April 5, 2024

QUICK HITS

• Russian breach of Microsoft impacts federal gov’t: Officials issued an emergency directive to address the Russian-backed breach.

• Get a glimpse into the top priorities of federal IT experts: See how officials are exploring tech that could revolutionize federal IT.

• What does Jacobs bring to Amentum in its mega-merger? Contract vehicles, cybersecurity, and a healthy relationship with NASA.

• How to tell a good war story: Storytelling is part of life! Learn to tell stories well, both at the water cooler and in your business proposals.

TRIVIA 🤔

Just click the choice you think is right & the correct answer will be shown. For more information about the trivia answer, scroll down to the bottom of this email.

DEFENSE & AEROSPACE

Pentagon postpones plans to retrofit its F-35s amid upgrade headaches.

Problems with an upgrade installed on some Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters rolling off the production line have now disrupted plans to incorporate those upgrades on existing aircraft. The F-35 Joint Program Office does not have a date for when those jets will get the much-anticipated retrofits. Read more

Army units run drone-racing competitions to lead the charge toward better tech.

From Hawaii to Europe, Army units are running drone racing competitions and experimenting with predictive software for the battlefield; meet the two brigades that are leading the Army's charge toward predictive software for use on the battlefield. Read more

DOD on track to implement ZT cybersecurity framework by end of FY27.

DOD is making “significant progress” in how the department approaches cybersecurity. Once implemented, the zero-trust framework will move DOD beyond traditional network security methods with capabilities designed to reduce exposure to cyberattacks, enable risk management and data sharing and quickly contain and remediate adversary activities. Read more

ICYMI:

• Pentagon welcomes Finland, Sweden as NATO's two newest members.

• Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman calls for collaboration between DOD, industry.

• The military plans to reduce risks to safeguard satellites.

• Unverified, single-source article: “Sanction-defying” Russian company supplies USAF and NASA.

Defense Contract Awards

• GDIT won a $922M CENTCOM Enterprise IT Infrastructure Upgrade deal.

• Raytheon bagged a $40.5M Navy CADRE Effort contract.

• DataPath was awarded a $12M Army Satellite Communications Enhancement contract.

• Palantir received a $9.8M Electromagnetic Battle Management System Prototype contract from DISA.

Follow the Defense Leaders

• Former Joint Special Operations Command Commander is now a member of Peraton’s Advisory Board.

• BigBear.ai COO tapped to be Maxar’s new CISO.

• Former Raytheon Executive appointed as the new RealmOne SVP.

• Core4ce’s co-founder has been named its new CEO.

Defense Job Openings

• IHS is looking for a Quality Management Director.

• Army Contracting Command needs a Contract Specialist.

• Air National Guard is seeking a Wing Commander.

• Army National Guard needs a Program Manager.

INSIGHT

DISA offers its proposal evaluation process.

DISA acknowledges that sometimes it’s hard to get helpful information about the proposal evaluation process, so they put together a short “here’s how we do it” tutorial. Check out their 10 slide deck if you are new to the process.

INTEL COMMUNITY

FBI eyes AI-powered cyber network protection but is wary of ethical quagmires.

In funny news paradoxes…the FBI is seeking to balance the risks and rewards that come from artificial intelligence by investing in AI to protect cyber networks. (Hmmm?) It's also keeping a close eye on the potential ethical quagmires that AI-powered network protection may spawn. Read more

Commentary: The crisis in East Asia: Korea or Taiwan?

There are few indications that tension will decrease in the Taiwan Strait; however, both Beijing and Taipei would prefer to maintain a status quo without a major crisis, largely for domestic reasons. In contrast, Kim Jong-un seems determined to take riskier actions than his already belligerent provocations. North Korea’s changing perspective is particularly concerning, when comparing the conditions and pathways to crisis between the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait. Read more

ICYMI:

• Coast Guard is close to releasing its final RFP for Business and Logistics Management Support Services (BL/MSS), a $14 billion, 10-year contract.

• IARPA reschedules SOLSTICE Proposers’ Day to May 7.

• IntelliBridge bags $23M FBI Counterterrorism Intelligence deal.

CIVILIAN

New bill aims to make procurement easier for feds, contractors buying tech.

