The Defense Department inspector general’s office last month began auditing contracting procedures at JBSA-Lackland, Tex., to determine whether officials there properly handled multiple-award contracts for services. Specifically, inspectors are looking at whether “contracting officials provided a fair opportunity to compete, supported price reasonableness determinations, and performed surveillance for task orders” issued under these contract types, states a letter, dated Oct. 22, from Jacqueline Wicecarver, assistant IG for acquisition and contract management. The IG’s November update disclosed the investigation. The Pentagon spends about $200 billion annually on services, according to the IG.
The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force has unveiled a new electronic warfare drone designed to fly with fighter jets into contested airspace, including alongside its fleet of F-35s. RAF says it plans to develop models that draw on the U.S. Air Force’s approach of mating unmanned systems with crewed platforms.