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Daniel Driscoll Pushes ‘Silicon Valley’ Approach to Army Acquisition
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Daniel Driscoll. The Army secretary announces a “Silicon Valley” approach to accelerate weapons delivery to soldiers.

Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said the military branch plans to adopt a “Silicon Valley” model to speed up the delivery of new weapons systems and technologies to soldiers as part of an upcoming “organizational acquisition reform,” Breaking Defense reported Monday.

“After seeing the power of combining venture capital money and mentorship with startup culture, I can say unequivocally that the Silicon Valley approach is absolutely ideal for the Army,” Driscoll said in his prepared remarks at the AUSA 2025 conference Monday.

“It will identify promising startups, quickly fund them and get minimally viable products to soldiers in weeks,” he added.

Army’s FUZE Initiative

His remarks came a month after the Army launched the FUZE initiative, a venture capital-style acquisition program that will channel about $750 million per year into early-stage firms developing technologies for defense missions. The initiative is designed to accelerate innovation and shorten the path from concept to field deployment. 

According to Driscoll, the program will expand to $765 million next year, reflecting a more than 150 percent increase in Army funding for emerging technologies.

Army’s Upcoming Acquisition Shakeup

At the AUSA 2025 event, the secretary also announced plans to consolidate the Army’s acquisition offices into a single organization to accelerate the delivery of new technologies to warfighters.

“We will break down barriers until we measure acquisitions not in years and billions, but months and thousands,” Driscoll said at the event.

He told reporters that there will be a “consolidation and streamlining of how we buy things in the Army” as part of the upcoming acquisition shakeup.

The secretary said the plan will involve a tactical shift that “basically means: buy small numbers of things, get it in the hands of soldiers, iterate with the company when we think it works pretty well, field it in a division or two, and then when we think it is ready, scale it across the entire Army.”

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ARPA-H Seeks High-Impact Health Innovations Under 2 Market Opportunities
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ARPA-H logo. ARPA-H is soliciting proposals to advance scalable health innovations and build more resilient health systems.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health is soliciting proposals for two major contracting opportunities aimed at advancing scalable health innovations and building more resilient health systems. Through its Scalable Solutions Office and Resilient Systems Office market opportunities, the agency is inviting submissions to tackle pressing health challenges with novel approaches.

ARPA-H Seeks High-Impact Health Innovations Under 2 Market Opportunities

As ARPA-H advances its mission to drive scalable innovation and build resilient health systems, Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Healthcare Summit will convene federal leaders, industry experts and innovators on Dec. 4 to examine how emerging technologies and strategic partnerships are shaping the future of U.S. healthcare. Register now to engage with key decision-makers in the healthcare sector at this premier year-end event.

Broad Agency Approach Targets High-Impact Innovation

The SSO and RSO innovation solutions offerings, or ISOs, function as open, rolling solicitations under ARPA-H’s broad agency announcement framework. Both aim to identify and support transformative ideas that can reshape the health landscape through scale and resilience.

The SSO focuses on technologies, platforms and systems that can be rapidly deployed to deliver widespread health impact, overcoming barriers to manufacturing, distribution and regulatory pathways. The RSO emphasizes innovations that strengthen the nation’s ability to prepare for, withstand, and recover from major health threats.

Eligibility, Requirements and Evaluation

ARPA-H welcomes submissions from private companies, academic institutions, non-profits and other entities. Proposals are evaluated on scientific and technical merit, relevance to ARPA-H objectives and potential for high-impact outcomes. Offerors are encouraged to describe clearly how their approach addresses critical gaps and to articulate the transformative potential of their work.

Both opportunities involve a mandatory two-step submission process:

  1. Solution summaries are accepted on a rolling basis, allowing offerors to receive early feedback.
  2. Full proposals may only be submitted after receiving written feedback on the solution summary. Proposals submitted without prior feedback will not be reviewed.

Submission Deadlines and Potential Funding

Solution summaries may be submitted at any time, but full proposals must be received by March 5, 2029. ARPA-H anticipates multiple awards under each ISO. Actual award numbers and values will depend on the quality of submissions and available funding.

