////
Air Force Awards 4 Engine Development Contracts for Future Collaborative Combat Aircraft
Published on
U.S. Air Force seal. The Air Force awarded engine development contracts to mature designs for future autonomous aircraft.

The U.S. Air Force has awarded four propulsion development contracts to Beehive Industries, Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney and a team of GE Aerospace and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to mature designs for future autonomous aircraft, including Combat Collaborative Aircraft, or CCA, Increment 2 and other autonomous collaborative platforms, Breaking Defense reported Wednesday.

Air Force Awards 4 Engine Development Contracts for Future Collaborative Combat Aircraft

As the Air Force moves forward with new propulsion development efforts for autonomous aircraft, defense stakeholders continue to track the service’s broader modernization priorities. Reserve your spot at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30 to connect with peers across government and industry and stay informed on developments impacting the air and space community.

The companies will conduct early-stage engine design work, according to an Air Force spokesperson.

“This multi-vendor approach ensures the Air Force has a variety of options to power the diverse and evolving fleet of ACP and CCA Increments,” the spokesperson said.

What Is Increment 1 of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft Program?

Increment 1 is the first round of the Air Force’s drone wingmen Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. For the initial phase, the service selected commercially available propulsion systems.

“To meet program schedule requirements, the CCA Increment 1 program solves operational problems by incorporating available, low risk propulsion solutions,” the Air Force spokesperson said. “The Air Force is maturing propulsion designs in different power classes in support of future ACP and CCA Increments that optimize cost, range, and mass.”

What Are the Details of the USAF Contracts Awarded to GE-Kratos Team & Honeywell?

The GE Aerospace-Kratos team secured a $12.4 million Air Force contract to design a next-generation engine for small CCA. Under the program’s initial phase, the team will complete the preliminary design of the GEK1500 engine to meet performance requirements while targeting cost objectives intended to support affordable mass production.

Honeywell received an Air Force prototype contract to design a propulsion system for an autonomous aircraft based on its SkyShot 1600 engine. The SkyShot 1600 features a flexible architecture that can support turbojet or turbofan configurations for various mission profiles.

What Is Air Force CCA?

CCA is the Air Force’s initiative to develop semi-autonomous aircraft designed to operate alongside crewed platforms, complement major weapons systems and serve as force multipliers for the joint force. As part of the Next Generation Air Dominance Family of Systems, the program seeks to integrate open-systems architectures to facilitate the continuous iteration of autonomy and mission systems capabilities. 

The Air Force has begun integrating and testing its Autonomy Government Reference Architecture across multiple vendor platforms as part of the CCA program.

In December, the service designated Northrop Grumman’s semi-autonomous prototype aircraft, Project Talon, as YFQ-48A under the program.

In August 2025, the Air Force announced that the YFQ-42A prototype, developed with General Atomics, completed its inaugural flight as the platform transitioned into flight testing.

//
AMC’s Gail Atkins Says Digital Transformation Is an Immediate Priority in Army’s OIB Modernization
Published on
Army Materiel Command. An AMC official discussed the ongoing modernization of the Army OIB

Brig. Gen. Gail Atkins, deputy chief of staff for logistics and operations at the Army Materiel Command, identified digital transformation as an immediate priority in the modernization of the organic industrial base, or OIB, the Army said Monday.

AMC's Gail Atkins Says Digital Transformation Is an Immediate Priority in Army's OIB Modernization

Get updates on government modernization initiatives directly from defense leaders at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Digital Transformation Summit on April 22. The event will also feature speakers from across government and industry to discuss future plans for enterprise IT, user experience, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Tickets are available here.

At an event hosted by the National Defense Industrial Association, Atkins highlighted the Army’s work with industry to adopt commercial best practices and technologies to meet the service’s modernization requirements.

“We are all in on digital twinning,” the official shared on AMC’s efforts to strengthen the OIB.

As part of the Army’s 15-year modernization plan for the OIB, AMC invested nearly $100 million in facility and equipment upgrades across its sites.

