Articles | National Defense Magazine

Industry Team Takes First Place in ThunderDrone Competition

A team of four companies recently achieved victory in a contest organized by Special Operations Command to explore ways to counter enemy unmanned aerial systems.

Cost Overruns, Schedule Slips: The Norm, Not the Exception

Numerous past government projects, such as infrastructure, federal buildings, hospitals, satellite programs and weapon systems, have suffered under cost overruns and schedule slips that resulted in billions of dollars of unplanned expenditures.

GSA Unveils Plan for New Online Shopping Portal

Following instructions from Congress to create a new online shopping system leveraging existing commercial practices, the General Services Administration, in coordination with the Office of Management and Budget, has released an implementation plan to begin e-commerce purchases by 2019.

Problems Persist with Commercial Item Rule

On Jan. 31, the Defense Department published a final rule regarding commercial item purchasing. Among other amendments, the rule modifies the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement by: formalizing a presumption of commerciality for items that the department previously treated as commercial; providing commercial treatment to items offered by nontraditional defense contractors; and prioritizing the types of information that the contracting officer can consider when determining price reasonableness in the absence of adequate competition.

Congress Pushes Stronger ‘Buy American’ Rules

Back in November, this column reported on several developments related to President Donald Trump’s “Buy American” executive order, which set forth a policy to “maximize … use of goods, products and materials produced in the United States” through federal procurements.

HASC Chairman Urges Compromise to Reach Budget Deal

With a budget deadline quickly approaching, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee urged politicians on both sides of the aisle to compromise on controversial issues in order to pave the way for an increase in defense spending.

As Budget Deadline Looms, Top Lawmaker Sees Congress Heading Toward a 'Brick Wall'

The ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee expressed doubt that Congress will reach an agreement on fiscal year 2018 appropriations before the latest continuing resolution expires.