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NIST Releases Draft AI Cybersecurity Framework for Public Comment
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The National Institute of Standards and Technology's logo. NIST issued draft guidance for AI-related cybersecurity

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has published a preliminary draft of its Cybersecurity Framework Profile for Artificial Intelligence, which provides guidance on the secure adoption of AI.

The draft will be open for review and comments until Jan. 30, the agency said Tuesday.

NIST Releases Draft AI Cybersecurity Framework for Public Comment

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What Is in NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework Profile for Artificial Intelligence?

The Cybersecurity Framework Profile for Artificial Intelligence is intended to address the cybersecurity risks associated with the rapid advancement of AI.

The document centers on three focus areas that every organization will have to address, according to Barbara Cuthill, deputy program manager for the agency’s cybersecurity for Internet of Things program and one of the authors of the framework.

The focus areas are:

  • AI security
  • AI-enabled cyber defense
  • Countering AI-enabled cyberattacks

NIST developed the preliminary draft through feedback from the initial concept paper the agency published in February, a workshop it hosted in April and a series of community of interest meetings held through mid-2025.

The agency plans to publish the framework’s initial public draft in 2026.

“The Cyber AI Profile is all about enabling organizations to gain confidence on their AI journey,” Cuthill stated. “We hope it will help them feel equipped to have conversations about how their cybersecurity environment will change with AI and to augment what they are already doing with their cybersecurity programs.”

What Is Cybersecurity Framework 2.0?

The Cybersecurity Framework Profile for Artificial Intelligence supports the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, or CSF, 2.0, which provides resources on how to manage cybersecurity risks.

NIST also recently published its second public draft of the CSF 2.0 Quick-Start Guide on planning workforce actions based on real risk conditions. Comments on the draft are due on Jan. 7.

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Atlantic Council Forms Task Force to Revitalize US Shipbuilding Capacity
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Shipbuilding. The Atlantic Council formed the Revitalizing US Shipbuilding Task Force

The Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory have launched the Revitalizing US Shipbuilding Task Force to provide recommendations on modernizing and addressing the gaps in the nation’s maritime industrial base.

Wash100 winners Christine Fox, former acting deputy secretary of defense, and Mark Esper, former secretary of defense, will serve as co-chairs of the task force together with Kenneth Braithwaite, 77th secretary of the Navy, the Atlantic Council said Tuesday.

“It is vital that the United States regains its ability to rapidly repair and produce ships today, while simultaneously preparing to take advantage of modern technology,” Fox stated. “Only with the adoption of new technology and processes will it be able to produce new, more capable ships, rapidly and affordably.”

Who Are the Members of the Task Force?

The task force brings together defense industry experts, including former military and Pentagon leaders.

Wash100 awardees Nickolas Guertin, former assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development, and acquisition; Ellen Lord, former under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment; and retired Navy Adm. John Richardson, former chief of naval operations, are some of the task force members from government.

Officials from Hanwha Defense USA, C3 AI, PTC, General Dynamics, Colonna’s Shipyard and other companies represent industry in the task force.

What Are the First Activities of the Revitalizing US Shipbuilding Task Force?

Over the next 12 months, the group will convene to explore various topics related to shipbuilding, such as introducing advanced manufacturing capabilities, creating workforce incentives and assessing if ally-headquartered firms can increase U.S. shipbuilding capacity.

The Atlantic Council provides a forum for global leaders to discuss and navigate economic and political changes. The organization publishes papers to help shape public policies and strategies.

In October, the Hypersonic Capabilities Task Force published a report warning about China’s and Russia’s efforts to build hundreds of hypersonic weapons. The task force, led by Ryan McCarthy, former Army secretary and a Wash100 Award recipient, and former Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James, provided 10 recommendations for Congress and the Department of War to rapidly develop and field U.S. hypersonic capabilities. 

Atlantic Council also recently launched the ReForge Commission for nationwide defense industrial mobilization and revitalization of the U.S. defense industrial base.

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ACC-RSA Issues Notice for JHU APL ASSESSS Contract
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ACC seal. ACC-RSA has issued a notice for JHU APL ASSESSS contract.

The Army Contracting Command–Redstone, Space, Missile Defense and Special Programs Directorate has issued a combined sources-sought and intent-to-sole-source notice on behalf of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command to conduct market research for advanced technology testing and research and development capabilities to support the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Applied Science, Systems Engineering and Space Science Support, or ASSESSS.

ACC-RSA Issues Notice for JHU APL ASSESSS Contract

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What Are the Details of the Planned ASSESSS Contract?

