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DHS Secretary Announces $1B Airport Security Investment Ahead of Holiday Travel Surge
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Kristi Noem. The DHS secretary announced a $1B upgrade to U.S. airport security systems.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, a 2025 Wash100 Award recipient, has unveiled a $1 billion investment to modernize aviation security technology across U.S. airports, pledging a smoother and more secure travel experience as Americans head into the Thanksgiving and Christmas travel seasons.

Speaking at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, as seen in a video posted on social media platform X, Noem characterized the investment as the largest increase in airport screening technology in years. 

How Will DHS Use the $1B Investment?

The funds will be used to deploy updated screening devices across the national airport network, with upgrades coming to multiple U.S. airports, including Las Vegas. The investment will also support the expansion of training programs for Transportation Security Administration officers, using new training techniques designed to better detect potential threats. 

According to Noem, new equipment and capabilities are set to roll out in the coming months. DHS will increase the deployment and training of K9 screening units to bolster checkpoint security as the new systems come online, she added.

How Did TSA Staff Support Airports During the Shutdown?

During her Las Vegas visit, Noem met with 28 TSA employees and distributed bonus checks to officers who continued to work without pay during the recent government shutdown.

She noted that checkpoint personnel maintained operations for 43 days without compensation, emphasizing their professionalism and service despite financial strain.

Noem recently spoke at Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Homeland Security Summit.

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Hanna Kim Departs Login.gov, Joins Microsoft as Senior Director for Responsible AI
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Hanna Kim. The former Login.gov director joined Microsoft.

Hanna Kim has departed Login.gov after two years with the program, where she most recently served as director of the federal digital identity platform. Kim announced her departure in a post on LinkedIn, describing the move as a difficult decision following a period of rapid capability development within the organization.

During her tenure, Login.gov advanced several major initiatives, including the launch of Identity Assurance Level 2, the expansion of in-person identity proofing through U.S. Postal Service retail locations and the rollout of passport verification services.

Kim credited the Login.gov team and its agency partners for advancing secure access to federal services. “I am deeply thankful first and foremost to the Login.gov team and to the 50+ agencies across government who trusted us as partners,” she said. “I also want to acknowledge our partners in industry who taught me so much about identity through sharing lessons and providing honest product feedback.” 

“I’ll always look back on this chapter as my compass for what good public service looks like, and I am certain that my path will lead me back to public service,” Kim continued.

Why Did Hanna Kim Leave Login.gov?

Kim said she has joined Microsoft as senior director for responsible AI product and strategic initiatives within the company’s CoreAI engineering organization. In that role, she will lead work to operationalize responsible AI practices and support the development of tools to help organizations evaluate and monitor AI systems.

Who Is Leading Login.gov Now?

A spokesperson of the General Services Administration, which operates Login.gov, confirmed that Matt Pritchard, the program’s deputy director, is now acting director of the federal digital identity platform, Nextgov/FCW reported.

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DOD Updates Policy for Managing Contractor-Prepared Data
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The Department of Defense's logo. The Defense Department issued DOD Manual 5010.12

The Department of Defense’s Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment on Friday issued DOD Manual 5010.12, which updates its policy and processes for acquiring and managing contractor-prepared data across all defense components and throughout the contract lifecycle, from planning to post-award activities.

What Information Does Manual 5010.12 Offer?

Titled Acquisition and Management of Contractor-Prepared Data, the 102-page document applies broadly across all organizational entities within the DOD, including military departments and combatant commands. The scope covers both traditional Federal Acquisition Regulation, or FAR, and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, also known as DFARS, contracts, as well as non-FAR agreements.

The manual, which takes effect on Nov. 21, amends DOD 5010.12-M, or Procedures for the Acquisition and Management of Technical Data, issued in 1993.

Among the information provided in DOD Manual 5010.12 are the roles and responsibilities of defense officials. The program manager, for instance, is responsible for developing the program’s intellectual property strategy and modular open systems approach. The data manager, on the other hand, advises the program manager on data management best practices and verifies that data deliverables meet contractual requirements.

Additionally, the manual includes adaptable guidance on preparing the contract data requirements list, or CDRL, which details data requirements.

