February 16, 2024

BAE to buy Ball Aero, AI text to video, nukes in space, Chinese security cameras, Replicator, countering Houthi threat, USPS, vertical CLM solutions

Author

GovBrew
February 16, 2024

Good morning. Just a quick heads up: In observance of President's Day, there will be no newsletter on Monday. We'll be back in your inbox with more updates and insights on Wednesday. Enjoy the long weekend!

—The GovBrew Crew

QUICK HITS

  • It ain't no slush fund: The Pentagon is urging Congress to ease up on budget limits so it can buy more cool tech.

  • Taking away the Houthis’ home-field advantage: An op-ed posits a few ways to counter the Houthi threat at sea.

  • A Quarterback’s guide to the value of vertical CLM solutions: Unlocking their value may be best left in the hands of an expert.

  • The Postmaster General’s got an ultimatum for his agency: Get 'really good', or get 'really gone'.

TRIVIA

DEFENSE & AEROSPACE

Russian nukes in space? Rumors of an anti-satellite weapon cause some consternation.

The White House publicly confirmed on Thursday that Russia has obtained a “troubling” emerging anti-satellite weapon but said it cannot directly cause “physical destruction” on Earth. “I don’t want to minimize the potential here for disruption,” WH NatSec spokesman John Kirby said. Read more | Impact

What’s next? For the U.S. Marines, it’s “Project Dynamis”.

Project Dynamis will serve as the Marine Corps’ contribution to the broader JADC2 endeavors when it's officially adopted and finalized. Its goal is to replace old equipment and software. “Out with the old, and in with the new.” What are the focus areas going to be? Read more

First rule of Replicator: Don’t talk about Replicator.
But also: DOD chooses first Replicator systems.

The Pentagon has picked which systems will be fielded under the first phase of its Replicator initiative. It is also in the process of finalizing proposals for a second iteration. A degree of secrecy should be expected—just like with tranche 1. Read more

ICYMI:

Defense Contract Awards

Follow the Defense Leaders

  • SOSi announces promotion of its new CGO.

  • IMPRES promotes from within for VP/GM of Defense.

  • AF recruits DOD data management SME to serve as CDO.

Defense Job Openings

INTEL COMMUNITY

FBI disrupts botnet controlled by Russian security services.

The FBI disrupted a Russian-managed botnet operation, the latest in a slew of actions that national security authorities have carried out to dismantle and curtail nation-state hacking activities, according to the DOJ. Read more

Meet the US diplomat-turned-spy who ran under the radar for decades.

Manuel Rocha was well known in Miami’s elite circles for an aristocratic, almost regal, bearing that seemed fitting for an Ivy League-educated career U.S. diplomat. So, when one defected Cuban Army lieutenant colonel condemned him as a Cuban spy, it's little wonder that no one at first believed him. Read more

ICYMI:

CIVILIAN

Commerce needs a few more years to take over DOD's non-military space tracking.

The Department of Commerce may need as many as five more years to complete the planned shift of the DOD's non-military space tracking; the DoC official responsible for the shift said "It's not going to be like a 'boom' milestone delivery where one day there's nothing and the next day, there's a finished system." Read more

White House launches federal spending inventory.

The Federal Program Inventory pulls from existing government data sources like SAM.gov and USASpending.gov to offer detailed information about the spending associated with different programs offering grants, loans and direct payments. The federal spending that’s included in the inventory has in recent years accounted for over $3 trillion in federal spending, so the database includes “a high proportion of federal programs.” Read more

Oversight subcommittee probes purchase of Chinese security cameras.

The chair of the oversight subcommittee that focuses on IT is trying to figure out why the GSA chose to buy 150 Chinese-made video conferencing cameras, even when seemingly adequate alternatives were readily available for purchase. Read more

ICYMI:

Civilian Contracts Awards

Follow Civilian Leaders

Civilian Job Openings

M&A CORNER

Ball Aerospace to be acquired by BAE Systems.

BAE Systems has obtained the required regulatory approvals and will soon take the necessary steps to finalize the acquisition of Ball Aerospace from Ball Corporation. The transaction is anticipated to finalize at $5.5 billion. Read more

Armis has acquired CTCI.

The cybersecurity company Armis has acquired Cyber Threat Cognitive Intelligence (CTCI), a company that specializes in AI-powered pre-attack threat hunting technology. CTCI's technology will be merged by Armis into Armis Centrix™. Read more

Juno Technologies has been bought by Sigma Defense.

Sagewind Capital's portfolio company Sigma Defense, has officially acquired Juno Technologies, a provider specializing in systems integration, IT engineering, technical support, and software development. Read more

GOVBREW INSIDER

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

  • Our team uncovered 65+ upcoming IT services opportunities at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 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 Defense IT Summit. 

  • Keep track of the latest Agency Acquisition Forecasts.

Want to become a GovBrew Insider member? Join here

SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿

Can mapping methane emissions shame polluters into stopping?

By this time next year, a new satellite will be detecting how much methane is leaking from oil and gas wells, pumps, pipelines and storage tanks around the world — and companies, governments and nonprofit groups will be able to access all of its data via Google Maps. That’s one way to describe the partnership by the Environmental Defense Fund and Google. Read more

Do you want to see the “lung flu” fighting?

The sac filled with fluid surrounding our lungs, previously considered a mere cushion against external harm, was revealed to harbor virus-eating cells that infiltrate the lungs during influenza infections. What other cells can be found in the lungs when an infection occurs? Read more

Is the next cool 2024 AI tool going to be magically turning text into instant video?

OpenAI is working on a software, called Sora, that can generate minute-long videos based on text prompts. "Sora is able to generate complex scenes with multiple characters, specific types of motion, and accurate details of the subject and background," OpenAI’s statement said, adding that it can create multiple shots within a single video. Read more

TRIVIA ANSWER: A

Fathers play a critical role in their children’s lives. Even something as simple as a dad joke can make the biggest difference. These may not be great jokes, but every time you share a good or bad joke with your kids, you are making a great moment. You can even submit your own cringe-worthy joke! (Source)

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