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Robert Metzger on DOD CMMC Level Determination Guidance
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Robert Metzger on DOD CMMC Level Determination Guidance

Robert Metzger, head of the Washington D.C. office at law firm Rogers Joseph O’Donnell, shared his insights on a new Department of Defense guidance for determining certification levels and administering waiver authority under the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program.

In a LinkedIn post published in mid-February, Metzger said the DOD guidance serves as an “early alert” to program managers and requiring activities regarding what they need to do when Part 48 CMMC contractual rules take effect.

For the cybersecurity thought leader, the document indicates that non-Federal Acquisition Regulation-based legal agreements are subject to “appropriate CMMC level” requirements.

“I agree. Innovators are especially vulnerable; their valuable work, for DoD, must be protected,” he added.

Table of Contents

CMMC Level 2

For CMMC Level 2, self-assessment is allowed for categories of controlled unclassified information, or CUI, that are “outside” of the National Archives and Records Administration’s CUI Registry Defense Organizational Index Grouping.

According to Metzger, CMMC Level 2 certification assessment is required for DOD Critical Infrastructure Security Information, Controlled Technical Information, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Information and other CUI under NARA’s Defense Organizational Index Grouping.

Waiver Requests

Metzger also shared his views on CMMC waiver requests, which must be coordinated through the component chief information officer prior to approval by the Component Acquisition Executive or Service Acquisition Executive.

The DOD memo also stated that such waivers may be requested and cleared for an “individual procurement or a class of procurements.”

“Waivers do not affect the underlying security requirements but impact only whether assessment requirements must be included in solicitation documents. Having this flexibility, IMO, is indispensable if DoD is to avoid excess rigidity causing CMMC to injure capabilities and missions of requiring activities and warfighters,” the national security specialist stated.

Metzger concluded that the new DOD guidance “reduces risks of dysfunctional outcomes without making waivers too easy for anyone to seek and get.”

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GSA Issues Deviations to Federal Acquisition Regulations
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GSA Issues Deviations to Federal Acquisition Regulations

The General Services Administration has released two deviations to the Federal Acquisition Regulations, or FAR, and procurement practices to implement three recent executive orders, including the Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity EO.

GSA said Tuesday the deviations to the FAR will allow federal contracting officers to modify existing contracts and solicitations without imposing penalties on the contract holder or the government.

“These actions are the first steps in transforming the FAR into a sensible, common sense guideline to ensure that the federal government is working with industry as an attractive partner for business,” said Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service at GSA and a 2025 Wash100 awardee.

“The FAR has grown to more than 2,000 pages – it’s burdensome, outdated, and doesn’t allow agencies to buy at the speed of need, which leads to poor outcomes for the public we serve. The time is now to streamline the FAR to better align with commercial practices. GSA looks forward to working with the members of the FAR Council on this important work,” added Gruenbaum.

GSA is carrying out the actions in consultation with the chair of the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and under the authority of FAR 1.404 and GSA Acquisition Manual 501.404.

What Is FAR?

First issued in April 1984, FAR is a set of regulations that governs how the federal government acquires goods and services using procurement contracts.

FAR is codified in Parts 1 through 53 of Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations and is now issued under the joint authority of GSA, NASA and the Department of Defense.

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Trump Establishes Council Tasked to Ensure US Energy Dominance
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Trump Establishes Council Tasked to Ensure US Energy Dominance

President Donald Trump on Feb. 14 issued an executive order calling for the establishment of the National Energy Dominance Council.

Purpose of the Council

To be led by the secretary of the interior as chairperson and secretary of energy as vice chair, the council will work to provide the president with advice on a variety of issues, including how presidential authority can be exercised to maximize energy production using national assets like oil, gas and critical minerals, and how processes governing the production, regulation and export of American energy can be improved.

Also part of the council’s responsibilities is the development of a national strategy that will help facilitate energy dominance “by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the energy-producing economy, focusing on innovation, and seeking to eliminate longstanding, but unnecessary, regulation.”

Ensuring Energy Security

Commenting on the issuance of the EO, Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky, who serves as chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, said, “Energy security is national security. By utilizing our domestic energy resources to create baseload power, we can lower prices, secure our grid, and provide the energy needed to grow manufacturing, heat our homes, and fill our gas tanks.”

“The creation of this council under the leadership of [Energy Secretary Chris Wright] and [Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum] is a strong step toward securing our energy future, and ensuring we have the resources necessary to meet the demands that AI will place on our grid,” Guthrie added.

