Critical furlough questions you have to ask your customers

A lot of the conversation in the government market has swirled around questions about sequestration and its impact on contractors. And that’s the problem; there are plenty of questions, but not a lot of real answers.

That’s because the bottom line is, “nobody knows,” said Julian Rosenberg, government contractor advisory practice leader at Grant Thornton. And because nobody knows, Rosenberg’s recommendation to all government contractors is, talk to your contracting officer.

MorganFranklin taps new CEO

MorganFranklin has named C.E. Andrews chief executive officer, where he will lead the company’s operations and play a critical role in planning and executing its growth strategy and vision.

Andrews succeeds Robert Morgan, who has been CEO since the company was started in 1998.

NetCents redo hit with wave of protests

Five protests have hit the troubled NetCents 2 Products contract, which was re-awarded on April 19 to eight companies a year after the Air Force tried to get the procure off the ground.

The new awards came a year after the Air Force made its first attempt at awarding the contract, then quickly pulling back after a flood of protests. The service re-evaluated bids and allowed companies to submit more information.

ITT Exelis wins $10M Navy contract for airborne minesweeping system

ITT Exelis has won a $10 million contract to provide an airborne minesweeping system to the U.S. Navy.

Specifically, the company will provide the system to the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division in Panama City, Fla.

The Exelis MK 105 Mod 4 system will provide reliability and performance improvements, enabling the Navy to better conduct high-speed, quick response airborne mine countermeasures missions for the next 10 years, the company said in a release.

ITT Exelis said that the system has been used in every major mine-clearance operation since its introduction to the U.S. Navy fleet in 1972.

CACI wins $54M contract to modernize diplomatic security systems

CACI International has won a five-year, $54 million contract to modernize mission systems for the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

This Development, Modernization and Enhancement contract expands the company’s presence in the business system solutions and investigation and litigation support markets, the company said in a release.

Washington, we have a procurement problem

I am not a government procurement expert.  While I have attended multiple courses to understand the nature of our federal procurement system and the Federal Acquisition Regulations, there is much that I do not know. 

I have been a consumer of the government’s procurement ‘products’ for decades.  I have listened to various speakers since the mid-1990s share that the procurement system has serious underlying problems including a looming shortage of qualified personnel.  We are now at the precipice.

Lockheed wins $166.8M NASA contract extension

Lockheed Martin has won a $166.8 million contract option for work with NASA on mission control systems and other support work for manned spaceflight missions.

The option brings the value of the Facilities Development and Operations Contract to $1 billion and extends the contract through Sept. 30, 2014, NASA said.

Raytheon nabs $12.7M delivery order for joint standoff weapon integration

Raytheon Missile Systems has won a $12.7 million delivery order with the U.S. Navy for the development and integration of a joint standoff weapon into a Naval aircraft’s operational flight program software.

Under the cost-plus-fixed-fee order, Raytheon will integrate the AGM-154C-1 joint standoff weapon into the F/A-18E/F aircraft’s H10E operational flight program software, the Defense Department said in a release.

Work will take place Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed in February 2013.

Funds in the amount of $7.7 million will be obligated at the time of the award, none of which will expire at the end of fiscal 2013.

Not just a tank story

The Army doesn’t want more tanks, but Republicans and Democrats in Congress keep shoving money -- to the tune of $436 billion over two years -- to modernize a fleet of tanks that doesn’t need modernizing.

The Associated Press is reporting that the Army wants to suspend the buying of Abrams tanks until 2017, when a newer version will be ready for production.

U.S. courts release $95M Dell product contract

The U.S. judiciary is developing a blanket purchase agreement to buy nearly $100 million on a variety of Dell products and related services.

The products will include IT systems, wide area networks, local area networks and software applications for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, courthouses and data centers.