Recent Amendments Clarify Procedures

The third amendment to both the SSO and RSO ISOs provides updated contact information, revises certain submission instructions and refines administrative language. These adjustments aim to streamline the process and ensure offerors follow the latest guidance. ARPA-H advises organizations to review the amended documents in full before submission.

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Palantir Lands ICE Contract for ImmigrationOS Support
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Palantir logo. ICE awarded Palantir a contract for services supporting ImmigrationOS.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement—particularly its Office of Acquisition Management and the Information Technology Division—has awarded Palantir Technologies a $29.9 million task order to continue providing support for the Immigration Lifecycle Operating System, or ImmigrationOS.

Palantir Lands ICE Contract for ImmigrationOS Support

Register for Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 12 and learn about the homeland security programs that safeguard national ports and border checkpoints.

ICM ImmigrationOS Continued Support Contract Details

According to the award notice published on SAM.gov Friday, the contract provides for the renewal of software licenses, operations and maintenance, or O&M, services and adaptive maintenance support for ImmigrationOS, an integrated system currently used by ICE’s enforcement and removal operations, or ERO.

The contract, awarded on Sept. 25, was issued under a limited source justification citing Palantir as the sole source capable of providing the necessary supplies and services for the specialized investigative case management software.

ImmigrationOS is built on top of ICE’s Investigative Case Management, or ICM, platform, which is utilized by Homeland Security Investigations to resolve threats like drug trafficking, cybercrime and identity theft. It aligns with multiple presidential executive orders, including EO 14159 on protecting the American people against invasion and EO 13773 on combating transnational criminal organizations and international trafficking.

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DAF Approves Changes to Falcon Launch Operations at Vandenberg SFB
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DAF seal. The Department of the Air Force approved changes to the Falcon launch program at the Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The Department of the Air Force has issued a record of decision approving changes to the Falcon Launch Program at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The U.S. Space Force said Friday the decision follows the completion of a final environmental impact statement, or EIS, made in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, which evaluated the possible environmental effects of several proposed actions.

DAF Allows Falcon Launch Expansion

Under the approved plan, DAF has permitted the redevelopment of Space Launch Complex-6 to accommodate Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy operations, including launches and landings at the site. This involves SpaceX building a new hangar south of the horizontal integration facility and north of SLC-6.

The plan also allows an increase in the annual Falcon launch rate at Vandenberg, from 50 Falcon 9 launches at SLC-4 to as many as 100 combined Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches from both SLC complexes. Furthermore, Falcon Heavy, which has not previously operated from Vandenberg, will be cleared for up to five launches and landings per year.

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Energy Dept to Invest More in Fusion Power Under New Tech Roadmap
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Chris Wright headshot. Energy Secretary unveiled roadmap to drive fusion power development through more investments

The Department of Energy is expanding its investment in fusion power through closer collaboration with private industry and the use of artificial intelligence, Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced Tuesday.

Speaking at a Washington D.C. event hosted by the Special Competitive Studies Project, Wright unveiled the department’s new Fusion Science & Technology Roadmap, outlining plans to strengthen public infrastructure that will support private-sector fusion operations in the 2030s, Nextgov/FCW reported. 

More Investments in National Lab R&D

Wright stressed that advancing fusion science will also require additional federal investment in national laboratories’ research and development.

“We need the commercial efforts, but we need the labs,” Wright said.

He added that expanding fusion research will require strategic funding choices within government, including acknowledging and acting like the government has finite, rather than unending, resources.

Wright described AI as “a tremendous enabling technology,” noting its potential to drive breakthroughs in materials science, digital modeling of stellar fusion and molecular dynamics.

In June, the Energy Department announced the selection of Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Reservation, Savannah River Site and Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant as the sites for AI data centers and energy generation projects.

Wright also underscored the Trump administration’s focus on maintaining U.S. leadership in energy innovation amid China’s rapid fusion investments. “They’ve got top scientific talent,” he said. “So, I think China’s serious and moving fast,” the Energy Department head remarked.

