British defense giant's purchase includes US entity

U.K.-based defense contractor Babcock International Group plc will purchase VT Group plc and its U.S.-based VT Group for $2 billion.

Harris and partners radio intent to pursue FAA gold

Harris Corp. is teaming with two aviation technology companies to pursue Federal Aviation Administration awards for advanced communications systems.

Contractors jockey for position on spending priorities

Company positioning in the current market environment is critical to a successful growth strategy, says Jean Stack, the director of the aerospace, defense and government group at Houlihan Lokey.

TASC deal brings a bolder competitor to the market

Getting sold by Northrop Grumman Corp. in 2009 was like getting set free for this company.

ICF's Macro acquisition moves it deeper into health care

ICF International Inc. paid approximately $155 million to acquire Macro International Inc., an advisory services firm to federal agencies that specializes in health programs, energy and cybersecurity.

Who's got the M&A power?

Mergers and acquisitions have slowed compared to action in recent years. Accompanying that trend has come a shift in who has the upper hand in negotiating a deal.

Veteran General Dynamics execs call it a career

Long-time General Dynamics Corp. executives Charles Hall and John Schwartz are retiring in the next few months.

Former key NSA official relocates to Silicon Valley

Prescott Winter, formerly chief information officer and chief technology officer at the National Security Agency, has joined ArcSight Inc., a Silicon Valley developer of security and compliance management tools for government and private industry.

Five passing grades you need to lead the pack

Planning is critical for positioning your company to win new contracts, says Bob Lohfeld, CEO of the Lohfeld Consulting Group.

Private equity buying takes center stage

Although financial buyers can be outstanding choices for sellers of government contracting businesses, they present unique challenges when compared to the strategic buyer alternative, says John Hagan, co-head of the defense and government services group at BB&T Capital Markets/Windsor Group.

Paczkowski named to lead ICF’s homeland security business

ICF International Inc. has named John Paczkowski vice president for emergency management in the company’s homeland security and program management area.

DHS kicks off Eagle II procurement

The Homeland Security Department is inviting interested bidders to attend a pre-solicitation conference on the Eagle II-Unrestricted IT services acquisition program.

QinetiQ names Yamada strategy leader of Mission Solutions Group

Austin Yamada has been appointed senior vice president for strategy and business development of QinetiQ North America’s Mission Solutions Group.

Global space spending falls to Earth

Global spending on space-related projects hit a peak in 2009, but leaner times are expected going forward.

7 stumbling blocks to M&A success

Don't let these common challenges trip up your acquisition strategy.

ManTech reports double-digit growth in last quarter of 2009

ManTech International Corp. announced fourth quarter 2009 revenues of $542.1 million, up 10 percent from $494.7 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008. Overall, revenues for the year were $2.02 billion, up 8 percent from $1.87 billion in 2008.

Prove your value to avoid the axe, contracting expert says

The Obama administration is serious about acquisition reforms and cutting out waste so contractors will feel the heat.

10 tips to cracking GSA's Top 100

Marketing expert Mark Amtower offers his top 10 tips for generating more business on GSA's Schedule 70.

Attain starts out strong as BearingPoint successor

Attain LLC is less than a year old, but the professional services company already has gone through a name change and closed 20 new contracts and six follow-on awards worth a total of more than $13 million since September 2009.

Small-biz Powertek gets prominent ex-fed as COO

Dan Mintz, former Transportation Department chief information officer under the Bush administration, has left Computer Sciences Corp. to become chief operating officer at Powerteck.