QUICK HITS
Finally! Subcontractors get the credit they deserve. No more "ghosting" on past performance? Congress says yes.
8(a) program upheaval: New SBA guidance deepens confusion.
Cloud adoption imperative: The critical connection between agency modernization and FedRAMP.
Defense contractor spending: 4 charts show how 8 firms use their money.
DEFENSE & AEROSPACE
Homeland first, allies second: Decoding the Pentagon’s new 34-page roadmap.
The DOD's 2026 National Defense Strategy is here, prioritizing homeland security, Western Hemisphere dominance, and a revitalized defense industrial base. This plan pivots from nation-building, demanding allies hit a 5% GDP spending benchmark while the U.S. doubles down on domestic readiness and "Peace Through Strength."
The “agile funding” experiment just hit a Congressional brick wall.
Congressional appropriators rejected the Army’s request for expanded "agile" software funding, signaling deep skepticism toward flexible accounts that bypass traditional oversight. Lawmakers "discouraged" seeking similar authorities in the future, insisting the Army provide granular detail before receiving a "blank check" for modernization.
Golden Dome Czar: We’re building "the “C2 glue” before the space lasers.
Golden Dome Director Guetlein revealed a two-year roadmap for the $175B missile defense shield, prioritizing the delivery of an integrated command-and-control "glue layer" by this summer. The plan aims to demonstrate initial C2 capabilities to POTUS immediately, followed by the integration of space-based interceptors in 2027 to meet the aggressive 2028 operational deadline.
ICYMI:
Defense industry flummoxed by E.O. on profits.
Army tests Lockheed’s NGC2 data layer prototype.
Leonardo DRS opens new naval power and propulsion facility in SC.
Golden Dome funding: lawmakers question Pentagon’s $23B spending.
Defense Contract Awards
Follow the Defense Leaders
Chertoff Group appoints three cyberecurity experts to Advisory Board.
Honeywell adds new members to Honeywell Aerospace executive team.
Defense Job Openings
USAF wants a Force Development Director.
SECNAV needs a Staff Director.
FUNNY
INTEL COMMUNITY
Meet COCOMNet: DISA’s plan to collapse 17 networks into one “secret fabric.”
DISA is prioritizing a "Mission Network-as-a-Service" effort, aiming to collapse the disparate, geographically siloed networks of the 17 combatant commands into a single, cloud-based platform known as COCOMNet. Built on a zero-trust architecture and federated identity management (ICAM), the unified "secret fabric" is designed to let warfighters access relevant data from any global location while eliminating the "archaic" infrastructure that currently prevents cross-command data sharing.
CBP advancing use of scanning tech as ICE pulls some staffers away.
CBP is expanding access to its high-energy non-intrusive inspection (NII) technology, allowing ICE and HSI agents to leverage advanced scanning systems at ports of entry to detect illicit narcotics and contraband. The initiative aims to streamline interagency data sharing and real-time analysis, equipping field agents with the same "X-ray vision" capabilities previously reserved for border officers.
ICYMI:
ICE’s IT shop eyes more automation, embraces AI chatbot.
Trofholz Technologies won a $27M USSOCOM Global Security Sys contract.
Former Lockheed exec lands role as President of Intel Sector at Leidos.
ODNI is looking for an ISSO.
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CIVILIAN
VA prepares massive contract for veterans’ private care overhaul.
VA is advancing a monumental $700B, ten‑year contract to reform its management of private‑sector care, which now accounts for over 40% of veterans’ services. The Next Gen model introduces structured oversight, enhanced quality controls, and broader competition to address longstanding program deficiencies.
Treasury eyes expanded data access for agencies.
The Treasury is pushing for expanded legislative authority to allow federal agencies to cross-reference IRS taxpayer data and death records within its "Do Not Pay" system to root out sophisticated fraud. While currently used by only 4% of eligible programs, the Fiscal Service is moving toward a "government-wide collaboration" model that uses AI and real-time data pings to verify identities.
DHS details SBIR lapse and Phase III continuity.
DHS has clarified that, despite the lapse in congressional authorization halting new SBIR Phase I and II awards, eligible firms may continue Phase III efforts using non‑SBIR funding. This guidance offers limited but important continuity for ongoing innovation initiatives.
ICYMI:
FDIC CIO says agency is testing two GenAI chatbots.
Director teases new “FedRAMP Cybersecurity Service.”
National design studio aims to modernize 27,000 federal websites.
Civilian Contracts Awards
Follow Civilian Leaders
The new Under Secretary of Science and Technology has been announced.
White House has a new Chief Statistician.
Civilian Job Openings
SBA is seeking a Center Director.
TREAS is hiring a Division Director.
M&A CORNER
Tetra Tech expands federal IT reach with Halvik acquisition.
Tetra Tech is scooping up Halvik in a move to bulk up its federal IT, AI, and data analytics portfolio, bringing 600 new employees and deeper ties across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and DOT. The deal folds Halvik into Tetra Tech’s government services group, widening its footprint just as competition in digital modernization keeps heating up.
SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿
Artemis II tracking effort: NASA selects global participants. SOURCE↗︎
Is fusion finally here? Commonwealth Fusion Systems instaled the first of 18 massive, aircraft-carrier-lifting magnets into its SPARC reactor. SOURCE↗︎
Why check your phone when your sleeve can just tell you what’s up? Researchers just debuted stretchable OLED displays that can survive thousands of “wash and wear” cycles. SOURCE↗︎
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