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FCC Warns Anew Against Chinese Communications Gear Posing National Security Risks
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FCC logo. Agency renewed its warning on communication gear and services posing national security risks

The Federal Communications Commission has renewed its warning against the use of communications equipment and services on its Covered List that pose risks to U.S. national security. 

FCC Warns Anew Against Chinese Communications Gear Posing National Security Risks

Much of the gear on the list is linked to foreign adversaries and could be used by the Chinese Communist Party to surveil Americans or disrupt communications networks, FCC said Tuesday.

The latest in U.S. homeland security programs, efforts and strategic initiatives will be among the topics in the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 12. Reserve your seat before tickets sell out!

The advisory urged individuals and organizations to review the list—which includes equipment from Chinese firms such as Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, Dahua and cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab—and to consider the risks of using, purchasing, or interconnecting with them. 

The list also names U.S. subsidiaries of Chinese telecom providers, including China Mobile International USA, China Telecom Americas, Pacific Networks and China Unicom Americas, whose services remain subject to federal restrictions under the Communications Act.

Online Retailers Delist Unauthorized Devices

The latest FCC advisory follows the agency’s report Friday on “Operation Clean Carts,” an enforcement effort targeting the online sale of banned communications devices. Federal law prohibits marketing or selling Covered List equipment, but many e-commerce platforms had allowed such products to remain available, the agency pointed out.

After coordinating with major online retailers, the FCC said millions of listings for unauthorized devices—including Huawei smartwatches and Dahua home security cameras—have now been removed. According to the agency, the e-commerce companies involved have agreed to adopt stronger screening measures, educate third-party sellers and continue working with the FCC to prevent future violations.

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Yemi Oshinnaiye, Mike Derrios Depart Federal Roles
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Yemi Oshinnaiye and Mike Derrios. The TSA CIO and the State Department’s senior procurement executive are stepping down.

Federal News Network reported Friday that Yemi Oshinnaiye, chief information officer at the Transportation Security Administration, and Mike Derrios, senior procurement executive at the State Department, are stepping down from their roles.

TSA’s Yemi Oshinnaiye Heading to Industry 

According to sources, Oshinnaiye is leaving his role at TSA to join tech services company Capgemini as chief technology officer.

In 2012, he joined federal service as an IT specialist for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service.

In 2022, Oshinnaiye assumed the CIO position at TSA, where he led IT modernization efforts, including improving customer service, integrating artificial intelligence and advancing data mesh development to facilitate data-sharing.

His industry career included time at Electronic Data Systems and Dev Technology.

State Department’s Mike Derrios Retiring

Mike Derrios, the State Department’s senior procurement executive since 2020, will retire on Friday, Oct. 17, after more than three decades of federal service.

In his current position, he oversees a procurement portfolio valued at approximately $12 billion annually and manages a global workforce of more than 1,500 acquisition professionals.

Under his leadership, the State Department increased the use of category management and data analytics to improve visibility into procurement efforts.

The former U.S. Air Force contracting officer previously worked at CACI, TSA and the U.S. Coast Guard.

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DOD to Shift $8B From R&D to Cover Soldier Paychecks Amid Shutdown
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Soldiers running. DOD is preparing to shift $8 billion from unused R&D funds to ensure troops receive paychecks on Oct. 15.

Breaking Defense reported Sunday that the Department of Defense is preparing to shift approximately $8 billion in unspent research and development funds for fiscal year 2025 to ensure that service members receive paychecks during the ongoing government shutdown.

According to a DOD official, President Donald Trump has directed the secretary of defense to use available funds to ensure that military personnel are paid on Oct. 15.

“The Department of War has identified approximately $8 billion of unobligated research development testing and evaluation funds (RDTE) from the prior fiscal year that will be used to issue mid month paychecks to service members in the event the funding lapse continues past October 15th,” the official wrote in a statement to Breaking Defense.

Government Shutdown’s Impact on Civilian Workforce, Troops

The government shutdown, which is approaching the two-week mark, has prompted the Pentagon to start furloughing civilian employees. 

Uniformed personnel, however, are required to continue their duties despite not receiving pay during the funding lapse.

