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Catalyst Accelerator Launches New Cohort to Develop AI Tools for Space Force ISR Operations
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Artificial intelligence. The Catalyst Accelerator has selected six startups to join the 16th cohort.

The Catalyst Accelerator has selected six technology startups to participate in its 16th cohort and explore artificial intelligence and machine learning applications for the U.S. Space Force’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

Backed by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate, the program focuses on developing AI and ML systems that can improve automation, data fusion and decision support for Space Force Delta 7, which serves as the program’s official problem sponsor, the accelerator said Friday.

Catalyst Accelerator Launches New Cohort to Develop AI Tools for Space Force ISR Operations

AI-driven innovation in defense continues to accelerate, as seen in initiatives like the Catalyst Accelerator’s new cohort. These advancements and their implications for national security and mission readiness will be among the topics explored at the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 19. The event will convene federal and industry leaders to discuss how emerging AI technologies are reshaping defense strategy and operations. Register now!

What Is the Objective of the Catalyst Accelerator’s 16th Cohort?

The 16th Catalyst Accelerator cohort will explore how AI-driven tools can speed up the tasking, collection, processing and analysis of intelligence data across multiple domains. Participants will work with government and industry experts to refine technologies that enhance situational awareness and operational decision-making.

Which Companies Were Chosen for the 16th Cohort?

The six companies chosen to join the new cohort are:

  • Aegnix – Developer of swarm-based AI orchestration platforms for rapid model creation and deployment of AI agents.
  • Kestrel – Provides autonomous sensing-as-a-service through a multi-agent AI platform for networking and orchestrating sensors.
  • Lunar Station – Delivers advanced geospatial analytics and simulation tools for austere environments, including space and underwater missions.
  • Soresu – Developer of applied AI systems that transform distributed defense systems into adaptive, learning networks to maintain sensor connectivity and situational awareness in degraded conditions.
  • Tempest Droneworx – Specializes in data fusion software and autonomous drone operations for ISR and rapid response.
  • Worldscape Technologies – Offers a scalable data fabric and AI environment that integrates simulation and decision-support functions.

How Will the 16th Cohort Be Structured?

The AI/ML orchestrator cohort will run from January 12 to April 14, 2026, at the Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The seven-week program includes two in-person residency weeks per month, pairing small businesses with government and industry mentors. The program will conclude with a demonstration day, where participants will present their technologies to military, industry and investor representatives.

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Michael Duffey: DOD to Accelerate Weapons Procurement But Will Not Sacrifice Cost or Performance
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Michael Duffey, under secretary at DOD. Duffey clarified that the DOD will balance speed with capability cost and performance

The Department of Defense is pushing to accelerate weapons procurement but Michael Duffey, under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, clarified in a report by Breaking Defense that speed will not override other factors, such as cost and performance.

“We’re continually going to be dependent on the judgment of program leaders who are executing these programs to understand where does the need for speed balance with the risk that we would undertake [for the] cost and or performance of the system,” the official said.

How Will the Pentagon’s Acquisition Overhaul Work?

The DOD has been making changes to its acquisition enterprise, disestablishing the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System and shifting from program executive offices to portfolio acquisition executives.

Each PAE will be in charge of balancing funding allocations to different priorities with trade requirements, Duffey explained.

“There’s certainly no question about the emphasis on speed, but recognizing that there’s a need for judgment and flexibility in that triangle of cost, schedule, performance,” he added. “One thing we’re doing around here nowadays is we’re now saying ‘schedule, performance, cost’ instead of ‘cost, schedule, performance,’ just as a way of emphasizing the fact that speed is priority amongst us.”

The Pentagon also recently released a 39-page strategy document that would eliminating the Analysis of Alternatives, or AOA, and other similar studies. Lawmakers use AOA for oversight and to support funding decisions.

The strategy document explained that the process of AOA takes a long time and called for a faster way to assess commercial technologies and competing prototypes.

Duffey also said exceptions will remain for large-scale development programs that warrant additional analyses like AOA.

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Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp Takes on NGA Director Role
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Michele Bredenkamp. The lieutenant general took on the role of director of NGA.

Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp assumed the role of director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency during a change of directorship ceremony at NGA headquarters.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said Monday the event was attended by Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Aaron Lukas and Bradley Hansell, under secretary of defense for intelligence and security.

Who Is Bredenkamp Succeeding?

The ceremony also recognized Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth, the outgoing NGA director, with the George Washington Spymaster Award for his leadership across 30 years of public service.

Whitworth, a four-time Wash100 awardee, noted that Bredenkamp is inheriting an agency at the height of its capabilities, but emphasized that there is still much more work ahead.

“I could not be more confident in NGA’s future. Thank you for stepping up to the plate, and thank you for your friendship,” the vice admiral added.

As head of NGA, Bredenkamp will oversee GEOINT collection, analysis and distribution in support of national security missions.

Who Is Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp?

Bredenkamp has over three decades of military experience. She most recently served as the director’s adviser for military affairs at ODNI. 

Prior to this role, she was commanding general of U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command at Fort Belvoir in Virginia.

Her joint assignments include director of intelligence for U.S. Forces Korea; vice director for intelligence, J-2, on the Joint Staff; and deputy director of program analysis and evaluation, G-8, U.S. Army. 

Bredenkamp said she witnessed firsthand how GEOINT provides clarity, enhances understanding and gives commanders and policymakers a decision advantage. She noted that NGA experts play a crucial role in supporting critical operations worldwide by protecting intelligence sources, safeguarding the homeland and advancing American interests.

“I look forward to building on our GEOINT foundation and rapidly advancing our role as the world-class leader in producing decisive and actionable geospatial intelligence to decisionmakers and warfighters at every level,” she added.

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Tom Harker Appointed DOD Deputy CFO
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DOD Deputy CFO Tom Harker. Tom Harker has been appointed deputy chief financial officer at the Department of Defense.

Tom Harker announced on LinkedIn Monday that he has been officially named deputy chief financial officer of the Department of Defense.

According to Harker, he has been tasked with overseeing the department’s first-ever clean audit and will implement enhancements to business processes and systems to boost transparency, efficiency, effectiveness and audit readiness.

Who Is Tom Harker?

Harker is a seasoned executive and government leader with extensive experience in federal service, military operations and private-sector consulting. He currently serves as president of Harker Group, providing strategic guidance to corporations, partnerships and government entities while serving on boards of directors and advisory councils.

In government, he held various senior leadership roles while with the Department of the Navy. He served as acting secretary of the Navy, as well as assistant secretary and CFO. He was also under secretary of defense comptroller and CFO of the DOD.

His prior experience includes executive financial leadership roles at the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Coast Guard. He also held senior positions in private-sector consulting at Grant Thornton and served as a policy analyst at the Office of Management and Budget.

Harker began his career in the Coast Guard, progressing from ensign to senior operational and financial management positions, combining operational leadership with strategic financial oversight to enhance organizational effectiveness across military and civilian sectors.

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Former USDA CIO Gary Washington Named ACT-IAC Chief Strategy Officer
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Gary Washington. The former CIO at USDA has been named ACT-IAC’s chief strategy officer.

The American Council for Technology-Industry Advisory Council, or ACT-IAC, has appointed Gary Washington, former chief information officer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as chief strategy officer.

In a LinkedIn post, ACT-IAC said Washington will assume his new role at the nonprofit organization later in November.

“Gary Washington is an outstanding federal technology leader with keen insights and experience across government and the commercial sector,” said Dave Wennergren, CEO of ACT-IAC CEO and a two-time Wash100 awardee. “We are absolutely delighted to have Gary join the ACT-IAC leadership team and support our continuing mission to accelerate government mission outcomes through collaboration, leadership and education.”

Nextgov/FCW reported Monday that Washington transitioned to the newly created role of chief innovation officer at USDA after the department tapped Sam Berry, an associate from the Department of Government Efficiency, to serve as CIO in September.

Who Is Gary Washington?

