Budget Adds $150B for Defense

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The House and Senate have approved a GOP-led budget resolution that would add up to $150 billion for defense, Breaking Defense reports. Unresolved are where that money goes, how to cut up to $1.5 trillion elsewhere in the federal budget while extending previous Trump-era tax cuts, and raising the debt ceiling.

As part of a efforts to make weapons purchases faster and more efficient, Breaking Defense reports, President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to review all major weapons programs and consider canceling efforts more than 15% over budget, behind schedule, or unwanted by the secretary of Defense.

DefSec Pete Hegseth plans to cut $5.1 billion in wasteful DoD contracts, reports Defense.gov. The list of cuts include $1.8 billion in consulting contracts the Defense Health Agency awarded to various private sector firms, a $1.4 billion enterprise cloud IT services contract awarded to a software reseller, and a $500 million Navy contract for business process consulting.

Google has offered all federal agencies a 71% discount off current pricing on its Workspace software suite through Sept. 30, reports NextGov. The  discount is based on the volume of the entire federal government rather than traditional agency-by-agency pricing.

Before Trump postponed implementation of most of his threatened tariffs, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained that the president’s vision of iPhones being manufactured in the US will come to fruition, despite assertions from analysts and the company itself that it would not be possible, reports The Guardian.

Tech giant Apple chartered cargo flights to ferry 600 tons of iPhones, or as many as 1.5 million, to the United States from India, after stepping up production to beat Trump’s threatened tariffs, reports Reuters.

Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission vice president responsible for tech sovereignty, indicated the EU was not going to compromise on its digital rulebook to reach an agreement on trade with the US, a key demand of Trump administration officials, reports The Guardian.

The Senate early Friday morning voted 60 to 25 to confirm Trump’s choice to be chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired LTGEN Dan Caine, reports The Hill.

A hack into the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency discovered in February has been deemed a “major information security incident” in a notification to Congress, reports NextGov. The hackers gained access to top officials’ emails that contained highly sensitive information about the financial condition of federally regulated financial institutions. The office in the Treasury Department oversees national banks and related federal savings associations.

The Interior Department has fired its top technology and cybersecurity leadership, in addition to others in the department’s shared services and solicitor’s offices, after they objected to giving the Department of Government Efficiency access to a key federal personnel and payroll system. Other leaders in the department’s tech shop are taking the administration’s re-upped deferred resignation offer resulting in vacancies in most of the department’s tech leadership positions, reports NextGov.

In what appears an unprecedented use of executive orders, Trump has targeted two former first-term appointees over their criticism of his actions, stripping their security clearances and opening federal probes of their tenures, reports Politico. Trump ordered the Justice Department to scrutinize Chris Krebs, who ran Trump’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and former senior Department of Homeland Security official Miles Taylor. Criminal investigations are supposed to be insulated from political pressure.

Airmen and Space Force Guardians had their scheduled family days for 2025 canceled. Officials said the extra leave granted around federal holidays to be used for four-day weekends did not align with the administration’s warfighting priorities and could not legally be extended to civilian employees, reports Military.com.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is poised to assume temporary leadership of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a rare dual appointment that places the 38-year-old at the helm of two high-stakes federal institutions, reports Military.com.

The newly elevated acting head of US Cyber Command, LTGEN William Hartman, appeared to defend a continuation of the dual-hatted role for the position in which he serves, also leading the National Security Agency, telling lawmakers it allows more “speed and agility” to take on adversaries in cyberspace, reports Breaking Defense.

Despite a warning from defense officials and school principals that participating in widespread school walkouts could mean unexcused absences, detention, and restrictions on sports participation, hundreds of students at DoD schools across the globe walked out of class Thursday to protest book bans, curriculum changes, and restrictions on extracurricular activities resulting from the Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity, reports Military.com.

The lead ship in the Columbia class of nuclear submarines is facing delivery delays of up to 18 months, and “critical path challenges” continue to jeopardize carrier delivery schedules, Navy officials told the Senate Armed Services seapower subcommittee last week. Likewise, nuclear aircraft carriers are facing delays as production on future Ford-class hulls are taking longer than anticipated.

F-35A Lightning II fighter jet comprised of parts from two separate F-35A jets is returning to full service after a years-long repair, reports Military Times. The F-35 Joint Program Office concocted the “Frankenjet” — which features the nose of the AF-27 grafted onto the AF-211 — to maximize taxpayer dollars and resurrect an extra operational aircraft.

Ukraine has expanded its claim of the number of Chinese nationals fighting for Russia’s invading army, saying it had gathered detailed intelligence on more than 150 mercenaries Moscow allegedly recruited through social media. In China, officials called the allegations “totally unfounded,” reports AP News.

Taiwan prosecutors on Friday for the first time charged a Chinese ship captain with intentionally damaging undersea cables off the island in February, after a rise in sea cable malfunctions alarmed Taiwan officials amid tensions with China, reports CNN.

The head of US Indo-Pacific Command supports reactivating the naval airbase at Adak, a remote Cold War station in the Aleutian Islands but an unnamed Chinese shipping company has also reached out to the current landowner to express interest in negotiating a lease, reports Maritime Executive.

Vice Chief of Space Operations GEN Michael Guetlein said last week that commercial systems have observed Chinese satellites rehearsing “dogfighting” maneuvers in low Earth orbit — the US adversary’s latest show of tactical and technological advancement in space capabilities, reports Defense News.