The manual follows a broader organization-wide restructuring that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a 2025 Wash100 winner, announced in early November.

Hegseth explained that the overhaul prioritizes speed to capability delivery, which he said is “the decisive factor in maintaining deterrence and warfighting advantage.”

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OSC Commits $700M to Vulcan & ReElement for NdFeB Magnet Production
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Under Secretary of Defense Emil Michael. The OSC has committed $700 million in loans to Vulcan and ReElement.

The Office of Strategic Capital has announced a joint $700 million conditional loan commitment with Vulcan Elements and ReElement Technologies to expand domestic Neodymium Iron Boron, or NdFeB, magnet production.

OSC Commits $700M to Vulcan & ReElement for NdFeB Magnet Production

Hear keynote speaker Emil Michael at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 29, where top defense leaders, researchers and innovators will explore the technologies shaping future warfighting. Register now!

How Will Vulcan Elements & ReElement’s OSC Loan Impact US Magnet Supply Chain?

The funding will expand U.S. capabilities in advanced rare earth element separation, metallization and magnet production, the Department of Defense said Friday. Vulcan will receive $620 million and ReElement $80 million to expand domestic manufacturing. The loans will enable the companies to produce up to 10,000 metric tons of NdFeB magnet material in the coming years, addressing a significant gap in the U.S. magnet supply chain.

How Are the OSC Loans Funded & Supported?

The conditional loans are funded through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which authorizes up to $100 billion for critical minerals projects. Under the agreement, the Department of Defense will receive warrants from Vulcan and ReElement. The Commerce Department’s CHIPS Program Office also signed a preliminary, nonbinding letter of intent for $50 million in equipment purchase incentives and will receive $50 million in equity from Vulcan Elements.

Remarks From DOD R&E Under Secretary Emil Michael

“These OSC conditional commitments build on the swift and decisive actions taken by the Trump Administration to secure a domestic supply chain for the magnets used in chip manufacturing, drones, electric vehicles, fighter jets, industrial motors, nuclear submarines, and satellites,” said Emil Michael, under secretary of defense for research and engineering.

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Space Force Plans Prototype Request for Space-Based Interceptors
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USSF seal. The Space Force plans to issue a request for prototype proposal for level of effort 2M space-based interceptors.

The U.S. Space Force, through its Space Systems Command and the Program Executive Office for Space Combat Power, announced plans to issue a request for prototype proposal by Dec. 7 for level of effort 2M space-based interceptors, or SBIs.

What Is the Focus of the Space Force’s RPP for Space-Based Interceptors?

According to the pre-solicitation notice posted on SAM.gov Thursday, the RPP specifically targets proposals for kinetic energy space-based interceptors designed to neutralize adversary missiles during their orbital flight phase, enhancing midcourse missile defense. SSC intends to pursue hit-to-kill systems rather than directed-energy platforms.

What Are the Other Details of the SBI RPP?

SSC expects to award multiple fixed-price other transaction agreements by February 2026, building on the service’s earlier initiative for boost-phase SBIs. The awards may also include prize competitions. Interested parties can request bidding materials through Dec. 4.

What Are the Advantages and Challenges of Midcourse Interceptors?

A constellation of midcourse interceptors would give the Space Force an extra layer of defense against enemy intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs, that evade boost-phase SBIs, Breaking Defense reported. Midcourse interceptors benefit from shorter strike distances and the absence of atmospheric effects, making targeting easier. However, they face challenges from decoys released in orbit, which can make it hard to distinguish the real missile from fake targets.

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House Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Restrict CHIPS Funding Recipients From Buying China-Made Equipment
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A semiconductor. The Chip EQUIP Act aims to ensure that federal investments support U.S. semiconductor manufacturing

Reps. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., have introduced a bipartisan bill to prohibit companies receiving CHIPS Act funding from purchasing specialized semiconductor manufacturing equipment made by entities owned or controlled by the Chinese government and other U.S. adversaries.

The Chip Equipment Quality, Usefulness and Integrity Protection Act of 2025, or Chip EQUIP Act, aims to ensure that U.S. investments to revitalize its domestic semiconductor manufacturing capacity do not inadvertently subsidize state-backed companies.

Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., plan to introduce a Senate companion to the Chip EQUIP Act in early December.

How Might the Chip EQUIP Act Strengthen US Microchip Industry Security?

The Chip EQUIP Act bars companies that have secured funding through the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors, or CHIPS, and Science Act from purchasing specialized manufacturing tools made by Chinese, Russian, North Korean or Iranian firms.

According to an overview of the bill published by Lofgen’s office, while China trails the United States in manufacturing advanced semiconductor tools, Beijing is ramping up manufacturing of legacy technologies that are not covered by export controls.

“The CHIPS and Science Act made historic investments to surge production of American-made semiconductors and address the supply chain vulnerabilities created by decades of offshoring in the semiconductor industry,” stated Lofgren, a ranking member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.

“It is no surprise that other nations have taken note of these investments and are working to grow their own domestic capacity. We must continue to put American manufacturing first and strengthen our supply chains to remain ahead of our adversaries, like China. This common-sense bill will ensure CHIPS investments are not used to support our adversaries’ capacity to develop semiconductor manufacturing equipment,” she continued.

This restriction is set for 10 years, though the commerce secretary may grant exemptions if equipment is unavailable from the U.S. or allied nations or is needed for national security purposes.

How Is the US Working to Bolster Its Semiconductor Supply Chain?

The CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law in 2022 to authorize a nearly $53 billion investment in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, research and development and workforce.

In May, the Senate passed the Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act, a bipartisan bill that increases investments in American manufacturing of semiconductors to reduce the nation’s reliance on foreign suppliers. 

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Rear Adm. Stephen Tedford Confirmed as DCMA Director
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Stephen Tedford. The Navy rear admiral was confirmed by the Senate to serve as director of DCMA.

Rear Adm. Stephen Tedford will officially assume leadership of the Defense Contract Management Agency, or DCMA, after being confirmed by the Senate.

DCMA said Thursday Tedford was also promoted to vice admiral as part of his Senate confirmation.

“Rear Adm. Tedford is an exceptionally experienced naval aviator, engineer, commander and program manager,” said Sonya Ebright, acting director of DCMA. “I look forward to his leadership and know that DCMA will be in great hands.”

According to a congressional notice, the Senate confirmed Tedford as director of DCMA in October.

Who Is Rear Adm. Stephen Tedford?

Tedford currently serves as program executive officer for unmanned aviation and strike weapons at Naval Air Systems Command.

His previous roles include commander of the Operational Test and Evaluation Force; vice commander of NAVAIR; and deputy program manager for the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and the Advanced Arresting Gear system.

The former test pilot has logged more than 3,100 flight hours in 40 different aircraft.

The Pennsylvania State University aerospace engineering graduate has a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the United States Naval Test Pilot School.

What Does DCMA Do?

DCMA is a combat support agency that provides administration services for more than 300,000 Department of Defense contracts. It delivers hundreds of millions of items to the U.S. military each year and offers acquisition insights to inform DOD decisions related to the defense industrial base.

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DISA Advances DCI Initiative With $931M OTA for Data Center Modernization
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DISA logo. DISA awarded an OTA to modernize data centers as part of the Defense Cloud Instance initiative.

The Defense Information Systems Agency has awarded an other transaction agreement worth approximately $931 million to advance data center modernization under the Defense Cloud Instance, or DCI, initiative. 

DISA Advances DCI Initiative With $931M OTA for Data Center Modernization

Be part of the conversation shaping government and military technology at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Digital Transformation Summit on April 22. Hear from experts on AI, cyber and enterprise IT. Sign up today to secure your spot! 

DISA said Thursday the OTA will expand global infrastructure capacity to support capabilities across all services in various operational theaters.

According to the agency, the effort is a core element of the DISA Cloud Environment and aims to strengthen support for mission-critical operations across the Department of Defense and its partners.

What Is the DCI Initiative?

The DCI initiative is part of DISA J9’s Smart Cloud Journey for Strategic and Mission Partners and reflects the agency’s commitment to upgrading its infrastructure to provide warfighters with access to secure hybrid cloud capabilities.

