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HHS Reports 500M Records Exchanged Through TEFCA Framework
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HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr. HHS announced that 500 million health records have been exchanged through TEFCA.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced that nearly 500 million health records have been exchanged through the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, or TEFCA, up from the 10 million records reported in January 2025.

HHS Reports 500M Records Exchanged Through TEFCA Framework

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HHS said Wednesday the announcement was made by Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and National Coordinator for Health IT Thomas Keane during the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, or ASTP/ONC.

What Does the Increase in Exchanged Health Records Mean?

Keane noted that the increase in exchanged health records reflects continued progress in advancing health data liquidity, enabling information to flow securely and efficiently across the healthcare system while safeguarding patient access.

What Oversight & Regulatory Actions Are Underway?

HHS has initiated its first oversight actions related to information blocking, issuing notices to certain certified health IT developers over compliance and API requirements. The agency also projected more than $19 billion in administrative savings over 10 years from new electronic prior authorization and real-time prescription benefit rules.

How Is HHS Targeting Cost and Regulatory Burden?

The department finalized the Health Data, Technology and Interoperability: Electronic Prescribing, Real-Time Prescription Benefit and Electronic Prior Authorization, or HTI-4, rule, establishing standards for electronic prior authorization and real-time prescription benefit tools. ASTP/ONC also proposed the HTI-5 rule to streamline certification requirements, with projected savings of $1.53 billion for developers.

What Role Does AI Play in the Strategy?

HHS issued a department-wide AI request for information and a diagnostic imaging RFI to support clinical AI deployment. ASTP/ONC also plans to launch the EHIgnite Challenge, a prize competition focused on applying AI to enhance the usability of electronic health information exports.

How Is HHS Working to Strengthen Health Data Interoperability?

ASTP/ONC released draft USCDI v7 with 29 new data elements to boost nationwide interoperability and data exchange. It also partnered with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to launch nine Behavioral Health IT pilot programs across nine states to inform future standards.

“We are delivering bold, science-driven dietary guidelines and deploying transformative technology that reduces burden, lowers costs, and puts patients and providers first. These actions prioritize prevention and move us decisively to Make America Healthy Again,” said HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr.

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Navy CNO Discusses Lasers for Trump-Class Battleships, Other Vessels
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Navy CNO Adm. Daryl Caudle. Caudle commented about plans to equip Trump-class battleships with lasers

Adm. Daryl Caudle, chief of naval operations, said equipping Trump-class battleships with lasers will drive the Navy to install directed energy weapons on other vessels, Breaking Defense reported Wednesday.  

At the WEST 2026 conference in California, the Navy’s top officer shared that investments in directed energy weapons will be a “prominent element of the battleship going forward.”

“This is the time for this. This is a vision I have,” he told reporters. “I want to get behind this. I want this to work. I see it solving problems not for just shipboard use. I see it solving problems for base protection as well.”

Navy CNO Discusses Lasers for Trump-Class Battleships, Other Vessels

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This is not the first time that Caudle has spoken about the need to add directed energy weapons to battleships. In 2025, the official, who at the time was serving as commander of the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, commented that the Navy should be embarrassed that it had not already equipped lasers onto its vessels. 

In January, he added that there should be different lasers on Trump-class battleships to make the weapons more effective. 

What Are the Navy’s Current Directed Energy Weapons Initiatives? 

Caudle’s recently released the Fighting Instructions guidance calls for a comprehensive directed energy strategy to define priorities, capability thresholds and timelines aligned with the Future Years Defense Program. 

The Navy has already fielded early laser systems. The destroyer USS Preble is equipped with the High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-Dazzler and Surveillance, or HELIOS, system designed to counter unmanned aerial systems. 

What Weapons Will the Trump-Class Battleships Have?

President Trump said in December that, aside from lasers, the upcoming Trump-class battleships will be equipped with other high-tech weapons, including hypersonics, electromagnetic railguns and nuclear-armed cruise missiles. 

The president added that artificial intelligence will also play a major role in the ships, adding that “they’ll be very AI-controlled,” DefenseScoop reported.

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Microsoft Partners With UAH to Advance AI, Cloud & Hybrid-Edge Capabilities
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Microsoft logo. Microsoft and UAH have partnered to advance cloud, AI and hybrid-edge technologies.

