Army Awards Up to $7B Counter-Drone IDIQ — What Shops Should Watch
Posted by Jason Hansen on Oct 1st 2026
On September 29, 2026, Army acquisition leaders and Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) announced multiple indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) awards totaling up to about $7 billion for counter-drone capabilities. The awards began earlier that week and are meant to feed the Pentagon’s drone and counter-drone marketplace, the Domestic Shield effort to protec
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Collins Aerospace Expands West Des Moines Engine Components Capacity — What Shops Should Watch
Posted by Jason Hansen on Sep 30th 2026
On September 29, 2026, Collins Aerospace — an RTX business — announced a 14,000-square-foot expansion of its West Des Moines, Iowa manufacturing facility. The multi-million-dollar investment is aimed at adding capacity as commercial and military aviation programs pull more fuel-distribution hardware and related spares through the plant.
For precision machine shops and OEM supp
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Smaller War Plants Commission: What Small Defense Manufacturers Should Watch
Posted by Jason Hansen on Sep 29th 2026
In late August 2026 the Small Business Administration and the Department of War announced a new memorandum of understanding that creates the Smaller War Plants Commission (SWPC). The name nods to the World War II–era Smaller War Plants Corporation — an SBA predecessor that helped small manufacturers finance and deliver military production. Today’s commission is a coordinating b
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