April 15, 2024

Project Convergence EBook, Holodeck, Salesforce Einstein1 AI tool, BlueHalo laser win, T4NG protests

Author

GovBrew
April 15, 2024

QUICK HITS

  • Why incumbents lose: Listen to this recent episode of Breaking the Standard that discusses incumbency and the root cause of incumbents losing.

  • T4NG protesters grow to 14: And more might be coming.

  • Bluestone Capital connects with ECS vets: they will use the partnership to look for a company to buy and build.

  • Renewal of Section 702 urged: Defense intelligence officials stress its vital role for U.S. national security and countering global threats.

DEFENSE & AEROSPACE

DOD can’t force Starlink to block service to Russians.

The DOD can’t force SpaceX to cut service to Russia—say, by creating a whitelist for Ukrainian troops’ terminals. Recently, the Wall Street Journal has detailed how Starlink is sold through “a shadowy supply chain” and makes its way to Russian forces and other U.S. foes. It’s just “something we just have to bake in and understand. And make no mistake, the reason it's this thing is because it's so effective,” one DOD representative said. Read more

MDA Commits $847M to Advanced Missile Defense.

MDA has awarded Lockheed Martin $847M to enhance missile defense systems, integrating new satellite data and AI for improved threat detection and response. This modernization aims to strengthen global defense capabilities, with a potential expansion of up to $4.1 billion over the next decade. Read more

TRANSCOM commander testifies on top readiness concerns.

Sealift and aerial refueling capabilities are top readiness concerns for U.S. Transportation Command, Gen. Van Ovost told the SASC last week. TRANSCOM is already dealing with the Iranian-backed Houthis seeking to close the sea line of communication in the Red Sea. The command also deals with Chinese efforts to restrict peaceful passage in the South China Sea and East China Sea. It also must defend against cyberattacks. Read more

ICYMI:

  • Next-Gen Interceptor selection is coming this month.

  • Army’s Project Convergence E-Book is available.

  • CBO says LSMs to cost 2-3 times Navy estimates per ship.

Defense Contract Awards

  • BlueHalo wins Army contract to support high energy laser systems.

  • Leidos wins $13.7M ANG aviation training contract.

  • Downselect: Marine Corps chose AeroVironment, Anduril Industries, and Teledyne FLIR to vie for $249M loitering-munitions contract.

  • Carahsoft won a $261M Navy BPA for enterprise software.

  • BAE Systems wins $79M Marine Corps contract for test vehicles.

Follow the Defense Leaders

  • Draper hired a CFO who was with L3Harris for 20 years.

  • Parry Labs’ new CGO who was formerly the VP/GM for Teledyne FLIR’s defense biz.

  • Voyager Space names a new CSO, who was the former SVP/GM at Sierra Space.

Defense Job Openings

FUNNY

INTEL COMMUNITY

DOJ “not aware” of any identity theft, fraud following consultant’s data breach.

A data breach that exposed Medicare information—including SSNs—provided to consulting firm Greylock McKinnon Associates by the Justice Department doesn’t appear to have resulted in identity theft or fraud yet. Greylock McKinnon Associates experienced a cyberattack in May 2023 that likely compromised Medicare information of 341,650 people, including their social security numbers. Read more

DHS lays out timeline for geospatial support recompete.

A solicitation for the third iteration of the Geospatial Technical Support Services blanket purchase agreements should go live on or around May 30. Awards should follow in the third quarter of this calendar year. GTSS 3.0's ceiling will likely exceed $100 million over its five-year ordering period. Click the link for the list of incumbents. Read more

ICYMI:

  • ShadowDragon releases an OSINT platform called Horizon.

  • Protests pile up on $8.4B DHS PACTS III IDIQ.

  • Trillion ERP Venture Tech (TERP) JV wins $3.8M DHS FEMA Disaster Financial Support Capability Development and Sustainment contract.

  • DHS is seeking a Deputy Division Chief.

