October 7, 2024

QUICK HITS

• ODNI told to redo financial management contract: Protest review found inconsistencies in proposal evaluations.

• GSA issues ASCEND BPA Final RFP: The due date for pool 1 for IaaS and PaaS cloud offerings is October 18. Award dates TBD.

• OSC launches $1 billion loan program: Pentagon will provide loans to U.S.-based companies to boost production of critical technologies.

• NGA releases ACADIA II RFP: Proposals are due Nov. 5.

DEFENSE & AEROSPACE

A destroyer’s first deployment took an unexpected turn.

The USS Daniel Inouye’s maiden deployment was supposed to be seven months long and include mostly “encouraging stability” by working with partners like Japan and Korea as part of the Theodore Roosevelt strike group. But as tensions in the Red Sea heated up, the group’s deployment was extended, and the brand-new destroyer received a fresh tasking: deter aggression and protect “the free flow of commerce” in the waters of the Middle East. Then the crew heard an emergency call. Read more

SECNAV is “evaluating all legal options” over suspected faulty welds at Newport News shipbuilding.

The comments come after suspected faulty welds on three in-service ships and 23 ships yet to be delivered at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding. SECNNAV told the HASC that “this matter has been referred to the DOJ to investigate any potential claims for breach of contract or false claims.” Read more

ICYMI:

• New small cruise missile slated for SOCOM gunship test.

• Radar satellite companies sharpen focus on military market.

• Solar powered “Skydweller” drone flies 22.5 hours in test.

• DOD CDAO posts Advana sources sought synopsis. Responses due Oct 9.

Defense Contract Awards

• J&J was awarded a $249M Army Design-build Construction Services deal.

• Serco won a $97M Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) SEA04X TPS deal.

• Impulse Space scored a $35M USSF contract for 2 TacRS Missions.

• Sierra Space won an AFRL Space Logistics and Material Advancement deal.

Follow the Defense Leaders

• DISA has a new Director.

• Astrion welcomed a new Capture VP.

Defense Job Openings

• ANGU is seeking a Deputy Financial Manager.

• USAF is hiring an Operations Group Deputy Director.

FUNNY

INTEL COMMUNITY

DOS and CISA cyber officials search for funding solutions.

Keeping up with zero trust implementation and other governmentwide cybersecurity mandates will require different approaches, including a “fundamental change” in how those efforts are funded. Speaking during an ATARC Federal Zero Trust Summit event, DOS and CISA tech leaders shared potential solutions around funding for technology transformation, including via a shift that would establish cybersecurity projects similarly to modernization efforts. Read more

DHS 2024 threat assessment keys on “peril” of GenAI.

DHS released its annual threat assessment for 2025, highlighting that GenAI will have the “unintended consequence of adding layers of complexity to the threats we face.” The threat assessment warned that GenAI is helping threat actors generate, manipulate, and disseminate synthetic media, making it a useful tool for malign influence campaigns. DHS said it expects China and Russia to continue to use GenAI to “improve the scale and scope of their influence activities that target US audiences.” Read more

ICYMI:

• BlackSky wins $290M NGA Global Economic and Military Monitoring deal.

• OIG: Gaps in risk assessments by TSA, CBP, and ICE for noncitizens without ID.

• Nightwing has a new CGO.

• ODNI needs a National Counterintelligence Directorate Assistant Director.

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CIVILIAN

Automation takes center stage in port negotiations.

Although the port strike has found a tentative agreement, fears of automation replacing jobs has loomed large in this standoff. Everyone is wondering: will robots replace them at their jobs? Union leaders are pushing back against plans to automate port operations, citing threats to job security, while companies argue it's essential for future competitiveness. How will this standoff shape the industry? Read more

WH: Next phase of zero trust will focus on operations.

The federal government is in a “great place” following an agency-wide deadline on zero-trust architecture implementation and now looking ahead to more challenging aspects of the cybersecurity model, says the WH. The next phase of zero-trust architecture implementation will focus largely on operations, taking near-term technical controls and leveraging those into a “longer-term technology transformation effort” and more defensible architectures. Read more

ICYMI:

• GAO finds spotty agency compliance with IDEA Act requirements.

• IRS’s delay on Individual Master File could cost up to $70 million.

• SSA, VA, FBI, IRS will be showcasing AI-driven automation at Oct 16 event.

• NATO explores ways to better protect commercial partners in space.

Civilian Contracts Awards

• Iberdrola won a $425M DOE Renewable Project deal.

• GigaGen was awarded a $135.2M BARDA Botulinium Toxin Treatment contract.

• Aalyria got an Advanced Network Orchestration Study and Demonstration contract from NASA.

• Brighton Marine booked a DOD Uniformed Services Healthcare contract.

Follow Civilian Leaders

• CACI has chosen a new Enterprise IT, Cloud Solutions CTO.

• RIVA Solutions appointed a new President and a new COO.

• NAPA names new President, adds Fed Tech Fellows.

Civilian Job Openings

• Admin Office of US Courts needs a Deputy Chief.

• DHS wants Deputy CFO.

M&A CORNER

Apollo Global is in talks to buy aerospace parts maker Barnes Group.

Private equity firm Apollo Global Management is in talks to acquire Barnes Group, a manufacturer of aerospace components with a market value of about $2 billion. Barnes is negotiating granting exclusivity to Apollo. Barnes is a maker of components for companies in sectors such as packaging, healthcare, aerospace, consumer, and electronics. Barnes' aerospace unit makes parts for commercial and military turbine engines. Read more

Axon closes Dedrone acquisition.

Axon has finalized its acquisition of Dedrone, an airspace security systems provider, to expand its technology capabilities designed to improve national security and public safety. The transaction will enable it to advance drone as first responder programs and safeguard against unauthorized threats posed by unmanned aircraft systems by facilitating the integration of Dedrone’s smart airspace security systems with its public safety platform. Read more

ICYMI:

• Anduril collaborates with Apex to enable rapid development and delivery of space systems.

• Honeywell partners with Rheinmetall to expand reach in European market.

SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿

1. A US-Japan nuclear arrangement? Maybe. Japan's new PM eyes nuclear consultative group with U.S. to counter threats. SOURCE↗︎ 

2. AI incident sharing initiative: MITRE teams up with industry partners to strengthen collective AI defenses. SOURCE↗︎

3. TikTok’s parent company has released 2 new AI tools. Can ByteDance’s PixelDance and Seaweed compete against ChatGPT and Kuaishou? SOURCE↗︎

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