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MDA Plans Live Hypersonic Missile Defense Demo
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MDA Plans Live Hypersonic Missile Defense Demo

The Missile Defense Agency is planning a live hypersonic missile intercept demonstration after the test completion of a simulated engagement Monday using Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Combat System. In an MDA statement Tuesday, Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, MDA director and a Wash100 awardee, stressed the critical need for defense against the “increasingly dangerous threat” of hypersonic missiles.

“The Aegis Weapon System will play a vital role in the next-generation integrated air and missile defense system, and (the) test demonstrated key achievements as we continue to partner with the Navy in advancing our nation’s counter-hypersonic capabilities,” the MDA chief noted.

Test Elements Aboard USS Pinckney

Monday’s Flight Test Other-40, or FTX 40, was performed aboard USS Pinckney (DDG 91) wherein an updated Standard Missile-6 was deployed for the simulated engagement against an air-launched medium range ballistic missile with a Hypersonic Target Vehicle-1 front end. The test used the Sea Based Terminal Increment 3 function incorporated in the latest Aegis software framework. Also known as Stellar Banshee, the test also enabled data collection for the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor demonstration satellite.

FTX-40 follows through on FTM-32, a 2024 SBT Increment 3 flight test experiment aboard an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer for the detection, tracking, engagement and SM-6 interception of an MRBM target at its flight’s terminal phase. The live hypersonic missile intercept demo that MDA plans next will be called Flight Test Aegis Weapon System-43, or FTM-43.

In April, a fully virtualized Aegis Combat System was deployed from the USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) to intercept an air target with a missile during the final phase of a combat system qualification trials that made the vessel the first U.S. Navy ship operating the Aegis system.

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Defense Leaders Discuss Skills-Based Hiring at DOD
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Defense Leaders Discuss Skills-Based Hiring at DOD

The U.S. military’s transition to skills-based hiring requires an overhaul of existing processes, according to defense officials. At a recent event, hiring managers from the Navy, the Air Force and the Marines shared required changes to improve personnel recruitment processes at the Department of Defense.

Modernizing the Hiring Process

The Marine Corps has already implemented skills-based hiring practices, with hiring managers conducting a pre-employment test that consists of work samples, case studies and skills-based interviews, shared Jing Deng, the service branch’s chief human capital officer for intelligence and cyber and workforce director. 

Jane Rathbun, chief information officer at the Navy and a two-time Wash 100 Award recipient, advocated for the return of the civil service tests, which were in place back when fewer people had college degrees. 

“Whether they have a piece of paper or not should not matter,” she commented. 

Rathbun added that the military should adopt rapid hiring. Currently, it takes an average of 80 days to fill an empty position, which the official says is “way too long.”

Meanwhile, Venice Goodwine, Air Force CIO and also a Wash100 awardee, decried the long processes job applicants endure when using the USAJOBS website, which is the federal government’s platform for hiring opportunities. 

Goodwine also commended the DOD Cyber Workforce Framework, which standardizes knowledge, skills and abilities across the entire department. She said the framework has made cyber incident response easier.

“Now, when you have these cyber events like SolarWinds or Log4j, and we require a certain skill set, we can just send out one meeting call, and they’ll all come,” Goodwine said.

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GSA Announces Multiple Award Schedule ‘Rightsizing’ Initiative
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GSA Announces Multiple Award Schedule ‘Rightsizing’ Initiative

The General Services Administration has launched a rightsizing initiative to improve the effectiveness of the Multiple Award Schedule, or MAS, Program.

In a statement published Monday, Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service and a 2025 Wash100 awardee, said the rightsizing effort presents an opportunity for the agency to prioritize fiscal responsibility and value in contracting.

What Does the Rightsizing Effort Entail?

Under the rightsizing initiative, GSA will allow MAS contracts that do not meet the sales thresholds to expire, eliminate low-demand items that fail to bring meaningful procurement benefits, reduce redundancies with other procurement channels and address noncompliance of MAS contractors, including performance concerns.

GSA will also remove inefficiencies, simplify processes and ensure proper alignment of oversight and management within the MAS program.

