QUICK HITS
OpenAI’s “opportunistic and sloppy” DOD deal: Just triggered a 200% uninstall rate, while Claude rose to the top of the Apple Store rankings.
Veterans First vs. AbilityOne: VA preference fight that just got decided twice in one month.
What rights do AI companies have in government contracts? The answer depends on acquisition pathway, contract type, and contract term.
Your agency’s encrypted data is already being stolen. The clock to decrypt it starts now.
DEFENSE & AEROSPACE
Space Force modernization stalls amid acquisition workforce shortages.
The USSF wants to modernize fast, but a 14% cut to its civilian acquisition workforce is creating a bottleneck that even rocket engines can’t overcome. Leaders warn they lack enough contracting experts to execute new reforms, risking delays to satellite programs and other modernization goals.
Senate-passed rotor act fails after Pentagon withdrawal.
The House shot down the unanimously Senate‑approved ROTOR Act after the Pentagon abruptly withdrew support, citing security and budget concerns. The bill fell short of the two‑thirds threshold. The ROTOR Act is a direct response to the January 2025 midair collision between an AA passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near DCA Airport.
DOD begins formal tracking of extreme weather costs.
After a decade of extreme weather causing over $15 billion in damage, the DOD has only recently begun formally tracking installation‑level costs through new reporting requirements. GAO notes the data remains incomplete and excludes key disaster types, underscoring the need for more robust oversight.
ICYMI:
DARPA RFP: Bordeaux Program.
NAVFACSYSCOM RFI: Shipyard Infrastructure, Optimization Program.
USD(P) defends new National Defense Strategy’s “Flexible Realism.”
Army seeks industry partners for major modernization push.
DIU completes first commercial hypersonic testbed launch.
Defense Contract Awards
Follow the Defense Leaders
Defense Job Openings
DFAS is seeking an Internal Review Director.
USAF is hiring a Director, Chancellor.
🔓 INSIDER PREVIEW
U.S. Department of Agriculture: 50+ Expiring Contracts
This report contains 50+ USDA contracts expiring in the next 12 months—complete with incumbent details, award values, and recompete timelines.
We pulled this from five different sources, so you don't have to spend 10+ hours doing it yourself.
GovBrew Insider members get curated reports like this every Friday.
CHART
Congressional Research Service. Middle East Oil. IG10044. Washington: Library of Congress, March 3, 2026.
INTEL COMMUNITY
Cyber leaders prepare for elevated Iran‑linked threat activity.
Cybersecurity leaders are warning that Iran‑aligned actors may escalate opportunistic attacks, ranging from DDOS to disruptive intrusions, following heightened geopolitical tensions. While many claims appear inflated, experts caution that critical infrastructure organizations should remain alert for activity that moves beyond nuisance‑level disruptions.
Related: Cyber war risks. Six threats Iran could unleash on U.S. soil.
Agencies turn to AI to bolster cyber defense.
Federal agencies are leaning into AI to strengthen cyber defense, even as CIOs and CISOs juggle legacy tech, talent gaps, and AI‑enabled threats. Officials say AI can boost threat analysis and productivity.
ICYMI:
CENTCOM confirms first combat use of LUCAS drones.
CENTCOM details opening wave of Operation Epic Fury.
DroneSec selected a GTM Manager.
ODNI is looking for a Program Manager.
GET SEEN
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CIVILIAN
CMS accelerates Zero Trust with Zscaler partnership.
CMS is ditching its “flat” legacy network and leaning on Zscaler to speed a Zero Trust overhaul, anchored in an identity, data, and device‑driven model. With foundational fixes done, the agency is now pushing faster cloud onboarding and segmentation to protect some of the most sensitive federal data.
House advances NASA reauthorization act supporting exploration priorities.
The NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026 is moving to the full House with unanimous committee approval, reinforcing bipartisan support for core missions like Artemis, ISS operations, and emerging space technologies. Rice University experts note the bill’s significant implications for scientific discovery, public‑private partnerships, and future aerospace workforce development.
Senators revive bill to codify federal AI standards center.
A bipartisan Senate coalition has reintroduced the Future of AI Innovation Act to formally codify NIST’s Center for AI Standards and Innovation and expand federal AI testbeds, standards development, and curated datasets.
ICYMI:
IRS RFI: Electronic Research Services.
VA RFI: Data Center, Telecommunications Modernization.
No Artemis III moon landing as NASA adds mission. Will China beat the U.S. there?
DOE’s Genesis Mission: Building AI for national security.
Civilian Contracts Awards
Follow Civilian Leaders
Civilian Job Openings
DFC wants an OA Director.
The Legislative Branch needs a Communications Director.
M&A CORNER
Cesiumastro acquires Vidrovr to enhance AI‑enabled space systems.
CesiumAstro is expanding its space communications and ISR capabilities by acquiring Vidrovr, adding real‑time multimodal signal analysis and embedded AI to its payloads. The move supports autonomous decision‑making, improved RF performance, and a scalable “planetary intelligence layer” across its satellite portfolio.
SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿
Digital deception: False Cyber Command memo spreads amid Iran conflict. SOURCE↗︎
Cancer breakthrough? There’s a new iron nanomaterial in town that can wipe the disease out without harming healthy cells. SOURCE↗︎
CalTech researchers crammed a fiber optic cable onto a chip. The “Swiss Army knife” technology applies to a huge number of related fields. SOURCE↗︎
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