MDA Director: Poor Contractor Performance

Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, MDA Director

Gen. O’Reilly came down hard on missile defense contractors for their lack of performance on contracts, citing a “level of scrutiny and level of culture” in the community. He also said that MDA would not be afraid to withhold award fees if companies did not meet the standards set out in their contracts. O’Reily believes that change needs to be made and that it would be to the benefit of the DoD and its industry partners. He pointed to the example of Lockheed Martins overhaul of THAAD over a decade ago as a prime example.

The director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) says he continues to be disappointed by a lack of performance by contractors developing and fielding missile defense systems and he is proposing that some industry leaders be fired to foster a more productive culture among companies involved in the program.

Moscow Wants Arms Treaty To Cover Missile Defense

General Nikolai Makarov

Russia is holding fast on tying missile defense into the START follow-on treaty. The head of Russian armed forces, Nikolai Makarov, has said that “the time of signing the new treaty will depend… on the sides’ readiness to heed each other’s interests.” Its odd that at the same time a Russian lawmaker said that the treaty would “definitely”  be signed before the nuclear summit being held April 12-13 in Washington, D.C.. Looks like Moscow maybe talking out both sides of its mouth on this.

The United States has been refusing to include the missile defense issue in the new strategic offensive arms reduction treaty, said chief of the Russian armed forces’ General Staff, General of the Army Nikolai Makarov.

“The treaty is about 95% prepared, but individual aspects have yet to be negotiated, including the American side’s consent to include the problem of missile defense in the treaty – a matter of crucial importance for us,” Makarov said in an interview with Rossiiskaya Gazeta, published on Tuesday.

U.S. Eyes Fixed Price Terms For Missile Defense

Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn

Pentagon officials have indicated that they would begin using fixed-price contracts for missile defense programs, except for developing programs. This is an indication of increasing oversight and accountability in the Pentagon’s missile defense programs. It is also a sign of the legitimate need and focus on missile defense in the Defense Department.

The Pentagon plans to begin using fixed-price contracts for its missile defense programs, although probably not for the development of new systems, top Defense Department officials told the defense industry on Monday.

Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn and Pentagon acquisition chief Ashton Carter both mentioned the drive toward more fixed-price contracts at an annual missile defense conference.