QUICK HITS
FY2026 NDAA: Modernizes defense acquisition, bolsters the National Defense Stockpile, and tightens governance over financial transfers.
The CPAR trap: When challenging performance ratings, contractors need to demonstrate actual harm and thoroughly document performance.
Blue team, pink team, red team: What do color-coded reviews mean?
Small business contracting: Assessing the decrease in the SDB goal from 15% to 5%, which may lead to fewer contracts reserved for 8(a) participants.
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DEFENSE & AEROSPACE
Navy’s unfunded wish list asks $1.4B for “Air Wing of the Future.”
The Navy’s latest unfunded priorities list requests approximately $1.4B to develop its “Air Wing of the Future,” including early design work on next‑generation carrier-based combat and support systems. This tops a broader $7.4B wishlist aimed at accelerating innovation and addressing capability gaps in areas such as advanced fighters, unmanned aircraft, and electronic warfare.
Senate NDAA to keep acquisition reform provisions boosting nontraditional defense firms.
The SASC’s version of the FY26 NDAA retains core acquisition reforms from the FORGED Act, easing regulations on "nontraditional" defense firms and making commercial procurement the default for acquiring defense articles. It also reshapes acquisition processes by empowering portfolio-focused executives, streamlining open systems standards and test/evaluation pathways, and enabling more flexible trade-offs between cost, schedule, and capability.
Pentagon hands Blue UAS list to DCMA for scaling.
The Pentagon is transferring control of its Blue UAS list to DCMA by January 2026, aiming to scale secure drone procurement and oversight. DIU will still help shape standards, but DCMA gets the budget and bandwidth. Think “trust-but-verify,” with AI search tools and fewer Chinese parts.
ICYMI:
USAF RFI: Website Management Services and SEO.
USAF RFI: Marketing Support Functions.
Navy welcomes first upgraded P-8A Poseidon aircraft from L3Harris.
MP Materials and DOD partner to boost U.S. rare earth magnet supply.
Defense Contract Awards
GDIT won a $143M USN Electronic Warfare Support contract.
GDMS inked a $50M Army Sustainment Support Services deal.
StraCon booked a $38M US Navy PMA-268 support contract.
BAE Systems won a $32M USAF contract for Military GPS User Equipment.
Follow the Defense Leaders
Defense Job Openings
DOD is seeking a Technical Operations Director.
OSD is hiring a Defense Media Activity Director.
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INTEL COMMUNITY
DHS cancels shipbuilding contract.
DHS has partially terminated Eastern Shipbuilding Group’s contract for the Offshore Patrol Cutter program after two vessels experienced significant delays and cost overruns. DHS has reallocated the funds. This move is part of a broader strategy to modernize the USCG and bolster national maritime security.
Congress to push DOD to fund commercial satellite intelligence program.
Congress is preparing to direct the Pentagon to establish permanent funding for the Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Tracking (TacSRT) program, a USSF initiative that delivers commercial satellite imagery and analytics to military commanders worldwide. The program, which was excluded from the 2026 defense budget proposal, faces uncertainty regarding its future funding.
ICYMI:
Addressing the danger commercial UAVs present to critical infrastructure.
DOS lays off 1,350 employees.
How a hacker for El Chapo illustrates existential counterintelligence threats.
BAH scores $94M FBI ITSSS-2 ECS SCOR 17 task deal.
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CIVILIAN
Grok for gov? GitHub shows GSA interest in Musk’s AI tool.
GSA, through its Technology Transformation Services group, appears poised to test Grok 3, the AI model developed by Elon Musk’s xAI, as evidenced by activity on a GitHub “10x‑ai‑sandbox” repository. A GSA spokesperson confirmed the agency's interest in evaluating multiple American AI models—including Grok, Anthropic’s Claude, and Meta’s Llama—to empower federal agencies in a secure, FedRAMP‑compliant sandbox.
GAO: Leading practices can help achieve IT reform goals at VA.
The GAO report highlights the VA FY26 budget, which includes over $3.5B for EHR modernization, approximately $500M to retire outdated IT systems, and $40M in administrative savings. Additionally, the report identifies leading practices and key questions to guide the VA's IT reform efforts.
ICYMI:
DOI RFI: Financial Assistance Management System.
CBP builds AI “Meta-Human,” eyes quantum-ready future.
Opinion: Fedgov needs to think more like a corporation, not a nonprofit.
Tranquility AI, Carahsoft team up to bring AI justice tech to public sector.
Civilian Contracts Awards
Follow Civilian Leaders
OMB appointed a new chief statistician.
New CGO for Citizen Security & Public Services welcomed at Peraton.
Client Solution Architects appointed a new President, CEO.
An aviation and transportation security leader joins CLEAR.
Civilian Job Openings
NTSB needs a Director, Office of Research and Engineering.
DHS wants a Field Office Director.
SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿
NVIDIA now has a $4T market value. It’s the first company to reach this milestone. SOURCE↗︎
A Coast Guard rescue swimmer saves over 200 people from Texas floods. It was the first mission for aviation survival technician 3rd class. SOURCE↗︎
Microchip breakthrough shows how your immune system battles viruses in 90 minutes. You’ll only need to give a drop of your blood. SOURCE↗︎
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