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SpaceWERX Seeks Innovators for Hyperspace Challenge
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SpaceWERX logo. SpaceWERX is seeking companies with advanced simulation technologies for the Hyperspace Challenge.

The Air Force Research Laboratory’s SpaceWERX, in collaboration with the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command, has launched the Hyperspace Challenge 2025 program.

What Is the Hyperspace Challenge?

The Space Systems Command said Thursday the initiative aims to advance USSF’s operational test and training infrastructure. The challenge invites companies with a Small Business Innovation Research Phase II award to help develop modeling and simulation technologies. Companies already working on technologies such as simulation, augmented reality, mixed reality and virtual reality, particularly those that can be leveraged for addressing real-world demands in national security and space, are encouraged to participate in the program.

The Hyperspace Challenge will focus on innovations supporting the needs of the operational test and training infrastructure. These key technological areas include data processing and integration, Pattern of Life characterization tools and digital twins.

Interested companies, in and outside the space and aerospace industry, can apply from Aug. 27 to Sept. 16.

Remarks From OTTI & SpaceWERX Officials

“The Hyperspace Challenge supports our ongoing efforts to improve Space Force readiness by making the Guardian training environment more realistic and improving the test environment in which we validate future space system performance,” said Col. Corey Klopstein, the SSC program executive officer for OTTI.

“By engaging Phase II companies, we’re supporting solutions that can transition quickly from concept to operational impact tackling real-world challenges faced by the USSF,” stated Air Force Reserve Maj. Matthew Blackford of the SpaceWERX portfolio management team.

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Hegseth Orders Formation of New Task Force to Accelerate C-sUAS Capability Delivery
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Pete Hegseth. The defense secretary ordered the formation of JIATF 401 to expedite the delivery of C-sUAS to warfighters.

Pete Hegseth, secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2025 Wash100 awardee, has issued a memorandum directing the secretary of the Army to establish the Joint Interagency Task Force 401, or JIATF 401, to accelerate the delivery of counter-small unmanned aircraft systems, or C-sUAS, to U.S. warfighters.

DOD said Thursday JIATF 401 will report directly to the deputy secretary of defense and replace the Joint C-sUAS Office, or JCO.

“We’re moving fast — cutting through bureaucracy, consolidating resources, and empowering this task force with the utmost authority to outpace our adversaries,” Hegseth said.

Responsibilities of JIATF 401 & New Task Force Director

In a DOD memo published Wednesday, Hegseth said JIATF 401 will serve as the supported organization for the department’s C-sUAS-related forensics, exploitation and replication efforts and will have a director with procurement and acquisition authority.

The director of JIATF 401 will submit to the DOD comptroller/chief financial officer the fiscal year 2026 unfunded requirements for review within 30 days. The director will serve as the hiring authority for all staff actions; determine whether military service-specific C-sUAS capability will be adopted; and may approve up to $50 million in funding per C-sUAS-related effort.

According to the memo, the DOD deputy secretary will consolidate all departmentwide C-sUAS research, development, test and evaluation resources and efforts under JIATF 401, except for U.S. Special Operations Command and military service-specific C-sUAS program of record activities.

Hegseth noted that the proposed task force will have a sunset review at 36 months.

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Army Issues Revised Acquisition Procedures Document
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U.S. Army logo. The revised Army Acquisition Procedures document incorporates the Adaptive Acquisition Framework.

The Department of the Army has released its revised document on acquisition procedures.

According to the department’s PAM 70-3 document posted Wednesday on the Army Publishing Directorate’s website, the major revision incorporates the Adaptive Acquisition Framework; replaces virtual in sight with the Acquisition Information Repository; eliminates a requirement to assess probability of success; and accounts for Army organizational changes implemented for U.S. Army Futures Command’s formation.

The revised Army pamphlet also incorporates guidance from an Army directive, titled Enabling Modernization Through the Management of Intellectual Property, and adds semiannual program reporting requirements.

Adaptive Acquisition Framework

According to the pamphlet, the Adaptive Acquisition Framework, or AAF, serves as the framework for managing and implementing the acquisition process within the defense acquisition system. 