“We are literally mapping our factory floors and censoring them so that while we are manufacturing or repairing, we are iterating and planning for what the next piece needs to be,” Atkins added.

What Actions Is the Army Taking to Modernize Its OIB?

AMC established the OIB Operations Center following a recent comprehensive, 90-day review of the OIB in late 2025. The OIB Integration Cell is responsible for ensuring that OIB’s long-term plans align with the Army’s strategic objectives. Meanwhile, the OIB Operations Center is in charge of accelerating OIB modernization.

“We embarked not only on a modernization plan, but a re‑imagination, and we must completely iterate and reimagine what our industrial base needs to be,” Atkins added.

Why Is the Army Modernizing Its OIB?

The Army is moving forward with a 15-year upgrade of its OIB to improve safety for personnel on production lines and increase efficiency and quality through greener manufacturing practices across all facilities to support the 2030s Army.

The OIB comprises 23 government-owned depots, arsenals and ammunition plants, some of which have been in use since the ‘70s,” Breaking Defense reported.

//
ORNL Establishes Next Generation Data Centers Institute to Tackle AI Energy Demands
Published on
Oak Ridge National Laboratory logo. ORNL formed the Next Generation Data Centers Institute

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has formed the Next Generation Data Centers Institute, NGDCI, which will unite the lab’s expertise and facilities in a mission to ensure the security, efficiency and reliability of the nation’s artificial intelligence infrastructure.

According to ORNL, NGDCI will utilize its Modeling Energy Growth Associated with Data Centers, or MEGA-DC, to forecast the costs and economic benefits of infrastructure upgrades to guide decision-makers in figuring out a pathway for scalable AI data center growth.

ORNL Establishes Next Generation Data Centers Institute to Tackle AI Energy Demands

The Potomac Officers Club will host the Building Mission-Ready AI Infrastructure: Designing a Data and Security Foundation for the Future panel at the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 18 to explore strategies for building a scalable, secure AI infrastructure. The event will bring together AI experts from across industry and government to explore how the technology is transforming GovCon. Sign up today to secure your spot.

How Will NGDCI Respond to Growing Energy Demands of AI Centers?

AI-specific workloads drive increased energy consumption across data centers. Training a single large language model consumes hundreds of megawatt-hours of electricity, noted the ORNL.

To address the issue, the new institute will conduct research on six areas key to supporting the rapid expansion of AI:

  • Develop next-generation thermal management systems that would reduce energy and water use at AI data centers
  • Design power system architectures to improve how electricity flows from source to server
  • Identify grid integration strategies designed to ensure data centers stabilize rather than strain local and regional power systems
  • Integrate autonomous platforms to optimize workloads and energy use
  • Extend cybersecurity protections, including cyber-informed engineering and quantum-safe communications, to data centers
  • Utilize integrated systems modeling to better understand how AI infrastructure will affect U.S. energy systems, jobs, materials and economic competitiveness through the 2030s and beyond.

How Did Industry React to NGDCI’s Formation?

Executives from the energy and AI ecosystem have expressed support for the NGDCI. Forrest Norrod, executive vice president and general manager of the data center solutions business group at AMD, emphasized the importance of resilient, power-aware systems to maintain grid stability while enabling efficient AI use at scale.

Meanwhile, Ian Buck, vice president of hyperscale and high-performance computing at NVIDIA, underscored the company’s long-standing partnership with U.S. national laboratories, including ORNL, adding that continued collaboration under NGDCI and the Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission will help better integrate AI infrastructure with the nation’s energy systems and strengthen U.S. energy security.

//
DOW Sets 2027 Deadline to Fully Retire Manual System Access Request Process
Published on
Department of War logo. DOW set a 2027 deadline to phase out manual requests for system access.

The Department of War has set a final deadline of Sept. 30, 2027, to fully decommission its decades-old, paper-based System Authorization Access Request process.

All systems must transition to automated identity, credential and access management workflows to modernize how access is requested, authorized and provisioned, the Department of War’s chief information officer said Feb.19, citing a December 2025 memorandum from the DOW chief information security officer.

