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DIU, JCO Solicit Proposals for Low-Collateral Defeat Tech Against Drones
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Replicator drone

The Defense Innovation Unit and the Joint Counter-small UAS Office, or JCO, have issued a solicitation seeking industry input on low-collateral defeat, or LCD, options in support of the Replicator 2 program.

Enhancing Defense Against Small Drones

The DIU said Monday the notice aims to solicit proposals for LCD technologies that can be rapidly developed and deployed across the joint force and incorporated into current counter small unmanned aerial systems, or C-sUAS.

The request for proposal, which aligns with E.O. 14269 or Modernizing Defense Acquisitions and Spurring Innovation in the Industrial Base, also recognizes the need for new technologies to enhance strategic capabilities of the Department of Defense, including all military services, the Northern Command, or NORTHCOM, the Office of the Under Secretary of Acquisition and Sustainment and the partnership with the United Kingdom.

As part of the Replicator initiative, the solicitation aims to support warfighters with LCD capabilities that effectively neutralize small drone threats while reducing risks to friendly forces, civilians and infrastructures.

Interested contractors have until May 19 to submit their responses.

“This project is a key step in our joint solutions approach to address the growing threats and challenges of all-domain drone warfare,” said JCO Director, Maj. Gen. David Stewart, a 2025 Wash100 Award winner. “We are focused on accelerating capability development, while introducing novel operating concepts,” he added.

“DIU continues to work with partners across DOD to accelerate efforts to address UAS threats in both combat environments and highly populated areas,” said Doug Beck, director of the DIU.

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DOD Completes Flight Tests for Reusable Hypersonic Vehicle
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DOD's logo

The Department of Defense’s Test Resource Management Center and Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division have completed two flight tests for a reusable hypersonic vehicle.

In both the December 2024 and March 2025 trials, the Stratolaunch Talon-A hypersonic vehicle launched from a Roc carrier aircraft, flew over the Pacific Ocean and breached Mach 5 speed, the Department of Defense said Monday. The experiments advanced TRMC’s Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonics Test Bed, or MACH-TB, program, which aims to accelerate hypersonic vehicle testing using commercial launch systems.

MACH-TB Milestone

“Demonstrating the reuse of fully recoverable hypersonic test vehicles is an important milestone for MACH-TB,” according to TRMC Director George Rumford. “Lessons learned from this test campaign will help us reduce vehicle turnaround time from months down to weeks,” he added.

“Being able to complete these large-scale launches shows how our team is helping the customer move faster by using commercial capabilities,” noted Mike Maughan, aerospace systems lead at Leidos, the project’s prime contractor.

Advanced Hypersonic Capability Development

The MACH-TB program was established to provide the DOD and other federal agencies with the ability to rapidly conduct hypersonic experiments and test hypersonic system components. The initiative aims to accelerate the delivery of advanced hypersonic capabilities to U.S. warfighters. NSWC Crane selected Leidos to support the effort, and the company tapped Stratolaunch to provide flight test services for the project.

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ODNI Report Attributes Increased US Person Query Terms Usage to Cyber, International Terrorist Threats
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ODNI logo

An intelligence community transparency report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence showed an increase in the number of U.S. person query terms used by the National Security Agency, the CIA and the National Counterterrorism Center in 2024, resulting from cybersecurity and international terrorist threats.

According to the report published on Monday, the higher query numbers were partly due to cyberthreats to U.S. infrastructure; the Israel-Hamas conflict; and threats related to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, including from eight foreign nationals from Tajikistan, an Afghan national in Oklahoma and more than 400 Central Asian migrants with links to an ISIS network.

FISA Section 702 Reauthorization Bill

The 12th Annual Statistical Transparency Report was released consistent with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. It covers the timeframe under the Biden administration, during which the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act, or RISAA, was signed into law. 

RISAA extended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for two additional years and prohibited the FBI from conducting Evidence of a Crime Only queries into FISA Section 702 data, decreasing the number of U.S. person queries reported by the agency.

The public release of the report, which paired statistics with explanatory narratives, is expected to enhance public understanding of intelligence activities.

ODNI Report Attributes Increased US Person Query Terms Usage to Cyber, International Terrorist Threats

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Intel Summit, where top intelligence leaders will provide insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the IC today and into the future. Register now!

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Republican Legislators Introduce Bill to Modify Decades-Old Missile Export Regulation
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Missiles can address adversary threats.

Republican legislators have introduced the Missile Technology Control Revision Act, which would remove outdated regulatory barriers preventing allies from getting access to critical missile technology. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., one of the bill’s proponents, said Monday that the legislation can serve as a “force multiplier” that empowers the United States and its allies to address shared threats today and in the future. 

“We cannot allow bureaucratic red tape to hinder our national security,” Huizenga commented. “By modernizing the Missile Technology Control Regime to meet the security challenges of today, we can strengthen our defense capabilities and increase our cooperation with our allies, especially Australia and the United Kingdom.”