Microsoft has collaborated with the University of Alabama in Huntsville, or UAH, to advance cloud, artificial intelligence and hybrid-edge technologies supporting federal and defense missions.

Microsoft Partners With UAH to Advance AI, Cloud & Hybrid-Edge Capabilities

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What Will the UAH-Microsoft Partnership Offer?

UAH said Wednesday Microsoft will join its Invention to Innovation Center, or I2C, as a Corporate Innovation Partner to help advance mission-oriented technology programs. The partnership aims to support federal agencies in modernizing legacy systems, operating across hybrid and multi-cloud environments and deploying responsible AI for critical applications.

“This partnership exemplifies UAH’s role as a hub of innovation for federal enterprise,” said Rigved Joshi, assistant vice president for innovation and entrepreneurship at UAH and director of the I2C. “By bringing Microsoft into the I²C, we are creating new pathways to accelerate mission readiness, expand workforce development and drive sustained economic growth across North Alabama.”

How Will the Collaboration Support Federal Customers?

Microsoft will bring its tailored enterprise-grade cloud, AI and hybrid-edge capabilities to the North Alabama federal ecosystem. The company will integrate with UAH’s research enterprise, the Redstone Arsenal defense community and local innovators to fast-track technology maturation and field secure cloud and edge capabilities for national security and aerospace applications.

What Will the Partnership Focus On?

The partnership will prioritize cloud modernization, hybrid resilience, responsible AI use and edge computing for defense and space operations. It will also emphasize workforce development through applied training and certification programs, while supporting regional startups and innovators. The effort also aims to advance digital transformation initiatives at the Missile Defense Agency and other federal agencies.

What Is the Invention to Innovation Center?

The I2C, part of UAH’s Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, is a regional hub that helps startups, researchers and industry collaborators turn new ideas into market-ready technologies, while fostering collaboration across North Alabama and South-Central Tennessee.

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DOW Realigns DSCA, DTSA Under Acquisition & Sustainment Office
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Michael Duffey. The under secretary of war for acquisition and sustainment commented on the realignment of DSCA and DTSA.

The Department of War has finalized the realignment of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency and the Defense Technology Security Administration under the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, or USW(A&S).

What Is the Purpose of Realigning DSCA, DTSA Under the USW(A&S) Office?

DOW said Tuesday the restructuring aims to consolidate acquisition, sustainment, security cooperation, defense sales, industrial base policy and arms transfer responsibilities under a single organizational authority to strengthen the U.S. industrial base and facilitate burden-sharing with allies and partners.

The realignment, which supports the National Defense Strategy, also intends to establish a clearer line of authority for executing defense sales and arms transfers.

The department stated that bringing DSCA and DTSA under USW(A&S) will integrate technology security considerations earlier in the acquisition lifecycle while improving demand forecasting for defense needs of the U.S. and its allies and accelerating the delivery of capabilities to warfighters.

What Did USW(A&S) Michael Duffey Say About the Realignment?

USW(A&S) Michael Duffey, a 2026 Wash100 awardee, said the reorganization supports President Trump’s America First Arms Transfer Strategy.

The president on Friday signed an executive order to implement a strategy designed to ensure that future arms sales prioritize U.S. interests by using foreign purchases and capital to build U.S production and capacity and strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base. 

“This realignment will increase and accelerate the delivery of lethal weapons and advanced capabilities to our allies and partners, empowering them to shoulder a greater share of their self-defense. By unifying our arms transfer enterprise with our acquisition system, we will move with the purpose and speed required to strengthen our alliances and ensure the United States remains the partner of choice in global arms sales,” added Duffey.

How Is the Pentagon Reshaping the Defense Innovation Ecosystem?

The realignment of DSCA and DTSA comes as the Pentagon undertakes broader structural changes across the department’s innovation enterprise. 

In January, DOW announced efforts to transform and unify its innovation ecosystem to accelerate the delivery of advanced technological capabilities to warfighters. As part of that initiative, the department designated the Defense Innovation Unit and the Strategic Capabilities Office as field activities to streamline innovation efforts.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth, a 2026 Wash100 awardee, recently issued a memo calling for the establishment of three distinct program components to transform Advana into a platform to harness the department’s data assets and support warfighting, intelligence and enterprise missions.