A new bipartisan proposal introduced by two senators is looking to chop through a whole lot of procurement red tape; the bill would expand access to special acquisition authorities and provide new contractors a greater number of opportunities to do business with the government. Read more

Return of net neutrality will hamstring some foreign broadband firms.

The FCC is poised to restore net neutrality policies that prohibit internet service providers from throttling speeds to accelerate or degrade the delivery of online content. The reclassification of broadband as a regulated service will help hamstring certain foreign-owned ISPs, including those from China. Several providers deemed national security risks will have to discontinue business dealings once the new rules have been in effect for 60 days. Read more

GSA's FedRAMP roadmap pivots to look at the "whole customer journey."

GSA’s new roadmap outlines four strategic goals for 2024-25, which include: orienting FedRAMP around CX, positioning the program as a leader in cybersecurity and risk management, significantly scaling the size and scope of a trusted FedRAMP marketplace, and increasing program effectiveness through automation and technology-forward operations. Read more

ICYMI:

• Treasury IRS Draft RFQ: Enterprise Systems Testing BPA.

• DOT FAA RFP Update: COD Supplemental Engineering & Tech Support. SDVOSB Set-Aside.

• OPM and NASA collaborate to modernize the astronaut application process.

• SFR’s SAM registration lapsed; TLS’ Navy contract protest sustained.

Civilian Contracts Awards

• NASA awards 3 spots on $4.6B lunar exploration vehicle development contract.

• USDA’s Forest Service grants five awardees $70M contract.

• Deloitte wins $24M PMSS task from ED's Federal Student Aid Office.

• Vibrantech Solutions secures $4.4M Treasury IRS task.

Follow Civilian Leaders

• Tidal Basin Group’s CDO & SVP selected to be the new Federal Services Division President.

• Tyta Athene’s former SVP chosen as the new Tria Federal new CGO.

Civilian Job Openings

• IRS is seeking a Supervisory Contract Specialist.

• Peace Corps is looking for a Country Director.

• Treasury is looking for a Deputy Director.

M&A CORNER

TCOM acquires Equinox Innovative Systems.

TCOM has acquired Equinox Innovative Systems, a manufacturer of multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles, in a transaction aimed at expanding the former’s technology offerings to include tethered and untethered drone systems. Read more

Edgesource expands software development offerings with Newbrook buy.

Small business Edgesource has acquired Newbrook Solutions, a provider of software development services to defense and intelligence agencies. According to Edgesource, Newbrook brings a team of security-cleared experts in service management, software engineering, process engineering and systems engineering, and technical advisory services. Read more

GOVBREW INSIDER

• Check out this week’s 60+ opportunities from defense, civilian, and intel agencies.

• Our team uncovered 40+ upcoming IT services opportunities at the US Coast Guard in this week's recompete report.

• See if your company qualifies for any of the latest grants & competitions.

• Stay up to date on the upcoming events. Also, check out the GovBrew Insider discount on the upcoming GovCIO Women Tech Leaders Summit. 

• Keep track of the latest Agency Acquisition Forecasts.

Want to become a GovBrew Insider member? Join here

SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿

Can a solar storm kill the internet?

Talking about the upcoming eclipse is all the rage this week, but so are conversations about solar superstorms. Some fear that a powerful one can wreak havoc on online life, but how much can it affect our world's internet and other modern communication systems? Read more

What's the best way to correlate your firm's values to supply chain security?

The security of our supply chain has become top-of-mind for government officials, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. And for companies that deal with hardware procurement, supply chain security is more important than ever, as threats in this area continue to rise. Read more

Can Lenz Therapeutics’ experimental eye drop improve vision?

Lenz Therapeutics is testing the experimental eye drop LNZ100 on patients with presbyopia or age-related farsightedness. The changes it can bring to eye care can be revolutionary. The question is, how much did the eyesight of their test subjects improve after using the drug? Read more

TRIVIA ANSWER ⭐️

1955 — The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which sets the federal minimum wage, was created in 1947. A 1955 amendment to the FLSA increased the minimum wage from $0.75/hour to $1.00/hour. What was your minimum wage when you got your first job? Join the conversation and let us know on LinkedIn!

Want to submit a trivia question for the next edition? Reply to this email.

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