AAF emphasizes communication and collaboration among stakeholders throughout the acquisition process and provides pathways that allow program managers to tailor oversight, program strategies, timing and scope of decision reviews, phase content and decision levels based on the characteristics of the capability being procured.

AAF is divided into six acquisition pathways: urgent capability acquisition; pathway; middle tier acquisition; major capability acquisition; software acquisition pathway; and defense business systems.

Acquisition Information Repository

According to the document, all approved acquisition documents supporting decision points will be stored in the Acquisition Information Repository, or AIR.

AIR provides a searchable archive of historical Army acquisition documentation. It allows users to identify readiness for key program decisions based on completed documentation and receive notifications when documents are uploaded for registered programs.

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GAO Calls on Treasury CIO to Address Unresolved Cyber, IT Management Recommendations
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Government Accountability Office logo. GAO's new report tackles unresolved Department of the Treasury recommendations

The Government Accountability Office is urging the Department of the Treasury’s Chief Information Officer Sam Corcos to address 21 open recommendations related to improving IT management and strengthening federal cybersecurity.

Key Recommendations for Treasury Department’s CIO

In a new report, the congressional watchdog said the recommendations are related to areas that GAO has designated as high risk: ensuring the cybersecurity of the nation and improving IT acquisitions and management.

One of the cybersecurity-related recommendations provided by GAO calls for the department to commit to a timeframe for the implementation of multifactor authentication across software-as-a-service. The report also pointed out that the Treasury Department must fully implement event logging requirements set by the Office of Management and Budget.

On the IT management side, GAO recommended establishing an inventory of mobile devices and services in use across the Treasury. An updated inventory, the watchdog said, would enable the department to better manage spending.

The congressional watchdog further instructed the CIO to develop a plan that would ensure that all artificial intelligence applications in use by the Treasury Department are in line with Executive Order 13960 section 5, or Promoting the Use of Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence in the Federal Government, which refers to sharing a list of agency AI use cases.

By addressing the open recommendations, the Treasury CIO will strengthen the cybersecurity and enhance the management of the department’s IT infrastructure, GAO asserts.

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Sean Duffy, FAA Take Next Step in Hiring Prime Contractor for Air Traffic Control System
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Sean Duffy. Duffy has revealed that the FAA is seeking a prime integrator to lead the implementation of the new ATC system.

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has revealed that the Federal Aviation Administration is moving forward with the process of hiring a prime integrator, which will lead the design and manage the creation of a new air traffic control system. The FAA said Thursday that companies can submit their proposals through a request for solutions on Sept. 1.

DOT and FAA are aiming to have the new air traffic control system ready in three to four years, as part of an effort to enhance flight safety, reduce outages and modernize outdated technology by replacing core equipment like radar, software and telecommunication networks. They are speeding up their process of choosing contractors and using a new type of procurement contract that rewards contractors for meeting goals and penalizes them for missing deadlines. The prime integrator will oversee the project, including acquiring capabilities and implementing new technologies. This comes after Duffy initially announced in June that the FAA was seeking contractors to implement a new air traffic control system.

Remarks from DOT’s Sean Duffy, FAA’s Bryan Bedford

Commenting on the development, Duffy said, “This is the next important step to making our skies safer and air travel more efficient. To avoid the missed deadlines and mistakes of the past, we’ve designed an innovative process to select and contract with one Prime Integrator.”

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford also welcomed the development.

“Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, we have the down payment to start building a new system. The next step is getting the integrator on board, and we are on track. We are ready to get to work to make sure our controllers have the very best technology,” he said.

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ACC-INSCOM Issues RFI for TROJAN NetOps 2 Contract
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ACC-INSCOM seal. ACC-INSCOM has issued a request for information for the TROJAN NetOps 2 contract.

The Army Contracting Command-Intelligence and Security Command has started seeking industry feedback to identify potential partners for the INSCOM G6/GISA TROJAN Network Operations Support Services – 2nd Iteration contract.