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FCC Plans to Re-Charter CSRIC, Seeks Nominations for 2-Year Term
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Federal Communications Commission logo. The FCC announced plans to re-charter the CSRIC for a new two-year term.

The Federal Communications Commission has announced plans to re-charter the Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council, or CSRIC, for a new two-year term and is soliciting nominations for membership.

In a public notice published Monday, the FCC said it intends to re-charter the advisory committee on or before March 26, following consultation with the General Services Administration. The re-chartered body will represent the commission’s tenth CSRIC charter, CSRIC X, with the first meeting expected in June.

Nominations for CSRIC X membership must be submitted no later than March 11.

What Is the Purpose of CSRIC?

According to the FCC, CSRIC is a federal advisory committee that offers recommendations to the commission to improve the security and reliability of U.S. communications infrastructure.

The council’s work focuses on public safety and homeland security-related issues, including the security and reliability of communications networks, 911 and Next Generation 911 systems, emergency alerting, and national security and emergency preparedness communications.

The FCC said CSRIC X will be authorized to form informal subcommittees or subgroups to support its work, with those groups reporting recommendations to the full council.

What Topics Will CSRIC X Address?

According to the notice, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr will ask CSRIC X to address six topics: the national security implications of the dark fiber market; submarine cable security and resilience; malicious SIM farm mitigation; reduction of common causes of sunny day outages; communications network security enhancement; and expansion of Next Generation 911 multimedia availability and 911 accessibility.

Who Is Eligible to Serve on CSRIC X?

The FCC said it is seeking nominations from a broad range of stakeholders, including representatives from federal agencies, state and local government organizations, communications service providers, technology developers, and consumer advocacy and community groups.

The agency said it is particularly interested in receiving nominations from organizations with expertise in public safety, emergency management and homeland security.

Council members will serve at the discretion of the FCC chairman and will not be compensated. Members will also be expected to participate in at least one informal subcommittee or subgroup.

The FCC said all nominees will be subject to an ethics review conducted by the agency’s Office of General Counsel. Some members appointed in an individual capacity may be classified as Special Government Employees and would be ineligible to serve if they are federally registered lobbyists.

In 2024, the commission announced the members of the CSRIC’s ninth charter.

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NRO Selects HEO, SatVu, SNC to Provide Commercial Sensing Capabilities
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Chris Scolese, director of NRO. Scolese commented about the NRO's use of CSO

The National Reconnaissance Office has selected HEO, SatVu and Sierra Nevada Corp. as the first awardees under its Strategic Commercial Enhancements commercial solutions opening, or CSO, for remote sensing capabilities.

The agency said Tuesday that the CSO reflects its shift toward multi-phenomenology technologies that integrate electro-optical, hyperspectral imaging, radar, radio frequency, and light detection and ranging, also known as LIDAR.

What Capabilities Will the Companies Provide to NRO?

The initial tranche covers a range of sensing capabilities to strengthen NRO’s multi-phenomenology portfolio.

  • HEO, an Australian space company, will provide non-Earth imagery
  • The United Kingdom-based SatVu will deliver medium-wave infrared imagery
  • SNC, headquartered in Sparks, Nevada, will contribute radio frequency capabilities

According to the agency, if budget permits, additional awards will be made in the coming months to expand its multi-phenomenology capabilities.

What Is a CSO?

A CSO, or commercial solutions opening, is an alternative acquisition approach to traditional broad agency announcements, or BAAs, for the procurement of commercial technologies or services that directly address mission requirements.

“The CSO is a flexible contracting mechanism that enables us to bring in new ideas and technologies,” stated NRO Director Chris Scolese, a five-time Wash100 winner. “This helps ensure we have access to the latest technologies to advance our mission.”

The Strategic Commercial Enhancements CSO includes a two-stage award process. The first stage involves on modeling and simulation activities, while the second stage assesses on-orbit capabilities and capabilities for operational intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance applications.

NRO’s Previous Commercial Technology Procurement

The latest selections follow earlier Strategic Commercial Enhancements BAA awards across multiple sensing domains. In December 2023, NRO awarded five commercial electro-optical contracts to Airbus U.S. Space and Defense, Albedo Space, Hydrosat, Muon Space and Turion Space.

