Lockheed pitches pilot-optional F-35
Lockheed pitches pilot-optional F-35
The company is hoping the Pentagon will buy into plans to “supercharge” the F-35.
Science & Tech
Hegseth halves staff of Pentagon’s testing-oversight office
The move may reduce the quality of DOT&E’s second opinions, but may not affect safety, former officials said.
Science & Tech
NOAA keeps 3 incumbents for $250M coastal mapping contract
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration uses this program to aid in decisions regarding flood risks and transportation, among other uses.
Defense
Pentagon orders civilian employees to submit money-saving ideas
It’s the last step in the "5 bullet points" weekly email exercise.
Sponsor Content
GovExec TV: Five Questions with Henry Brooks
On GovExec TV, Henry Brooks of Collins Aerospace discusses how FAR Part 12 and dual-use tech accelerate mission readiness, cut costs, and boost reliability.
Defense
MDA previews $151B contract for Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense system
A draft solicitation is imminent for the 10-year, multiple-award vehicle being called SHIELD.
Defense
Pentagon accepts Qatari jet to use as Air Force One
The Air Force is preparing to award a contract to modify the luxury jet.
Defense
Air Force opens proposal window for $485M cyber training contract
Work will support a squadron charged with providing initial and advanced information operations and cyber training across the Air Force.
Defense
Layered Defense in the Skies: How LEO, MEO, and GEO Satellites Could Power Trump’s Golden Dome
The Pentagon’s Tracking and Transport Layers—designed for persistent global missile monitoring—may form the backbone of the administration’s sweeping anti-missile architecture.
Defense
Trump: Golden Dome to cost $175B, be ready in three years
Defense officials have said it would take at least five to seven to develop its space-based weapons.
Defense
Space Force losing 14% of its civilian workers
That’s more than other military branches, and it means the service will end the year with nearly 1,000 fewer people than expected.
Sponsor Content
Scaling AI’s Impact in the Federal Government
As the federal government intensifies its exploration and implementation of AI, several themes are becoming increasingly prominent.
Defense
Is Trump’s ‘F-55’ fighter jet real?
One former defense official said the president is “very confused.”
Science & Tech
Army prepping for Pacific conflict with prepositioned equipment, logistics hubs
Moving weapons, ammunition, fuel, and even water around the vast theater will be a huge challenge.
Defense
Trump’s Qatari Air Force One would pose massive security risks
Treating the aircraft as safe for the commander in chief with just a few modifications is "absurd," one former senior defense official said.
Defense
Golden Dome push sets stage for telecom battle over spectrum access
The White House’s project to beef up domestic missile defense could lead to a regulatory and legal fight over radio frequencies.
Defense
X-Bow closes $105M Series B round, enters Lockheed partnership pact
The world’s largest defense company led this round to continue its involvement in the solid rocket motor maker, while Boeing Ventures also is staying in.
Science & Tech
Space Force narrows the field in $100M terminal competition
Three companies are tasked to develop prototypes of the terminals, which Space Force will evaluate for interoperability and fit into a future data transport network.
Launch
Rocket Lab Joins SpaceX in Race to Deliver Military Cargo via Space
With its Neutron rocket, Rocket Lab enters the Air Force’s P2PD program, echoing SpaceX’s Starship ambitions in the evolving effort to revolutionize global logistics through orbital delivery.
Science & Tech
CGI, Google team to upgrade FAA’s pilot alert system
The Notice to Airmen system gives pilots information about hazards and will become cloud-based through this partnership.
Defense
IonQ to acquire Capella Space for quantum network development push
The 10-year-old quantum company envisions its future network as enabling the kind of satellite-to-ground and satellite-to-satellite communications desired by U.S. government agencies.
Science & Tech
Boeing says it can deliver Air Force One in 2027—if requirements are relaxed
The Air Force has already lowered security requirements so Boeing can move faster.
