- GovBrew
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- September 23, 2024
September 23, 2024
FITARA scorecard, GDIT secures $299M DISA contract, Snowflake acquires Night Shift Development, Metris Global books $100M USCG contract
GovBrew
September 23, 2024
QUICK HITS
13 agencies get A’s in 'historic' FITARA scorecard: Top scores stem from improvements to CIO investment and cloud computing.
How to improve procurement acquisition lead times: GSA is working to streamline the procurement process through multiple efforts.
Unveiling the "Project 33" initiative: The navigation plan for America's warfighting Navy includes drone integration.
GAO: 75% of agencies are slacking on cloud procurement requirements.
DEFENSE & AEROSPACE
The 'cloud in a box' that may save USAF years of pencil pushing.
The Air Force is developing a compact, portable data center capable of storing maintenance and sustainment documents for every aircraft in its fleet—all housed in a container no larger than a window air conditioner. This ‘cloud in a box’ could save Air Force maintainers years of paperwork. Read more
Protest halts Army’s work on $990M loitering-munition contract.
A $990 million contract for loitering munitions has hit a roadblock after a second company lodged a protest, according to an AeroVironment filing that has been published. Read more
DOD, OMB urged to implement FOCI-related procurement laws.
The Department of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Federal Procurement Policy missed the deadline to implement laws designed to protect national security from the risks brought by consulting services providers that serve potential U.S. adversaries such as China, according to the Government Accountability Office. Read more
ICYMI:
RFP: DARPA seeks tech for deploying hidden communication systems.
USAF major general provides updates on delivery of the B-21 Raider.
USAF Under Secretary, DOD leaders discuss the future of nuclear deterrents.
SECDEF welcomes business & community leaders to Pentagon for alumni event.
Defense Contract Awards
Navy awards $1.2B in P-8A aircraft maintenance contracts.
GDIT secures $299M DISA contract for Pentagon’s network infrastructure support
Metris Global books $100M USCG contract for training & analysis support.
DARPA awards $11.7M Aeluma contract for nano-scale semiconductor development.
Follow the Defense Leaders
Boeing defense chief to step down, new CEO aims ‘to restore trust’ of DOD buyers.
Former CEO of Illuminate named VP, CIO at Aerospace.
Defense Job Openings
OSD needs a Director, HUMINT and Sensitive Activities.
FUNNY
INTEL COMMUNITY
NSA warns of China-linked bad actors & botnet operations.
The National Security Agency has joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Cyber Command’s Cyber National Mission Force, and international allies in releasing new information about People’s Republic of China-linked cyber actors who have compromised internet-connected devices worldwide to create a botnet and conduct malicious activity. Read more
How one space tech company is bringing down price tags of advanced imaging satellites.
Space technology company Umbra has recently launched a new business line aiming to deliver high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar satellites. Through the mechanisms of how the company is structured, it’s been able to bring down the cost of those satellites. Read more
ICYMI:
BlackSky Technology awarded seven-figure contract from HEO.
CACI secures $273M USCENTCOM intelligence contract.
NSA publishes cyber advisory on China-linked threat actors.
Washington Headquarters Services seeks Director, Security and Intelligence.
CIVILIAN
CSC pushes incoming administration to tackle remaining cyber recs
CSC 2.0 – the private sector successor to the government’s Cyberspace Solarium Commission – is teeing up a series of cybersecurity-related legislative and policy actions that it says the next administration and Congress still need to pursue. Read more
Facial recognition used with 'concerning lack of federal oversight', says Commission on Civil Rights.
The head of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights said that facial recognition tools are used by federal agencies with a "concerning lack of federal oversight, calling the lack of government oversight and standardized regulations "alarming". Read more
Uncertainty looms over the future of the State Department.
Under former President Donald Trump’s administration, one of the most restructured and diminished federal agencies was the Department of State. But even during the Biden administration, the internationally-focused department was dealt a five percent loss in its fiscal year 2024 budget from 2023, and officials are bracing themselves for a possibly similar blow in 2025. Read more
ICYMI:
Top gov’t auditing shop to release report on use of legacy equipment at the FAA.
Ames National Laboratory to establish the ML-Accelerated Materials Discovery Center.
NSF & Simons Foundation to fund two new AI research institutes for astronomy.
House unveils artificial intelligence policy to combat cybersecurity risks.
Civilian Contracts Awards
HRSA selects multiple vendors to modernize organ transplant system.
NOAA awards two commercial microwave sounder pilot deals.
Serco lands $193M VETS transition assistance program support task
Analyticx obtains $23M task from FAS for public experience bilingual web support.
Follow Civilian Leaders
Frontier Technology names its new VP of product, program execution.
US Education Department names Chief Information Officer.
Civilian Job Openings
Natural Resources Conservation Service seeks Associate Deputy Chief, Mgmt. & Strategy.
M&A CORNER
Snowflake acquires data analytics firm Night Shift Development.
Data, cloud, and artificial intelligence company Snowflake has acquired Night Shift Development, a data analytics firm that serves the U.S. public sector. Snowflake’s Chris Degnan, chief revenue officer, and Matthew Rose, industry principal of the global public sector, said in a blog post that the acquisition will expand its presence in the government contracting market. Read more
FMD to buy Rolls-Royce’s naval propulsors business.
Fairbanks Morse Defense, an Arcline Investment Management portfolio company, has agreed to acquire Rolls-Royce’s naval propulsors and handling business to expand its capabilities and offerings for customers in the U.S. marine defense sector. Read more
SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿
How do shutdowns stress the whole federal ecosystem? They affect the contractors no less than government employees and the programs they conduct.
How did the Army embrace Ukraine-style warfare? With a new all-drone unit is designed to coordinate fire and strike with loitering munitions. SOURCE↗︎
How did the VA end up with a $3 billion shortfall? Leaders say staff over-delivered on already-aggressive projections. SOURCE↗︎
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