Defense Business Briefing -- November 11, 2025

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

DOD acquisition shake-up prizes speed, raising questions for defense industry

The Defense Department is overhauling its acquisition system to prioritize speed and transform its relationship with defense contractors, particularly the largest ones. But questions over cost, competition and government leverage are likely to shadow the effort as policies roll out in the coming months.

Hegseth warns defense companies to get on board with major acquisition transformation

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in an address at the National War College that directed an ambitious overhaul of the Pentagon's infamously bureaucratic acquisition system, told senior executives from the world's largest defense companies that they will "fade away" if they do not move faster, deliver at greater scale and "assume risk."

Hanwha exec: U.S-Korea sub partnership would open new 'allied industrial pathway'

A new partnership between the United States and South Korea to equip the latter nation with its own nuclear-powered submarines is a golden opportunity to bolster joint undersea defense capabilities and forge a new "allied industrial pathway," according to Yea Kyung Han, an executive at South Korean defense conglomerate Hanwha.

Army BAA calls for R&D into manned and unmanned rotorcraft drive systems

The Army has issued a broad agency announcement for research and development into manned and unmanned drive systems within rotorcraft engines, such as corrosion-resistant gearbox housings, lubrication systems as well as artificial intelligence and machine learning for "drive system prognostics."

National Defense ISAC publishes guide on using virtual desktops to support reaching compliance with CMMC requirements

The National Defense Information Sharing and Analysis Center has released a guide to help contractors meet requirements for the Pentagon’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program by using virtual desktop infrastructure.

Ivy Sting series grows NGC2 complexity

As the 4th Infantry Division gears its next-generation network prototype toward validation testing at Project Convergence Capstone 6 next summer, it's quickly turning up the complexity through the Army's Ivy Sting event series, senior leaders told reporters last week.

Army looks to dominate Pacific information space with first-of-its kind detachment

The Army late last week turned on its first-ever detachment dedicated to shaping the narrative in the Indo-Pacific region.