CIVILIAN

Login.gov pilot to include option for biometric verification.

GSA said in a release that the pilot will offer users the ability to match a “live selfie” with a self-supplied form of photo identification like a driver’s license. The agency said it will not use images “for any purpose other than verifying identity,” and reaffirmed the platform’s commitment to user privacy. Read more

OPM rule removes social security numbers from mailed documents.

The federal government has been working on reducing the use of SSNs as identifiers since at least 2006, when the Identity Theft Task Force, created by a G.W. Bush E.O., called for the OMB and OPM to find ways to eliminate, restrict or conceal SSN use. But the GAO found in 2017 that existing regulations, technology and cross-agency requirements were hampering some agencies’ ability to reduce the use of SSNs in official documentation. The new rule was published in the Federal Register last week. Read more

ICYMI:

  • Salesforce launches “Einstein 1” generative AI tool for gov’t.

  • Cost estimates for IRS’s Direct File program were incomplete says GAO.

  • Cohesity announces IBM investment, in an “enhanced relationship.”

  • USCIS details timing on $170M+ IT User and Field Operations Support II (NEON II) Recompete. Industry Day expected in June.

  • CMS denies all protests for $1B ACME BPA.

Civilian Contracts Awards

Follow Civilian Leaders

  • VA names a new Executive Director, Production Services for its infrastructure operations organization.

  • Edgewater promotes a new COO.

  • DMI elevates a new CFO.

  • DOE’s USACCESS leader exits, takes role with USPTO.

Civilian Job Openings

  • The Office of Congressional Workplace Rights is seeking a Deputy Executive Director for the Senate.

  • NNSA is seeking a Director of Finance and Budget.

  • DOI’s BIA is seeking a Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

  • FDIC is seeking a Director, Office of Risk Management & Internal Controls and Chief Risk Officer.

M&A CORNER

Bluestone backed CTI acquires Asymmetric Technologies, LLC.

Bluestone Investment Partners announced the successful acquisition of Asymmetric Technologies LLC by its portfolio company, Chesapeake Technology International Corp. (CTI). This strategic move marks a significant expansion of CTI's capabilities in the realm of defense technology. Read more

BAE Systems acquires Topaz Intelligence as part of the Ball Aerospace acquisition.

BAE Systems has added Topaz Intelligence, LLC to its Modeling & Simulation Solutions (M&SS) portfolio to provide intelligence-as-a-service to drive agile decision making for its customers. M&SS provides military customers with wargaming capabilities and operational readiness planning within the Intelligence & Security sector. Read more

ICYMI:

  • Bluestone forms partnership with ECS vets to find acquisition targets.

  • Akamai are back at the negotiation table with plans to acquire Israeli cybersecurity startup Noname Security.

SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿

U-Penn Engineering recreated Star Trek’s Holodeck. What other fabulous idea can we recreate with modern technology?

In Star Trek: The Next Generation, Captain Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise leverage the holodeck, an empty room capable of generating 3D environments, to prepare for missions and to entertain themselves, simulating everything from lush jungles to the London of Sherlock Holmes. Penn Engineers recently recreated the holodeck using ChatGPT and video game assets. What will they recreate next? Read more

What’s it like inside the operation to clear the Key Bridge wreckage?

The Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving is one of the federal units called in to assist the unified command – comprised of the Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Transportation Authority, Maryland State Police and Witt O’Brien’s (a management company representing MV Dali’s managers) – with cleaning up the bridge wreckage and opening the channel. Last Thursday, the ACOE said the Port and the channel will be open by the end of May. Read more

Did you know restaurants give away freebies on Tax Day?

April 15 is here, and it sucks, I know. Taxes…ugh! But there’s a bright spot in your day, and the name is Krispy Kreme. Lots of places have special Tax Day deals: Krispy Kreme, Hooters, GrubHub, Potbelly, Arby’s, Dave and Busters, California Pizza Kitchen, and others to support those “who may literally need a tax break.” Read more

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