• Extension likely on e-records deadline: NARA wants to give agencies an 18-month break on its Dec. 31 deadline to transition to electronic record keeping.
• Too much quantity, not enough cybersecurity legislative quality? Op-ed questions the value of such a high volume of cybersecurity legislation.
• DOD developing IT-rich facilities management contract: Pentagon officials are developing a contract to centralize IT management of the Pentagon and related facilities.
• How military teams can better use data, tactical decision-making at the edge: Gaining actionable insights from data remains the goal.
• A reminder why you don’t bribe government officials: QuantaDyn bribed a government official to obtain confidential government information and secure government contracts.

DEFENSE & AEROSPACE

ICYMI Snippets

• Pentagon, SpaceX to deepen ties despite Starlink funding in Ukraine dispute.
• DISA’s cloud hosting and security office is developing a continuous integration, continuous delivery-based program Vulcan to help spread SecDevOps software development principles and tools.

Defense Contract Awards

• DEFCON AI received a Phase II SBIR contract to support the continued development of the service’s operational-level mobility and logistics training software.
• Navy awarded an $11.1M contract to provide systems engineering and integration in support of U.S. Trident II (D5) Strategic Weapons System Program.

INTEL COMMUNITY

DOD, IC preparing for biological threats, China’s collection and use of genetic data.

GAO issued a report on DOD and Intelligence Community preparations to counter biological threats, which could include anthrax or COVID-19, as well as alleviate China’s collection and use of genetic data. The report also examines the role of the National Center for Medical Intelligence in producing and disseminating medical intelligence. Read more

Space Force readies multi-billion dollar narrowband satellite solicitation.

U.S. Space Force officials plan to release a solicitation early next year for two Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellites to ensure that military users have access to secure communications. Space Force operates for MUOS satellites in space, as well as one on-orbit spare through a program that the Navy initiated and then transferred to Space Force in March. Read more

Army testing data platform for intelligence officers.

The service is testing an Army Intelligence Data Platform to better embrace cloud-based technologies, having just completed an initial pilot at Fort Gordon, Ga. The program was formerly known as Distributed Common Ground System-Army Capability Drop 2, and service officials ultimately hope to make it available to all Army intelligence officers. Read more

ICYMI Snippets

• Idaho National Labs builds its R&D and edge computing around 5G networks.
• NGA, ICEYE to explore the use of commercial SAR data for polar regions, sensing natural hazards
• The US needs more cyber warrior scholars.

IC Contract Awards

• IARPA awards Signature Science a $5.3M phase one contract to develop a novel biodosimetry approach for TEI-REX program.
• ClearShark named agent on DoD ESI cybersecurity software contract.

CIVILIAN

Court denies USPS bid to reconsider $67M contract to Northrup Grumman.

A U.S. Court of Federal Claims judge has rejected USPS’ request to reconsider a $67M task order contract to Northrup Grumman, an attempt to resolve a long-running dispute over mail sorting machine technology. Northrup Grumman had won an $874M firm fixed-price contract in 2007 to build and install 100 mail sorting machines for flat postal items, which are larger than regular envelopes but smaller than packages Read more

Future of federal remote work relies on secure network access.

With the shift to remote work accelerated by the pandemic now likely a permanent factor in federal work, there is a need more secure remote network access, with better strategies to facilitate this shift, according to one commentary. Read more

ICYMI Snippets

• The VA’s first permanent chief data officer is leaving the agency next month..
• Cadmus.has appointed two public sector veterans to lead its sustainability and infrastructure practices for federal, state and local government clients.

Civilian Contracts Awards

• ICF announced that it would fulfill program support service task orders as a prime contractor through a $1.2B IDIQ contract with HHS SAMSA.
• NIH awards Dell Data Domain and ECS Expansion contract.

GOVCON M&A CORNER

Shield Capital announces Pentagon Veteran Michael Brown as new partner.

Michael Brown, former DIU director and Presidential Innovation Fellow, joins Shield Capital. Shield Capital invests in early-stage venture capital companies building frontier technologies in artificial intelligence, autonomy, cybersecurity, and space. SHIELD’s veteran team of company founders, investors, and national security leaders is mission-focused to support entrepreneurs addressing challenges and opportunities at the nexus of commercial industry and national security. Read more