The upper bow unit of the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy is fitted to the primary structure of the ship, at Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding, July 10, 2019. US Navy/Huntington Ingalls Industries/Matt Hildreth
Business Insider: The coronavirus pandemic could leave 'a profound economic impact' on the Pentagon
* The coronavirus and related economic slowdown is affecting the defense industry, disrupting work by major firms and smaller suppliers alike.
* In the longer-term, however, a nationwide economic contraction caused by the pandemic could mean more dramatic budget cuts for which the Pentagon isn't prepared.
The Pentagon's top acquisition official said this week that the Defense Department expects the economic impact of the coronavirus on supply chains to delay major weapons programs for three months.
The biggest domestic disruption has been in the aviation, shipbuilding, and the small-space-launch sectors, Ellen Lord, undersecretary of acquisition and sustainment, said Monday.
"Right now there isn't any specific COVID penalty that we see for a specific [defense] program; however, we do anticipate about a three-month slowdown," Lord said.
Just as it's injected uncertainty into industry, the coronavirus has upended timelines in Congress, where the House Armed Services Committee is working to prepare drafts of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act by May 1, even as the bill's September 30 deadline moves out of reach.
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WNU Editor: The biggest impact on the Pentagon from the coronavirus pandemic will be on its future budgets.
