Laura Stanton, assistant commissioner for the office of information technology category at the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), said GSA plans to introduce a cloud marketplace that could be used by federal agencies as a one-stop shop for cloud platforms, FCW reported Monday.

"We keep hearing that agencies have to go multiple places to buy cloud," Stanton said. "We decided it was time to take the next step."

She noted that the planned marketplace would feature professional information technology services and post-award contract management tools and would include a “foundational set of requirements” to ensure that cloud platforms comply with Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) guidance and other security requirements.

“We want to put together not just a framework, but a market contractual vehicle that will allow our agencies to buy these core cloud services that we're seeing them need more and more,” Stanton said of the cloud marketplace.

In May, GSA sought industry feedback on plans to release a multiple-award blanket purchase agreement as part of an acquisition strategy for enterprise cloud services. The agency also issued a second draft policy that would enable federal agencies to buy commercial cloud services on a consumption basis under the Federal Supply Schedule program.

Sunnyvale, California-based security company Illumio has secured a contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory to help the service branch implement a tool to gain visibility into digital assets and prevent threats from spreading across a network.

The company said Monday it looks to drive the adoption of Core microsegmentation platform at the Department of the Air Force under the second phase of the AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research program.

Core is designed to help users identify applications with unnecessary risks via a map and block ransomware attack pathways before the malicious threat moves laterally within the enterprise.

Mark Sincevich, director of Illumio's federal business, said that microsegmentation could serve as a pillar of zero trust architecture implementation as more government agencies and military commands turn to the new security model as part of cyber risk reduction and resilience efforts.

Under a Phase I SBIR award, the company showcased the potential of its technology to prevent unauthorized access to workload communications.

The first F-5N aircraft has been delivered to Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland to kick off flight and ground tests of the redesigned F-5 tactical fighter jet as part of a prototyping project meant to improve readiness and safety.

The Navy’s Specialized and Proven Aircraft program office, PMA-226, will use the results from the tests to convert 16 F-5E and six F-5F aircraft purchased from the Swiss air force under the Avionics Reconfiguration and Tactical Enhancement/Modernization for Inventory Standardization program, Naval Air Systems Command said Monday.

The aircraft under the F-5 block upgrade prototype project will feature modernized avionics, cockpit and other systems that could provide fuel level warnings, protection from severe weather, air-to-ground warning functionality and other tactical capabilities that could enhance “friendly” force air-to-air training.

“This program will provide modernized aircraft with exceptional avionics and tactical capabilities which are needed to allow pilots to practice the tactics and techniques employed against a near-peer threat. Delivery of these improvements will ensure realistic and relevant tactical training the pilots need to win in combat,” said Capt. Ramiro Flores, PMA-226 program manager.

The delivered aircraft is one of the three F-5N planes that will be used as prototypes in the F-5 block upgrade project. PMA-226 finalized the ARTEMIS program's independent logistics assessment in June and expects to achieve a Milestone C decision in early fiscal year 2022.