Earlier in 2023, six companies received study contracts for commercial hyperspectral imagery capabilities.

In 2022, NRO tapped five companies to develop commercial radar systems under the BAA.

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Navy Issues Solicitation for Expeditionary Long-Range Strike Drone
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Department of the Navy seal. The Navy issued a solicitation for a drone capable of expeditionary long-range strike missions.

The Department of the Navy has issued a solicitation seeking an unmanned aerial system, or UAS, capable of conducting long-range strike operations from expeditionary locations or ships lacking large flight decks. Responses are due Feb. 27, according to the Defense Innovation Unit.

Navy Issues Solicitation for Expeditionary Long-Range Strike Drone

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What Capability Is the Navy Seeking?

Under the Runway Independent Maritime & Expeditionary Strike, or RIMES, solicitation, the Department of the Navy seeks a UAS capable of expeditionary operations with minimal infrastructure and personnel requirements, while delivering 1,000-pound class munitions compatible with existing naval platforms. The system must be able to execute one-way strike missions at a range of at least 1,400 nautical miles, integrate with current combat systems, operate autonomously in contested environments and follow a modular open systems approach. Additional priorities include system safety, survivability or attritability, cost-effectiveness and maintainability.

What Are the Proposal Requirements?

The effort will be conducted through a commercial solutions opening, with the government intending to use other transaction authority for any resulting awards, allowing potential follow-on production without further competition. Proposed systems must demonstrate readiness for physical prototyping within 12 months of the award, with technical evaluations emphasizing shipboard refueling and rearming capability and high cruise speed.

The solicitation is open to U.S. and foreign-owned firms, but awardees must obtain Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Level 2 to handle controlled unclassified information.

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Marine Corps Outlines AI/ML Strategy to Enhance Aviation Readiness, Decision-making in 2026 AVPLAN
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Marine Corps logo. The Marine Corps published its 2026 Aviation Plan

The Marine Corps emphasized the need to adopt artificial intelligence and machine learning to achieve a decision advantage in the 2026 Marine Corps Aviation Plan, or AVPLAN, a 56-page document that outlines key capabilities, the strategic vision and the future direction of the service’s aviation division.

The 2026 AVPLAN, published Tuesday, revealed that the Marine Corps will utilize AI/ML to enable predictive maintenance, meet dynamic aviation supply demands and optimize operations.

Marine Corps Outlines AI/ML Strategy to Enhance Aviation Readiness, Decision-making in 2026 AVPLAN

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How Is the 2025 AVPLAN Different From Its Predecessor?

The Marine Corps said in a press release that the 2026 AVPLAN is an evolution from the 2025 plan and marks the service’s transition from establishing strategic direction toward data-driven implementation.

The 2026 AVPLAN also offers “more defined, measurable and time-bound initiatives,” the service added.

How Will AI/ML Transform Marine Corps Aviation?

According to the AVPLAN, AI and ML are central to modernizing Marine Corps aviation and overcoming what the service describes as a reactive sustainment model. Today’s maintenance, supply and operational planning processes can slow readiness and limit the ability to support distributed operations, the USMC said. The plan calls for replacing legacy approaches and systems with modern data architectures, interoperable networks and AI-enabled decision support to anticipate needs and make faster and more efficient decisions.

Marine aviation intends to harness AI/ML tools with maintenance, supply and operational data to increase aircraft availability and enhance force lethality. The Marine Corps also expects AI/ML to enable distributed operations in contested regions in direct alignment with Project Dynamis, which is the service’s contribution to the Department of War’s Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or CJADC2.

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CISA Issues Guide to Advance Secure OT Communication
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CISA's Madhu Gottumukkala. DISA released a new guide to advance the adoption of secure operational technology communications.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has released a new guide aimed at helping critical infrastructure operators adopt more secure operational technology, or OT, communications and reduce barriers to implementation.

CISA Issues Guide to Advance Secure OT Communication

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What Is the Focus of CISA’s New Guide?

