delivery during media tour
EVERETT, WA -- Boeing officials said the company is working "shoulder to shoulder" with the Air Force to deliver the first next-generation KC-46 tankers by the end of the year, telling reporters here the program's schedule problems are largely a thing of the past.
Boeing, Air Force to begin crafting KC-46 upgrade roadmap this summer
EVERETT, WA -- As Boeing and the Air Force continue to work toward delivery of the first KC-46 tanker, the company is expecting a contract from the service this summer to explore future tanker capabilities.
DOD's new chief management officer wants to redirect spending to 'tip of the spear'
Defense Department Chief Management Officer Jay Gibson, who is in charge of the Pentagon's latest effort in a long history of initiatives to find business efficiencies that can be redirected to new spending on military readiness and weapon systems, says this time is different.
Air Force seeking sustainment innovation to lower cost, improve supply chain management
The Air Force's new acquisition executive wants to see innovation in sustainment, and he's planning to host an industry day later this month to explore new sustainment concepts with industry.