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DARPA to Demonstrate UAS VTOL Capabilities Soon
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DARPA's Early VTOL Aircraft Demonstration program aims to propel drone development and deployment to warfighters.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is preparing to demonstrate the vertical takeoff and landing capability of five unmanned aerial systems weighing less than 330 pounds in the coming days.

Known as EVADE — short for Early VTOL Aircraft Demonstration — the program involves five companies, namely AeroVironment, Griffon Aerospace, Karem Aircraft, Method Aeronautics and Sikorsky, to showcase the rapid deployment of advanced UAS capabilities to the warfighter, DARPA said Tuesday.

“With EVADE, our focus is on speed of development, not on first-flight perfection,” explained Phillip Smith, DARPA program manager and U.S. Marine Corps Reserve officer. “The faster we can get these aircraft airborne, the quicker we can identify issues and deliver these technologies to our warfighters.”

EVADE UAS Features

The participating companies will demonstrate that their aircraft can be optimized for different strengths, including VTOL control, airspeed, storage capacity, cruise altitude, time on station, powertrain configurations and control methodologies. While the UAS platforms vary in their capabilities, they are all equipped with Sikorsky’s MATRIX flight autonomy software and are designed to carry a 60-pound payload and maintain an endurance of 12 hours with a range of 100 nautical miles.

UAS Integration Into Military Operations

EVADE, part of the second phase of DARPA’s Advanced Aircraft Infrastructure-Less Launch and Recovery initiative, will also demonstrate the significant role of a 330-pound UAS in military operations.

“This is about democratizing air power,” Smith said. “By equipping smaller units—like Army, Marine Corps, and special operations teams—with these drones, we’re eliminating the need for traditional ground control stations and enabling rapid deployment in even the most austere environments.”

Following successful flight tests, DARPA intends to transition the aircraft to military services by the end of 2025.

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NIST Issues New White Paper on Securing 5G Networks
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The 5G Network Security Design Principles white paper by NIST's cyber center aims to strengthen privacy on 5G networks.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has published a new white paper on securing 5G networks from cyberthreats. 

Developed by the NIST National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, or NCCoE, the 5G Network Security Design Principles white paper provides network infrastructure security design principles for commercial and private 5G network operators. 

The 12-page document is part of the Applying 5G Cybersecurity and Privacy Capabilities white paper series, which provides resources for commercial mobile network operators, private 5G network operators and organizations using 5G-enabled technologies.

How to Bolster Cybersecurity & Privacy in a 5G Network

The white paper addresses the challenges that data centers and cloud environments, which typically use the same physical connections and the same network devices to process traffic. According to the document, because there is no way to physically separate 5G traffic from other types of traffic and segregate types of 5G traffic from one another, organizations must apply methods. Doing so could reduce the risk of cyberattacks from spreading across network segments and ease the integration of cybersecurity tools and techniques for each traffic. 

The different types of 5G network traffic are data plane, signaling, and operation and maintenance.

NIST’s secure network design principles guide readers on how to ensure the logical separation of 5G traffic. NCCoE even provides a look into how its underlying network infrastructure works to segregate data plane, signaling and O&M traffic. 

The agency said its principles are tested, but the public are welcome to submit their comment about the white paper until July 17.

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Johns Hopkins APL, NAVSEA Partner to Advance Additive Manufacturing Adoption
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A new collab between Johns Hopkins APL and NAVSEA furthers the adoption of additive manufacturing for military applications.

The Naval Sea Systems Command and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory have collaborated to facilitate the adoption of additive manufacturing, or AM, for military applications.

Johns Hopkins APL said Tuesday it will team up with NAVSEA researchers to prove that AM can be utilized for advanced defense manufacturing.

Johns Hopkins APL, NAVSEA Partner to Advance Additive Manufacturing Adoption

Register to join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Navy Summit, where naval and maritime leaders will discuss the latest innovations and initiatives, such as additive manufacturing.

Proving the Potential of Additive Manufacturing

The strategic partnership intends to determine the potential of AM for building military hardware through extensive research and testing, along with active engagement with NAVSEA’s technical community. The participating researchers will focus on laser powder bed fusion, a high-precision metal 3D printing process.

