July 12 2023

QUICK HITS

• Tuberville holds on military nominations hurting readiness against China, says Deputy Defense Sec: 9 months+ hold on 250 nominations.

• Start unlocking big contracts as a small biz: How better long-term planning opens SMBs up to more opportunities.

• Google and IBM push for more govt resources to support AI innovation and transparency: Against a single AI “super regulator.”

• The HUBZone map changed on July 1: Here’s what the new map looks like.

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DEFENSE & AEROSPACE

CJCS nominee to Senate: DOD modernization should focus on joint goals.

The nominee to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Congress he will take a look at how the DOD is set to modernize with an emphasis on developing a joint force. Speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee, said, “There’s going to be some give-and-take” among the services and inside the Pentagon on what and where to place investment. Read more

Pre-Pre-RFP: Marines are eyeing a variety of “non-kinetic” counter-drone weapons.

Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) hopes to acquire new “non-kinetic” weapons that can take out enemy unmanned aerial systems and other threats….and the RFP is being prepped for BBQ time. “Non-kinetic” weapons include directed energy, electronic attack, or cyber tools. Read more.

And kinda in the same vein…for industry leaders, air dominance means controlling the electromagnetic spectrum.

One product line director for Advanced Electronic Warfare Solutions at BAE Systems talks about how control of the electromagnetic spectrum, in addition to stealth, is critical to helping the military achieve true air dominance. Read more

ICYMI Snippets

• Defense Innovation Unit teams with companies on space-based Internet.

• RFI: Air Force posts Next-Generation Security Solutions within the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force.

• For C2 modernization, Air Force moving away from ‘big bang acquisition’.

• RAIDER X Digital Backbone drives MOSA success for the Army.

• The DOD destroys the last chemical weapons in its arsenal.

• Navy tech bridges connecting small businesses with its needs.

Defense Contract Awards

• General Atomics has won a $94M UAV contract from DARPA.

• BAE Systems wins $37M DOD Next-Gen Launcher Contract to support Navy.

• General Dynamics unit to supply Army more Direct-Fire Combat Vehicles with $258M award.

• Rockwell Collins SImulation and Training Solutions won a $36M Navy contract for software integrations, CORE simulation applications.

Follow the Defense Leaders

• Deputy CDAO Greg Little to depart Pentagon for Palantir.

• Watch: CMC Gen. David Berger retires, Gen. Eric Smith takes over USMC.

• New command senior enlisted leader takes over the space battlefield.

Defense Job Openings

• SECNAV seeks a Deputy Naval Inspector General.

INTEL COMMUNITY

Maxar launches new geospatial platform.

Maxar Technologies announced the initial release of its new Maxar Geospatial Platform (MGP), enabling fast and easy access to the world’s most advanced Earth intelligence. MGP will simplify the discovery, purchasing, and integration of geospatial data and analytics. Read more

ICYMI Snippets

• NSA notes National Information Assurance Partnership anniversary.

• DIA to host OHR modernization pre-solicitation conference on July 18-20.

• The FBI needs a Supervisory Auditor (Unit Chief).

• ODNI released a report about Iran’s nuclear enrichment program.

CIVILIAN

GSA IG: FAS fails to address prohibited telecom items on MAS contracts.

They’re relying on pinkie-promises! GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service has failed to address prohibited telecom items offered on its Multiple Award Schedule contracts, which could put agencies at risk of surveillance by foreign adversaries, the agency’s watchdog wrote in a new published report. Read more

28 more CIO-SP4 protests sustained in GAO’s war of attrition.

Flaws in “self-scoring?” Whodathunkit? GAO has sustained 28 legal challenges by 27 entities to the NIH's troubled IT services solicitation, CIO-SP4, concluding the awarding agency improperly eliminated them from the competition in the initial phase. Read more (See also: CIO-SP4’s latest corrective action plan gets underway.)

NIST wants to build a quantum computer that actually works.

Researchers affiliated with NIST unveiled a new device last week that aims to cut down the “noise” generated by quantum computing systems’ information processing, part of a larger agency agenda to meet private sector innovation in the quantum information science and technology field. Read more

ICYMI Snippets

• How GSA OASIS+ actions may signal what is next for GSA Polaris.

• OTA: HHS BARDA seeks consortium to manage potential $10B Rapid Response Partnership vehicle.

• Show Me the Money: VA CIO says ‘historic’ pay raise coming for IT workforce, as Special Pay Rate goes into effect in July.

• Cloud policy must evolve to address unique risks, report warns.

• White House promotes success stories in the government’s customer experience push: Why can’t everyone do it like SSA’s disability application?

• Fight for the future of cloud at FTC: competition drives innovation.

Civilian Contracts Awards

• ATI Government Solutions wins 8(a) Dept of Labor task order under MAS valued at $25M for Job Corps Physical Security Program.

• CMS awards Serco, Inc. a $689M task order under Alliant II.

• V3Gate snags $178M VA order for Salesforce license renewal, software maintenance.

• NASA awards “crossover” spacesuit task orders to Axiom and Collins.

Follow Civilian Leaders

• Microsoft loses federal business leader.

• Cadmus names a new Chief Growth Strategy Officer.

• Precise Systems announces the promotion of key senior staff to Chief People Officer.

• Former CACI Accounting chief joins Amentum as CFO.

• Promotions to SVP and Chief Strategy Officer at Ignite.

Civilian Job Openings

• The USDA's Forest Service is looking for a new Director.

• The NNSA is looking for a new Director of Human Resources

M&A CORNER

Rumor mill: TPG to acquire Forcepoint’s govt. cyber biz.

Francisco Partners is reportedly selling a majority stake in Forcepoint’s government-focused cybersecurity unit to fellow private equity firm TPG for approximately $2.45B. The price of the deal between the two technology investment companies is more than double the amount Francisco paid when it made the purchase in '21. Read more

Mission1st Group, Inc. acquires Ardent Management Consulting.

Mission1st, a SDVOSB, has more than 20 years of experience supporting federal agencies, including the DOD in the IT field as well as an approved and certified Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) Integrator with the NSA with three (3) approved Capability Packages. Ardent has more than 17 years of expertise in delivering cloud services, driving digital transformation, harnessing the power of data science and analytics, and leveraging location intelligence for the federal government.  Read more

ICYMI M&A and other Business-y Snippets

• Benchmark raises $22M in Series B round.

• Astra to raise up to $65M in stock sale.

• National Security Innovation Capital meets investment milestone for the year.

SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿

Don’t take it personally: What AI-powered robots have to say about their future with humanity.

Last week, a journalist at NextGov was invited to attend a very serious summit sponsored by the United Nations, which ended up having one of the most unusual press conferences he had ever seen. Instead of people giving presentations on a topic, the stars of this event were nine AI-powered robots who answered questions from reporters about their thoughts regarding the future of robots, AI and their relationship with humanity. Read more.

How are you really supposed to interview SMEs as a proposal writer?

To write a winning proposal, a proposal development team must present a solution that addresses the customer’s technical needs in an easy-to-understand narrative. While proposal writers are experts in persuasive writing, they're not typically technical experts. That's where SME interviews come in, which can be daunting to tackle for both the uninitiated and experienced proposal writer. Read more

Commentary: Are cheap drones the answer to tension in the Taiwan Strait?

A lieutenant general in the Air Force who has led a team of officers with the goal of solving the problem of projecting air power in the Pacific summarized more than a decade’s worth of experiences in trying to fight against China’s military in the Western Pacific: “Not only were we losing the wargames, we were losing the wargames faster.” Read more

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