Washington spent eight years as CIO of USDA. In this capacity, he oversaw the development of IT strategies, portfolio management, IT operations and information security. He helped establish five IT modernization centers of excellence and advanced cloud adoption, IT infrastructure optimization, service delivery analytics and customer experience.

He also served as acting secretary of USDA and the department’s acting deputy secretary.

Washington’s federal career spans multiple agencies, including the Office of Management and Budget, the Food and Drug Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. At FDA, he served as director of IT governance and deputy director of infrastructure.

The Strayer University graduate spent a decade in the U.S. Air Force as a computer operator and command control specialist.

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Army Secretary Shares Plans to Procure 1 Million Drones, Bolster Domestic Supply Chain
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Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll. Driscoll shared Army plans to scale drone procurement

The U.S. Army plans to buy at least one million drones over the next two to three years as it prepares for future conflicts, Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said in an interview with Reuters.

The service could later acquire anywhere from half a million to several million drones annually, a significant expansion from the roughly 50,000 the Army purchases each year.

“It is a big lift,” the official admitted. “But it is a lift we’re very capable of doing.”

Why Is the Army Accelerating Drone Procurement?

He said the Army is drawing lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war, where small and low-cost drones have been used at scale because of the heavy presence of anti-aircraft systems that prevent conventional warplanes from approaching the frontlines.

Driscoll said his priority is building a domestic supply chain capable of manufacturing critical components such as motors, sensors, batteries and circuit boards. China currently dominates drone manufacturing.

Ukraine and Russia each produce about 4 million drones a year, while China likely produces more than twice that amount, he noted.

How Will the Pentagon Support Its Drone Goals?

The Pentagon is already making significant changes to how it acquires drones. 

In 2023, the DOD introduced Replicator, a department-wide initiative to rapidly acquire and field thousands of autonomous platforms.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a 2025 Wash100 Award winner, also issued a memo in July that rolls back policies that limited drone production and access. He also said the DOD will approve hundreds of American products for military procurement, a move that could strengthen the U.S. drone manufacturing base.

In addition, lawmakers have introduced legislation that would establish a drone manufacturing facility in Texas.

However, Driscoll shared that he plans to spread funding across companies rather than rely on a single site. He is aiming to partner with companies that also build drones for commercial use.

“Drones are the future of warfare, and we’ve got to invest in both the offensive and defense capabilities against them,” he stated.

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SDA Missile Tracking Contracts Delayed as DOD Diverts Funds to Military Pay
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Space Development Agency logo. The DOD has redirected SDA Tranche 3 satellite funding to cover troop salaries.

Funding for the Space Development Agency’s next round of missile tracking satellite contracts has been temporarily diverted to cover troop salaries during the ongoing government shutdown, according to a Breaking Defense report citing government and industry sources.

The diversion affects awards planned for SDA’s Tranche 3 Tracking Layer. The awards, originally expected this month, are now on hold pending new budget authorizations.

How Much SDA Funding Is Affected?

The Department of Defense previously announced plans to reallocate about $8 billion from unobligated research and development accounts to sustain military pay through the shutdown. Multiple programs, including SDA’s Tranche 3 effort, are among those impacted.

An industry source familiar with the program told Breaking Defense that the SDA faces a reduction of roughly $700 million, affecting both Tranche 3 planning and milestone payments tied to Tranche 2 development.

What Is the Tranche 3 Tracking Layer?

The Tranche 3 Tracking Layer is a network of low Earth orbit satellites designed to detect and track ballistic and hypersonic missile launches. SDA intends to select three companies, each delivering 18 satellites, to expand global missile detection and early warning coverage.

The new constellation will build upon capabilities from earlier iterations, which include infrared sensors capable of identifying missile launches and supporting targeting data for interceptors.

Will Funding Be Restored?

​A government source knowledgeable in acquisition matters indicated that research and development accounts used to pay military salaries will be reimbursed once full fiscal year funding resumes, noting that the repayment will likely include Tranche 3 Tracking Layer funding because of its direct link to the Golden Dome defense shield.

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Coast Guard Launches Search for Training Center Location Amid Planned Personnel Growth
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The official seal of the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard posted an RFI for its planned national training center

The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a request for information to identify potential sites for a new national training center.

