DID Explores Industry’s Perceptions of Contractors

Defense Industry Daily is fielding a survey on perceptions of defense industry contractors – specifically on their performance on timeliness, quality and cost and the controlling reasons why specific contractors may be denied business. Some of the results will surface in various relevant stories as well as a series of reports. Survey takers will get the executive summary for free.

Update: the survey has been completed and the resulting study on defense contractor perception is now available.

Rapid Fire 2011-08-18: Companies Most Dependent on US Govt

• Data recently compiled by Bloomberg shows that ManTech, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin are among 9 companies that receive 70% of their revenue from the US government. Bloomberg also predicts that such companies have the most to lose from the recently announced budget cuts.

• A Russian defense industry insider claims that China’s fifth-generation J-20 fighter may be be based upon the Mikoyan 1.44 rejected by Moscow during its tender to develop a stealth fighter.

• Meanwhile Russia’s state-run Rosoboronexport reveals that it will sell $9 billion-worth of arms and equipment throughout 2011.  One customer could be Venezuela, whose President, Hugo Chavez,  today thanked Moscow for its help in re-equipping its armed forces.

• The website Spend Matters UK/Europe reveals that the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is paying US consulting firm Alix Partners almost £4,000 ($6,500) per day to help find savings in contract negotiations.

• Arguments over Israel’s defense budget continue, as the Defense Ministry accuses the Treasury of using defense expenditures to cover up its mistakes.

• CACI International reports Fourth Quarter FY2011 revenue of $963.2 million, a 13.5% increase on the corresponding period for FY2010. The US Department of Defense (DoD) accounted for almost $780 million in revenue.

• AEE Technology Co. becomes the first Chinese company to exhibit at AUVSI North America 2011. The company showcased its F50, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) billed as capable of monitoring protests.

• Russia’s Morinformsystem-Agat JSC unveils its ‘Pandora’s Box’ cruise missile system. The company is marketing the system as a ‘take anywhere’ weapon capable of attacking naval and land targets with the Klub-K 3M 54TE missile.