Questions Remain Over Duration of DOD Funding Fix

The Pentagon official declined to answer further questions regarding how long the $8 billion will last, whether additional funds have been identified, or what impact the plan might have on new weapons and technology development projects.

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MITRE Proposes Regulatory Waiver System to Speed US Disaster Response
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Logo of MITRE. In a white paper, MITRE raised the potential use of prepackaged regulatory waivers

MITRE has proposed the establishment of predefined federal, state and local emergency regulatory waivers to expedite emergency response and recovery for U.S. critical infrastructure.

The nonprofit organization published a white paper titled Expediting Emergency Response with Predefined Regulatory Waivers to identify existing rules and regulations that may hamper recovery efforts following natural or manmade disasters and provide steps the government can take to develop prepackaged waiver and streamline regulatory relief.

The paper, the second in MITRE’s series on critical infrastructure readiness to conflict scenarios, is a result of a December tabletop exercise, which simulated a multiregion, multisector cyber attack on U.S. critical infrastructure.

MITRE Proposes Regulatory Waiver System to Speed US Disaster Response

Leaders from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security will be present to discuss threats to U.S. homeland security at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 12. The event will feature a keynote address from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and panels tackling the impact of mega-events, artificial intelligence use in homeland security and supply chain resilience, and more. Secure your ticket to the event here.

How Existing Regulations Create Challenges in Disaster Response

During the exercise, state, local, and industry participants pointed out that government processes that typically ensure safety, accountability and oversight can become barriers in times of crisis.

For instance, participants from several cities reported that current regulations prevented them from seeking mutual aid to restore their natural gas distribution network under one of the exercise’s disruption scenarios.

Regulatory impediments not only slowed down recovery, but also led to increased adverse effects on the population’s health and safety.

MITRE also pointed out that, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, temporary regulatory, ordinance and
policy waivers are “the most effective means of restoring critical private-sector capacity.” 

What MITRE Recommends

MITRE proposes a tiered waiver system based on urgency:

  • Tier 1 for Immediate Lifesaving Waivers, which will prioritize the movement of and access to goods during the first 24 to 72 hours after a disaster 
  • Tier 2 for Stabilization Waivers will restore critical services 
  • Tiers 3/4 for Extended Outage/Recovery Waivers are for prolonged disruptions and address 
    long-term recovery

The paper also provides next steps of action for government, including engaging agencies and industry stakeholders to define a national waiver action plan, expanding reviews of statutory authorities across agencies and developing a decision-support tool to streamline waiver activation.

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Intelligent Waves, Signify Form IllumiConn to Advance Secure Optical Communications
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IllumiConn logo. Intelligent Waves and Signify has launched the IllumiConn JV to advance secure optical communications.

Intelligent Waves and Signify, a company specializing in connected LED lighting, have collaborated to launch IllumiConn, a joint venture designed to advance secure optical wireless communication for defense and government applications.

IW said the partnership merges its cybersecurity and networking expertise with Signify’s Light Fidelity and Free-Space Optics technologies to deliver high-speed, infrared-based data transport in mission-critical and contested environments.

IllumiConn’s Trulifi Powers Advanced Wireless Networks

Trulifi, IllumiConn’s flagship technology, delivers high-speed, ultra-low latency wireless communication using secure optical transmission beams instead of conventional radio waves. This non-RF-based system ensures reliable connectivity in both indoor and outdoor settings, especially where radio frequency systems struggle with interference or security concerns.

“IllumiConn delivers high-speed, secure communication that is immune to interception or interference and fully adaptable to mission-critical environments. It’s the future of secure wireless connectivity,” said Intelligent Waves CEO Tony Crescenzo.

Enhanced Security for Mission-Critical Operations

Trulifi’s optical transmission system’s narrow beams are immune to electromagnetic interference. Its signals are invisible, hard to jam and detect or intercept, making it suitable for classified and tactical operations requiring stealth and resilience.

“In an era where security and reliability are non-negotiable, IllumiConn offers a unique solution to deliver high-speed, secure communication that is virtually impossible to be intercepted or jammed,” said Craig Janus, chief operating officer of Intelligent Waves and CEO of IllumiConn.

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