A determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Republic of Korea has been approved by the U.S. State Department. The required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale was delivered by the Defense Security Cooperation on June 9, 2015. The notice of a potential sale is required by law but does not mean the sale has been concluded. The sale will be for the Aegis Combat Systems and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $1.91 billion. Read more >>

Headquartered at the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, the Honda Aircraft Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of automotive giant Honda Motor Company. Founded in August 2006, the Honda Aircraft Company is entirely dedicated to the manufacturing and marketing of the long-awaited HondaJet, the company’s inaugural aircraft. Parent company Honda generates roughly $117 billion in sales from its famed portfolio of cars, motorcycles, and power systems. Starting in the early 1980s when Honda began researching the idea of producing a small size business jet, the HondaJet HA-420 program is three decades in the making at a cost of $1.5 - $2 billion. Read more >>

In April 2015, the GM announced that it will stop making the Chevrolet Volt for four weeks in June and July due to slow sales and to deal with the change to an all-new version of the gas-electric hybrid car. Despite the changes happening with the Volt, the Detroit-Hamtramck plant will stay open through the summer. The factory also is undergoing construction so it can build a new full-size Cadillac CT6 and the 2016 Volt starting late in the summer. Read more >>

FedEx Corporation is looking to boost its business overseas. To expand into the European market, FedEx recently bought the Netherlands-based courier delivery company TNT Express for USD$4.8 billion in an all-cash deal that was announced in April 2015. Read more >>

Head of the House Armed Services Committee Mac Thornberry emphasized in a statement at the Center for Strategic and International Studies the need for American forces to update the military’s procurement process and technological posture. In line with longstanding criticism of the slow-paced and bureaucratic nature of weapons procurement, Thornberry argued for the launch of a reform program that will continue workforce acquisition training, reduce the number of unnecessary reports, integrate commercial practices into governmental procurement, and rethink contracts. Thornberry introduced a bill entitled the “Agile Acquisition to Retain Technological Edge Act” into Congress as the first in a six-year effort for reform. Read more >>

General Motors has decided that the company will stop selling to the Russian mass market, resulting in shutting down a USD$300 million plant in St. Petersburg. With less than eight years in production, the plant’s collapse will also result in lowering production of their German-based brand Opel, along with the complete halt of selling cars in Russia by the end of 2015. Read more >>

In March of 2015, Qualcomm Incorporated announced that it will buy back $15 billion USD worth of shares of its own stock. Over the next year, the company will spend $10 billion buying back stock, funded by both cash on hand (with $31.6 billion in liquid assets at its disposal as of the end of 2014) and also possibly a public debt offering. The technology corporation also stated that it will increase its dividend distribution by 14% (from $0.42 to $0.48 per share). The news triggered a rise in stock price of approximately 1.6%, closing at almost $73 on Monday, March 9, 2015. The company maintains a generous capital return program with 93% of fiscal year 2014’s free cash flow (totaling approximately $7.1 billion) distributed to investors. Read more >>

In March of 2015, General Motors announced that it would be buying back $5 billion USD worth of shares of its own stock. In an effort to avert a conflict with an investor group helmed by Harry Wilson concerning GM’s balance sheet and governance practices (particularly with the hoarding of cash), the company has also issued plans to increase its quarterly dividend by 20% - returning a total of approximately USD$10 billion to shareholders over the next two years. Harry Wilson has been seeking a seat on GM’s corporate board of directors and has withdrawn his nomination in light of this new capital allocation plan. In addition to raising quarterly dividends from 30 cents a share to 36 cents, the company has also stated it will offer more transparency in its investment proposals, as well as keeping executive compensation more balanced with overall return on investment capital and with shareholder return. Read more >>

In February of 2015, Hitachi Ltd. announced that it will acquire the railway division of Finmeccanica, a partially state-controlled Italian industrial group. Finmeccanica has been running their rail businesses - AnsaldoBreda and Ansaldo STS - at a loss. In an effort to streamline their businesses and focus solely on defense and aerospace, Finmeccanica has been seeking a buyer for these companies for approximately 4 years. Read more >>

On February 23, 2015, the aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman unveiled their new Citadel Enterprise Battle Command System. Northrop Grumman’s Citadel Enterprise Battle Command System supports allied integrated air and missile defense systems. The easily deployable and mobile command and control system provides the capability to utilize all sensors and weapon systems, offering war-fighters a clear cut air picture. Read more >>