Boeing officials say the company has reached an agreement with the Justice Department for misconduct related to the Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program and the Darleen Druyun affair. In a statement, Doug Bain, Boeing senior vice president for law, says the company “will accept responsibility for the conduct of its employees and make additional commitments regarding ongoing compliance.” Boeing and Lockheed Martin—the injured party in the EELV deal—already have made up. The two companies have been pursuing joint arrangements for Air Force launch services and the new Small Diameter Bomb.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