According to the notice published Monday on SAM.gov, the ACC-RSA plans to issue a five-year effort as a sole-source single-award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-reimbursable task orders for an estimated contract value of $91 million to Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. The work focuses on advanced research, systems engineering, prototyping, testing and analysis across space, missile defense and combat systems.

The contract will support fundamental technology research, technology insertion, risk mitigation in defense systems and the design and testing of hardware and software. Contractor activities will include research, prototyping, testing, data analysis, and program management, including cost, schedule, and performance oversight.

What Are Johns Hopkins’ Core Competencies?

ACC-RSA SMD/SP plans to award this sole-source contract to JHU APL under University Affiliated Research Center authority. Responding contractors must demonstrate capabilities aligned with JHU APL’s eight core competencies, including strategic systems test and evaluation, submarine security, space science and engineering, combat systems and guided missiles, air defense, IT, modeling and simulations, and mission-related research.

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NNSA Completes Last W88 Alt 370 Warhead Production Unit for Sea-Based Deterrent
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NNSA logo. The National Nuclear Security Administration has completed the last production unit of the W88 Alt 370 program.

The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration has announced the completion of the last production unit of the W88 Alteration 370 program, marking the conclusion of a multi-year modernization effort for the W88 nuclear warhead on Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines. 

The completion represents the final phase of one of seven active warhead modernization initiatives, NNSA said Tuesday.

What Is the W88 Alteration Program?

The program addressed aging concerns of the W88 nuclear arsenal discovered during routine inspections. It is intended to sustain the reliability of the sea-based leg of the strategic deterrent.

The effort involved replacing the warhead’s arming, fuzing and firing assembly, installing a lightning arrestor connector, refurbishing the conventional high explosives and replacing limited-life components at the same time.

NNSA completed delivery of the final W88 Alt 370 warhead four years after the first production unit was achieved in July 2021. The program involved Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, the Pantex Plant, Y‑12 National Security Complex and the Kansas City National Security Campus for design, development, testing and component production.

“Completing the W88 Alt 370 is the latest instance of NNSA delivering modernized nuclear weapons to the Department of War at the pace and scale needed to fulfill our deterrence requirements. Achieving two LPUs for the B61-12 and W88 and the FPU for the B61-13 all within a single year demonstrates our ability to execute NNSA’s fundamental production mission,” said NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams.

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Bipartisan Senate Bill Seeks to Create Network of Programmable Cloud Labs
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Capitol building. Two U.S. senators have proposed the bipartisan National Programmable Cloud Laboratories Network Act.

Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Ted Budd, R-N.C., have introduced a bill to establish a National Science Foundation-led network of six remotely accessible programmable cloud laboratories, or PCLs, for academic research.

The proposed National Programmable Cloud Laboratories Network Act aims to help researchers save time and money by connecting existing lab data processing power and using automation to combine large data sets, Fetterman’s office said Monday.

“We can help cut barriers researchers face and supercharge America’s innovation engine with a national network of PCLs. This has never been built before, and I’m proud to partner with Senator Budd to make this a reality,” Fetterman said.

“Integrating our nation’s world class laboratories will increase the rate of breakthroughs, streamline and better automate the research process, and reduce the barriers and costs that throttle experimentation. North Carolina is at the cutting edge of innovation, and I am glad to work with Senator Fetterman to help our great institutions push the boundaries of discovery even further,” said Budd.

What Are the National Programmable Cloud Laboratories Network Act’s Provisions?

The bipartisan legislation would establish a network of up to six PCL nodes through a competitive process open to private sector, academic, nonprofit research institutions or partnerships. 

Applicants would be assessed on existing lab infrastructure; capacity to support cloud-enabled workflows for multiple users; ability to sustain long-term operations without continuous federal funding; capacity to work wth industry, academic partners and federal research entities; demonstration of user interest and research needs and protocols for cybersecurity, research security and responsible access. 

After designation, NSF, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and selected PCL node participants would develop standards for data sharing, interoperability, cybersecurity and technical requirements. 

Under the measure, Congress would receive reports on non-designated labs to assess capabilities and collaboration opportunities.

How Does the Proposed Senate Bill on PCLs Deliver on the AI Action Plan?

According to the bill’s summary, the proposed legislation supports the AI Action Plan that the White House released in July.

One of the recommended policy actions in the plan calls for federal partners’ investments in automated cloud-enabled labs for engineering, chemistry, materials science, biology and neuroscience, among other scientific fields.

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Navy Discloses V-22 Review Findings, Recommendations
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V-22 Osprey aircraft. NAVAIR released the findings of its V-22 Osprey aircraft comprehensive review.

