November 25, 2024

QUICK HITS

• 5 takeaways: GAO bid protest annual report to Congress for FY24.

• DOD CFO Report: Defense Operation & Maintenance Overview Book FY24.

• [Listen] DARPA improving cybersecurity: Breaking apart software into small pieces, making it hard for hackers to access.

• RFI: NGA is seeking automated mapping. Responses are due Jan 6.

DEFENSE & AEROSPACE

“Plug and Play:” Army’s Project Linchpin prepares to unveil open-source architecture for AI.

The Army’s AI accelerator, Project Linchpin, is working with open source software firm Red Hat to unveil an initial version of its AI development architecture as early as this week. The architecture, in essence, is a set of common technical standards—API, data labeling protocols, and so on—to ensure that AIs built for the Army by different vendors are all compatible. Read more

Meet CHAPPIE, the USSF’s nuclear “sniffing robot dog.”

Buckley Space Force Base is home to one of the DOD’s two chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) quadrupedal unmanned ground vehicles–a robot dog. The four-legged robot, affectionately called CHAPPIE, includes remote CBRN sensing capabilities using a current inventory of detectors, distinguishing it from other systems and making it a significant technological advancement in CBRN defense. Read more

Integrating commercial off-the-shelf computing on military platforms and how to make it work.

Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) computing technologies are cost-effective and adaptable. But how do you integrate them for the DOD when there are cybersecurity risks, compatibility, and lifecycle management issues? It can be done…with careful planning. Strategies for success include robust testing, modular architectures, and aligning commercial innovations with military needs to enhance operational efficiency and resilience. Read more

ICYMI:

• [Listen] A naval agenda for the incoming administration.

• Navy sees a spike in class A afloat mishaps in 2024.

• Nuclear forensics workshop convenes in D.C., collaborates, innovates in the name of deterrence.

Defense Contract Awards

• Boeing inks more than $4B for Pegasus tankers and P-8a Poseidon.

• Lockheed Martin wins $870M Navy contract for F-35 Lot 20 parts.

• UMD won an $8M DARPA BioLogical Undersea Energy contract.

Follow the Defense Leaders

• SOSi hires former Dept of State professional as new Sr Account Executive.

• LMI promotes a new VP of BD, Defense.

Defense Job Openings

• USAF seeks an Deputy Chief of Staff ISR and Cyber Effects Operations.

• NAVSEA seeks a Director Undersea Communications.

• SECNAV wants an Executive Director, F-35 JPO.

INTEL COMMUNITY

NSA director wants industry to disclose details of telecom hacks.

The director of the NSA urged the private sector to take swift, collective action to share key details about breaches they have suffered at the hands of Chinese hackers who have infiltrated US telecommunications. General Haugh who leads the NSA and Cyber Command said that public disclosure would help find and oust the hackers, as the US continues to try to understand a new spate of damaging mass breaches. In calling for more disclosure, Haugh didn’t identity specific companies. Read more

ICYMI:

• CISA touts Red Team probe that infiltrated a CI target.

• DOJ FPI cancels SAP IT Security and Support RFP, awards short-term contract.

• Cherokee Federal subsidiary wins $39M DHS CBP PMSS task on OASIS SB.

• SAIC wins $170M DOJ Forfeiture Systems IT Support Services BPA.

• DIA seeks a Technical Director for Cyber and Security.

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CIVILIAN

Growing data culture requires agency buy-in.

When federal officials gathered at the Chief Data Officers Council symposium, it didn’t draw protesters outside the building with signs calling for more data and evidence in government. And in some ways, that makes those issues less pressing for leadership, Jacob Malcom, the DOI’s statistical official, said on a panel discussion about evidence-based decision-making. “There isn’t a big constituency,” he explained. Read more

Lawmakers propose electronic tracking system for federal grant applications.

The proposed bill—the Decreasing Overlapping Grants Efficiently, or DOGE, Act— aims to limit grant awards to recipients who have already received a grant from another agency for similar or identical purposes, or who have submitted a fraudulent application. Read more

ICYMI:

• Dept of Education launches 2025-26 FAFSA after weeks of testing.

• New DOGE dept wants to roll back telework, but agencies are arguing that flexible schedules help with recruitment and staff retainment.

• Will Dept of Education be shut down? Here’s what that might look like.

• FCC leaders skirt call for wiretap security reform.

• SEC announces enforcement results for FY24.

Civilian Contracts Awards

• Pantheon Software wins $25M HHS AHRQ Healthcare Data Analytics contract.

• FedTech scores IRS OCIO IRA Clean Energy PMO award.

• NASA awards lunar cargo delivery projects to Blue Origin and SpaceX.

• EconSys awarded DOL OASAM HRC Benefits Retirement Calculator project.

Follow Civilian Leaders

• DOE names a new deputy CIO.

• FDIC taps NARA CIO as its new CIO.

• USPTO Transformation leader takes Deputy CIO role with NDEA.

Civilian Job Openings

• NIST is looking for a Director of Legislative Affairs.

• Treasury is seeking a Supervisory Government Information Specialist.

M&A CORNER

Snowflake to buy Datavolo.

Snowflake has agreed to acquire Datavolo, a provider of a single platform developed to automate and manage structured and unstructured data flows between enterprise data sources. The AI data cloud company said the move is aimed at deepening its service in the ‘bronze layer’ of the data lifecycle and enabling data engineering teams to integrate their enterprise systems with Snowflake’s unified platform. Read more

Sayona Mining, Piedmont agree to create $625M lithium miner.

Australia's Sayona Mining will buy U.S.-based Piedmont Lithium in an all-stock deal that will consolidate its Canadian operations and strengthen its exposure to the North American electric vehicle sector. Under the deal, the two companies will merge to create a lithium business, with Sayona becoming the parent entity. Read more

ICYMI:

• BAH invests in Reality Defender.

SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿

1. Russian spies achieve unprecedented hack. They breached the Wi-Fi of a target by hijacking a laptop in another building across the street. SOURCE↗︎ 

2. COP29 disaster averted…for now. Small countries wanted $1.3 trillion but only got $300B in final deal from wealthy nations. SOURCE↗︎

3. How much did AI impact the election? Large scale deepfake use wasn’t evident, but real images and videos taken out of context did mislead. SOURCE↗︎

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