Electrical Engineer 3

Hegseth highlights defense manufacturing push with visit to future 'doomsday' planes. DAYTON, Ohio, and EAU CLAIRE, Wis. - Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth took his Arsenal of Freedom tour to the swing states of Ohio and Wisconsin on Oct. 20, highlighting efforts to boost defense manufacturing before the midterm elections next month, including by visiting future E-4C "Doomsday" planes. "We plan to spend even more in the future," Hegseth said during a visit to the Sierra Nevada Corporation in Dayton, Ohio, where he praised President Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican. "We are providing larger and longer and more predictable contracts to companies so that they can deliver at scale and at pace," he added. "That means more jobs, more reliable jobs, high-paying jobs as companies invest in their people. We're going to reward leaders who invest in their workers, who expand their capacity, and who share our utter sense of urgency." Sierra Nevada purchased five Korean Air 747-8i jetliners and plans to convert at least four into the new E-4C Survivable Airborne Operations Center, or SAOC. Hegseth championed the company, which won a $13 billion contract to build America's next-generation nuclear command-and-control aircraft over Boeing. Scale AI was recently awarded a contract to integrate artificial intelligence into aircraft. And there are signs the Air Force may choose to grow the fleet. Speaking to reporters, Hegseth discussed his recent trop to the Middle East, where he visited U.S. fighter units and Airmen, among other service members, and told Air & Space Forces Magazine he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He declined to say what he had discussed with the Israeli leader, including the possibility of renewing attacks on Iran, but added that the Israeli military "has great capabilities." "We've worked with the Israeli military quite a bit," Hegseth said. "They've been good partners." Hegseth also told Air & Space Magazine the Pentagon had not ordered a slowdown of SpaceX's Starlink or its military version, Starshield, for Ukraine - Ukrainian officials say their access to the space internet service has been throttled, hampering their drones and air defenses. "We haven't changed our posture in any way to the Ukrainians," Hegseth said. "We haven't pulled anything back. There are terms of service that ultimately need to be complied to, and that's where Starlink has the option to make those decisions. But nothing's changed from our view. We haven't made any directives or anything like that. And we wish the Ukrainians, obviously, success." The Wall Street Journal reported later on Oct. 20 that the move to slow Starlink was decided by Elon Musk, the chief executive of SpaceX. But Hegseth's trip was mainly intended as an opportunity for him to make his case for more defense spending and the Pentagon's push to help the defense industry. "We're asking for a $1.5 trillion investment to make a generational investment to ensure that we remain the strongest and most powerful military in the world," Hegseth said after touring SNC's facilities with Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink. "And those types of investments translate directly into high-paying jobs for American manufacturers." The aircraft being overhauled by Sierra Nevada Corporation are due to replace the four aging E-4B National Airborne Operations Center aircraft, which are on average over 50 years old. Boeing was eliminated from the competition to modernize the E-4 nuclear command and control fleet in 2023, leaving SNC as the sole competitor; the E-4C airframe itself is still based on Boeing's 747-800i. That gave SNC its largest contract in six-decade history, which is also one of the largest aircraft modernization deals given to a company that isn't the plane's original manufacturer. The E-4C flew its first test flight last year. "In a doomsday scenario, SAOC provides the president with unbreakable command and control. No other nation on planet earth has these types of capabilities, serving as our nation's ultimate insurance policy in a no fail mission," Hegseth said. Hegseth also touted his future of war initiative, Project Meridian, and his plans for a new four-star Autonomous Warfare Command - and the effort called the Aresnal of Freedom he has embarked on over the last year to champion American manufacturing. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth deliveres remarks in Eau Claire, Wis., as part of his "Arsenal of Freedom" tour., Oct 20, 2026. Photo by Chris Gordon/Air & Space Forces Magazine Hegseth then jetted to Wisconsin to visit the rural congressional district of Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a close administration ally, who is currently locked in a tight reelection battle predicted to be a toss-up. Hegseth's visit to the small business Riverside Machine and Engineering, alongside Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler, highlighted an effort to invest in small defense companies. The company is a small subcontractor that builds parts that go in radars and other equipment for BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin, including the F-35. "Tens of thousands of small businesses are the core of our defense industrial base," Hegseth said. "Any supply chain is only as good as its weakest link, and if you can't make a critical subcomponent, then ultimately that F-35 doesn't fly or ultimately that radar isn't working." Acquisition, Budget, National Security, Boeing, E-4C, NAOC, Pete Hegseth, SAOC, Sierra Nevada Corporation, SNC Air & Space Forces Magazine [crypto-donation-box type="tabular" show-coin="all"]

