Author Archive
Ross Wilkers
Senior Staff Reporter

Ross Wilkers covers the business of government contracting, companies and trends that shape the market. He joined WT in 2017 and works with Editor-in-Chief Nick Wakeman to host and produce our WT 360 podcast that features discussions with the market's leading executives and voices. Ross is a native of Northern Virginia and is an alumnus of George Mason University.
Science & Tech
Pentagon preps for $48B tech-research contracts
Officials released more details on bidding for work that will support the preservation and distribution of defense research and analysis.
- Ross Wilkers
Business
Why BAE is paying $5.5B to acquire Ball's aerospace unit
BAE's largest-ever acquisition deal takes aim at the rapidly growing space sector.
- Ross Wilkers
Policy
NATO creates $1.1B fund for tech startups
The U.S. and Canada have yet to join the effort, which resembles the U.S. intelligence community's In-Q-Tel.
- Ross Wilkers
Business
Space-Imagery Firm Maxar to Go Private
With government contracts under its belt and a new constellation on the way, the company is to be acquired by a private-equity firm for $4B.
- Ross Wilkers
Business
CHIPS' Passage Won't Fill General Dynamics' Short-term Chip Needs
The company's Mission Systems arm feels the semiconductor supply crunch more than its others.
- Ross Wilkers
Defense Systems
Analysis: The side effects of the 'valley of death'
The "valley of death" problem is real when it comes to government acquisition and technology deployment, so the dialogue on that problem is endless. But when nine out of 10 startups with potentially promising technology fail to cross their own valley, more attention is needed there too.
- Ross Wilkers
Defense Systems
Coast Guard picks AT&T as primary telecom provider
The Coast Guard chooses AT&T to consolidate several data communications networks into a single environment under a $161 million task order.
- Ross Wilkers
Defense Systems
State Department offers glimpse of $8B IT services contract
The multiple-award contract dubbed "Evolve" is the successor to the Vanguard contract held by Science Applications International Corp. since 2010.
- Ross Wilkers
Defense Systems
Roper named CEO of drone company Volansi
Will Roper, the former Air Force acquisition chief, has been named CEO of Volansi, a commercial drone manufacturing company.
- Ross Wilkers
Defense Systems
Inside Raytheon's four-year blueprint for growth
Portfolio transformation efforts are largely in the rear-view mirror for Raytheon Technologies, which is now turning toward what the defense giant is calling "operational transformation" of its internal muscle and external pursuits of defense and government business.
- Ross Wilkers
Defense Systems
MilCloud adds Amazon Web Services
The Defense Department’s MilCloud 2.0 contract now gives Defense Information Services Agency and other non-combat DOD agencies access to cloud services from Amazon Web Services.
- Ross Wilkers
Defense Systems
DISA unveils $11B IT 'Enclave' services solicitation
The Defense Information Systems Agency puts its much-anticipated $11.2 billion 'Enclave Services' contract for broad IT services out for industry to bid.
- Ross Wilkers
Defense Systems
CIA awards massive cloud contract
The CIA confirmed the award of its Commercial Cloud Enterprise (C2E) contract to roll out new cloud hosting capabilities for the 17 intelligence agencies.
- Ross Wilkers
Defense Systems
NDIA appoints Punaro board chair
The National Defense Industrial Association, one of three main trade groups representing government contractors, has appointed a familiar face to chair its board of directors.
- Ross Wilkers
Defense Systems
NDIA appoints Punaro board chair
The National Defense Industrial Association, one of three main trade groups representing government contractors, has appointed a familiar face to chair its board of directors.
- Ross Wilkers
Defense Systems
Air Force, AT&T push ahead with 5G testing
The Air Force announced that it will test out AT&T’s 5G networking-as-a-service capabilities at three bases.
- Ross Wilkers
Defense Systems
JEDI fight will stretch into 2021
The $10 billion cloud project is already two years behind schedule and has yet to be implemented -- three years after the Defense Department first unveiled the project and almost a full year after Microsoft was first awarded the contract.
- Ross Wilkers
Defense Systems
DOD asks for extension on JEDI review
The Defense Department requested an extension to a stay in a lawsuit before announcing any revisions to the award in the $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure cloud deal.
- Adam Mazmanian and Ross Wilkers
Defense Systems
Perspecta takes NGEN protest to court
Perspecta is going to the judicial arena in the company's fight for at least another opportunity to try and keep its large NGEN network services contract with the Navy.
- Ross Wilkers
Defense Systems
DOD names contractors as part of nation's critical infrastructure
DOD acquisition chief Ellen Lord has declared that contractors in the defense industrial base are part of the nation's critical infrastructure sector and can continue to report to work during the pandemic.
- Ross Wilkers