Department of Defense

The Great Green Fleet: The Military and Renewable Energy

By Benjamin Gorelick on September 25, 2012 - 1:19pm

Technology is a hard thing to predict. In 1961, for example, the commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission T.A.M.

Unfunded Requirements AWOL in 2013 Budget

By Elliott Suthers on May 7, 2012 - 9:52am

As the 2013 defense budget trudges its way through the House markup on Wednesday, there’s one very important element missing from the debate — the services’ annual unfunded requirements list.

JLTV Program Offers Smaller Companies a Shot at the Big Time.

By Elliott Suthers on April 3, 2012 - 11:45am

The Army’s beleaguered Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) battle just keeps getting more interesting. Thought to be all but dead less than eight months ago, the $13 billion-plus Army and Marine troop carrier program is now being sought by no fewer than six contractors.

Emotion, Not Logic, Will Sell the F-35

By Erik Schechter on December 9, 2011 - 10:14am

It’s no secret that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is a troubled program. Over the past 10 years, the price of Lockheed Martin’s cutting-edge stealth aircraft has shot up 64 percent, while sales projections have continued to slide. Indeed, foreign countries that once fell over themselves to join the multinational F-35 program are now showing far less enthusiasm for the $120-150 million plane.

A Few Trends to Watch

By Elliott Suthers on October 20, 2011 - 4:55pm

Tension was in the air at last week’s AUSA meeting. Hanging over the entire conference was an impending sense of doom. Companies wondered where their next sale would come from; program managers worried about meeting their sales goals; and the military just focused on getting in and out without contractors bleeding them dry. It was quite a scene.

Surviving the Budget Process

By Elliott Suthers on September 14, 2011 - 2:10pm

It’s markup time again; but unlike previous years where House and Senate Committees had been given an open checkbook, this year Appropriations Committees have been mandated to take more than $26 billion in cuts from the President’s proposed budget.

That's Acquisition!

By Elliott Suthers on August 9, 2011 - 5:21pm

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s acquisition! Well, not quite, but acquisition is undoubtedly a critical element for any defense company’s business strategy. And understanding this process is all the more important in light of Secretary Carter’s new wave of initiatives.

A Note to Mr. Panetta.

By Elliott Suthers on June 13, 2011 - 12:53pm

(Reprint from O'Dwyer's PR, 6/13/11)

Dear Mr. Panetta,

This week, you’ll make the long trek up to Capitol Hill to convince lawmakers of your ability to replace one of the most effective Secretarys of Defense our nation’s seen. While Gates will no doubt be a hard act to follow, he wasn’t perfect, and neither were the administrations he served.

Analyzing the F136 Second Engine Debacle

By Elliott Suthers on April 28, 2011 - 4:01pm

(Reprint from O'Dwyer's, 4/28/11)

Incoming Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will have a number of massive challenges ahead of him. These range from a sprawling military structure to the planned refurbishments of the Pentagon. However, a recent decision to halt funding for a congressionally earmarked program of note offers him some insight into the inner working of his new charge.

Making Defense Advertising Make Sense

By Erik Schechter on March 14, 2011 - 11:51am

It is not especially difficult for a PR professional to come up with a print ad for, say, an F-35 fighter jet. The subject — a hi-speed aircraft bristling with advanced weaponry — practically sells itself. True, you still have to come up with accompanying text that is both interesting and original, and this does require some artistry with the English language. But once you have the F-35 photo, you’re half-way done.