DOW Sets 2027 Deadline to Fully Retire Manual System Access Request Process

As agencies retire legacy infrastructure, the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Digital Transformation Summit on April 22 will convene top officials and executives to discuss the deployment of advanced AI, cybersecurity and enterprise IT capabilities. Don’t miss this opportunity to align with the strategies and partnerships shaping the future of the public sector. Register now.

What Is Driving the Shift to Automated Workflows?

The directive replaces the DD Form 2875 SAAR process, which relies on manual routing and static documentation that no longer scales to enterprise operational demands.

The new framework, detailed in the ICAM Workflow Implementation Guide, aligns access management with zero trust principles by shifting from manual signatures to attribute-driven decisioning. Under this model, access is granted based on real-time authoritative data, such as official personnel records, security clearance status and completion of required training.

While low-risk requests can be approved automatically based on these attributes, higher-risk or privileged access will require system-enforced attestation from supervisors or data owners.

A primary driver of this transition is the requirement for automated “joiner, mover, and leaver” management. To reduce insider threat risks, user accounts must now be disabled within 24 hours of a separation notification.

Furthermore, the system will generate immutable audit logs for every stage of the access lifecycle — from request to deprovisioning — to strengthen oversight and support defensive cyber operations.

What Is the Road Map to Automation?

Phase 1: Setting the Digital Foundation
The first six months focus on infrastructure readiness. Organizations must audit their existing system inventories and establish technical bridges to approved ICAM providers. Success in this stage is defined by successful pilot tests and the formalization of automated attestation matrices for high-risk data.

Phase 2: Scaling Enterprise Performance
From early 2026 through mid-year, the focus shifts to production and rapid expansion. After a “first wave” of prioritized systems establishes baseline benchmarks for provisioning speed, the department will scale toward a 50 percent adoption target. This period marks the transition from simple role-based access to more sophisticated, data-driven permissions. 

Phase 3: Final Integration and Operational Steady-State
Leading up to the September 2027 deadline, the final systems will migrate away from the legacy SAAR ecosystem. This phase is less about deployment and more about decommissioning; manual PDF processes are retired and legacy records are archived. Once the transition is complete, the program will pivot from an implementation project to an operational service.

/
DOJ Appoints Shantrell Collier as CIO
Published on
Shantrell Collier. The Department of Justice deputy chief information officer has been named CIO.

The Department of Justice has appointed Shantrell “Nikki” Collier, deputy chief information officer, as deputy assistant attorney general for information resources management and CIO, Nextgov/FCW reported Wednesday. 

What Led to the DOJ CIO Transition?

The leadership transition followed the departure of Melinda Rogers, who left her role as DOJ CIO at the end of May 2025.

Rogers announced in a LinkedIn post that her departure marked an “inflection point” in her life, as her twin sons prepared to leave for college. She said she planned to pursue a new milestone while maintaining the professional relationships she built during her time at the department.

Rogers joined DOJ in 2010 and served in several senior IT leadership roles, including deputy CIO and chief information security officer. During her tenure, she oversaw the development and release of the department’s fiscal year 2025–2027 IT strategic plan.

Who Is Shantrell Collier?

Collier has served as DOJ’s deputy CIO since January 2025. She served as acting CIO following Rogers’ departure in May 2025, according to the report.

According to her LinkedIn profile, she served as the chief of staff to the assistant attorney general of administration at the department from October 2022 to February 2025.

Before rejoining DOJ in 2022, this time in its Justice Management Division, she served as CIO of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations.

Earlier in her DOJ career, she served as acting deputy director of the service delivery staff and led the department’s Microsoft 365 migration, consolidating 120,000 email accounts across 23 systems. Women in Technology recognized her as an “Unsung Hero” in 2017.

Collier retired from the U.S. Army in 2015 as a sergeant major after 22 years of service.

She holds a doctor of business administration degree from Trident University International and maintains project management and IT Infrastructure Library 4 certifications.

//
Former DHS IT Operations Leader Zeke Maldonado Named FEMA Acting CIO
Published on
Zeke Maldonado. The former DHS IT operations executive director was appointed as acting CIO at FEMA.

