Wall Street investors and Wall Street analysts, along with the Department of Justice, are pondering Disney’s massive acquisition of much of 21st Century Fox, a consolidation that may reshape the entertainment industry landscape. While defense mergers rarely involve anyone’s favorite movies and are financial dwarves compared to ones like 21st Century Fox and Disney, they remain… Keep reading →

WASHINGTON: Perhaps the most respected living Defense Secretary, Bill Perry, sat down with reporters today to tout a new book and give the American people a shot at one of the finer brains to have led the Pentagon. Perry is renowned for having hosted the so-called Last Supper with defense industry chiefs, which set the stage… Keep reading →

WASHINGTON: The Defense Department has told its big industry partners for most of the last 15 years that there’s no need for consolidation at the top. Lockheed Martin, Boeing, BAE Systems, Raytheon, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman are big enough, they said. Mergers of prime contractors would limit competition, Ash Carter, Frank Kendall and other… Keep reading →

UPDATED: Insights From Steve Grundman, Former DUSD Industrial Affairs WASHINGTON: For several years, senior Pentagon officials have said they don’t expect or encourage mergers of the giant defense companies, but mergers and acquisitions of smaller entities might well make sense. The first example we saw was the merger of ATK and Orbital Sciences. Today, Harris… Keep reading →

The U.S. defense industry, being reshaped by declining post-war budgets, globalization, and the increased pace of technological change, must work with the Pentagon and take proactive steps to maintain our historic preeminence on the battlefield. Our industry does not easily embrace change. In fact, history demonstrates that shifts in the defense industry have largely been… Keep reading →

WASHINGTON: In many respects, the merger announced this morning between ATK and Orbital Sciencesappears just a sensible move between two space and defense companies facing a declining demand for rockets and rocket engines. The Space Shuttle flies no more, leaving ATK without the considerable revenue stream from its reusable solid rocket motor. The United Launch… Keep reading →