Defense contractor to pay $7.75M to resolve False Claims Act case. Posted August 27, 2026 Defense contractor Sierra Nevada Company, LLC ("SNC") recently agreed to pay $7.75 million to settle alleged False Claims Act violations stemming from its employment of a government official who "participated personally and substantially" in government contracts awarded to SNC.[1] What were the government's False Claims Act allegations against SNC? The government alleged that SNC retained Michael Henry, a government employee with the Joint Staff/J6, as an SNC consultant from July 2019 to June 2020, a period that overlapped with Henry's government service.[2] In particular, the government claimed that (i) as a government employee Henry "was involved in the award of three different government contracts to SNC" and "participat[ed] personally and substantially in the contracts by evaluating and obtaining approvals for SNC's products"; and (ii) as an SNC consultant Henry "participated personally and substantially in the contracts on SNC's behalf by recommending SNC's products for purchase."[3] This amounted to an alleged organizational conflict of interest under the Federal Acquisition Regulations ("FARs") and led to alleged violations of the False Claims Act by SNC.[4] SNC agreed to pay $7.75 million to settle the allegations. Who alerted the government? The DOJ press release notes that in addition to the civil FCA allegations against SNC, Henry pleaded guilty to a criminal indictment charging him with Acts Affecting a Personal Financial Interest in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 208(a).[5] In Henry's criminal case, the stipulated Statement of Facts describes how an industry participant informed the government of the conflict of interest: "38. Around February 2020, while employed at [Joint Staff J6], HENRY offered the CEO of Company B his consulting services in the commercial marketplace. During the conversation, HENRY stated that he was already consulting with Company A and that he had prior approval from the government to do so. 39. A few weeks later, HENRY had another conversation [with] the CEO of Company B. During the conversation, the CEO of Company B asked to see HENRY's contract with Company A. The CEO of Company B informed HENRY of his concerns regarding a potential conflict of interest and told HENRY that he should not be engaged in this business. The CEO of Company B then told HENRY that his consulting was inappropriate, HENRY should report this to his superiors, or the CEO of Company B would report it. 40. HENRY never reported his consultancy with Company A to his supervisor at [Joint Staff J6]. 41. In June 2020, Company B disclosed to HENRY's supervisor his conflict of interest with Company A."[6] The press release does not indicate that the False Claims Act allegations were prompted by a whistleblower complaint under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Nevertheless, these facts illustrate how industry participants are often in the best position to uncover alleged misconduct and report it to the government. Whistleblowers can initiate cases under the False Claims Act. Under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, whistleblowers may bring lawsuits on behalf of the government against individuals or entities committing fraud against the government. As a reward, eligible whistleblowers can receive up to 30% of the government's recovery. The False Claims Act is the federal government's most powerful enforcement tool to combat fraud and safeguard taxpayer dollars. According to Constantine LLP partner Dan Vitelli, "Defense contractors are common defendants in False Claims Act cases. The government pays defense contractors a massive amount of money each year, and the False Claims Act is the government's primary way to recover funds lost to fraud." The qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act are a crucial feature of the law. Most new FCA matters are qui tam cases initiated by whistleblowers, and qui tam cases represent the majority of FCA settlements and judgments. As Constantine Cannon LLP previously analyzed, in 2025 the government recovered roughly $6.9 billion from False Claims Act enforcement actions, the bulk of which - more than $5.3 billion - came from actions originated by whistleblowers under the qui tam provisions of the statute. "Insiders at the company or other industry participants are often in the best position to report fraud to the government and initiate an enforcement action," Vitelli added, "particularly when it comes to uncovering the increasingly complex and hidden schemes deployed by companies." What is government contract fraud? Government contract fraud, also known as procurement fraud, can be committed by many different types of companies or individuals and can take many different forms. It can include, for example, providing products or services that fail to meet legal or contractual specifications; materially misrepresenting or inflating costs; misallocating or improperly shifting costs between contracts; obtaining government contracts through bid-rigging, bribery, or other illegal means; or falsely representing pricing or discounts in violation of "most favored customer," "best pricing" requirements, or price reduction clauses. Its firm helps False Claims Act whistleblowers. Constantine LLP has significant experience representing whistleblowers under the False Claims Act. If you would like to learn more about its work, Constantine LLP's False Claims Act successes, or what it means to be a whistleblower, please contact Constantine Cannon LLP. Constantine Cannon LLP will connect you with a member of the Constantine LLP whistleblower team for a free and confidential consultation. [5] Id.; see also United States v. Henry, No. 2:24-cr-111 (E.D. Va.), ECF No. 21 (Plea Agreement) at 1. [6] United States v. Henry, 2:24-cr-111 (E.D. Va.), ECF No. 22 (Statement of Facts) ¶¶ 38-41.