Powering US Manufacturing

For his part, Jay Timmons, the president and CEO of advocacy group National Association of Manufacturers, praised the establishment of the council, saying the move shows the administration’s “commitment to ensuring manufacturers have the energy they need to drive economic growth.”

“The National Energy Dominance Council, under the leadership of Interior Secretary Burgum and Energy Secretary Wright, will help power the future of manufacturing in America because when manufacturing wins, America wins,” Timmons said.

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USAF Unveils Flight Test Engineering Lab at Edwards AFB
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USAF Unveils Flight Test Engineering Lab at Edwards AFB

The U.S. Air Force has opened its Flight Test Engineering Lab, or FTEL, at Edwards Air Force Base which will develop advanced warfighting capabilities.

The laboratory will test electro-optics/infrared sensors, long-range kill chain data link capabilities and digital twin tools to accelerate the development of innovative combat technologies, USAF said Thursday. The goal is for FTEL to help the service build modern warfare tools to combat emerging global threats.

Meeting US Military’s Evolving Requirements

According to Paul Waters, director of the 412th Test Engineering Group, the lab will play a crucial role in meeting the U.S. military’s evolving requirements. The facility will enable USAF to produce “weapons systems that can detect and engage targets more effectively.” “By refining advanced sensors, data links and validated models, we are preparing our forces for an increasingly complex global security environment,” Waters explained.

He added that FTEL will help the Air Force train its workforce, noting that the laboratory features “three state-of-the-art training rooms” to expedite the development of young USAF engineers.

Costing $41.35 million, the FTEL is a massive undertaking, a hub designed to develop and deploy more effective and adaptable tools to protect U.S. national security.

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Kimberly Ziegler Is Acting DOD Procurement Director Anew
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Kimberly Ziegler Is Acting DOD Procurement Director Anew

Kimberly Ziegler, a senior procurement analyst at the Department of Defense’s DARS, short for Defense Acquisition Regulations System, has been named as acting director of the DOD unit for six months, effective Feb. 18. 

A memo from John Tenaglia, principal director of the DOD’s Defense Pricing, Contracting and Acquisition Policy, announced the appointment for the acting director role that has been filled on a rotating basis since the former incumbent, Linda Neilson, retired in August 2023. Tenaglia said in his memo digitally signed Feb. 13 that he will continue a competitive hiring process for a permanent DARS director.

Ziegler’s Career History

Ziegler’s appointment in an interim capacity is her second, with Tenaglia first naming her acting DARS director for six months in February 2024.  In August 2024, the acting director post was assigned to Dawn Messer, DARS deputy director, a role that she reassumed following Ziegler’s new appointment, Tenaglia said in his recent memo.

Ziegler in her interim capacity chairs the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council and is in charge of the acquisition rules and guidelines for the DOD’S procurement of goods and services for warfighter support. Her tasks as DAR Council head cover the development and enforcement of the Federal Acquisition Regulation the Defense FAR Supplement, as well as support functions to the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council. 

Before her DARS stint, Ziegler served for over two years as chief of the National Guard Bureau’s Acquisition Policy and Oversight Division and more than three years as a senior procurement analyst in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army.

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Scott Jones on Selective Service System’s IT Modernization Effort
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Scott Jones on Selective Service System’s IT Modernization Effort

Scott Jones, chief information officer of the Selective Service System, said SSS is close to completing the initial phase of its modernization effort for its registration system, which will enable the agency to better manage, share and store information, Federal News Network reported Monday.

In March 2022, SSS received $5.9 million in funding from the Technology Modernization Fund Board to safeguard the personal data of Selective Service registrants and improve its cybersecurity posture. With the funding, the agency is migrating its system to the cloud and updating its data infrastructure.

To date, SSS has spent approximately $3.8 million and repaid about 12 percent of the funding it received.

IT Modernization Effort Phase 2

According to Jones, the IT modernization effort’s second phase will commence shortly after the initial phase.

“That final phase is the design and delivery of our data warehouse, and is expected to be complete in fiscal 2026. The entire project will be completed in mid-2026 with our transition to full operations and maintenance,” Jones said on FNN’s Ask the CIO. 

“This modernization initiative is delivering resilience and agility to the systems that manage the registration of millions of men aged 18 to 25 including U.S. citizens at home and abroad, as well as male immigrants residing in the United States. Maintaining a comprehensive and secure registration system supports national readiness in the event of a return to conscription during a national emergency,” he added.