Easing Missile Export Control

The Missile Technology Control Revision Act would amend the decades-old Arms Export Control Act of 1976, which covers the Missile Technology Control Regime, or MTCR. Signed in 1987, the MTCR is a non-binding arrangement designed to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. However, the legislators noted that the control regime offers no independent means to assess if member states follow or break guidelines and its strict implementation prevented the U.S. from sharing critical capabilities to allies. 

All the while, adversaries are bolstering their military capabilities, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, explained. 

“The Chinese Communist Party is working at lightning speed to advance its military apparatus — and it does not play fair,” the chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee stated. “The Mission Technology Control Revision Act empowers the United States and its allies to meet that generational challenge head-on by removing burdensome red tape that slows down the transfer of critical military technologies.” 

The proposed legislation will expedite the trade of defense equipment with eligible countries. McCaul added that the bill will strengthen U.S. partnership with Australia and the United Kingdom and increase deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.

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DOE Names Cyber Office Head, Chief of Staff
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New DOE leadership appointments

The Department of Energy has appointed Alex Fitzsimmons to lead the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response.

Alex Fitzsimmons Career Highlights

Fitzsimmons returned to the DOE in January as chief of staff after serving as the agency’s deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency under the first term of President Donald Trump. Before he rejoined the department, he became the senior director for renewable energy, energy storage and advanced manufacturing at ClearPath and the head of government affairs at Sila Technologies.

New DOE Chief of Staff

The DOE selected Carl Coe, the head of the agency’s Department of Government Efficiency, to replace Fitzsimmons as chief of staff. Coe previously was the CEO of Mango Practice Management and MercuryGate International. He also spent over 17 years holding leadership roles at PTC, including senior vice president for America sales.

Global AI Race

According to the agency, the new appointments will focus on strengthening and securing the U.S. energy system and ensuring the United States is ahead of the global race for artificial intelligence leadership.

“The race for global leadership in AI is the new Manhattan Project, and winning this race depends on our ability to increase access to abundant supplies of reliable, affordable energy and build secure infrastructure,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.

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Jeff King to Step Down as Treasury Department Acting CIO
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Jeff King, Acting Chief Information Officer of the U.S. Department of Treasury

Jeffrey King has revealed on LinkedIn Saturday that he is stepping down as acting chief information officer of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Jeff King’s Career Achievements

King also currently serves as principal deputy CIO of the Treasury Department. The senior technology executive oversees the department’s engineering, infrastructure and operations. He also manages a $6 billion technology portfolio.

Before joining the government, King was with Deloitte for over three years as the senior manager of the cyber risk practice. In this capacity, the executive supervised teams tasked with developing and implementing enterprise cybersecurity capabilities for global financial institutions.

King also served as principal of the global cybersecurity practice at IBM Promontory, where he worked closely with senior executives of global financial institutions on developing intelligence-driven cybersecurity programs.

The executive previously worked at the Treasury Department from 2011 to 2017. He was a senior adviser for cybersecurity responsible for developing and implementing shared security services across the department. He also served as adviser to senior technology leaders.

King started his career as an associate in the national security practice at Booz Allen Hamilton. He led the engineering and operational efforts for enterprise-wide cybersecurity platforms for the military and intelligence sectors.

“I’m deeply appreciative of the confidence that leadership had in me to lead both the department and IRS technology teams through significant transitions,” said King. “I will be cheering the team on as they continue to perform critical work in support of the Treasury mission,” he added.

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OMB Unveils Trump’s Proposed FY 2026 Budget
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White House releasing the president's proposed FY 2026 discretionary budget with increased funding for defense and DHS

President Donald Trump’s budget request for fiscal year 2026 seeks to reduce the topline discretionary budget by $163 billion, reflecting a 23 percent cut from the enacted FY 2025 level.

Increasing Defense Spending by 13%

The White House said Friday the Office of Management and Budget sent to Congress the president’s budget proposal, which would increase defense spending by 13 percent to $1.01 trillion in FY 2026.

The proposed budget seeks to prioritize investments in initiatives that intend to reestablish deterrence; strengthen the security, safety and sovereignty of the homeland; revitalize the U.S. defense industrial base; and deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.

Raising DHS Appropriations by Nearly 65%

The administration’s budget request includes a nearly 65 percent increase in appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security to support investments in border security efforts.

The proposed budget includes an additional $500 million for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to speed up the removal of illegal aliens through the support of 50,000 detention beds and $766 million for the procurement of border security technologies. It also includes funding to maintain 22,000 Border Patrol agents and hire more Customs and Border Protection officers.

Supporting Space Flight

The budget request includes over $7 billion for NASA’s lunar exploration missions and $1 billion in new investments for Mars-focused programs.

The proposal would also streamline NASA’s IT services, workforce, facility maintenance, center operations, and construction and environmental compliance activities.

Realigning Foreign Aid

Under the budget blueprint, the current administration would reorganize the U.S. Agency for International Development into the Department of State and expand the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, or DFC, to support American interests and U.S. national security.

