• Takeaways from T4NG2 industry day — what to do now: Some significant changes emerged that’ll probably impact your activities.
• Lack of OCI processes sinks CACI’s bid for $8B Army contract: They didn’t explain any processes it had in place to mitigate conflict-of-interest.
• Civilian fed agencies to adopt new contract management standard: It’ll improve contract mobility between the Pentagon, govt. departments.
• Brawl is a-brewing over VA EHR legislation: Some legislators want to expand oversight over VA’s new EHR system — or just terminate it.
• New to MATOCs? Here’s a helpful introductory guide.
• A crash course in perfecting the practice of profit planning for GovCon firms: Less off-the-cuff and more planning-planning.

DEFENSE & AEROSPACE

ICYMI Snippets

• China has a spy balloon over Montana right now. (No, we aren’t shooting it down…yet.)
• Space Force chief calls for closer links between operators and buyers.
• The Air Force’s Navigation Technology Satellite-3 just reached a huge milestone.
• DARPA taps teams led by General Atomics, Aurora Flight Sciences for “Liberty Lifter” program.

Defense Contract Awards

• Peraton nabs a $4B Navy contract for CANES production.
• General Dynamics unit books $482M contract to sustain army SIGINT, EW system.
• Air Force grants Alphabet-spinoff SandboxAQ permission to show off its quantum navigation tech.
• CAES has been awarded an Air Force award to deliver EWO dual system-in-package circuit card assemblies.

Follow the Defense Leaders

• Chevo Consulting has a new EVP, Homeland Security and Defense.
• Mercury Systems SVP to serve as Interim Chief Financial Officer.

Defense Job Openings

• The Marine Corps is seeking a new Chief of Staff.
• The Coast Guard needs a Program Manager within its Acquisition Directorate (CG-9).

INTEL COMMUNITY

Pentagon signals intent to embrace AI; intelligence community follows suit.

With the creation of the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office by the DOD in 2022, the Pentagon has signaled its intent to embrace AI technologies. Although it has yet to take such sweeping action, the U.S. intelligence community is following suit. Read more

More about that Chinese spy balloon…

So while the DOD has an eye on the balloon, the intelligence community is all a kerfuffle about the spying that’s happening. China has told the US to “stay calm,” and that they are trying to figure out what’s going on from their end. In the meantime, House Speaker is calling for committees to meet to discuss, among other things, the fact that the balloon was flying over the home of some of our intercontinental ballistic missiles. Here’s (maybe) why we chose not to shoot it down.

ICYMI Snippets

• DIA to break ground in Huntsville for new MSIC facility.
• Guidehouse awarded $158M contract with DHS to provide HSPD-12 products and services.

CIVILIAN

Protests circle around $377M Energy training support contract.

Two challengers and the incumbent are challenging the Energy Dept’s choice of a 4th firm to help run the agency’s National Training Center. All of the competitors are either Alaska Native Corporations or Native Hawaiian Organizations. Energy awarded the recompete contract to Eagle Harbor. Kupona, Chenega and Akima all filed protests, arguing that Energy did not conduct the evaluation in-line with the terms in the solicitation. The cost-realism evaluation is also part of the protest, as are claims that Energy’s discussions with bidders were misleading and not meaningful or unequal. Read more

Why today’s senior federal civilian, military managers are surprisingly good at approaching performance data.

When it comes to performance management and performance data, senior leaders are actually pretty great at motivating employees to work harder, focus for longer, and do better at learning new and useful techniques. Read more

6 keys for successful government crisis contact centers.

Few government services are as critical as crisis communications, especially in the moments during and after severe weather systems, natural disasters and other catastrophic events that affect the masses. Here are 6 keys to their ongoing success. Read more

ICYMI Snippets

• Watch: Siemens Government Technologies CEO talks digital twins & modernization.
• Analytics automation: the “Secret Decoder Ring” for government.
• GSA dropped an RFI for carbon pollution-free electricity.
• Industry is bitching about the short response window for VA’s $60B recompete.

Civilian Contracts Awards

• GSA taps Brasfield & Gorrie for $196M Fort Lauderdale courthouse design-build project.
• NIH awards Plexus Scientific $2M NIH OEPR Knowledge Management Systems Support Services IDIQ.
• Tech Site Services awarded $1M NIH data center contract.

Follow Civilian Leaders

Civilian Job Openings

• USDA’s Forest Service needs a Supervisory Program Specialist.
• Deputy Director wanted for NASA Office of JPL Management & Oversight.

M&A CORNER

LinQuest buys Hellebore Consulting Group.

LinQuest has acquired defense technology company Hellebore Consulting Group for an undisclosed sum to expand capabilities in support of digital transformation efforts of Air Force Materiel Command and other customers. Read more

Not a done deal: Cobham mulls Mercury Systems Acquisition.

Cobham, a global technology company backed by private equity firm Advent International, is considering acquiring Andover, Massachusetts-based defense electronics supplier Mercury Systems. U.K.-based Cobham eyes Mercury as a potential acquisition target after the latter’s board of directors moved to explore strategic alternatives. Read more