“With these actions, we can put our agency resources where they get the most impactful return on investment — and that means the goods and services that are most in demand by federal customers,” Gruenbaum noted.

“By refocusing the program on the items and services the government is actually buying, we can help our industry partners maximize their time and efforts while providing the best pricing possible for these mission-critical needs,” the FAS commissioner added.

What Is the MAS Program?

The MAS program is reportedly the world’s largest commercial acquisition program, recording over $51.5 billion in sales in fiscal year 2024. It helps government customers procure commercial products and services at pre-negotiated prices.

The program also provides government customers access to thousands of vetted vendors, customized terms and conditions, and acquisition and technology guidance.

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Senate Confirms Trump Nominee John Phelan as Secretary of the Navy
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Senate Confirms Trump Nominee John Phelan as Secretary of the Navy

The Senate has confirmed John Phelan, co-founder and chairman of private investment firm Rugger Management, as the new secretary of the Navy. Lawmakers on Monday voted 62-30 in favor of Phelan’s appointment, Senate.gov reported.

Who Is John Phelan?

Phelan is the seventh non-veteran to serve as Navy secretary in the last 70 years, noted Navy Times, and the first since Donald Winter, also a business leader, stepped down from the role in 2009. 

When his nomination was announced in November, then-president-elect Donald Trump touted Phelan’s business background for his selection. 

The chief executive said Phelan will “put the business of the U.S. Navy above all else,” according to Breaking Defense.

Phelan to Prioritize Shipbuilding 

In his opening statement at his confirmation hearing in February, Phelan shared that, if confirmed, he would focus on shipbuilding acquisition programs. 

“The president has been very consistent when he spoke with me: shipbuilding, shipbuilding shipbuilding,” he told lawmakers. 

He also spoke about the military’s current approach to shipbuilding. Phelan commented on the seeming lack of urgency. 

“It’s almost as if you’re waiting for a crisis to happen to ignite things,” he added. 

Phelan is expected to be sworn in as Navy secretary in the coming days.

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2 Army Programs Ready for DOD’s Software Acquisition Pathway
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2 Army Programs Ready for DOD’s Software Acquisition Pathway

Two programs of the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office Enterprise, or PEO Enterprise, are looking at other PEO Enterprise initiatives for lessons learned and best practices as they prepare to begin the execution phase under the Department of Defense’s Software Acquisition Pathway, or SWP.

The military branch said Monday the Operational Medicine Information Systems-Army, or OMIS-A, at Fort Derick in Maryland and IPPS-A Increment II are sister programs within the PEO Enterprise’s Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army, or IPPS-A, portfolio. 

OMIS-A Preparing to Stand Up in SWP

Over the past year, the team responsible for OMIS-A has been implementing Agile processes and preparing to start from the ground up in SWP.

OMIS-A, which seeks to modernize the Army’s electronic health record software capabilities, has completed its cost analysis requirements description and begun creating its cost position, which seeks to explain the financial requirements for implementing its mission in the SWP pathway, according to Angela Price, the program’s operations officer.

Upon completing the cost position, the OMIS-A team will meet with the Army acquisition executive, or AAE, by late April to secure approval to transition the program to the execution phase.

“Right now, we’re getting our documentation staffed and adjudicated with ASA(ALT) [assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology] and working on signature processes,” said Price.

“Overall, with the Army’s move to Agile and ASA(ALT)’s embrace, the timing is good because we’re making all these changes at once. With new memos and guidance coming out weekly, we’re having to embrace the whole Agile methodology. This is not just about software development — We’re having to adapt to changing policies. It’s keeping us sharp. We’re stretching our brains every day,” she added.

IPPS-A Increment II: Delivering Software at the Pace of Relevance

Lt. Col. Ryan Martin, IPPS-A Increment II product manager, said the program has adopted Agile software development practices and started as if it were already operating under the SWP pathway.

“The SWP provides the authorities and programmatic structure to really leverage industry best practices and modern software development techniques, which are critical for delivering value to users at the pace of relevance, especially in a system as complex and sprawling as the Army’s personnel and pay system,” Martin said.

