September 16, 2024

QUICK HITS

• Big news for defense contractors: OMB has finished review of CMMC program rule (32 C.F.R. 170). Final rule in Federal Register as early as this week.

• Navy seeks Silent Swarm 2025 submissions: A combined effort of industry and government experts will be essential for the Naval Surface Warfare Center.

• Saving on costs and square footage with coworking spaces: Federal agencies may have a better time right-sizing office space with shared offices.

• Make DOD IT purchasing more 'agile' again: DISA says it'll need to take off the 'handcuffs' to stop buying IT as if it were a weapon system.

DEFENSE & AEROSPACE

More delays bedevil Pentagon efforts to snag GPS receivers.

The Pentagon's two-decade-and-counting transition to the new signal—dubbed M-code—has moved so slowly that “DOD is facing a potential gap in the availability of GPS receiver cards as some of the current cards can no longer be produced and the M-code-capable replacements have been delayed.” Read more

Here’s how the Army may want to tackle its shortage of physicians.

The Army is grappling with a dwindling number of available physicians as it faces headwinds from recruitment and retention challenges. The rate of recruitment simply can't keep up with how many personnel are leaving the service. Read more

DLA officials highlight the lasting value of industry partnerships.

The DLA must take advantage of the opportunities inherent in commercial technologies while working to manage the accompanying risks, according to the director of the agency, who said, "Our reliance on industry has always been foundational to our role in joint logistics." Read more

ICYMI:

• DOD ‘terminated’ “very quiet” NGAD next-gen fighter program review.

• Pentagon establishes new Special Access Program (SAP) policy.

• GAO wants more transparency on DOD reprogramming of military pay funds.

• The War in Ukraine is illustrating where fires modernization is most needed.

Defense Contract Awards

• Raytheon secures $1.2B USAF missiles contract mod.

• Lockheed Martin wins $63M Navy contract for F-35 ODIN, MPE work.

• Army awards BAE Systems $440M contract to supply fighting vehicles.

• DARPA also awards BAE Systems R&D contract for AI air combat modeling.

• Ten businesses secure spots on $670M contract for USN ship maintenance.

Follow the Defense Leaders

• USAF veteran appointed USAF Deputy CIO.

• Another USAF veteran has taken on the AMC Commander position.

Defense Job Openings

• OIG seeks Assistant Inspector General, Personnel & Health Affairs.

• Office of Naval Research still seeks Superintendent, Space Science Division.

FUNNY

INTEL COMMUNITY

FBI needs AI to find the 'needle in the haystack' for national security.

AI is enabling law enforcement and intelligence agencies to find the “needle in the haystack” and stay ahead of threats, according to the FBI's Deputy Director, who emphasized that the surge in data – and the requirement to derive meaning from it – is a major and escalating challenge not only for the FBI but for every organization, whether in business or government. Read more

RT is a 'de facto arm' of Russian intelligence, say US & allies.

The State Department says Russia's state-owned RT news agency (formerly “Russia Today”) is now a main unit of Russian intelligence operations, and that a Kremlin cyber operations unit has been embedded in RT since last year to undermine American elections. Read more

ICYMI:

• RFI: USTRANSCOM seeks Joint Enabling Capabilities Command C5 support.

• Interoperability is driving the fight against security threats, says NSA chief.

• NGA awards $290M Luno A commercial data contract to 10 companies.

• DARPA selects Momentus to join its BRIDGES consortium.

CIVILIAN

CBP declares victory in its cloud infrastructure campaign.

DHS’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection component is declaring victory in a long technology modernization journey marked by the completion of its transition to modern cloud-based systems. This article offers a nice hommage to the newly required, antiquated Mainframe system that was first introduced 60 years ago. Read more

NARA extends deadline for paper personnel files.

NARA will allow agencies to continue transferring official personnel folders until June 2025 – giving agencies a limited exception to the electronic-files-only policy fully implemented earlier this summer. Read more

Feds are hitting AI Benchmarks so far, but GAO warns: “Don’t get sloppy! We’re watching you!”

The GAO published a report saying that federal agencies are hitting the requirements set by POTUS’s October 2023 AI executive order…so far. However, GAO officials are letting agencies know that they expected this outcome and will be watching to make sure agencies continue to get it right. Read more

ICYMI:

• RFI: CMS seeks feedback on the impact of AI in healthcare.

• SSA rings the alarm over potential “devastating” impacts of flat agency funding.

• SentinelOne achieves FedRAMP authorization at the High Impact Level.

• NIST has updated cybersecurity & privacy learning program guidance.

Civilian Contracts Awards

• State Department awards $1B weapons destruction support work to Tetra Tech.

• Dynanet wins $18M contract for SAMHSA infrastructure support services.

Follow Civilian Leaders

• Savannah River National Laboratory's director will step down.

• Two-decade industry executive named CFO at SentinelOne.

Civilian Job Openings

• NASA HQ needs a new Manager, Rocket Propulsion Test Office.

• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service seeks Assistant Administrator.

M&A CORNER

Mastercard to buy threat intelligence company Recorded Future.

Mastercard has agreed to buy threat intelligence company Recorded Future from private equity firm Insight Partners for $2.65 billion to broaden its identity, fraud prevention, and cybersecurity services. Read more

SIG acquires Excelicon.

Strategic Innovation Group, LLC announced the acquisition of Blueprint Consulting Services, LLC doing business as Excelicon. SIG is a SBA certified 8(a) company specializing in developing and implementing innovative technology solutions to support federal agencies’ enterprise transformation goals. Read more

ITT completes acquisition of kSARIA.

ITT has completed its acquisition of kSARIA, a Behrman Capital portfolio company that manufactures and supplies connectivity offerings for the aerospace and defense end markets; the company said its purchase will be funded with a ~$460 million term loan and cash on hand. Read more

SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿

1. When DOD puts CJADC2 to the test, will it overcome the red tape? A pressing challenge will be government bureaucracy. SOURCE↗︎ 

2. Is seeding good data the key to agencies securing their services? One cybersecurity exec says agencies can deliver more secure services with high-quality seeding. SOURCE↗︎

3. Why is GAO criticizing IRS' DEI programs? Despite IRS workforce diversity compared to the national labor force, it's catching flak from GAO. SOURCE↗︎

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