Creating a Centralized Data Warehouse

The second phase of the agency’s modernization effort will focus on consolidating and moving various databases into a centralized data warehouse.

The CIO noted that the project’s Phase 2 seeks to ensure data security and make the data easily accessible for artificial intelligence, advanced visualizations, business intelligence and other capabilities.

“We want to use analytics to be able to leverage that data as a strategic asset. It’s the federal government’s data, it’s the public’s data, with regards to which we utilize that to meet end goals of the agency’s mission,” Jones said.

During the interview, Jones announced the appointment of Alma Cruz, most recently with the Federal Reserve Board, as chief data officer to help create the data warehouse at SSS.

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DIU Updates Blue UAS List, Framework With 23 Drones & 14 UAS
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DIU Updates Blue UAS List, Framework With 23 Drones & 14 UAS

The Defense Innovation Unit has announced the selection of 23 unmanned aircraft systems and 14 UAS components and software that will transition to cybersecurity review and the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, verification process.

DIU said Friday the selections were made after conducting three days of flight demonstrations as part of the Blue UAS Refresh Challenge held at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center 29 Palms in California.

In August 2024, DIU sought proposals for the challenge as part of a push to expand its approved drones in the Blue UAS List and NDAA-compliant UAS components and capabilities in the Blue UAS Framework.

In response to emerging problem sets for end users, First Person View, tethered platforms and Group 3 were selected for potential inclusion in the Blue UAS list. This provides an opportunity for developers to quickly bring such capabilities into the hands of warfighters. 

DIU said it received 369 proposals for the refresh challenge from companies in the U.S. and 18 other countries, including Ukraine, Norway, Denmark and Canada.

What Is the Blue UAS List?

The Blue UAS List is a list of Department of Defense-cleared drones designed to meet government users’ evolving mission requirements. The drones are compliant with the 2024 American Security Drone Act and with section 817 of the fiscal year 2023 NDAA and section 848 of FY 2020 NDAA.

What Is the Blue UAS Framework?

The Blue UAS Framework is a list of interoperable, NDAA-compliant UAS components, software, modules and related capabilities for industry and government partners. It provides advanced capabilities for small drone developers and reduces risks for government clients.

The 23 platforms selected to undergo cybersecurity review and NDAA verification for the Blue UAS List are:

  • AeroVironment Dragon
  • Anduril Ghost/GhostX
  • Easy Aerial Sparrow
  • Edge Autonomy VXE-30 Stalker
  • Flightwave Edge 130
  • Freefly Systems Astro
  • Hoverfly Spectre
  • Kraus Hamdani Aerospace K1000
  • ModalAI Stalker
  • Mountain Horse Solutions Rotron DT-300
  • Neros Archer
  • Parrot Anafi UKR
  • PDW C100
  • Quantum Systems Vector
  • Shield AI V-BAT
  • Skydio X10D
  • Skyfall Vampire
  • Skyfront Perimeter 8
  • Teal Black Widow
  • Teledyne FLIR Black Hornet
  • Vantage Robotics Trace
  • Zepher Flight Z1
  • Zone 5 Paladin

UAS components and capabilities selected to undergo verification processes under the Blue UAS Framework are:

  • ARK Electronics Flight Controller
  • Athena Artificial Intelligence Athena Computer Vision
  • Auterion Government Solutions Skynode S
  • Doodle Labs Wi-Fi transceivers
  • Greensight UltraBlue and MicroBlue
  • Locus Lock Global Navigation Satellite System receiver
  • Mobilicom Skyhopper PRO / Pro Lite
  • Pierce Aerospace B1 Remote ID Beacon
  • Primordial Labs Anura
  • RPX Technologies EmbIR camera
  • SensorOps SynDOJO
  • TILT Autonomy Lightweight Starlink PoE
  • UVX Technologies Swappable Radio Module
  • Vertiq Electronic Speed Control

DIU said the Neros Archer and Hoverfly Spectre are the first platforms to secure an Authority to Operate following the completion of the verification process.

The agency also added critical components from Locus Lock, ARK Electronics, Mobilicom and Vertiq to the Framework list.

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Russell Mathers Tapped as STRIKEWERX Chief, William Weiford as Deputy
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Russell Mathers Tapped as STRIKEWERX Chief, William Weiford as Deputy

Cyber Innovation Center has announced the appointments of Russell Mathers and William Weiford as STRIKEWERX director and deputy director, respectively.

