September 18, 2023

QUICK HITS

• Guardrails in government AI purchasing are ‘more important than ever’: Contracting officers are set up for failure when buying AI.

• Listen: Hypersonic missiles are game-changers, and America doesn’t have them: China, Russia have more advanced superfast weapons tech.

• Opinion: Why annual reviews are critical for small and mid-tier contractors: Align goals with core capabilities to help spur growth.

DEFENSE & AEROSPACE

Air Force falls short of its recruiting goal for the first time since 1999.

Amid a recruiting crisis that’s impacted each of the military services for the last several years, the Air Force has fared better than most. This year though, it will join the Army and Navy in failing to meet its recruiting goal — something that hasn’t happened in more than two decades. Read more

Bass warns airmen to prepare for asymmetric warfare.

A new era of war fought in the digital realm, touching all aspects of combat and rife with disinformation, will require the Air Force to redefine its jobs and reinforce its rigor, the service’s top enlisted airman said. Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass cautioned airmen not to “underestimate the cyber and the information domains” as major drivers and amplifiers of conflict. Read more

Senate Armed Services Committee to probe Starlink operations in Ukraine.

The Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee plans to launch an investigation into SpaceX’s actions in Ukraine following new reports that Elon Musk blocked Ukrainian forces’ access to Starlink internet services. Another senator wants an investigation into the DOD’s contractual relationship with SpaceX. Read more

ICYMI Snippets

• Speaking of Starlink…here’s how OneWeb and C4ISRNET are responding to Starlink's dominance.

• Firefly launches Space Force Victus Nox mission.

• DOD submits congressionally mandated space policy report.

• Air Force Research Laboratory delays lunar experiment.

• RFP: DISA seeks distributed hybrid multi-cloud white papers.

• A Saudi Defense contractor courted Russia and China, then its U.S. business partners fled.

Defense Contract Awards

• Noblis secures $58M Army contract for PdM AWS engineering, logistics support.

• Army PEO C3T selects Rebellion Defense for SBIR Phase III award.

• Leidos to provide Language Services to Chief Prosecutor Office under $99M WHS Contract.

• MIL Corp (a small business) awarded $224M Navy IDIQ contract for cyber warfare support.

Follow the Defense Leaders

• SAIC hires former Air Force CIO for tech innovation role.

• Scale AI taps former DOD Joint AI Center lead to be Head of Federal Delivery.

• Air Force Digital Transformation Office adds Enterprise Digital Innovation Engineer.

Defense Job Openings

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is hiring a director of resource management.

• The Army is seeking a Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations, Housing and Partnerships).

• DLA is hiring an Executive Director Operations and Sustainment.

DAILY FUNNY

INTEL COMMUNITY

Opinion: DJI isn't the only Chinese drone threat to U.S. security. Meet Autel.

By now, most people have heard of the People’s Republic of China-based company Shenzhen DJI Sciences and Technologies Ltd. It isn’t hard to walk into any electronic store across the country and find DJI drones prominently displayed. PRC drones dominate more than 90% of the United States’ hobby drone market, 70% of the industrial drone market and over 80% of the first responder market, according to a whitepaper by the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International. Read more

ICYMI Snippets

• AFRL posts updated GeoPEX BAA.

• NGA releases PiX follow-on RFI.

• CISO Global unveils threat intelligence feed.

• DOJ is hiring a deputy director, Policy.

CIVILIAN

Customs and Border Protection Directorate fast tracks move to the cloud.

As U.S. Customs and Border Protection looks to move all of its systems to the cloud in the next few years, one of its directorates hopes to have most of its applications there much sooner. CBP’s passenger systems program directorate has until Sept. 30 to move all of its applications to the cloud. Read more

DHS creates new chief of AI and unveils safety policies.

DHS took new steps in introducing artificial intelligence technologies into its agency operations, announcing a new executive position and fresh directives aimed at guiding the agency’s AI-related agenda. DHS named Eric Hysen, the agency’s CIO and Artificial Intelligence Task Force co-chair, to the inaugural position of Chief AI Officer. Read more

ICYMI Snippets.

• CISA announces open-source software security roadmap.

• Protest: CGI Federal battles to keep visa processing work.

• New OPM rule aims to protect workforce, kill ‘Schedule F’ effort.

• Federal prisons chief insists to Senate panel there’s been ‘visible change’ in the system.

• NASA uses AI to hunt for UFOs.

Civilian Contracts Awards

• CFPB chooses six for $126M cyber support pacts.

• GSA OCISO awards $199M Security Support Services contract.

• Ellumen wins $7M DHS CBP Passenger Application Multimedia Support.

• Reveal Global Consulting wins $4M CMS Rapid Competency and Quality Improvement Training Innovation Project Support contract.

Follow Civilian Leaders

• Commerce Department recruits recent State Dept Tech PM to serve as CISO.

• FDA Digital Transformation & Business Architecture Leader leaves, becomes Staff Vice President, Enterprise Architecture.

• ATF hires a chief application development branch.

• The most recent CMS OIT product lead is now a senior product manager supporting VA.gov.

• Longtime NOAA NESDIS lead tapped to be deputy assistant CIO.

Civilian Job Openings

• DHS is hiring an executive director, Cybersecurity and Intelligence Talent Experience.

• FEMA is seeking a Deputy Assistant Administrator for Grant Programs.

• National Nuclear Security Agency is hiring a Director, Office of Experimental Sciences.

M&A CORNER

General Atomics acquires electro-optical sensor supplier EO Vista.

General Atomics announced it acquired EO Vista, a supplier of space and airborne electro-optical sensors. The value of the acquisition was not disclosed. EO Vista will be integrated into the General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems group. Read more

Brian Carter named CEO of Arlington Capital-backed Pegasus Steel.

Pegasus Steel LLC, a provider of complex fabricated steel structures used for the construction of submarines, aircraft carriers and other naval and industrial systems, appointed Brian Carter as its incoming CEO, RADM (Ret.) David Goggins as an independent Board member, and Matt DeMichiel as Vice President of Corporate Development. Pegasus has expanded into the naval and defense fabrication markets. Arlington Capital Partners acquired the company in partnership with Deering in June. Read more

SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿

Are the White House's zero-emission goals for federal buildings unrealistic? Yes, say some officials.

POTUS has set ambitious goals to reduce the federal government’s carbon footprint, but agency officials tasked with carrying that out are raising concerns the plans may not be realistically achievable. Agencies have until 2030 to ensure at least 30% of their current facilities are retrofitted to eliminate emissions, as well as to use 100% carbon-free electricity. Read more

What’s up with China’s disappearing senior military officers?

China’s National Defense Minister Li Shangfu has been missing for weeks. Now, he’s under investigation for corruption and out of a job — a recent trend, as several other government officials have also been removed from public view, only to be fired. This pattern of anti-corruption purges is nothing new for Chinese President Xi Jinping, but it does indicate that despite his most strenuous efforts, such misconduct is still occurring at some of the highest and most visible levels of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) — potentially hampering his ambitions to modernize the force. Read more

Share GovBrew, Win Cool Stuff!

Have colleagues who'd like our newsletter too? Click to share or give them your unique referral link (below) and get rewarded when they subscribe.

Or copy and paste this link to others: https://govbrew.co/subscribe?ref=PLACEHOLDER

PS: You have referred 0 people so farSepte