Naval Air Systems Command has released the findings of a comprehensive review assessing the performance of the V-22 Osprey aircraft across key safety and readiness dimensions.

Navy Discloses V-22 Review Findings, Recommendations

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NAVAIR said Friday the assessment reaffirmed the V-22 platform’s airworthiness under established controls.

“In coordination with V-22 service leaders, NAVAIR has developed action plans to mitigate safety deficiencies,” said Vice Adm. John Dougherty, commander of NAVAIR. “We are continuously evaluating procedural compliance to prevent mishaps as well as strengthening airworthiness controls to establish clear risk thresholds.”

According to the command, the Department of the Navy and services are implementing the review’s 32 recommendations to improve the aircraft’s safety and readiness.

NAVAIR said it is conducting regular progress reviews to boost stakeholder engagement and improve cross-service coordination to advance the implementation of corrective actions.

What Are the Key Findings of the V-22 Comprehensive Review?

The review found the V-22 aircraft has accumulated safety risks due to four primary factors, including noncompliance with established airworthiness and safety of flight procedures and inadequate timeline for the implementation of material and non-material fixes.

NAVAIR noted that the Joint V-22 program has not implemented known aviation maintenance best practices across the services. Additionally, suboptimized supply systems and maintenance programs that do not prioritize cross-service readiness have contributed to missed readiness targets.

What Are the Recommendations Outlined in the V-22 Review?

The review outlines several key recommendations to improve the aircraft’s safety and readiness, including directing all program executive officers to conduct annual reviews of all program risks; defining and implementing a review process for adjudicating and closing out open mishap recommendations; and incorporating a readiness and safety steering board that will report to program service acquisition executives and service vice chiefs on critical safety and readiness issues.

The document also calls for the development and maintenance of regular cross-service availability reviews to align all three services on readiness efforts, establishment of a V-22 midlife upgrade program and reassessment of V-22 squadron maintenance manpower requirements.

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OPM Unveils US Tech Force to Accelerate Federal AI Implementation
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Artificial intelligence. OPM unveiled the U.S. Tech Force to recruit top technologists to advance federal AI adoption.

The Office of Personnel Management has launched a cross-government program that aims to recruit top technologists to advance artificial intelligence adoption and help the federal government address the most critical technological challenges.

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OPM said Monday it coordinated with the Office of Management and Budget, the White House Office of Science Technology and Policy, General Services Administration and other agencies to establish the U.S. Tech Force.

“GSA is proud to partner with OPM and the Trump Administration to answer the president’s call to fast-track AI adoption across the federal government,” said Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service. “Tech Force will be a true force multiplier, creating a pathway to bring in top private-sector talent to help drive a new era of American AI leadership inside the federal government and deliver for the American taxpayers.”

“Tech Force is America’s elite corps for the AI revolution, mobilizing the nation’s best minds to lead on digital frontlines, defend our global edge and secure our future in technological leadership,” said Gregory Barbaccia, U.S. federal chief information officer. “It is a call to service for our nation’s best technologists to join a mission-critical corps that will ensure our competitiveness, modernize our government infrastructure and lead the world in innovation from education to medicine.”

Gruenbaum and Barbaccia are both 2025 Wash100 awardees.

What Is the US Tech Force?

The U.S. Tech Force aims to recruit early-career technologists to serve two-year employment terms in the federal government.

Participants will engage with industry leaders, receive technical training and work with senior managers from tech companies partnering with Tech Force.

The initiative is looking for individuals with expertise in AI, software engineering, data analytics, cybersecurity or technical project management.

According to OPM, Tech Force delivers on the White House’s AI Action Plan, which seeks to advance private sector innovation and give the federal government access to technical talent to accelerate tech modernization.

Who Are Tech Force’s Initial Private Sector Partners?

OPM said Tech Force’s initial partners in the private sector include Adobe, Amazon Web Services, Anduril, AMD, Apple, Box, C3.ai, Coinbase, Databricks, Dell Technologies, Docusign, Google Public Sector, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, Oracle, Palantir, Robinhood, Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow, Snowflake, Synopsys, Uber, Workday, xAI and Zoom.

NobleReach Foundation will also help recruit technologists in support of the program, the company said Monday.

According to the agency, the list of partners will expand over time.

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Army Completes Data Center-as-a-Service Rollout at Joint Base Lewis-McChord
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The U.S. Army's official seal. The Army has implemented data center-as-a-service at its Washington installation

The U.S. Army has completed the implementation of a data center as-a-service, also known as DCaaS, for service members at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, or JBLM, in Washington state.

