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SSC Issues RFI for Tactical SDA in LEO Sensors-as-a-Service
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Official seal of the U.S. Space Systems Command

The Space Systems Command has released a request for information to determine potential vendors for commercially-available space surveillance systems capable of timely and accurate Space Domain Awareness data for the Low Earth Orbit regime.

Sensors-as-a-Service

According to the sources sought notice issued Friday on SAM.gov, the SSC aims to identify companies specializing in sensors-as-a-service that can directly task individual sensors from a current U.S. government mission application layer, the software suite used to understand the space environment. The mission application layer, which supports the LEO SDA, facilitates tactical command and control of commercial sensors used to close a feedback loop.

Discover business opportunities involving LEO space system technologies at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Summit! The event will feature a fascinating keynote by U.S. Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein. Don’t miss out!

The SSC seeks services focused on data quality, verification and traceability for reliable data to make timely decisions. It should also work with various datatypes, including precise metric or positional data obtained through radar and electro-optical, and active and passive radio frequency observations. The surveillance system should be compatible with Unified Data Library schemas, application programming interfaces, and other integration mechanisms.

Growing Demand for Tactical SDA in LEO

The demand for tactical SDA in LEO is rising due to the rapid proliferation of space objects along with the complexities of the crowded orbital environment. The potential project is intended to contract a company capable of meeting its need for real-time space object discovery, tracking, characterization and custody in LEO. The tactical SDA in LEO is meant to boost LEO situational awareness, determine possible collisions with quick and accurate assessment and investigate and resolve anomalies.

Interested companies can submit their responses until June 6.

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GAO Updates ‘Green Book’ to Help Improve Federal Internal Control Systems
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Headshot of Gene Dodaro, U.S. Comptroller General and head of the Government Accountability Office

The Government Accountability Office has made revisions to the “Green Book”, officially titled Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government, as part of efforts to help federal managers strengthen accountability in achieving agencies’ missions.

“The updated standards will help federal agencies bolster their internal control systems to prevent and prepare for risks in all areas, especially those increasingly susceptible to fraud, improper payments, and information security threats,” Gene Dodaro, comptroller general of the U.S. and head of GAO, said in a statement published Thursday.

“To ensure accountability and transparency of federal funds, especially in crisis situations where money is being spent quickly, these standards require clarification and modernization to keep up with changing risk environments. I want to thank those involved in the revision process, including the Advisory Council and all those who submitted public comment,” added Dodaro.

What Is the Purpose of GAO’s Green Book?

The Green Book establishes the standards and provides a framework for designing, implementing and operating an effective internal control system.

Auditors, program and financial managers, and compliance officers use the Green Book as a key resource to ensure the effective use of public resources.

What Are the Changes to the Green Book?

Key changes to the document include:

  • The need to consider risks related to improper payments and information security when identifying, analyzing and responding to risks
  • Documentation of the results of risk assessments
  • Documentation of a change assessment process so that the internal control system can be quickly adapted to respond to significant changes as they occur
  • Two new appendixes that provide information that management can use for effective internal control systems to address risks, including areas related to improper payments, fraud and information security

 

The 2025 revision to the Green Book highlights preventive control activities and management’s responsibility for internal control at all levels.  It also includes updates that clarify the standards’ intent and continue harmonization with the Internal Control-Integrated Framework the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, a.k.a. COSO.

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Jesse Tolleson Named Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics & Technology)
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Headshot of Jesse Tolleson Jr., Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics & Technology)

Jesse Tolleson Jr. was appointed acting assistant secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics & Technology) on May 5, according to a LinkedIn post shared by ASA(ALT) Saturday.

Jesse Tolleson Named Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics & Technology)

Tolleson’s Multiple Roles

In his new capacity, Tolleson will oversee the U.S. Army’s research and development activities. In addition to his senior R&D official role, he will serve as the Army secretary’s science adviser. Furthermore, Tolleson will serve as the Army acquisition executive and senior procurement executive.

Get insights from Army officials, government leaders and industry trailblazers as they discuss the service branch’s most urgent priorities and challenges. Register and join the Potomac Officers Club on June 18 for its 2025 Army Summit.

What are Tolleson’s Career Achievements?

Before his appointment, Tolleson was most recently a professional staff member on the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee. As the lead GOP staff member, he spearheaded budget analysis and program evaluations for the Army’s more than $170 billion investment portfolio and budget accounts, including funding for procurement, research and development, military personnel, and operation and maintenance.

The executive oversaw over 800 Army acquisition programs, prepared subcommittee hearing materials and drafted bills and reports supporting legislative provisions for subcommittee, full committee, floor and conference deliberations. He also advised senators, representatives and their staff on national security, budgetary proposals, appropriations and legislative processes.

Tolleson also served as director of general relations at General Motors Defense from 2023 to 2021. Before that, he held various roles at the House Armed Services Committee from 1999 to 2021.

