Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn said Monday Pentagon officials “are disappointed” by Northrop Grumman’s decision to withdraw from the Air Force’s KC-X tanker contest (see Opting Out above). Further, he said the Defense Department still thinks the KC-X competition is “structured fairly” and that “both companies could compete effectively.” Meanwhile, Boeing, which is now ostensibly the sole bidder, “remains 100 percent focused … and intends to submit a fully responsive, transparent, and competitive proposal,” said company spokesman Bill Barksdale. (Lynn statement) (Boeing statement) (See also EADS North America release)
When the Space Force discusses the cyber threats faced by the service or the commercial satellite providers it uses, it typically frames the issue as a nation-state one. But for cyber defenders in the commercial space sector responsible for day-to-day operations, the reality is rather different: Like other providers of…