ACC-INSCOM Issues RFI for TROJAN NetOps 2 Contract

Listen to the intelligence community’s top leaders as they talk about the role of intelligence in keeping the nation safe. Register for the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Intel Summit and join the discussion on Oct. 2.

TROJAN NetOps-2 Contract Scope

According to the request for information notice issued on SAM.gov Thursday, ACC-INSCOM requires a contractor capable of providing operation and maintenance services for the Ground Intelligence Support Activity, or GISA, and INSCOM’s G6 Operations Division IT networks and systems.

The contract covers various tasks and responsibilities to ensure uninterrupted service at multiple military installations worldwide, including Fort Belvoir in Virginia, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, the Army Garrison Wiesbaden in Germany and Fort Shafter Flats in Hawaii. The potential contractor will provide network support for existing INSCOM Black Core and GET networks, particularly the Transport Network Control Centers.

The sustainment and technical support include maintaining the availability of all hardware and software for NIPR, SIPR, JWICS, NSAnet, IBCNet, CENTRIX, BISES, Stoneghost, Black transport, and Transport data networks.

Responses to the RFI will be accepted until Sept. 11.

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Los Alamos Venado Supercomputer Runs OpenAI’s AI Models
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LANL logo. LANL's Venado supercomputer is now running OpenAI's latest AI reasoning models.

Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Venado supercomputer, the 19th-fastest supercomputer in the world, is now running OpenAI’s latest O-series reasoning models to enhance national security research.

The Department of Energy said Thursday the Venado, powered by the NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips, functions as a collaborative platform for National Nuclear Security Administration laboratory researchers where they can share resources.

Transition to National Security Research

During its inaugural year, Venado enabled researchers to make significant advancements in materials science and design, DNA and disease treatment and energy grid resilience. The recent development, which follows the supercomputer’s move to a classified network early in 2025, aligns with a shift in focus to advancing science for national security applications. This includes plutonium aging, biological threats guardrails and other national security research areas.

Building Strategic Government-Industry Partnership

Since its launch in 2024, Venado has fostered collaboration between national laboratories and the artificial intelligence industry. Los Alamos was among the first to forge partnerships with companies like NVIDIA and OpenAI. This paved the way for integrating AI models into classified systems to enhance national security research.

Comments From NNSA Executive

“We are currently harnessing our premier computing power to support AI integration by analyzing diagnostic data, optimizing experimental designs and improving our facility operations. Los Alamos’ new partnership with OpenAI will assist Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore and Sandia national laboratories with our most pressing national security problems,” said Acting NNSA Administrator Teresa Robbins. 

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NSF Expands National AI Infrastructure With New Data Systems, Research Datasets
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National Science Foundation logo. NSF launched Integrated Data Systems and Services and added 10 datasets to the NAIRR Pilot.

The National Science Foundation announced two initiatives to expand national AI research infrastructure: the Integrated Data Systems and Services program to build and operate national-scale data systems, and the selection of 10 datasets for integration into the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Pilot. NSF said Thursday that the actions align with priorities in the White House AI Action Plan, focused on research infrastructure and high-value datasets.

Strengthening AI Research Infrastructure

NSF said IDSS fills a gap in agency programs by funding the development of national-scale data systems that interoperate with broader federal science and data efforts and allow researchers in the United States to access, use and share scientific data. The initiative is intended to connect data with computing, instruments and software to make AI development and scientific discovery faster, more reliable and more reproducible. It will also support the NAIRR Pilot and other NSF-managed programs.

IDSS Program Scope 

IDSS will fund three types of projects:

  • New integrative data systems designed to meet national-scale research and education needs.
  • Support to scale up existing successful prototypes and regional systems to a national-level impact and performance.
  • Planning grants to develop concepts for future IDSS systems and services projects.

IDSS will also fund workforce development to manage and operate the systems as part of strengthening U.S. cyberinfrastructure for AI and scientific progress.

NAIRR Pilot: Datasets to Support Education and Innovation

Alongside IDSS, NSF announced 10 datasets selected through an interagency competition to enhance the NAIRR Pilot. The datasets, which span domains such as terrain mapping, microbiome research and software supply chain security, include AI4Shipwrecks developed by the University of Michigan, Cell Painting Gallery from Broad Institute, FathomNet from MBARI and OpenTopography developed by UC San Diego, Arizona State University and the Earthscope Consortium.

