Court puts off defense repayments of two companies

A federal court issued a stay Dec. 10, prohibiting the Pentagon from withholding payments on government contracts worth $2.3 billion from two major defense contractors.<br>

Northrop Grumman gets Justice OK to buy TRW

Northrop Grumman Corp. has reached agreement with the Justice Department on terms of a consent decree that should allow the company to soon close its $7.8 billion acquisition of TRW Inc.<br>

TRW, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman win laser contracts

TRW Corp., Raytheon Co. and Northrop Grumman Corp. each have been awarded a contract in laser research and development.<br>

Justice: Ptech presents no security risk

After Friday's search of software vendor Ptech Inc.'s headquarters, the Justice Department says the government does not have any reason to believe any federal systems have been compromised.<br>

Northrop, TRW continue talks with Justice

Northrop Grumman and TRW, in discussions with the Justice Department over their proposed merger, believe an acceptable consent decree can be reached within the next several days.<br>

Two firms move to block defense repayment actions

The Boeing Co. and General Dynamics Corp. both filed motions Dec. 3 with the U.S. Court of Claims to block a Pentagon move to withhold payments totaling $2.3 billion to the two companies on current government contracts.

DigitalNet completes Getronics purchase

DigitalNet has completed its $223 million purchase of Getronics Government Solutions.<br>

General Dynamics to start Navy air defense production

General Dynamics has won a $45 million contract from the Naval Sea Systems Command for engineering support services and the low-rate initial production of an integrated air defense system.<br>

GSA will keep watching WorldCom

The General Services Administration will continue monitoring developments surrounding financially troubled WorldCom after the telecommunications company reached an initial settlement over a civil lawsuit filed by Securities and Exchange Commission.<br>

GAO: Justice Dept. oversight of INS projects is ineffective

Information technology projects undertaken by the Immigration and Naturalization Service have not received needed oversight by the Justice Department, according to new General Accounting Office report.<br>

Siebel, Lockheed Martin team for fed business

Lockheed Martin Corp. and Siebel Systems Inc. are forming an alliance to pursue business opportunities in the federal information technology market.<br>

Qwest gets OK for Salt Lake City contract

Qwest Communications International has been cleared to begin work on a $150 million telecommunications contract for federal agencies in the Salt Lake City area.<br>

Northrop Grumman finds buyer for TRW auto unit

Northrop Grumman Corp. has signed a definitive agreement to sell the automotive division of TRW Inc. to the Blackstone Group.<br>

GAO: Biometrics can aid in border security

Some biometric technologies could be used effectively to help screen individuals at U.S. borders provided they are used with other screening techniques, a new General Accounting Office report says.<br>

GEIA: Fed IT spending to jump in 2003

<FONT SIZE=2>Federal government spending on information technology will total more than $74 billion in fiscal 2003, according to a forecast by an IT trade association.</FONT>

Harris, Lockheed sign partnering agreement

<FONT SIZE=2>For Harris Corp. and Lockheed Martin Corp., the plan to join forces in air traffic management was a long time in coming.</FONT>

SI International goes public

SI International, a McLean, Va., information technology company, began trading stock Nov. 12, issuing 14 million shares.

General Dynamics gets $450 million U.K. defense digitization program

General Dynamics United Kingdom Ltd., a unit of General Dynamics Corp., won a contract as the preferred supplier to support a digital battle management system for the U.K. Ministry of Defence. The system, which could cost $450 million, will be used by British ground forces. Through this program, called the Digitization Battlespace Land-Combat, Infrastructure and Platform Battlefield Information Systems application, General Dynamics will integrate hardware and software into a common digital communications and situational-awareness system.

Two big players form alliance for air traffic management

Harris Corp. and Lockheed Martin Corp., already dominant players in the global air traffic management industry, have entered an agreement to pursue opportunities together in the $5 billion global market for airspace management solutions. Don Antonucci, president of Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management, and Bob Henry, president of Harris Government Communications Systems Division, each used a gold pen Nov. 6 to sign the agreement during a press conference at the 47th annual Air Traffic Control Association meeting.

WorldCom nets recompete of VA long-distance services

WorldCom Inc. won a five-year contract from the Veterans Affairs Department's Canteen Services division as the preferred long-distance service provider for patient phones in 175 VA medical centers and clinics. Despite the financial scandal that drove WorldCom into bankruptcy earlier this year, the company continues to be one of the largest providers of telecommunications services to the federal government.