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DIU Announces Changes to Blue UAS Initiative
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Aerial shot of a drone swarm

The Defense Innovation Unit is making changes to the Blue UAS initiative by adopting a two-tiered system that seeks to speed up the development and deployment of unmanned aircraft systems while allowing the number of cleared drones to scale.

“DIU is evolving Blue UAS to match the pace of change and growing variety and scale of capabilities that the commercial sector brings to unmanned systems, leveraging key authorities and budget to put the best NDAA compliant platforms in the hands of our warfighter,” DIU Director Doug Beck said in a statement published Friday.

“Making updates to Blue UAS is critical in continuing to evolve our military and our processes to prepare for tomorrow’s fight – and to ensure these programs support the accelerated development and scaling of the defense innovation base in delivering the capabilities we need,” Beck added.

Advancing Third-Party Assessments

One of the changes to Blue UAS is enabling drone manufacturers to fund and use third-party assessments for National Defense Authorization Act compliance to accelerate the inclusion of their offerings in the Blue UAS Cleared List. DIU will select a number of entities that will perform UAS assessments and generate reports that enable the agency to certify compliant systems for inclusion in the list. 

DIU will simplify the exception to policy process and provide data that will be used by services for potential authority to operate, or ATO, as part of a push to broaden the number of drones to be available for operator testing. The agency plans to issue a solicitation in June for companies interested in performing third-party assessments.

Drone developers that have met NDAA and cybersecurity requirements through DOD sponsorship or competitive selection and have secured a DIU-approved ATO will now be under Blue UAS Select. Entities selected to be part of the Blue List based on the 2024 assessment and selection will shift to Blue UAS Select.

Once the ATO expires, all drones will need to undergo a service-sponsored assessment or a competitive process to retain the ATO, which is usually valid for two years.

What Is Blue UAS?
 

The Blue UAS program is a holistic and continuous approach that rapidly vets and scales commercial UAS technology for the department. DOD-approved drones provide options for the evolving needs of government users.

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SwRI Secures $250M Air Force Contract for Aircraft Systems, Materials Degradation Study
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Logo of Southwest Research Institute

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Southwest Research Institute a $250 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to support a study on aircraft systems and materials degradation due to operational use.

Work under the Center for Aircraft Structural Life Extension research and development effort, also known as CAStLE, will be performed at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado and other U.S. locations through May 2032, the Department of Defense said Friday.

SwRI’s latest contract win builds on the USAF’s $99 million CAStLE IDIQ award to the nonprofit organization in 2021 to conduct research and engineering work on aging systems and materials.

Center for Aircraft Structural Life Extension Research Mission

CAStLE R&D projects aim to deliver critical science and technology data and tools required to understand the impact of material degradation in structural systems for various government, academic and commercial sponsors.

Its major projects are:

  • Aircraft Structural Integrity Program engineering support for the sustainment of various DOD weapon systems
  • Structural redesign, material substitution, prototyping and validation testing
  • Digital transformation support and product lifecycle management for major weapon systems 
  • Fatigue testing of full-scale aircraft structural components
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NGA Director Says $1.7B St. Louis Campus to Open in September
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Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth, eighth director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency will officially open its $1.7 billion facility north of downtown St. Louis in Missouri in September, Space News reported Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth, the agency’s director and four-time Wash100 Award winner, saying during a recent House hearing.

This new campus will foster innovation and collaboration between the federal government, private companies and academia, Whitworth added.

Top leaders from the intelligence community will discuss its challenges and opportunities at Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Intel Summit on Oct. 2. Register for the in-person event here.

What is NGA West? 

The campus will replace NGA’s current site in downtown. According to the agency, the 700,000-square-foot office building will have a delivery inspection facility, a visitor center and secure entrance and exit points for its 3,150 staff members. 

NGA West represents the largest federal investment in St. Louis. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with support from McCarthy HITT Joint Venture, is managing the large-scale construction project. 

“One of the best examples of the combination of business, academia, civil government, federal government, intelligence, all banding together to ensure that this is a success,” Whitworth commented about the facility. 

The official also emphasized the importance of space-based systems for NGA’s mission to deliver geospatial intelligence data for for national security. 

“Gathering the data and imagery necessary to characterize the activities and operations of our adversaries from the earth to space, is not a simple task,” he said.

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GSA Official: Government Has Opportunity to Implement Acquisition Reforms
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Logo of the General Services Administration

The federal government has a unique opportunity to implement acquisition reforms in President Donald Trump’s second term, according to Larry Allen, associate administrator of the Office of Government-wide Policy at the General Services Administration.

Allen said a new presidential administration and the GSA’s “exceptionally dynamic” leadership team presents an opportunity to streamline government procurement, Nextgov/FCW reported Friday. He said the White House has ongoing initiatives to direct how the government will purchase up to $1 trillion worth of goods and services each year. The programs will also affect vendors’ engagement with federal customers, he noted.