The method involves precise control over technology, which a specific APL study used to disprove porosity issues with metal additive manufacturing. The study showed careful control over process parameters addressed porosity and quality issues. Another study determined that material consistency can be achieved across the industry, while a third validated the durability of parts made through additive manufacturing.

NAVSEA aims to develop standardized processes and prioritize quality control, including raw material properties and manufacturing conditions, to address concerns on product uniformity. It intends to ensure that all components made by different vendors are of the same quality.

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Air Force Completes 1st Decision Advantage Sprint for Human-Machine Teaming Experiment
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The first Decision Advantage Sprint for Human-Machine Teaming by USAF included the development of C2 capability prototypes

The Department of the Air Force concluded the first experiment under the Decision Advantage Sprint for Human-Machine Teaming, or DASH, initiative, providing warfighters and software developers with an opportunity to develop prototypes of command and control capabilities and microservices designed to speed up decision-making in battle management scenarios.

The Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management Cross-Functional Team, or ABMS CFT, led the two-week experiment in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory, the 711th Human Performance Wing, Integrated Capabilities Command and the 805th Combat Training Squadron, also known as Shadow Operations Center-Nellis, or ShOC-N. 

The experiment was held at the Howard Hughes Operations Center, or H2O, in Las Vegas.

“The DASH experiment showed how machine support can dramatically reduce decision time and improve decision quality for air battle managers working in complex operational environments,” said Col. Christopher Cannon, ABMS CFT lead. “Battle management teams were exercising command and control decision advantage.”

Perceived Actionable Entity Function

The experiment focused on Perceived Actionable Entity, or PAE, which is the critical subfunction of the Transformational Model-Battle Management, or TM-BM.

The PAE function seeks to determine which actions are permissible, possible and desirable against an operational entity.

A ShOC-N coding team and four industry teams partnered with Total Force and Royal Canadian Air Force air battle managers to develop and test code designed to help soldiers make faster decisions on the battlefield.

“Our C2 systems are still putting the burden of complex decision-making entirely on the human; this sprint starts to change that by giving our Airmen digital teammates that help them perceive, decide and act faster,” said Lt. Col. Shawn Finney, 805th CTS/ShOC-N commander at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. “The ShOC’s H2O center serves as an unclassified software development and vendor engagement hub allowing the DASH teams to rapidly code.”

Conducting the DASH Experiment in 2 Phases

The Air Force performed the DASH experiment in two phases to measure the impact of human-machine teaming.

In the initial phase, battle managers used only their existing tools and training to perform a combat scenario, establishing a performance baseline.

Under the second phase, they executed a similar scenario using prototype decision-support tools built during the sprint.

“The DASH experiment isn’t just a coding sprint—it’s a learning environment. Industry teams bring diverse perspectives and technical approaches that push us to think differently about C2. That collaboration accelerates our ability to deliver functional software and refine requirements for the entire enterprise,” said Lt. Col. Wesley Schultz, 805th CTS/ShOC-N director of operations.

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FAR Council Releases Model Deviation Text for Sections Related to ICT Procurement, Emergency Acquisitions
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The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul initiative includes an update on rules for the acquisition of IT and communication technology.

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council has issued new model deviation text as part of the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, or RFO, initiative in compliance with an executive order and an Office of Management and Budget memorandum.

In mid-April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing his administration to amend the FAR to streamline the federal procurement process and remove barriers to doing business with the government.

The FAR Council said Friday the overhauled FAR parts include sections related to emergency acquisitions, contract modifications and acquisition of information and communication technology, or ICT.

The council will accept feedback on the updated FAR parts through July 28.

ICT Acquisition

FAR Part 39 concerning ICT procurement has been streamlined to highlight strategies that promote faster acquisition and secure deployment of new or emerging technology.

Under the updated section, agencies should continue to use modular contracting for incremental and successive contracts when acquiring IT. In addition to IT, Part 39 covers Internet of Things devices and operational technology.

The prohibition on describing minimum experience or educational requirements is now discretionary. Information regarding risk management has been streamlined.