The U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command is expected to authorize JBLM’s move from the installation’s data center to the new environment in the coming days, the service said Monday.

Army Completes Data Center-as-a-Service Rollout at Joint Base Lewis-McChord

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How Did the Army Build a DCaaS at Joint Base Lewis-McChord?

The Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Enterprise Systems and Services, or ALTESS, product office within the Program Executive Office Enterprise built the compute and store stack that will provide a virtual computing environment for the JBLM.

ALTESS also equipped the JBLM’s data center with a backup generator, hot aisle containment system, 40-ton chillers and new flooring to enhance the facility’s efficiency and reliability for the installation’s area of responsibility.

“A lot of data passes through and is hosted by JBLM,” commented Barry Nichols, acting product lead for ALTESS. “By providing redundant power and cooling systems and a better space for IT equipment, we’re positively impacting the services soldiers get from that AOR.”

ALTESS also supports NETCOM’s DCaaS rollout and facility improvement at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr in Germany.

Why Is the Army Building a Shared IT Environment?

The effort is part of a service-wide initiative to transition to shared compute and store services in 2026.

A 2016 directive issued by then-Army-Secretary Eric Fanning called for the consolidation of 1,157 Army Enterprise Data Centers across the nation. According to A.J. Bognar, who led the service’s data center consolidation in 2017, the initiative is expected to increase efficiency and mission efficacy. 

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VA Unveils Plan to Restructure Veterans Health Administration to Cut Bureaucracy
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VA Secretary Douglas Collins. Collins said the VHA's "leadership structure is riddled with redundancies"

The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning to reorganize the Veterans Health Administration, also known as VHA, to reduce bureaucracy, ensure a consistent policy application across medical facilities and improve healthcare for veterans.

The agency said Monday that it will reveal organizational and personnel changes in early 2026.

VA Unveils Plan to Restructure Veterans Health Administration to Cut Bureaucracy

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“The current VHA leadership structure is riddled with redundancies that slow decision making, sow confusion and create competing priorities,” VA Secretary Douglas Collins explained.

“Under a reorganized VHA, policymakers will set policy, regional leaders will focus on implementing those policies and clinical leaders will focus on what they do best: taking great care of Veterans,” the official added.

What Will Change at VHA?

Under the proposal, VHA Central Office will set policy goals and oversee financial management, compliance and oversight. Meanwhile, Operations Centers and Veterans Integrated Service Networks will translate that direction into operational, quality and performance standards for 1,300 VA medical facilities.

The department said the initiative is not a reduction in force and is not expected to significantly change overall staffing levels.

The changes will be implemented over 18 to 24 months.

Why Is the VA Restructuring?

The VA is undergoing a department-wide restructuring with plans to eliminate tens of thousands of positions, the majority of which are unfulfilled roles.

A report from the Washington Post Saturday revealed that the agency will eliminate as many as 35,000 healthcare positions, most of which were described as “unfilled jobs, including doctors, nurses and support staff.” VA is aiming to reduce its healthcare workforce to 372,000 employees, a 10-percent decrease compared to 2024.

VA spokesperson Pete Kasperowicz explained that the positions that will be eliminated are “mostly COVID-era roles that are no longer necessary.” He also assured veterans that the workforce reductions will not affect VA operations and the agency’s delivery of care.

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Treasury Seeks FedRAMP-Authorized Cloud Platform for FOIA & eDiscovery
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Treasury Department logo. Treasury issued sources sought for cloud platform to support FOIA and eDiscovery requests.

The Department of the Treasury, through the Internal Revenue Service, has initiated market research to explore the availability of a cloud-based platform that can handle Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, requests and eDiscovery activities.

What FOIA & eDiscovery Capabilities Is Treasury Seeking?

According to a sources sought notice published Monday on SAM.gov, Treasury plans to implement a department-wide blanket purchase agreement for a cloud platform capable of streamlining the processing of electronically stored information, or ESI. It seeks to adopt advanced commercial technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning and analytics, to enhance transparency, optimize operations and reduce FOIA backlogs across all bureaus.

The platform must be authorized under the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program to support the full lifecycle of information requests, from intake and processing to review, redaction, production and archival. It must also comply with the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, Section 508 requirements and Treasury cybersecurity directives. Responses are due by Dec. 30.

Why Does Treasury Need a Centralized Cloud-Based Platform?

The platform is intended to address operational inefficiencies and compliance gaps in the Treasury’s management of vast volumes of ESI across 50 bureaus. It will replace fragmented FOIA and eDiscovery systems that drive redundant investments, inconsistent compliance and workflow challenges, enhancing transparency and department-wide regulatory adherence.

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