While the Treasury Department is all over private companies on even the appearance of a sanctions violation, a private company has actually had to file suit in Federal Claims Court to try to force the Pentagon to comply with those same sanctions.
The court issued a temporary injunction against the Air Force preventing them from buying rocket engines from NPO Energomash, a Russian company, citing the expanded sanctions against Russia.
The engines were to be purchased by the Air Force and “United Launch Alliance,” a joint venture of major military contractors Lockheed Martin and Boeing, as part of the program to launch military satellites into orbit.
The lawsuit was brought by SpaceX, a domestic rocket-maker who wants the courts to reverse the booster contract to United Launch Alliance and to open up the program to commercial competition.
