Pentagon bracing for three-month slowdown in defense acquisition supply chain because of coronavirus
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Defense Department officials say they expect to see a three-month delay in most of their major defense acquisition programs because of workforce and supply chain issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Defense News reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
29 April 2020 -- “Particularly, we see a slowdown in the shipyards, to an extent," says Ellen Lord, the Pentagon’s top acquisition official. "Aviation is actually the most highly impacted sector we have right now.” Lord also expressed concern over the small space launch sector.
Delays largely are the result of closures up and down the supply chain from small firms to defense giants. Boeing has shut down production lines for weeks at a time, while 106 prime contractors have closed since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, with 68 having reopened.
For vendor-based companies, 427 have closed, with 147 having closed and then reopened, Lord says. The coronavirus pandemic is hurting the international supply chain, particularly in Mexico and India where U.S. aerospace companies have outsourced work.
John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