Zeke Maldonado has been appointed acting chief information officer at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Former Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary and Chief Acquisition Officer Chris Cummiskey congratulated Maldonado on the appointment in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday.

In his new role, Maldonado is responsible for delivering enterprise information management, technology and cybersecurity services that support FEMA’s workforce and disaster response operations, Cummiskey said. The role also includes shaping the agency’s technology strategy, overseeing major IT acquisitions, and ensuring alignment with federal architecture and security requirements.

The new acting CIO will report to Shila Cooch, FEMA’s associate administrator for mission support.

Who Is Zeke Maldonado?

Before joining FEMA, Maldonado served as executive director for IT operations at DHS. In that capacity, he oversaw IT service delivery supporting approximately 15,000 personnel across multiple U.S. locations and managed a technical workforce of more than 400 federal employees and contractors.

He previously held the position of CIO and director of technology and data services for DHS’ intelligence and analysis directorate. In that role, he oversaw planning, budgeting and execution of IT architecture and operations supporting the department’s intelligence mission, including management of classified network environments.

What Is Maldonado’s Background in Naval Intelligence?

Earlier in his career, Maldonado spent over 18 years with the Office of Naval Intelligence. As command information officer and director of the technology and innovation directorate, he led enterprise IT, cybersecurity, cloud strategy and data science initiatives.

His previous roles at ONI include deputy CIO for information management and chief knowledge officer; deputy department head for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and division head for platforms engineering, modeling and signatures. Throughout this tenure, Maldonado managed broad technology strategies, oversaw scientific and technical intelligence programs, and led multidisciplinary engineering and analytical teams.

What Is Maldonado’s Private-Sector and Education Background?

Prior to his government career, Maldonado worked at BAE Systems as an electrical engineer, leading software and hardware design, development and integration efforts tied to naval radar and AN/UPX-24 systems.

He holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Naval Postgraduate School and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland.

/
FAA Unveils ATLAS Challenge-Based Acquisition Effort to Modernize IT Portfolio
Published on
Federal Aviation Administration seal. FAA launched the ATLAS challenge-based acquisition effort to modernize IT systems.

The Federal Aviation Administration has launched the Accelerated Transformation of Legacy Applications and Systems, or ATLAS, initiative as a challenge-based acquisition effort designed to modernize more than 200 applications and approximately 3,000 databases across its mission-support portfolio.

FAA Unveils ATLAS Challenge-Based Acquisition Effort to Modernize IT Portfolio

As federal agencies accelerate enterprise IT modernization and AI-driven transformation initiatives, leaders across government and industry are advancing the broader digital reform agenda. Save your seat at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Digital Transformation Summit on April 22 and join experts as they discuss enterprise IT reform, AI and other emerging technologies shaping mission delivery.

In a Feb. 17 notice posted on SAM.gov, the FAA said it expects to award one or more production contracts by Sept. 30, following a structured, downselect-driven evaluation process.

What Is the FAA ATLAS Effort?

The ATLAS initiative seeks to accelerate the rationalization, consolidation, modernization and sustainment of legacy and operational systems within the FAA’s application environment.

According to the statement of objectives, the agency is transitioning from a legacy sustainment model to an operating framework characterized by automated workflows, cloud-native architectures and artificial intelligence integration to meet the changing demands of aviation safety. The FAA stated that it seeks a strategic partnership to improve user experience, reduce technical debt and enhance security and resiliency.

The agency anticipates a 10-year period of performance, including options, for any resulting contract awards.

How Will the FAA Evaluate & Downselect ATLAS Participants?

The FAA structured ATLAS as a four-phase challenge-based acquisition under its Acquisition Management System.

Under the model, Phase 1 requires offerors to submit corporate experience documentation along with a concept paper outlining their technical approach. In Phase 2, the FAA will evaluate selected participants’ strategies for portfolio rationalization. Phase 3 will assess vendors’ ability to execute and demonstrate a modernization factory framework. Phase 4 may involve the issuance of a formal request for proposals and culminate in a contract award.

