QUICK HITS
OTAs and CSOs are quietly rewriting the rules of warfighting: Contractors who ignore it will be left behind.
W.H. sounds the alarm: US tech policy is going global: Falling behind could be a national security nightmare.
DOGE is effectively dissolved: It no longer exists with 8 months left on its contract, but it’s “principles are alive and well.”
NRO director: Commercial space partnerships speed satellite deployment.
DEFENSE & AEROSPACE
Next-Gen USAF Airlifter expected by 2038; C-17 to fly another 50 years.
The USAF plans to debut the Next‑Generation Airlifter (NGAL) by 2038, while keeping existing C‑17 Globemaster III airlifters flying until 2075. The extended service life and new acquisition tempo reflect both the enormous scale of air-mobility demands and the risk of delaying the design and procurement of the future fleet.
More is needed to turn the Marine Corps’ aspirations into reality.
While the USMC has laid out ambitious goals for global responsiveness and combined-arms lethality, it currently lacks the ships, missiles, and expeditionary assets to support those claims. Without substantial investments in amphibious readiness, logistics, and integrated capabilities, the Corps risks remaining a force of “aspiration, not reality.”
Space Force: 15-year force design wraps in 2025.
The USSF is nearly done charting its 15-year force design, with completion slated for 2025 and publication in 2026. The plan outlines how the service will align missions, tech, and industry partnerships to keep pace with evolving threats.
ICYMI:
USAF RFI: Enterprise Payload Processing Management Facility Support.
USSF RPP: Space Based Interceptor (SBI).
DISA pushes DCI forward: $931M OTA for data center upgrades.
USSPACECOM creates “Task Force Voyager” to coordinate Alabama HQ move.
Exiger, Palantir team up: AI boost for Army supply chain.
Defense Contract Awards
Follow the Defense Leaders
DCMA has a new Director.
Arcfield’s Orion Space Solutions welcomed its President, GM.
Defense Job Openings
USAF is seeking a Staff Director.
ANGU is hiring a Force Support Director.
INTEL COMMUNITY
AI enhances DLA’s end-to-end operations.
The DLA has ramped up its use of AI, moving from pilot phases to production with over 55 models in development and more than 10,000 automated contract orders processed daily. Its CIO emphasized a shift toward “deterministic” AI solutions that deliver consistent, auditable outcomes, freeing personnel from manual fixes and stretching capabilities “at pace” to outmaneuver adversaries.
US Iron Dome interceptor production site opens.
The U.S. and Israel are ramping up missile defense collaboration: Israel’s firm Rafael opened a new U.S. production facility for the Iron Dome interceptor and simultaneously secured a major new contract for additional systems. The move underscores growing demand for rapid interceptor production and deeper industrial-partnership integration between the two countries.
ICYMI:
DIA RFI: Data Science, Operations, Requirements, Exploitation, and Enhanced Engineering.
U.S. considers dropping leaflets in Venezuela, ramps up pressure on Maduro.
USSTRATCOM has a new leader.
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CIVILIAN
Overwhelmed with applicants, ICE leans on cyber talent program to speed tech hiring.
ICE is pivoting to the Cyber Talent Management System (CTMS), a special hiring pipeline run by the DHS, to rapidly recruit cyber and tech talent. The agency, facing recruitment bottlenecks even amid a surge in applicants, is using AI to screen resumes and expects the technology to cut years off its talent-acquisition timeline.
Polaris small business protests continue as GSA seeks to update the administrative record.
The GSA is facing six consolidated protests at the United States Court of Federal Claims brought by companies challenging its evaluation process for the Polaris small-business GWAC, alleging improper point deductions cost them awards. Meanwhile, GSA’s legal team asked the court for additional time to upload a corrected administrative record.
Turning the gov’t’s contact centers into engines of intelligence.
The federal government is shifting its contact centers into data-powered service hubs, where every call, chat or ticket becomes a rich analytics point for smarter, more personalized citizen interactions. As digital expectations rise, agencies are now advised to treat these contact touchpoints as key modernization levers, using design-driven insights to rebuild trust and deliver mission success faster.
ICYMI:
FAA RFI: Unified Air Traffic Automation System.
Senators urge CPFB to ignore big banks’ interest in overhauling data rule.
IRS tech chief directs staff to take skills assessment ahead of IT org.
Civilian Contracts Awards
Follow Civilian Leaders
Capital Edge has a new Director.
Civilian Job Openings
DOJ needs a Director.
SBA wants a Deputy Director.
M&A CORNER
McNally merges Quiet Professionals and Spathe into defense platform.
Private equity firm McNally Capital is shaking up the defense space by merging Quiet Professionals with Spathe Systems, creating a 400-person tech platform aimed at supporting U.S. Special Operations Forces.
SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿
Does it feel like companies are colluding against you? Game Theory just exposed how algorithms are attacking your wallet. SOURCE↗︎
AI, robots could end poverty and make work optional in 10 to 20 years—at least, that’s what Musk believes. SOURCE↗︎
Pew Research shows the most popular social media engines in 2025. Threads and Bluesky have a way to go to catch up with X. SOURCE↗︎
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