Trump said last week that Israel would be the “leader” of a potential military strike against Iran if Tehran doesn’t give up its nuclear weapons program, reports Military.com.

Israel controls more of Gaza than at any point during the war, part of a plan that officials increasingly describe as leading to a full military occupation, reports Military.com.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has declared a state of emergency in Albuquerque, citing a significant increase in crime to activate the New Mexico National Guard. Training for 60 to 70 troops is underway, reports Military.com, not to engage with the public but to relieve law enforcement of other duties such as directing traffic, securing crime scenes, distributing food and supplies to the homeless, transporting prisoners, providing courthouse security, and running drone operations used for locating suspects or assessing incidents.

St. Mary’s County Information Technology Director Bob Kelly announced last week that “by the end of this spring St. Mary’s County should be at 99% coverage for wired broadband services to all of our addresses,” reports Southern Maryland News. Kelly said a state grant issued about 18 months ago has funded the final piece of Verizon Fios being installed from Lexington Park to Ridge.

Contracts:

BAE Systems, Information and Electronics, Nashua, New Hampshire, is awarded a $40,690,648 modification (P00006) to a cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N0001924F0095) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001922G0009). This modification exercises an option for low-rate initial production of three Advanced Survivability Pod ship sets in support of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft for the Navy. Work will be performed in Nashua, New Hampshire (91.5%); Austin, Texas (6.3%); and Patuxent River, Maryland (2.2%), and is expected to be completed in January 2030. Fiscal 2024 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $40,690,648 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract action was no competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Lyon Shipyard, Inc., Norfolk, Virginia (N5005420D0001); BMFT JV, Chesapeake, Virginia (N5005420D0002); Colonna’s Shipyard, Inc., Norfolk, Virginia (N5005420D0003); Fairlead Boatworks, Newport News, Virginia (N5005420D0004); and East Coast Repair and Fabrication, Newport News, Virginia (N5005420D0005), were awarded a modification to increase the cumulative ceiling value in the amount of $25,680,000 to previously awarded multiple award indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts. These contracts provide messing and berthing barges support for the Navy. Work will be performed in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, and is expected to be completed by May 2025. Fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding will be utilized through the issuance of individual delivery orders. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded April 4, 2025)

Aecom Technical Services Inc., Los Angeles, California (W91278-25-D-A001); Alpha-ERG JV LLC, San Antonio, Texas (W91278-25-D-A002); Applied Ecology Inc., Melbourne, Florida (W91278-25-D-A003); Cardno-EA Partners JV, Hunt Valley, Maryland (W91278-25-D-A004); HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction Inc., Englewood, Colorado (W91278-25-D-A005); Jacobs Government Services Co., Arlington, Virginia (W91278-25-D-A006); Koman Eco Ageiss JV LLC, Marlborough, Massachusetts (W91278-25-D-A007); Michael Baker International Inc., Moon Township, Pennsylvania (W91278-25-D-A008); Montrose Environmental Solutions Inc., North Little Rock, Arkansas (W91278-25-D-A009); PHE-NDN JV LLC, Rockville, Maryland (W91278-25-D-A010); Stell Sia Salas O’Brien LLC, Mountlake Terrace, Washington (W91278-25-D-A011); Tetra Tech Inc., Pasadena, California (W91278-25-D-A012); and WSP USA Environment & Infrastructure Inc., Blue Bell, Pennsylvania (W91278-25-D-A013), will compete for each order of the $249,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect and engineering services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 13 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 10, 2030. US Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity. 

National Industries for the Blind, Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $67,903,500 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for operational camouflage pattern combat uniform trousers. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Texas and Mississippi, with an April 10, 2030, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2025 through 2030 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-25-D-B004).

H&L Environmental Services LLC, Maxton, North Carolina (W91CRB-25-D-A001), and Fred L Hawkins Co. Inc., Havre De Grace, Maryland (W91CRB-25-D-A002), will compete for each order of the $9,999,999 firm-fixed-price contract for range maintenance support services. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 11, 2030. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. 

Trident Maritime Systems Inc., Arlington, Virginia (N3220525D4047); and Johnson Controls, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin (N3220525D4048), are each awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. The estimated aggregate ceiling for both is $99,000,000 with the companies having the opportunity to compete for individual firm-fixed-price orders. These contracts provide for HVAC, refrigeration, and automation and controls systems for propulsion, steering, engine associated services and part supply in support of MSC vessels T-AO 205 Class (Fleet Replenishment Oiler) and T-AKE Class (Dry Cargo /Ammunition). The Government is contracting not only for specific products, but also for the delivery and service within specific time constraints defined by the contract. The contract contains a five-year ordering period and one six-month option. The contract will be performed on a worldwide basis beginning Apr. 10, 2025, and will conclude on Oct. 09, 2030, if option is exercised. This contract was procured utilizing other than full and open competition, solicited via the Government Point of Entry website; two offers were received. Navy’s Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Modern Technology Solutions Inc., Alexandria, Virginia, was awarded a ceiling $17,330,581 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Resilient by Design Architecture. This contract provides for development of infrastructure and tools to perform demonstrations and real-world experimental capabilities for validation of the Space Data Transport Network. Work will be performed in Alexandria, Virginia; and Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is expected to be completed by April 10, 2030. This contract was a competitive acquisition, and one offer was received. Fiscal 2024 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $250,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Research Lab Space Technology Branch, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA9453-24-C-X014).