August 14, 2024

QUICK HITS

• OASIS+ Small Business contracts delayed: GSA’s Office of Professional Services and Human Capital Categories (PSHC) delayed the award as a result of protests being filed.

• Reimagining the novation process for Gov’t contracts: Current novation process (and its shortcomings) and recommendations for improving the process under FAR Subpart 42.12.

• Get ready for quantum attacks: NIST’s new encryption standards.

• Army PEO Industry Day coming soon(ish): Make MAPS a success!

DEFENSE & AEROSPACE

DARPA to leave “C Code” for “Rust.”

DARPA has initiated the TRACTOR program. The agency is collaborating with university and industry researchers to develop a system that converts C code into Rust code. Proposers Day is on August 26. Read more

Standardization is the key to the Pentagon’s modern war idea.

All military branches have developed their own systems and capabilities. Oftentimes, they don't talk within their respective service, resulting in internal communication issues. This has led to integration problems. These capabilities need to be unified at the four-star, joint combatant command level, where the commander fuses each service’s capabilities to decide the best option for mission execution. Read more

Space Force, allies, and their plans for the global supply chain.

With growing worries about the global industrial base’s ability to meet satellite production demands, the Space Force is collaborating with its close friends to develop a strategy to bolster the space supply chain. Solving this problem includes making headway on the overclassification problem. Read more

ICYMI:

• A beauty startup just bagged a major contract…with the DOD?

• China’s Hesai to be taken off of the DOD’s blacklist.

• Army is pushing for more rugged counter-drone lasers to put on vehicles.

• Lockheed and General Dynamics will partner up for solid rocket motor market entry.

Defense Contract Awards

• HII won a $209M USAF Weapons Sys Devt. and Sustainment deal.

• Leidos inked a $191M Army Mission Software Modernization deal.

• Honeywell International was awarded a $25.7M Navy Strategic Radiation-Hardened Microelectronics sustainment contract.

• Northrop Grumman won a $10.9M DARPA Research contract.

Follow the Defense Leaders

• The Army CCOE is under new command.

• Former BAE Area Manager is now Cubic Digital Intelligence’s CGO.

• Mercury Systems has chosen an new Engineering VP.

Defense Job Openings

• OPNAV wants a Navy Staff Vice Director.

• AFC CDID needs a Deputy Director.

CHART

DOD Agency-wide Material IT Deficiencies by Control Category. Understanding the results of the Audit of the FY 2023 DoD Financial Statements (Report No. DODIG-2024-114) (Source)

INTEL COMMUNITY

ICYMI:

• RFI: USSOCOM’s synopsis for Intelligence Support Services Joint III.

• Intel Summit: FBI’s Ryan Young wants to collaborate with contractors.

• Zapata AI will provide warfighters intel support in real-time with USSOCOM CRADA.

• Microsoft, Palantir will deliver AI, cloud solutions for the IC and DOD.

• The USCG has chosen a Vice Admiral to be its Deputy Commandant for Mission Support.

• Blue Halo names a new Intelligence Portfolio Sector President.

• ODNI wants a Staff Director for the COO.

DON’T MISS THIS…

CIVILIAN

Proposed Senate bill would require mandatory vulnerability disclosure policies.

A new bipartisan bill was brought in by the U.S. Senate to make federal cybersecurity better. This would mandate federal contractors to follow the guidelines established by NIST. The move would require implementing vulnerability disclosure policies among contractors and formalizing procedures for accepting, assessing, and managing vulnerability reports, aiming to reduce known security vulnerabilities among them. Read more

The White House wants interagency coordination in global quantum race.

The White House is pushing for increased funding and enhanced interagency coordination to advance international cooperation in quantum information science and technology to embetter international engagements, promote access to resources and markets, and guide QIST-related policies and practices on a global level. Read more

It’s time to amp up federal OT security.

The increase of threats that exploit operational technology (OT) is alarming. Given the federal government’s OT and IoT assets in every function from patient healthcare, to weapons and navigation, the urgency is well-founded. Here’s how the federal government is moving to ensure its leadership prioritizes these OT threats. Read more

ICYMI:

• VA suspended a tool that tracked post payment data two years ago—billions of dollars have been spent without enough oversight.

• Booz Allen’s protest rejected; GAO says VA awardee’s key staff member was not MIA.

• DOE invests $2.3B in Power Grid Modernization and clean energy.

• Google and DIU collaborate to battle cancer using AI.

Civilian Contracts Awards

• GDIT won a $6M VA VICCS Program Records Logistics contract.

• Golden IT won a $5.2M ED OCIO SharePoint Development & Helpdesk Support Services deal.

• B&B Solutions was awarded a $4.4M USDA APHIS IT and Program Support Services deal.

• Koniag IT Systems won a $4.2M HHS COO Support Services deal.

Follow Civilian Leaders

• ED selected a Director to be its new Deputy CIO.

• A SAIC Senior Director was promoted to Capture Management VP.

• Booz Allen Hamilton has a new CPO.

Civilian Job Openings

• Commodity Futures Trading Commission wants a Deputy Director.

• The Treasury needs a Policy Assistant Director.

M&A CORNER

ICYMI:

• Rheinmetall is preparing to acquire Loc Performance by year’s end in order to bust into the US defense market.

SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿

1. Energy saving chips? NVIDIA H100 was trumped by China’s light-based AI chip in the energy efficiency battle. SOURCE↗︎

2. AI used a person’s voice without permission. ChatGPT may decide that the voice is relevant to the conversation. SOURCE↗︎

3. Corporate secrets were left exposed. Bill Demirkapi has recently revealed at DEFCOM how he hunts down these secrets. SOURCE↗︎

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