According to the lieutenant colonel, the IPPS-A Inc II team is developing its cost analysis requirements description and plans to work with the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Cost and Economics on the cost position this summer.

The team is scheduled to meet with AAE in December to obtain approval in order to move the IPPS-A Inc II program to SWP’s execution phase.

DOD Secretary’s SWP Memo

In early March, Pete Hegseth, DOD secretary and a 2025 Wash100 awardee, issued a memorandum directing the department to adopt SWP to speed up the development, procurement and delivery of software and other weapons systems to warfighters.

In line with the SWP adoption, the memo titled “Directing Modern Software Acquisition to Maximize Lethality” calls for the Pentagon to align its contracting strategies and maximize its use of contracting authorities, such as the commercial solutions openings process and the other transaction authorities.

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Army Summit on June 18 and hear industry and government leaders discuss modernization imperatives, emerging threats, national security priorities and more. Register now!

POC - 2025 Army Summit
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FedRAMP 20x to Accelerate Secure Cloud Adoption Through Automation
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FedRAMP 20x to Accelerate Secure Cloud Adoption Through Automation

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program will collaborate with industry and other key stakeholders to develop and iteratively improve a cloud-native authorization approach, called FedRAMP 20x, as part of efforts to accelerate secure cloud adoption across federal agencies.

The program said Monday the FedRAMP 20x framework will advance automation to enable companies to continuously validate the security of their cloud offerings and will be updated annually to encourage security improvements.

“Our partnership with the commercial cloud industry needs serious improvement. Strengthening this relationship will help us fulfill our commitment to cutting waste and adopting the best available technologies to modernize the government’s aging IT infrastructure,” Stephen Ehikian, acting administrator of the General Services Administration, said in a statement published Monday.

“FedRAMP 20x will give agencies access to the latest technology now — not months or years down the road,” Ehikian added.

Where Are the Goals of FedRAMP 20x?

FedRAMP 20x will reduce red tape and accelerate approvals by advancing automation. It will also simplify security requirements to speed up the authorization of new cloud services within weeks.

Under the new framework, FedRAMP will provide more flexibility and promote better collaboration between federal agencies and cloud service providers. The program will also host public working groups to collect industry feedback, provide technical guidance and promote pilot programs.

“We’re not just modernizing a process; we’re reimagining how federal cloud security can work and providing agencies the ability to determine their own risk posture,” said Thomas Shedd, director of the Technology Transformation Services and deputy commissioner of Federal Acquisition Service at GSA.

“FedRAMP 20x represents our commitment to cutting through complexity, empowering innovation, and ensuring that security keeps pace with technological advancement. FedRAMP 20x will keep driving faster, smarter, and more customer-focused service for years to come,” Shedd added.

Other FedRAMP Changes in 2025

FedRAMP said it will pursue the development of new paths that eliminate inefficiencies and focus on security and establish policies and standards that enable private innovation to build the solution.

The new FedRAMP Program Management Office will now operate with a smaller team focused on addressing the agency authorization backlog and providing community support and technical assistance to establish standards.

Register now for the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Digital Transformation Summit on April 24. Hear experts as they discuss how emerging technologies and the latest tech advancements are reshaping government operations.

POC - 2025 Digital Transformation Summit
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NRO, SSC Launch NROL-69 Mission Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket
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NRO, SSC Launch NROL-69 Mission Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket

The National Reconnaissance Office and Space Systems Command have launched the NROL-69 mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The launch highlights the ongoing partnership with SSC to ensure reliable access to space for national security missions, NRO said Monday. During the operation, Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 and returned to landing zone 1 after delivering the payload to orbit.

Advancing US National Security Interest

The partnership under the National Security Space Launch program is a critical step in protecting U.S. interests in space, according to Col. Eric Zarybnisky, director of NRO’s Office of Space Launch. “Together, we are advancing national security by ensuring the U.S. maintains resilient and cost-effective space capabilities to meet evolving threats and deliver vital intelligence,” he explained.