The agency said Wednesday the guide, titled Barriers to Secure OT Communications: Why Johnny Can’t Authenticate, outlines challenges preventing widespread adoption of secure industrial protocols. Developed through interviews with stakeholders across water, transportation, chemical, energy and food sectors, the document examines why many operators continue using legacy protocols that lack authentication and message integrity protections.

What Actions Does CISA Recommend?

The guidance outlines practical steps to overcome procurement, deployment and sustainment challenges, as well as latency and bandwidth constraints, inspection limitations caused by encryption and interoperability issues with legacy systems. It encourages prioritizing secure communication features when acquiring new equipment and calls on manufacturers to reduce usability friction in product design. The document builds on CISA’s prior “Secure by Demand” guidance and aims to support long-term enhancements in OT cybersecurity practices.

According to CISA Acting Director Madhu Gottumukkala, adopting secure communications in OT environments is a long-term effort that involves complexity, cost and risk.

“Over the past year, CISA conducted customer-led research to create this secure communication guide. CISA encourages asset owners and operators, system integrators, service providers, and OT manufacturers to review this guide and collaborate together to implement secure communication,” said Gottumukkala, who spoke at Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Homeland Security Summit in the fall.

Why Is Secure OT Communication a Priority?

Insecure communication allows threat actors to impersonate devices or alter messages in transit to OT devices. Adoption of secure versions of industrial protocols, which have been available for more than 20 years, has been limited due to technical, operational and cost-related barriers within the control systems community.

Related Federal OT Cybersecurity Efforts

CISA’s guidance follows a series of recent OT security initiatives, including joint Secure Connectivity Principles issued with the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s draft update to Guide to Operational Technology (OT) Security and the Department of War’s new Zero Trust for Operational Technology guidance.

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VA to Restart Oracle-Cerner EHR Rollout With 2026 Regional Go-Lives
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VA logo. VA unveiled plans to deploy its Oracle-Cerner EHR at 13 sites in 2026.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is preparing to restart deployments of its new Oracle-Cerner electronic health record in April, when four Michigan facilities — Detroit, Saginaw, Ann Arbor and Battle Creek — go live. 

The move will mark the end of a three-year pause aimed at resolving system outages, performance issues and patient safety concerns, Federal News Network reported Tuesday.

Other planned deployments are scheduled for Ohio and Kentucky sites in June, Indiana facilities in August, and medical centers in Cleveland, Ohio, and Anchorage, Alaska, in October.

VA halted new deployments in April 2023 to stabilize sites already operating on the system. According to VA Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence, facilities currently using the new EHR are returning to pre-deployment productivity levels, with some already meeting that benchmark.

VA to Restart Oracle-Cerner EHR Rollout With 2026 Regional Go-Lives

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What Is Different About the Upcoming Oracle-Cerner EHR Rollout?

Unlike earlier deployments, VA plans to implement the system in geographic waves, moving region by region rather than launching at isolated facilities nationwide. Lawrence said the “market approach” avoids having neighboring sites operate on different record systems.

He shared that the department is increasing staffing and deploying vendor support teams to upcoming go-live locations to accelerate operational recovery.

How Are Lawmakers and Watchdogs Responding to the EHR Rollout?

The reboot comes amid continued scrutiny. Lawmakers have cited the program’s rising lifecycle cost — estimated at roughly $37 billion — and raised concerns about whether past technical and safety issues have been fully addressed.

VA’s Office of Inspector General has documented hundreds of major performance incidents since launch, while a 2025 Government Accountability Office survey found low user confidence and lingering patient safety concerns among staff at early-adopter sites.

According to Lawrence, the department has addressed root causes tied to prior deployments, including workflow standardization and training gaps, expressing confidence that the 2026 schedule will move forward as planned.

How Does the EHR Rollout Relate to VA’s AI and Modernization Strategy?

The EHR restart aligns with VA’s broader modernization push. The department recently announced a $4.8 billion fiscal year 2026 investment in healthcare infrastructure, including $1 billion for EHR modernization.

VA’s latest AI inventory also highlights initiatives tied to EHR optimization, including a pre-deployment clinical AI agent intended to reduce documentation burdens and support workflow efficiency. VA’s AI strategy, released in October, states that early AI use cases will inform how advanced capabilities are integrated into the modernized record system.

Full EHR deployment across 170 sites is currently projected to conclude as early as 2031.

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