The president’s budget proposes $3 billion for a new revolving fund to enable DFC to recycle realized returns from its initial investments.

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NavalX Picks Top 6 Tech Projects Through Crucible Pitch Competition
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NavalX Director Capt. Joel Uzarski commenting on the 2025 Crucible Pitch Competition and how it advances defense innovation

NavalX held the 2025 Crucible Pitch Competition in April and selected the top six projects that seek to address critical military requirements and present commercial opportunities.

NavalX said the competition provided the Navy with an opportunity to advance defense innovation and help improve warfighter readiness through the expansion of the industrial base.

NavalX’s 6 Selections

Out of more than 25 proposals, six tech projects from dual-use startups were selected and won research sponsorships to advance development work.

The selected projects are:

  • AmbientSense Technologies — smart stickers for proactive corrosion monitoring
  • Hybron Technologies — lightweight composites tailored for defense platforms
  • Khasm Labs — secure tactical edge networks for operations in contested zones
  • Roboto AI — artificial intelligence-powered robotics data analysis platform
  • Shield — patent-pending laser technology for advanced drone detection
  • Solid Hydrogen — solid-state hydrogen storage enabling compact, clean energy

“NavalX enables mission delivery by lowering the barrier to entry for new ideas and accelerating vetted technologies into the hands of the warfighter,” said Capt. Joel Uzarski, director of NavalX. 

“This pitch competition is an excellent example of how we accelerate capability through connection, curation and collaboration. Whether partnering with industry or across DoD commands, NavalX’s value is in brokering fast, smart and scalable connections,” added Uzarski.

What Is NavalX?

NavalX works to deliver cutting-edge technologies to the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps by linking innovators to resources, networks and expertise.

It advances the transition of emerging technologies that support warfighter readiness and lethality through TechBridge Network, Crucible and other programs.

Uzarski will be one of the keynote speakers at POC’s 2025 Navy Summit on Aug. 26. Listen to him and other experts as they discuss the latest tech advancements, policies and trends shaping the future of naval operations. Register now!

POC - 2025 Navy Summit
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TMF Prioritizes Full Repayment to Fund Modernization Efforts
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Technology Modernization Fund logo

The Technology Modernization Fund has revealed that it is implementing a strategic adjustment to its funding model by prioritizing full repayment for new investments.

The U.S. General Services Administration said Friday TMF decided to change its approach to funding to ensure sustained financial support for critical modernization projects across the federal government.

IT Modernization Through Enhanced Repayment Structure

TMF has empowered federal agencies with upfront funding and specialized advisory services since 2018. This enables agencies to rapidly develop and deploy transformative IT initiatives with enhanced accountability. This funding framework bridges the gap between finance and IT teams, resulting in decreased duplicated expenditure and development of shared resources for the whole federal enterprise. To date, TMF has invested more than $1.05 billion in 69 projects spanning 34 federal agencies.

“Our digital infrastructure is fundamental to everything the government does,” said Gregory Barbaccia, federal chief information officer and 2025 Wash100 Award winner. “This shift transforms a finite appropriation to an enduring fixture of our modernization strategy, creating lasting institutional capacity to address technology debt,” added the TMF board chair.

GSA Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian, said, “By ensuring full repayment of our investments, the TMF sends a clear message to federal agencies: focus on high-impact, high-return modernization efforts. These investments not only replace outdated systems but also streamline critical operations, ultimately improving services for government employees and delivering greater value to taxpayers.”

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NTIA, NASA Propose 18 GHz Band Allocation for Space-to-Space Communications
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Satellite communication systems

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration and NASA have recommended allocating radio frequencies in the 18 GHz band for space-to-space communications to keep the United States at the forefront of commercial space.

Advancing Commercial Space Industry

According to a joint report published on Thursday, the proposed commercial allocation would be paired with an allocation for federal government operations. The 18 GHz band working group, comprising NASA,  NTIA and the Department of Defense, completed technical studies and determined that new federal and non-federal intersatellite service, or ISS, allocations in the band will provide regulatory certainty to support the development of commercial services for the space agency’s future needs. 

The document stated that commercial space services could meet NASA’s intersatellite data link requirements for future missions, noting that the agency will not develop additional Tracking and Data Relay Satellites for space-to-space links. NASA’s shift to commercial services, in line with a congressional directive, is expected to boost the commercial space industry.

Protecting Incumbent Operations

NTIA and NASA’s proposal builds on the 2023 World Radiocommunications Conference, during which co-primary allocations for the ISS in the 18 GHz band were added to the International Table of Frequency Allocations to support increasing missions in space.

The report directed the Federal Communications Commission to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking for the 18 GHz allocations and service rules and implement the WRC-23 outcome by adopting new, co-primary allocations for the intersatellite service in the 18 GHz band in the United States Table of Frequency Allocations. It also asked the FCC to add a new international footnote to the U.S. frequency allocations table to ensure proper regulatory protection for incumbent systems using the band.

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