QUICK HITS
What’s in the OBBB for data infrastructure? $4B will support cross-state verification, eligibility checks, AI-driven auditing, and USA Science Cloud.
Govini’s 2025 scorecard: Critical gaps in U.S. defense readiness.
Space Force’s strategic pivot: Orbit dominance and investment outlook.
Resource for winning: Missing Measurements of Competitive Procurements.
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DEFENSE & AEROSPACE
Army eyes new program, test with Castelion’s Blackbeard hypersonic missile in 2026.
The U.S. Army plans to test Castelion Corporation’s Blackbeard Ground Launch (GL) hypersonic missile in early 2026, using a fixed-fin version compatible with HIMARS launchers as part of an MTA-Rapid Prototyping effort funded with $25 million in its FY26 budget. Designed for mid-range precision strikes at speeds above Mach 5, Blackbeard aims to deliver roughly 80% of the capability of the future PrSM Increment 4 at significantly lower cost and faster turnaround.
B-21 production is speeding up, but for how much? and how long?
The USAF and Northrop Grumman are poised to accelerate production of the stealth B‑21 Raider, with Congressional appropriations fast-tracking manufacturing beyond the current low‑rate baseline. However, exact details on how many additional aircraft would be produced—and whether this means increasing the production rate or simply purchasing more under existing schedules—remain unspecified.
House advances $150B defense funding bill to President.
The House passed a reconciliation bill allocating $150 billion to defense, including $26.5B for shipbuilding and 16 new battleforce ships. POTUS signed it on July 4, shaping the foundation for the Pentagon’s FY26 budget priorities.
ICYMI:
Army RFI: PEO STRI Soldier Monitoring System.
U.S. defense priorities shift: supply chains, cyber, and autonomy.
Air Force halts SpaceX rocket project over Pacific wildlife concerns.
Pentagon’s AI office dissolves CTO directorate role to streamline operations.
USCG renames geographic districts—going from numbers to words.
Defense Contract Awards
Boeing inked a $2.8B USSF ESS Space Vehicles contract.
GDEB received a $1.85B Navy submarine contract modification.
Lockheed Martin won a $29M Navy mod for KDX III Batch II destroyers.
Rise8 leverages USAF AFWERX SBIR Phase III to secure $42M software task.
Follow the Defense Leaders
Fincantieri names new CEO of its American shipmaking arm.
SMX names former General Atomics Sr Director as new SVP of Space and Intel.
Defense Job Openings
ANGU needs a Force Support Director.
USAF wants a Staff Deputy Director.
FUNNY
Follow Eric Coffie.
INTEL COMMUNITY
OBBB includes measure to help civilian intel analysts cover moving costs.
The reconciliation bill includes a provision that allows civilian intelligence community employees—such as analysts and support staff—to receive tax deductions and tax-free reimbursements for relocation expenses under permanent change-of-station orders, aligning their benefits with those of military personnel.
DHS news: Terminating contracts, moving work to GSA, and pushback on intel staff cuts.
The DHS has recently terminated two small-business-focused contracts—FirstSource III and PACTS III—shifting that work over to the GSA as part of its cost-cutting and procurement oversight initiatives. The agency also terminated the Invent2Prevent program. Simultaneously, the W.H. is facing significant congressional and stakeholder backlash over plans to slash approximately 75% of the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis workforce.
ICYMI:
FBI OIG released a report about the agency’s efforts to protect operations from widespread digital surveillance.
DOD sends 200 Marines to Florida to support ICE.
DOS awards V3Gate FSI IT Development and Implementation Services task.
SMX has a new Space and Intel SVP.
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CIVILIAN
OBBB directs TREAS to find a replacement for Direct File.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” directs the Treasury to assess options for replacing the IRS’s free Direct File tax-filing tool with public–private partnerships, allocating $15 million for a task force and requiring a report within 90 days on costs and feasibility. Meanwhile, the bill includes broader fiscal and tax provisions and mandates a study by DHS on how to realign or reform its federal workforce data platforms, marking a move toward evaluating government-run online services and their private-sector alternatives.
GAO offers IT recommendations to NRC amid agency reforms.
The NRC is under pressure as the GAO issued six priority recommendations aimed at bolstering its cybersecurity, cloud service agreements, and IT acquisition governance to enhance threat detection and operational resilience. These recommendations come in tandem with a recent E.O. that seeks to overhaul the NRC—streamlining licensing, adjusting safety models, reshaping its culture and structure, and cutting staff.
ICYMI:
NOAA and Google partner on AI model to improve hurricane forecasts.
Civilian Contracts Awards
Follow Civilian Leaders
W.H. nominates former USDOT CIO to lead IT at VA.
DOS CIO at Bureau of Consular Affairs is stepping down.
Civilian Job Openings
VHA is seeking a Deputy Chief of Staff.
The Judicial Branch is hiring a Supervisory Management Analyst.
M&A CORNER
B&A expands defense portfolio with HS3 acquisition.
B&A just added serious firepower to its federal tech arsenal, acquiring Hexagon US Federal’s HS3 portfolio—known for geospatial prowess, cyber assurance, and defense-grade IT. The deal boosts B&A’s reach in the intelligence and national security space, with promises of more mission-focused, field-ready solutions.
SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿
Flash floods in central Texas have killed at least 80 people and left dozens missing. Rescuers continue urgent search efforts for missing individuals as floodwaters recede SOURCE↗︎
There’s a switch that controls aging. How did scientists discover it? They starved worms. SOURCE↗︎
Parisians can now swim in the famously disgusting Seine River. Three locations will offer public swimming for the first time since 1923. SOURCE↗︎
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