The Insider

By Marjorie Censer
May 4, 2015 at 2:17 PM

Mark Nackman, formerly vice president and general counsel for General Dynamics' advanced information systems unit, is joining Jenner & Block's government contracts practice, the law firm announced today.

The hire, the firm added, is meant to bolster its cybersecurity work. Nackman also worked for General Dynamics' Fidelis Cybersecurity Solutions business, which General Dynamics recently sold.

Before joining General Dynamics in 2011, Nackman was vice president and associate general counsel at ATK.

By Marjorie Censer
May 4, 2015 at 10:28 AM

Ray Sheldon has been named chief operating officer at Gibbs & Cox, a naval architecture and marine engineering firm, the company announced today.

Sheldon previously worked at Computer Sciences Corp., where he was vice president of CSC's Advanced Marine Center, and CDI Marine.

He replaces Bill Post, who has spent eight years as COO at Gibbs & Cox and will retire at the end of the year.

By Sebastian Sprenger
May 1, 2015 at 5:06 PM

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for May 6 at Ft. Knox, KY, to celebrate the installation's "complete energy independence," the Army announced Thursday.

Using natural gas mined from underneath the base, Ft. Knox is the first military post to go completely "off the grid," according to an April 30 service statement.

A 2009 ice storm in Kentucky helped spawn the project, as much of the state, including Ft. Knox, was without power for several days.

The Army estimates that the base's energy independence will bring annual cost savings of $8 million.

By Marjorie Censer
April 30, 2015 at 12:57 PM

CACI International's sales in its most recent quarter fell 9 percent to hit $817.8 million, the company announced this week.

Quarterly profit fell nearly 6 percent to $29 million.

Ken Asbury, CACI's chief executive, told InsideDefense.com today the contractor is seeing an increased number of solicitations, but that contract wins have been delayed because of protests.

By Marjorie Censer
April 30, 2015 at 12:44 PM

L-3 Communications' profit tumbled 38 percent in its most recent quarter to hit $105 million, the company announced today.

The contractor's quarterly sales reached $2.7 billion, down about 8 percent from the same three-month period a year earlier. The company's sales to the U.S. government declined 10 percent, which L-3 attributed to the drawdown in Afghanistan and federal budget reductions.

Sales to international and commercial customers also declined, the company said, "primarily due to the weakening of the Euro against the U.S. dollar."

By Marjorie Censer
April 29, 2015 at 4:44 PM

NCI said today profit in the contractor's most recent quarter rose to $2.4 million, about double the profit in the same period a year earlier, even as quarterly revenue declined.

Quarterly sales hit $81 million, down about 9 percent from the same three-month period a year earlier.

NCI blamed contracts transitioned to small business set-asides as well as reductions in staffing on certain programs, including PEO Soldier.

By Marjorie Censer
April 29, 2015 at 4:42 PM

ManTech International announced today that sales in its most recent quarter fell, but profit grew as a result of "strong contract performance" and "improved cost management."

The contractor reported quarterly sales of $370.3 million, down from $452 million in the same period last year. ManTech attributed the decline "to reduced subcontractor and materials requirements related to ManTech's support in Afghanistan and other countries in the region."

ManTech has about 300 people in theater today, down from about 2,400 in early 2013, the company said. Sales related to overseas contingency operations totaled about $23 million in the most recent quarter.

Quarterly profit hit $11.8 million, up from $9.6 million in the same period last year.

By Marjorie Censer
April 29, 2015 at 10:41 AM

ManTech International announced Tuesday it has acquired Welkin Associates, formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of CSC, for $34 million.

Welkin works with intelligence and Pentagon agencies, focused on high-end systems engineering and national security technology and business services. Welkin will become part of ManTech's mission, cyber and intelligence solutions group, the contractor said.

By Marjorie Censer
April 28, 2015 at 3:44 PM

Oshkosh Corp. announced today quarterly sales fell about 7 percent to hit $1.55 billion.

The company noted lower defense segment sales were offset by improved demand in Oshkosh's non-defense segments.

The defense business reported quarterly sales dropped to $158.7 million, down about 67 percent from the same period a year ago.

"The decrease in sales was primarily due to expected lower sales to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) stemming from the break in production under the [Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicle] program and lower Family of Medium Tactical Vehicle requirements, as well as the absence of international sales of MRAP All-Terrain Vehicles," Oshkosh said.

The defense business recorded a loss of $12 million for the quarter.

By Marjorie Censer
April 28, 2015 at 12:25 PM

BAE Systems announced today it has completed the sale of its 75 percent holding in BAE Systems Land Systems South Africa.

The sale was to Denel Limited. The divestiture, the company said, is meant to focus BAE on its core capabilities.

By Marjorie Censer
April 27, 2015 at 10:34 AM

Sierre Nevada Corp. said today it has acquired Phoenix, AZ-based Kutta Technologies, which specializes in command and control, manned-unmanned teaming, visualization and airspace management for unmanned technologies. Kutta will become a wholly owned subsidiary.

Kutta will continue to operate from Phoenix and will support Sierra Nevada's integrated mission systems business, SNC said.

By Courtney Albon
April 24, 2015 at 3:21 PM

The Air Force plans to launch its fourth X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle mission next month.

The service announced April 24 that the highly classified experimental vehicle will launch in May and will test several new experiments developed by the Air Force and its partners. One of those technologies is an experimental propulsion system developed jointly by the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Space and Missile Systems Center, and NASA.

The experimental, reusable spacecraft is designed to be boosted into space, perform its mission, and then re-enter Earth's atmosphere and landing as a spaceplane. The X-37B'x third mission ended in October after 674 days on orbit.

By James Drew
April 24, 2015 at 3:14 PM

The Air Force's use of sole-source information technology contracts was properly justified in the 58 cases reviewed by the Pentagon's inspector general, even though 20 of those files did not contain all of the documents required to comply with certain federal acquisition regulations because contracting staff were not properly trained.

In a report published April 24, the DOD IG considered whether Air Force IT contracts issues without competition were properly justified, and 58 contracts surveyed with a combined value of $154.3 million generally held up under scrutiny, despite 20 of those not fully complying with statutory regulations.

"Air Force contracting personnel stated they did not meet the FAR requirements because of a lack of training," the report states.

The Air Force agreed with the DOD IG's recommendation that the service train contracting workers better or issue a memorandum on the matter. A memorandum will be issued by next month, the service said in its formal response to the report.

By Marjorie Censer
April 24, 2015 at 11:04 AM

BAE Systems said today it has hired external advisers to assess the U.S.-based manpower and services businesses of its U.S. intelligence and security sector.

These businesses, according to a company statement, "have generated external interest and a number of inquiries."

"This assessment does not include the technology/product-focused geospatial intelligence business of I&S, or the Company's cyber security and intelligence business, BAE Systems Applied intelligence," the contractor added. "There can be no certainty that any transaction will occur."

By Marjorie Censer
April 23, 2015 at 5:58 PM

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission today, Harris said it has received a "second request" from the Justice Department for additional information and documents related to its proposed deal to purchase Exelis.

"Although this 'second request' extends the waiting period under the [Hart-Scott-Rodino] Act, Harris continues to expect the Merger to close in June 2015, subject to customary closing conditions," the company said.