QUICK HITS
FAR Overhaul. Here’s the redline, and here’s the edits incorporated.
FirstSource III: Cancelled.
Smarter GovCon teaming: How to manage partnerships in an increasingly competitive environment.
Modernizing federal ops: Observability and automation take the lead.
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DEFENSE & AEROSPACE
Nearly one in 10 “Tier 1” subcontractors to defense primes are Chinese firms.
The military-industrial base is relying heavily on Chinese suppliers, says a new Govini study. And that’s not the only weak link. Western defense firms have struggled just to meet the intense surge of demand from years of large-scale combat in Ukraine. A war with China would be much worse, and it’s dubious whether US defense production, stockpiles and supply chains are up to the task.
DOGE takes the wheel on defense IT and consulting buys.
DOGE now has sign-off power on new unclassified DOD IT, management, and advisory contracts—$10M+ for IT, $1M+ for advisory. Direct service providers are mostly spared, but if you’re a middleman, brace for scrutiny.
DOD budget backs Golden Dome, nukes, and cyber muscle.
The Pentagon’s $961.6B FY26 budget request packs a punch: $25B for the Golden Dome missile defense initiative, $60B for nuclear triad modernization, and $15.1B for cybersecurity. Toss in fewer F-35s, more hypersonics, and a Space Force boost, and you’ve got a spending plan that’s anything but subtle.
ICYMI:
DOD CIO RFI: Risk Management Framework (RMF) revamp.
DARPA accelerates flight testing for military drones.
AI in defense: Tech firms target federal mission upgrades.
Navy wants 6,000 more sailors, but USMC wants a smaller force.
DARPA has killed the DRACO project.
Defense Contract Awards
Navy announces winners of $1.5B Microsoft Enterprise Services II SB contract.
BAE Systems won a $41M Navy mod for 200 Dual Band Decoy assemblies.
GE Energy Power won a $10M Navy PEBB and HMMC Ph3 contract.
Chemring Energetic Devices won a $65M USAF flight equipment test sys.
Follow the Defense Leaders
Former DOD and Navy IT lead takes new role with Epiq.
Defense Job Openings
USMC wants a Quality of Life Director.
USAF needs a Strategy and Requirements Deputy Director.
INTEL COMMUNITY
Nominee for NCSC says drones are the top threat to U.S. intelligence.
The new nominee to lead the NCSC, warned during his confirmation hearing that UASes now represent the biggest and most overlooked threat to U.S. intelligence, citing their rising use by foreign adversaries in covert and nontraditional espionage. He emphasized that the I.C. is ill-prepared to detect and counter these threats and pledged to mobilize a coordinated, whole-of-government response if confirmed.
What the 2025 ODNI Reform Act means for the I.C.
The 2025 ODNI Reform Act restructures the intelligence community by moving key centers out of ODNI, creating temporary mission-focused task forces, and closing several offices within six months. It also tightens spending, limits new academic partnerships, cuts unnecessary facilities, and keeps ODNI’s role in security clearance oversight.
ICYMI:
House trims CISA cuts, eyes DHS contractor cyber pilot.
Maxar unveils Sentry: AI-powered global monitoring and prediction.
CYBERCOM has a new Executive Director.
(Ret.) FBI Ass. Director Cyber Div. takes VP, Deputy CISO role with Microsoft.
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CIVILIAN
New satellite constellation will scan the entire Earth every 20 minutes to find wildfires.
A prototype FireSat satellite launched by Muon Space has begun delivering high-res infrared data and is the first of a planned constellation of over 50 satellites that will scan the entire Earth every 20 minutes, with increased revisit rates over fire-prone regions to detect wildfires as small as 5×5 meters. The system uses multi-band IR sensors and advanced image processing to reduce false positives and aims to provide near real-time wildfire intelligence by around 2030.
GSA adds third set of companies to consulting contract review.
GSA has added six more firms to its expanding review of federal consulting contracts: AlixPartners, Alvarez & Marshal Federal, Boston Consulting Group, Ernst & Young, FTI Consulting and McKinsey & Co. GSA officials are pushing for more outcomes-based pricing and shared-savings models, questioning whether many contracted services are truly essential. So far, the review has resulted in over $23B in savings through terminated or restructured contracts.
Modernizing air traffic control for a complex, crowded airspace.
The transportation secretary has unveiled a multi-billion dollar, three- to four-year modernization plan to upgrade communications, radars, automation, and facilities—building six new ATC centers, replacing thousands of radios and voice switches, and deploying enhanced surveillance technologies to improve safety and efficiency.
ICYMI:
USDA BOA: STRATUS Pool 2: Integration and Development Support Services.
USDOT launches trucker Medical Examiner’s Certification Integration (NRII).
Blue Origin launches 6 tourists on suborbital trip.
Civilian Contracts Awards
Follow Civilian Leaders
Civilian Job Openings
M&A CORNER
Lockheed Martin grows ISR edge with Rapid Solutions buy.
Lockheed Martin has wrapped up its acquisition of Amentum’s Rapid Solutions portfolio, adding radar and ISR tech to bolster its Golden Dome initiative. The move strengthens Lockheed’s space and airborne capabilities—and signals it’s not just playing defense when it comes to national security innovation.
SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿
Could a Japanese manga tsunami prediction come true this July 5? Tourists are cancelling flights. Let’s see what happens in five days. SOURCE↗︎
Facebook is now training its AI using its users’ private photos. Don’t skip the terms and conditions—it’s more important than it looks. SOURCE↗︎
TSA said yes to digital U.S. passports stored in Apple and Google Wallets. You can currently use it at select domestic checkpoints. SOURCE↗︎
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