Part 39 still requires accessibility standards, including Section 508 compliance, to ensure federal employees and members of the public with disabilities have comparable access and use of information and data.

Contract Modifications

The council has streamlined FAR Part 43 concerning contract modifications to provide essential standards for the workforce to mitigate risk to the government and the public.

The updated section retained non-statutory definitions and procedures for contract modifications to maintain uniformity across the government and clarified instructions for documenting change orders.

Emergency Acquisitions

The council has updated FAR Part 18 to streamline the acquisition flexibilities for emergency acquisitions.

The overhauled section retained increased thresholds for contingency operations; defense or recovery from certain events to include cyber, nuclear, biological, chemical or radiological attacks; international disaster assistance; emergency or major disaster response; and humanitarian or peacekeeping operations.

The document also retained statutory requirements related to emergency and major disaster declarations; humanitarian or peacekeeping operations; and award preference for local organizations. It also retained the waiver of provisions for ocean transportation by U.S. flag vessels.

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Top 5 AI Leaders in US Government & Military in 2025
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Leaders from the DOD, CIA, Anthropic, OpenAI and more are the top AI innovators in 2025.

Over two and a half years on from ChatGPT’s explosive market entrance, artificial intelligence remains a major force in the public and private sector technology worlds. Of course, AI has been around in one form or another for decades, since at least the 1960s, but its recent surge marks one of the most significant tech developments in a long while.

AI is especially hot in the military right now. Just this week, OpenAI (the organization behind the aforementioned chatbot) was awarded an other transaction agreement, or OTA, by the Department of Defense that could total $200 million over just one year of required work. This comes on the heels of four technology officials — two of which are currently or were formerly affiliated with OpenAI — being appointed reserve Army lieutenant colonels as part of its new Executive Innovation Corps.

We have a feeling AI will continue to stay at the forefront of conversations about how to make the government more effective and the military more lethal in the future. Let’s investigate the individuals leading the charge in this march forward.

At the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Navy Summit on August 26, join the conversation about how AI can enable jaw-dropping military applications and programs. There will be a panel discussion on how generative AI is being used to enhance decision-making. Register now for this exciting conference of GovCon networking and candid military talks!

Top 5 AI Leaders in US Government & Military in 2025

1. Douglas Matty

Role: U.S. Department of Defense chief digital and AI officer

Douglas Matty heads the Pentagon’s digital and AI strategies, bringing decades of military and technical expertise to one of the most impactful roles shaping defense capabilities. He previously founded the Army AI Integration Center and has held key roles in systems analysis, cybersecurity and operational logistics across a career spanning over 30 years. At CDAO, Matty leads initiatives focused on accelerating AI-driven efficiencies in military operations, including data analytics, machine learning and computer vision.

Notable achievements:

  • Spearheaded the development of the Army AI Integration Center under Army Futures Command.
  • Developed AI capabilities to enhance decision-making for U.S. forces in Iraq.
  • Introduced innovative defense-focused AI solutions, enabling better scalability of advanced technologies.
Top 5 AI Leaders in US Government & Military in 2025

2. Elizabeth Kelly

Role: Former director of the U.S. AI Safety Institute, now head of the beneficial deployments team at Anthropic

Elizabeth Kelly’s contributions to AI governance and ethics have been pivotal. During her tenure at the AI Safety Institute, Kelly established critical safety testing agreements with industry leaders OpenAI and Anthropic. Her expertise now guides Anthropic’s beneficial deployments team, which ensures equitable AI adoption in fields such as healthcare and education, particularly among resource-constrained organizations.

Notable achievements:

  • Played a key role in standardizing AI safety testing processes in federal policies.
  • Championed initiatives that provide free AI tools to nonprofit and scientific research organizations.
  • Now enables practical integration of ethical AI frameworks for mission-aligned developments.
Top 5 AI Leaders in US Government & Military in 2025

3. David Sacks

Role: White House AI and crypto czar

David Sacks serves as a critical bridge between Silicon Valley’s private sector innovation and Washington’s public policy. He leads efforts to ensure the United States maintains a competitive edge in the global AI arms race, particularly against China. Advocating for innovation-friendly policies, Sacks emphasizes reducing regulatory burdens on AI developers to foster U.S.-led advancements in global AI adoption and market standards.