“This DCI initiative is designed to complement, not interfere with, Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability efforts,” said Jeff Marshall, director of hosting and compute at DISA. “It addresses specific use cases to ensure DISA can effectively deliver the full spectrum of capabilities required by the Department of War.”

According to DISA, the initiative aims to ensure data sovereignty for global operations and streamline command and control functions, providing commanders with enhanced visibility into computing resources in remote locations while reducing dependence on physical infrastructure.

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FAA Requesting Industry Input on Unified Air Traffic Automation System
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The Federal Aviation Administration's logo. FAA issued a notice on its plan to consolidate its en route and terminal systems

The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking a Common Automation Platform, or CAP, that would give air traffic controllers access to flight data and facilitate the movement of aircraft from one facility to another.

What Is FAA’s Common Automation Platform Plan?

The agency said Thursday that CAP will consolidate the En Route Automation Modernization, or ERAM, system and the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System, also known as STARS.

FAA Requesting Industry Input on Unified Air Traffic Automation System

FAA is not the only agency in the process of modernizing its legacy systems. Learn more about ongoing modernization initiatives across the government at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Digital Transformation Summit on April 22. Purchase your tickets to the GovCon event here. 

ERAM manages high-altitude traffic at 20 air route traffic control centers, while STARS handles flight tracking and coordination at terminal radar approach controls facilities and air traffic control towers.

In a request for information posted on SAM.gov Wednesday, FAA said it wants to hear input from industry about new technologies, procurement strategies, implementation structures and other considerations to enhance CAP. The agency is also open to proposed approaches that would re-architect ERAM and STARS or other existing automation systems.

Responses are due on Dec. 19.

According to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, CAP is intended to improve safety, reduce delays and support future airspace needs.

“Under this administration’s leadership, we’re going to give our hard-working air traffic controllers the technology they deserve at their fingertips,” he stated.

Why Is FAA Modernizing Its Air Traffic Control System?

The effort is part of the Department of Transportation’s plan to modernize its air traffic control system following a September 2024 report from the Government Accountability Office, which found that 37 percent of the FAA’s 138 air traffic control systems were rated unsustainable.

DOT already issued a proposal solicitation for a new air traffic control system and said it would select a prime integrator to oversee the project. The department said it will also use a new type of procurement contract to accelerate the process of hiring contractors.

DOT and FAA are aiming to deploy the new air traffic control system within three to four years. 

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NRO Director Discusses How Commercial Space Partnerships Enable Faster Capability Development
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Chris Scolese, director of the National Reconnaissance Office. Scolese discussed commercial partnerships at a recent event

Broader engagement with the commercial technology sector is driving a shift in how the National Reconnaissance Office develops and fields new capabilities, said Chris Scolese, NRO director and a five-time Wash100 winner, at a conference hosted by the Center for Strategic & International Studies and the Hudson Institute on Thursday.

How Is Commercial Industry Changing NRO Operations?

He particularly noted how lower launch costs and more frequent access to orbit are enabling the agency to deploy spacecraft at a faster and more frequent rate.

“When launch was expensive, you didn’t want to put a cheap thing on an expensive booster,” the intelligence leader explained. “Now, we can put spacecraft up there at a higher pace, with shorter lives, to demonstrate technologies, demonstrate capabilities, and really allow us to mature those things that we’re going to want sometime in the future. But we don’t want to wait years and years. We want to get that proven now so the community can see the value of whatever technology it is.”

Lower launch costs also supported the NRO’s shift toward a proliferated architecture, which is meant to enhance resilience from adversary attacks through shorter revisit times, more frequent observational persistence and faster data transmission.

NRO Director Discusses How Commercial Space Partnerships Enable Faster Capability Development

The Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 29 will host a panel on advancing capabilities for space defense featuring leaders from government, military and industry. Click here to purchase your tickets to the upcoming GovCon event. 

The agency has placed over 200 satellites in orbit over the past two years.

In September, NRO and the U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 30 sent satellites to orbit on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission, dubbed NROL-48, marked NRO’s 11th proliferated architecture mission and the fifth proliferated launch of 2025.

NRO has more space launches planned through 2029.

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