According to the announcement, the FAA will first rank offerors based on a self-scored corporate experience model and validate the top 10 submissions. Only those top-ranked vendors will proceed to concept paper evaluation. The agency stated it intends to invite approximately five companies into Phase 2, depending on the quality of responses.

The FAA indicated that technical importance increases in later phases, with Phase 3 execution weighted more heavily than earlier submissions. Final award decisions in Phase 4 will follow a best-value tradeoff in which technical factors are more important than price.

Phase 1 responses are due March 10

What Are the FAA ATLAS Program Objectives?

The FAA identified eight objectives for the ATLAS initiative: portfolio modernization and technical debt reduction; user experience; high-availability mission operations; accelerated value delivery via DevSecOps; enterprise data excellence and intelligent automation; proactive cybersecurity and compliance; program governance; and seamless service transition.

According to the SOO, the initiative calls for the use of AI and machine learning to accelerate code refactoring and application analysis; support data-driven decision-making; and enable intelligent automation, among other functions.

What Are Other FAA Modernization Initiatives?

In addition to the ATLAS initiative, the FAA has launched several other efforts to modernize key aviation systems. The agency introduced a vendor challenge to accelerate the replacement of its Traffic Flow Management System with a new platform.

In November, the agency issued a request for information on IT service providers to support its Configuration, Logistics and Maintenance Resource Solutions portfolio. It also sought industry feedback on a common automation platform that would give air traffic controllers access to flight data.

//
AIA Calls for Funding Stability, Continued Acquisition Reforms in Letter to Congress
Published on
AIA President and CEO Eric Fanning. Fanning penned a letter to Congress outlining AIA's legislative priorities for 2026

The Aerospace Industries Association has called for stable federal funding, acquisition reform, space investment and reauthorization of key programs across government.

In a letter to Congress published Wednesday, AIA President and CEO Eric Fanning, a Wash100 winner, urged lawmakers to advance key authorizations to support the aerospace and defense industrial base, which employs 2.2 million workers nationwide.

“As lawmakers return from recess, we are focused on advancing key legislative priorities for 2026: securing stable, predictable federal funding; modernizing defense and commercial systems; and reauthorizing the critical agencies that underpin our industry,” Fanning wrote.

“Congress must move these priorities forward to provide the certainty and direction our industry — and the nation — depend on,” he added.

AIA Calls for Funding Stability, Continued Acquisition Reforms in Letter to Congress

Leaders from across the Department of War, the Air Force and the Space Force will take the stage at the 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30. The event will feature insightful keynote speeches and panel discussions where defense leaders will identify strategies and advanced technologies that warfighter need to remain ahead of adversaries. Get your tickets here.

What Are AIA’s 2026 Priorities?

In the letter, Fanning and the AIA urged Congress to avoid long-term continuing resolutions and instead pass appropriations for fiscal year 2027. 

Although the group commended changes enacted in the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act to reduce bureaucracy, accelerate acquisition and lower barriers for doing business with the government, it also called for further defense acquisition reform that “would provide even greater benefit.”

AIA also called for the timely reauthorization of programs such as the Export-Import Bank, Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, and the Defense Production Act to sustain growth in the aerospace manufacturing sector.

Additionally, the associated urged Congress to reauthorize NASA and the passage of an FY2027 NDAA with expanded mission requirements for the U.S. Space Force and provides funding for the Golden Dome.

What Is AIA?

Founded in 1919, AIA has served as the voice of the aircraft, space and defense industries. The organization represents over 300 member companies and advocates for policies that strengthen national security, promote aviation safety and support a competitive industrial base.

In January, AIA outlined its 2026 space priorities focused on sustained funding for civil, commercial and national security space programs, regulatory modernization, and investment in resilient space infrastructure.

The association also recently expressed support for President Donald Trump’s executive order to accelerate defense contracting practices.

//
DISA Aligns Acquisition Model With War Department Reform Push
Published on
DISA logo. DISA updated its acquisition framework to align with DOW reforms.

The Defense Information Systems Agency has unveiled new guidance to accelerate its acquisition framework in response to the Department of War’s directive to speed capability delivery and reduce bureaucratic friction.