NSF said the datasets will support AI skill development across education and research environments, helping grow an AI-literate workforce while expanding access to high-quality resources.

Integration Across Federal Cyberinfrastructure

The agency noted that systems and services awarded through IDSS will be integrated into the NAIRR Pilot and other NSF programs, such as the Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Coordination Ecosystem: Services and Support, to be discoverable and accessible to the research and education community nationwide.

“Data infrastructure and access to high-quality datasets are critical components of a thriving AI innovation ecosystem,” said Katie Antypas, director of NSF’s Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, adding that the efforts aim to sharpen U.S. competitiveness and lay a foundation for future leadership in science and innovation.

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NIST Issues Updated Security & Privacy Control Catalog
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Software development. NIST issued its revised security and privacy control catalog.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has finalized changes to its catalog of security and privacy controls to help improve the security of software updates and patches.

NIST said Wednesday the revised Special Publication 800-53, Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations, was issued in response to an executive order aimed at strengthening U.S. cybersecurity.

“The changes are intended to emphasize secure software development practices, and to help organizations understand their role in ensuring the security of the software on their systems,” said Victoria Pillitteri, a computer scientist at NIST who led the project. “Ultimately, we want to help them achieve their goals while minimizing the risk of a patch creating unintended consequences.”

NIST’s Revised Security & Privacy Control Catalog

The modifications to NIST’s SP 800-53 address developer testing; software and system resiliency by design; software integrity and validation; and deployment and management of updates.

The updated version of NIST’s catalog of security and privacy safeguards, SP 800-53 Rev. 5.2.0, features three new controls: logging syntax, root cause analysis and design for cyber resiliency.

The catalog’s Logging Syntax (SA-15), for instance, defines an electronic format for recording security-related events to improve incident response.

“The updated controls emphasize the importance of monitoring the particular component being updated as well as the component’s relationship to the overall system,” Pillitteri said.

NIST has implemented a new public engagement process and started offering updates to the control catalog through the Cybersecurity and Privacy Reference Tool.

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Air Force Announces Collaborative Combat Aircraft Program Milestone
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YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft during its test flight. USAF reached a development milestone in the CCA program.

One of the Department of the Air Force’s prototype platforms for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, or CCA, program performed its inaugural flight at a test location in California as it transitions to the flight testing phase.

The Air Force said Wednesday it developed the CCA platform, YFQ-42A, with General Atomics.

Achieving Development Milestone in Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft Program

“This milestone showcases what’s possible when innovative acquisition meets motivated industry,” said Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink. “In record time, CCA went from concept to flight — proving we can deliver combat capability at speed when we clear barriers and align around the warfighter.”

The YFQ-42A test flight generated data to support continued assessments of the platform’s flight autonomy, mission system integration and airworthiness.

“This is More Air Force in action,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin. “We’re not just moving fast — we’re learning fast. CCA will help us rethink the battlespace, extend reach, flexibility and lethality in combat operations, and optimize warfighter performance through human-machine teaming.”

What Is the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft Program?

CCA is a component of the Next Generation Air Dominance Family of Systems and seeks to integrate open-systems architectures to facilitate the continuous iteration of autonomy and mission systems capabilities.

The program implements a multifaceted learning campaign that includes vendor-led developmental testing, independent assessments at Edwards Air Force Base in California and operational evaluation by the Experimental Operations Unit at Nellis AFB in Nevada.

In April 2024, the Air Force selected General Atomics and Anduril to build production-representative prototypes under the CCA program. The service expects to make an Increment 1 production decision in fiscal year 2026.

General Atomics-Built YFQ-42A CCA

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. designed and developed YFQ-42A, an uncrewed jet for air-to-air semi-autonomous operation. Ground testing kicked off in May.

The company used model-based digital engineering to speed up the development of the CCA platform and trained YFQ-42’s autonomy core using its jet-powered MQ-20 Avenger aircraft.

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