Prior to the mission’s start, the launch team examined the flight hardware and integration elements to reduce risks, said Col. Jim Horne, senior materiel leader of launch execution at the U.S. Space Force.

“It was our first NSSL mission this calendar year and it hit the mark right in the middle,” he added.

Creating an Advanced Satellite Constellation

NROL-69 is the NRO’s initial mission with SpaceX under the SSC-supervised NSSL program. In the past two years, the office has sent over 150 satellites into orbit to establish what it characterizes as the most advanced government constellation in U.S. history. The NRO has scheduled more launches in 2025 to advance its mission of rapidly delivering the right data to the right user at the right time.

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Catherine Eschbach Named Labor Dept Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Director
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Catherine Eschbach Named Labor Dept Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Director

Catherine Eschbach has been named director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs in the U.S. Department of Labor.

The Labor Department said Monday Eschbach will be responsible for overseeing the OFCCP as it implements the new executive order rescinding EO 11246, which aims to end “illegal discrimination” and restore merit-based opportunity in federal contracting, primarily by dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, practices.

Eschbach on EO 11246 and DEI Practices

“President Trump made clear in his executive order on eliminating DEI that EO 11246 had facilitated federal contractors adopting DEI practices out of step with the requirements of our Nation’s civil rights laws and that, with the rescission of EO 11246, the president mandates federal contractors wind those practices down within 90 days,” said Eschbach. “As director, I’m committed to carrying out President Trump’s executive orders, which will restore a merit-based system to provide all workers with equal opportunity,” she added.

Career Achievements

The new DOL executive most recently worked as an appellate attorney for six years at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, where she honed her knowledge on complex constitutional, statutory and administrative law issues. Escbach led the firm’s efforts to ensure the federal government’s practices adhered to constitutional limits, including those affecting OFCCP.

Earlier in her career, Eschbach worked as a judicial law clerk for Chief Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He served the same role for Judge David Hittner of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

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DOE Modifies $900M Proposal Solicitation for Small Nuclear Reactors
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DOE Modifies $900M Proposal Solicitation for Small Nuclear Reactors

The Department of Energy has modified its solicitation for contractor proposals on its $900 million program for the U.S.-wide deployment of Generation III+ small modular reactors, or Gen III+ SMRs. The changes to the initial solicitation issued in October were made to keep the project in tune with the Trump administration’s policies, DOE said in a statement Monday.

“This solicitation is a call to action for early movers seeking to put more energy on the grid through the deployment of advanced light-water small modular reactors,” said Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.

The modifications include removal of all community benefits information required in the initial solicitation. The funding amount description and references on the program’s second tier for fast follower deployment support was also reworded to “approximately $100M” from the initial “up to $100M.”

The program’s first tier is focused on a first mover team support with a maximum $800 million funding for two teams composed of utility, building and other plant contractors for the first two Gen III+ SMRs.

Resubmission of Previous Proposals

The DOE said previous proposal submissions will not be evaluated, and entities that had applied need to revise their applications, including the deletion of any Community Benefit Plan information. 

According to the department, new proposals will also be accepted, with April 23 as the deadline for both new proposals and resubmissions. It also stressed that the management of submissions’ filing and processing has been moved to FedConnect, wherein registration for a new company account is open only to individuals designated as points of contact in SAM.gov.

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NSF IT Office Chief Terry Carpenter Retires
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NSF IT Office Chief Terry Carpenter Retires

National Science Foundation Chief Information Officer Terry Carpenter has retired, Nextgov/FCW reported Friday.

Table of Contents

CIO Since January 2024

Carpenter stepped down from his position at the end of February. He had headed the NSF’s IT office since January 2024. His appointment to the role took place alongside the establishment of Office of the Chief Information Officer, which was carried out as part of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.

Acting CIO

Carpenter has been succeeded by Clyde Richards Jr. in an acting capacity. Richards had previously served as NSF deputy CIO, a position he took on in March 2024.

Before joining the NSF, Richards was part of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency and, before that, the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army.

He has also served in the Defense Contract Management Agency and the U.S. Army.

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