In an update on the defense industrial base (DIB), Under Secretary of Defense Ellen Lord detailed the decrease in DIB company closures that are tracked by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA).
During a press briefing, Under Secretary Lord offered that of the 10,509 companies that are tracked by DCMA, 93 are closed – down from 106 last week. Companies that have closed and reopened are also up from 68 last week to 73 this week.
“This is the first time we have seen reopening numbers larger than the number of closures,” Lord remarked. “Domestically, while we have seen some minor improvements, we continue to see the greatest impacts in the aviation supply chain, shipbuilding, and small space launch.”
The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is tracking 11,413 companies. 437 of those are closed and 237 have closed and reopened, which is an increase of 100 companies from last week. Lord said that DLA continues to coordinate closely with military bodies to understand requirements and priorities needed to protect military personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