Notable achievements:

  • Successfully rolled back restrictive AI executive policies, aligning government strategy with private-sector growth.
  • Advocated for technology diffusion strategies to ensure U.S.-based AI dominance in global markets.
  • Played a central role in supporting venture-backed AI startups critical to federal innovation initiatives.
  • Won Wash100 Award in 2025 for his projected role in and impacts on the government contracting industry/
Top 5 AI Leaders in US Government & Military in 2025

4. Kevin Weil

Role: Chief product officer, OpenAI

Kevin Weil applies decades of consumer tech expertise to his leadership at OpenAI, focusing on developing agentic AI technologies. He is driving transformations that extend AI capabilities from answering user inquiries to executing complex, real-world tasks autonomously. Weil strategically integrates cutting-edge AI features into consumer and enterprise solutions, offering pivotal insights into how AI will reshape workflows across industries. And in just the last week, he became a part-time senior advisor at the U.S. Army as a reserve lieutenant colonel alongside leaders from Palantir and Meta.

Notable achievements:

  • Leading the roll-out of ChatGPT’s agentic functions, enabling real-world task automation.
  • Advocates for the rapid iteration of AI models, enhancing deployment timelines for new functionalities.
  • Combines private and public sector expertise to address AI commoditization while maintaining innovation.
  • Member of Army’s Executive Innovation Corps
CIA Artificial Intelligence Chief Lakshmi Raman Talks Leveraging Tech to Develop Human Analysts’ Skills

5. Lakshmi Raman

Role: Chief artificial intelligence officer at CIA

Lakshmi Raman is redefining how the CIA integrates artificial intelligence into its operational and administrative frameworks. She champions AI agents as a means to further enterprise automation while emphasizing the importance of human oversight within AI systems to mitigate risks. Under her initiative, the CIA established its first AI governance council to codify ethical and security standards for emerging technologies.

Notable Achievements:

  • Introduced AI-based models-as-a-service platforms to improve interdisciplinary collaboration.
  • Focused on workforce transformation by bridging AI advancements with human intelligence.
  • Spearheaded cataloging and shared service platforms for AI models, enhancing accessibility and resource allocation across intelligence communities.

These leaders exemplify the strategies, foresight and expertise required to harness the full potential of AI for public service, defense and global leadership. Their contributions underscore how innovation-driven governance can redefine not just national frameworks but also the international conversation on artificial intelligence.

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DARPA Unveils OASIC Program to Accelerate Quantum Tech Development
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DARPA's Optical-Atomic System Integration and Calibration program—aka OASIC—aims to boost quantum technology development.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has launched the Optical-Atomic System Integration and Calibration, or OASIC, program to accelerate the development and deployment of miniaturized quantum technologies.

The agency said Friday three teams were selected during the first phase of the Small Business Technology Transfer, or STTR, program to develop the technical and commercial plans for the OASIC initiative. The QuEra, Harvard University, MIT and University of Montana team will oversee the qubits testbed, while the Rydberg Technologies, University of Michigan and Purdue University team will handle the quantum sensors testbed. The atomic clock testbed will be developed by a team composed of Vector Atomic and the University of Colorado.

Addressing the Lack of Quantum Research Testing Facilities

The STTR initiative facilitates the creation of advanced quantum testing centers where startups and small businesses can rapidly test and prototype their chip-scale quantum innovations. These quantum testbeds will address the lack of quantum research facilities that offer testing and evaluation services. The planned facilities will be similar to quantum university-affiliated research centers, or UARCs, which conduct tests for a fee paid through streamlined payment processes.

Setting the Standards for Optical-Atomic Components

Mukund Vengalattore, OASIC program manager at DARPA, said the main objective is to establish OASIC certification as the definitive benchmark for nanophotonic, optoelectronic and electronic components, similar to how the National Institute of Standards and Technology is the standard for technology performance, security and safety.

Enhancements to Testing Facilities

OASIC testing facilities will have a modular design to reconfigure the setup quickly and enable rapid testing and evaluation of various components. In addition, the program aims to cultivate an ecosystem where users with varying expertise collaborate to identify and address each other’s specific needs, which could fast-track the development of quantum technology.