GSA’s OneGov Strategy

Allen pointed to the GSA’s OneGov Strategy as an example, noting that companies like Google and Adobe now offer discounts of more than 70 percent for their software offerings. GSA estimates that OneGov, led by Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum, could save federal agencies around $2 billion over three years.

Through the OneGov Strategy’s initial stage, the government expects to secure more enterprise-level agreements with software vendors soon, Allen said. He added that GSA aims to ramp up using such agreements to increase efficiency, reduce costs and deliver better outcomes to customers in the program’s next phase.

Saving Taxpayer Money

“The reason we put this in place is so that everybody can do it,” Allen said. “You’re going to get unbelievable pricing (and) you’re going to get an unbelievable level of service commitment. You should be using those enterprise agreements first before you even think about going anywhere else because this is going to save you money and the taxpayer money.”

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Army Unveils Generative AI Platform
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Closeup of a soldier holding a tablet showing a visual representation of an AI tool analyzing battlefield data

The U.S. Army has launched a generative artificial intelligence platform to help reclassify personnel descriptions, streamline communications and drive innovation.

The military branch said Thursday it will deploy the Army Enterprise Large Language Model, or LLM, Workspace by the end of May to Secret Internet Protocol Router Network and higher networks to support classified networks.

Army Unveils Generative AI Platform

Gain insights into the latest technology advancements, modernization imperatives, force structure optimization, national security missions and more at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Army Summit on June 18. Reserve your seat today.

What Is the Army Enterprise Large Language Model Workspace?

The Army Enterprise LLM Workspace is a generative AI tool hosted within the service’s cArmy Cloud. It is supported by Ask Sage’s Impact Level 5 software-as-a-service to make it accessible to users.

The platform uses Azure OpenAI Gov, LLM3A.3.3, Mistral, AWS Bedrock Gov, Google Gemini and other technologies and is controlled unclassified information accredited to ensure compliance with security standards.

Ask Sage developed the generative AI tool under a five-year, $49 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract.

Token-Based Subscription

Eligible users can use the AI tool for 30 days free of charge.

After the free trial period, users will need a token to get a full subscription to the generative AI platform.

The Army’s Office of the Chief Information Officer has released a limited number of tokens. To continue accessing the tool, users should request a token from their organization.

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Dave Luber to Retire as NSA Director of Cybersecurity
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Dave Luber, director of cybersecurity at the National Security Agency, is retiring.

Dave Luber is set to retire as director of cybersecurity at the National Security Agency on May 30, The Record reported Friday.

Dave Luber’s Extensive NSA Career

Luber has served the NSA for over 38 years. He was appointed cybersecurity director at the NSA in March 2024 after serving as the deputy director of the directorate for nearly four years. In this capacity, Luber oversaw the agency’s cybersecurity operations and directed strategies that implemented changes across the Department of Defense’s cybersecurity community. He was also instrumental in the expansion of the Cyber Collaboration Center.

Before that, Luber was the executive director of the U.S. Cyber Command. In his two-year tenure, he managed a multi-function team of over 12,000 personnel and a budget of $700 million while overseeing the development of cyber tools, infrastructure, training, exercises and analytics. 

Luber served as director of NSA Colorado from 2015 to 2018, leading the cryptologic center in developing integrated intelligence for global military applications. He was also a program director for the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, tasked with strengthening the agency’s operational posture in support of Combatant Commanders and national agencies. 

The NSA cyber director also served as chief of the Remote Operations Center under the Tailored Access Operations, the agency’s elite hacking unit. He served various roles since joining the NSA in 1987 and was named a top-level career civil servant and member of the Senior Executive Service in 2008.

Luber’s decision to retire follows the firing of Cyber Command and NSA chief Timothy Haugh. The Record also reported that the current deputy director and chief operating officer will leave NSA.

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DOE Office of Tech Transitions Rebrands as Office of Tech Commercialization
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Headshot of Anthony Pugliese, director of the Office of Technology Commercialization at the Department of Energy

The Department of Energy has changed the name of the Office of Technology Transitions to the Office of Technology Commercialization, or OTC, as part of a rebranding initiative that seeks to reinforce DOE’s commitment to linking public research and development to public sector application and economic impact.

“This renaming is a clear signal that the Department of Energy is prioritizing commercialization and increasing our focus on delivering results for the American people,” Anthony Pugliese, DOE chief commercialization officer and OTC director, said in a statement published Thursday.

What Is the DOE Office of Technology Commercialization’s Purpose?

OTC will serve as the department’s key resource for expediting the impact of federally funded innovation. It will help transition DOE-backed technologies into platforms that strengthen U.S. resilience and global competitiveness.

“The mission of this office is to ensure the American public sees real benefits from the science they fund—through new companies, jobs, and technologies that make energy more affordable, reliable and secure,” Pugliese noted.

OTC oversees several programs that support private sector partnerships, entrepreneurial training and early-stage development. These include the Technology Commercialization Fund, Energy I-Corps, EnergyTech University Prize and the Energy Program for Innovation Clusters.

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