CIC said Monday that Mathers will continue to advance its technology transfer and transition efforts as the partner of the Air Force Global Strike Command’s Office of the Chief Scientist. Meanwhile, Weiford will take over from Mathers’ previous role of leading new STRIKEWERX projects. (STRIKEWERX is an Air Force innovation arm.)

Particularly, Weiford will support the center’s mission of developing innovative capabilities for U.S. warfighters and building up the U.S. Air Force nuclear enterprise.

Equipping US Warfighters With Innovative Capabilities

According to CIC President Kevin Nolten, Mathers displayed leadership, expertise and excellence since joining the organization in 2020. Nolten added that the new STRIKEWERX chief played a critical role in projects and design sprints that “delivered nearly $300 million in savings to the U.S. Air Force.”

Commenting on his promotion, Mathers noted, “I am especially excited to continue delivering results and savings for the U.S. Air Force, ensuring we provide innovative and cost-effective solutions that enhance mission success.”

STRIKEWERX Leaders’ Career Highlights

Serving for nearly three decades at USAF, Mathers retired as the Eighth Air Force’s commander. He was also an executive director at AFGSC/A6 and the Air Force Nuclear Command, Control and Communications Center. The former USAF pilot earned a master’s in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College and his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan.

A 24-year Air Force veteran, Weiford served at the military branch’s major command levels and performed various staff duties related to the nuclear enterprise. His last assignment was as executive director of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Modernization Directorate at AFGSC.

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NASA Releases 2024 Small Spacecraft Technology Report
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NASA Releases 2024 Small Spacecraft Technology Report

NASA has published a new iteration of its Small Spacecraft Technology State-of-the-Art report, a document published annually to track the evolution of small spacecraft technologies based on publicly available information. The 2024 edition of the report features changes in several chapters to include new technologies and use cases, the space agency said Friday. 

Update on the UAS Sector 

The Small Spacecraft Technology State-of-the-art report was published by the Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute based on information from NASA and other sources. NASA has been publishing the report annually since 2013. The inaugural report identified 247 CubeSats and 105 other small spacecraft weighing 50 kilograms that are not CubeSats. 

The current edition of the report lists down dozens of companies from around the world that manufacture CubeSats; PocketQubes or spacecraft that measure about 5 centimeters; and Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Secondary Payload Adapter-class, or ESPA-class, space buses. According to NASA, CubeSats and small satellites are likely to continue growing in popularity, with multi-manifest launches enabling organizations to deploy large numbers of spacecraft to orbit. 

The report also has additional sections to better reflect the state of development of smallsat technologies. For instance, NASA introduced a section on Formation Flying and Rendezvous and Proximity Operations under the Guidance, Navigation and Control chapter and the Additive Manufacturing section within the Structures, Materials, and Mechanisms chapter. The space agency also added Free Space Optical Communications section to the communications chapter.

NASA warned that the report is not an endorsement of the technologies mentioned nor an exhaustive list of all the small spacecraft available in the market today. The public is welcome to submit corrections or suggestions before the publication of the 2025 report in August.

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Navy ONR Seeks Contractor Info for Composites Tech Center
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Navy ONR Seeks Contractor Info for Composites Tech Center

The Department of the Navy’s Office of Naval Research has issued a request for information on the contractor approaches to managing and operating the Center of Excellence, or COE, of its Composites Manufacturing Technology Center. 

The contractor will support the center’s mission of developing and transitioning naval technologies to applications under the Navy’s Manufacturing Technology Program, according to ONR’s SAM.gov post. The contractor’s duties will require a strong and responsive resource base on scientific and engineering capabilities on composites and non-metallic manufacturing, or C&NM, technologies, the post added.

Work Scope

The contractor’s scope of work in C&NM includes undertaking a selection process and recommending technical steps for projects supporting key naval platform programs identified under the ONR ManTech Investment Strategy. In addition, government-required technical studies on specific C&NM and industry networking will be handled overall by the contractor. 

The contractor shall also initiate and manage ManTech projects, including the application of the right approaches on monitoring costs, schedule and accomplishments. To carry out its functions, the key personnel that the contractor are asked to provide are a COE director, technical director, financial manager and contract manager, with Arlington, Virginia as place of performance.

The deadline for responses to the RFI is March 5.

Advanced Technology International holds a current U.S. Navy contract to manage and operate the Naval Shipbuilding and Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence under the Navy’s ManTech program. The company secured the five-year, $99 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract in August, with the work conducted in Summerville, South Carolina.

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