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NASA Issues RFI for Commercial Space Communication Capabilities
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NASA is requesting info to try and replace the declining Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system.

NASA is requesting information from domestic and international companies about Earth proximity relay communication and navigation capabilities that could replace the aging Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system in providing near-Earth communications for future space exploration missions.

The request for information was issued as part of the Communications Services Project, which aims to assess and determine the commercial satellite communications services and technologies that can support emerging agency science missions, NASA said Monday, noting that the TDRS is retiring and will only support existing missions.

According to Kevin Coggins, deputy associate administrator of NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation Program, embracing commercial offerings could help solve communication challenges for future missions and provide a greater ability to command spacecraft, resolve issues in-flight, and deliver more data and scientific discoveries collected across the solar system.

The space agency will accept RFI responses until July 11.

What Is TDRS?

The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of seven geosynchronous satellites that relay signals between orbiting spacecraft and ground control stations. It provides near-continuous information relay services to over 25 missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station. Such missions will continue to rely on TDRS until the mid-2030s.

Each TDRS spacecraft’s retirement will be driven by individual health factors, as the seven active satellites are expected to decline at variable rates. The satellite system, which began operations in 1988, consists of three generations of satellites launched over 40 years. TDRS-13, the last in the third generation, was launched Aug. 18, 2017.  

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Army Issues Draft RFP for Next Generation Transponder-II Contract
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The Army's new Next Generation Transponder-II contract aims to enhance global logistics. A draft RFP has been released.

The Department of the Army has issued a draft request for proposal for the Next Generation Transponder-II contract.

NGT-II Draft RFP

According to the notice posted on SAM.gov Monday, the Army seeks potential contractors to provide advanced cellular, satellite and hybrid tracking technologies, as well as comprehensive global logistics support services, for the Department of Defense, U.S. Coast Guard, North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other federal agencies.

Army Issues Draft RFP for Next Generation Transponder-II Contract

Listen to Army officials, government leaders and industry trailblazers discussing the Army’s latest projects and initiatives. Register now and join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Army Summit tomorrow, June 18!

The NGT-II program aims to enhance global logistics support and coordination by standardizing government user systems to ensure interoperability and adaptability, facilitating joint operations with allied partners. The planned project is also intended to meet the requirements of foreign military sales partners.

The NGT-II may be leveraged for radio frequency identification, government asset management, inventory and warehousing, military transportation monitoring and handling of food, medical supplies and hazardous materials.

The Army could award six firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts. The project will have a five-year base period with five one-year ordering periods.

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FCC to Modernize Satellite Licensing to Prioritize National Security
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The FCC is working to overhaul space system regulations by reimagining and evolving satellite licensing.

The Federal Communications Commission has announced plans to modernize satellite licensing in response to the emergence of national security, particularly space defense, as a primary driver in regulating space systems.

Jay Schwarz, chief of the space bureau, said during the SAE Media Group’s Milsatcom USA conference that the agency is shifting its focus in space systems regulation by emphasizing national security while still encouraging commercial innovation, the FCC said Monday.

Expediting Dual-Purpose Satellite Deployment

The FCC executive noted that the satellites of most companies seeking licensing from the space bureau usually have a dual purpose, serving both commercial and national security interests.

The agency plans to adopt reforms to streamline licensing and expand spectrum access to meet the challenges of global satellite competition. The FCC will modernize the licensing process to fast-track the deployment of satellites instrumental in strengthening national defense.

FCC’s Planned Reforms

The FCC has already noted a 35 percent decrease in licensing backlog since January after the shift to the new approach. The agency also aims to prioritize streamlining regulation processes for non-geostationary satellite systems, which includes revisiting the “power limit” rules. Another possible change involves opening around 20,000 megahertz of new spectrum across several underutilized bands.

“We know how urgent it is for all of our warfighters to have secure, reliable communications for an increasingly contested space domain,” said Schwarz. “So I care about the economic benefits, but I also care deeply that America’s service members are equipped with what they need,” he added.

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