The service said the planned facility will address current training space shortfalls and expand capacity to support long-term operational needs in line with Force Design 2028.

Introduced in April, Force Design 2028 outlines campaigns that aim to modernize the service and ensure readiness for future national requirements. As part of the initiative, the Coast Guard plans to expand its workforce by up to 15,000 personnel.

Coast Guard Launches Search for Training Center Location Amid Planned Personnel Growth

The Coast Guard operates under the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime. Learn more about how the private sector can support USCG initiatives at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Homeland Security Summit — happening tomorrow, Nov. 12! The event will feature a keynote speech from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, a 2025 Wash100 Award winner, and panel discussions on key developments in homeland security. You can still get your tickets to the highly anticipated event today.

What Facilities Does the Coast Guard Need?

The Coast Guard outlined minimum requirements for candidate sites, including lodging for 1,200 recruits, a dining facility for 400 personnel and a medical clinic that can support 1,000 individuals with at least 200 medical and 200 dental encounters each day. Additional needs include 14 classrooms, an auditorium, a six-lane pool, a multipurpose gym and office space.

According to the RFI posted on SAM.gov Monday, the training facility must be fully enclosed with controlled access or able to be secured as a single parcel and located in one of the 150 largest metropolitan areas within the continental United States. It must also be located near airports, schools, emergency services, public transportation and other essential amenities.

Communities that meet initial criteria may submit expressions of interest until Dec. 8.

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DIU Seeks Advanced Industrialized Construction Methods to Modernize Barracks
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DIU logo. DIU is seeking advanced industrialized construction methods to modernize aging barracks.

The Defense Innovation Unit has issued a commercial solutions opening seeking advanced manufacturing and industrialized construction, or IC, methods to modernize the Department of Defense’s aging barracks.

What Is the BR-IC Project?

DIU said the Barracks Resilience Through Industrialized Construction, or BR-IC, project aims to address structural issues, environmental decay and outdated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems affecting servicemember health and morale, and force readiness.

Who Does DIU Want to Partner With?

The agency is seeking U.S. and international vendors capable of developing IC designs that rapidly deliver high-quality, energy-efficient facilities. The project centers on repeatable, modular designs and construction processes adaptable to diverse geographical locations.

Proposed approaches should utilize modular, hybrid or Kit of Parts methods to reduce design and build timelines by 30 percent or more and lower costs by 20 percent or more compared to traditional construction methods. Vendors must also deliver durable, sustainable buildings validated by third-party certification.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a 2025 Wash100 Award winner, highlighted the urgency during his announcement of the Barracks Taskforce on Oct. 7, stressing the need for livable, resilient facilities that match battlefield standards.

“How can we expect them to be ready for anything on the battlefield when their own living space is a constant source of stress and frustration,” said Hegseth.

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Energy Department Names Dawn Zimmer Permanent CIO
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Energy Department CIO Dawn Zimmer. Dawn Zimmer has been named chief information officer of the Department of Energy.

The Department of Energy has named Dawn Zimmer as its permanent chief information officer, marking the third official to hold the role since the start of the second Trump administration, NextGov reported Friday.

How Did Dawn Zimmer Take on Acting CIO Roles at Energy?

Zimmer, who joined the Energy Department as principal deputy CIO in November 2024, served as acting CIO multiple times during a rotation of short-lived permanent officials under Trump’s second term. She first assumed the role during the presidential transition, then briefly served as acting CIO after Ryan Riedel, who was appointed CIO in early February, vacated the position in March. Ross Graber was then appointed CIO but stepped down in July to take on the chief information security officer role at the National Nuclear Security Administration, paving the way for Zimmer to assume the acting CIO role once more.

Who Is Dawn Zimmer?

Zimmer is a 25-year IT veteran with extensive expertise in service delivery, business partnerships, relationship management, and strategic planning and execution. Before joining the Energy Department, Zimmer was the executive director of IT engagement and experience at Virginia Tech. She also served at the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Justice. Earlier in her career, Zimmer spent time at Ulticom, GE Capital and Gartner Group.

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