DISA said Wednesday the update reinforces reforms DISA began implementing over the past two years, particularly the shift to a portfolio acquisition executive, or PAE, structure designed to centralize governance and strengthen integration across programs.

Speaking at a recent industry event, DISA Acquisition Director Jason Martin noted that while this restructuring predates the department-wide mandate, it aligns with Secretary of War and two-time Wash100 Award winner Pete Hegseth’s focus on operational agility.

What Is Changing Under DISA’s Acquisition Model?

DISA’s approach centers on empowering PAEs with decision authority over integrated capability portfolios rather than individual programs. The model is intended to break down organizational silos and align accountability at the portfolio level.

According to Martin, the structure has already been applied to efforts such as the Joint Operational Edge–Coalition Environment prototype. “We were told in 90 days we would do JOE-CE. We prioritized, we moved resources around, and we are ready for Keen Edge. We are there now,” he continued.

Caroline Bean, PAE for services at DISA, said the agency is also encouraging earlier engagement with industry, expanded use of acquisition flexibilities such as other transaction authorities and greater acceptance of iterative prototyping.

How Does This Connect to Broader DISA Contract Efforts?

The portfolio-based structure complements other consolidation initiatives, including the Joint Enterprise License Agreement program, known as JELA, which seeks to reduce duplicative IT purchases across the department. DISA has established four consolidated JELAs and is scaling the program to further unify vendor terms and streamline procurement.

In parallel, the agency is applying lessons learned from the current Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability contract as it prepares its JWCC-Next acquisition strategy. John Hale, chief of product management and development at the Defense Information Systems Agency, indicated that the next iteration may expand access to ancillary cloud ecosystem services while avoiding overlap with the existing vehicle.

//
Air Force, Northrop Grumman Reach Agreement to Expand B-21 Production by 25 Percent
Published on
Kathy Warden, CEO of Northrop Grumman. Warden noted in a press release that Northrop is ready to produce B-21s faster

The Department of the Air Force has signed an agreement with Northrop Grumman to expand production of the B-21 Raider stealth bomber aircraft by 25 percent annually.

The agreement will apply $4.5 billion in funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill, DAF said Monday.

“The strong performance of the B-21 program has our Northrop Grumman and Air Force team ready to accelerate production of this game-changing capability for our nation,” Kathy Warden, chair, president and CEO of Northrop Grumman and a 10-time Wash100 winner, stated in a company press release. “Northrop Grumman has invested more than $5 billion in digital engineering and manufacturing infrastructure, and we are ready to produce B-21 faster.”

DAF expects the first B-21 to arrive at the Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota by 2027.

Air Force, Northrop Grumman Reach Agreement to Expand B-21 Production by 25 Percent

Explore the advanced capabilities keeping airmen ahead of adversaries at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 31. Department of War and Air Force leaders will be present at the summit to discuss how industry can support American warfighters in the air and space domains. Register now to secure your seats.

What Is the B-21 Raider?

The B-21 Raider is a sixth-generation bomber designed to bypass air defenses and operate in contested environments.

Designed to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons, the aircraft can strike targets anywhere in the world. Its open architecture allows for continuous upgrades, enabling the platform to adapt to evolving threats while sustaining readiness and strategic deterrence.

Troy Meink, secretary of the Air Force and a 2026 Wash100 Award recipient, described the B-21 as foundational the service’s long-range strike capability and strengthens deterrence.

“Accelerating production capacity now ensures we deliver operational capability to combatant commanders faster — strengthening our ability to outpace, deter, and, if necessary, defeat emerging threats,” he added.

How Many B-21s Will the Air Force Acquire?

The Air Force is targeting a fleet of 100 B-21 Raiders, The War Zone reported. However, in recent years, officials have expressed support for a larger fleet with up to 145 aircraft.

According to Aviation Week, Northrop has delivered two test aircraft to the Air Force. A third test aircraft is undergoing ground test, with two more currently in assembly.

1 … 9 10 11 12 13 … 2,696