All articles
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Awards
Navy Awards HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding $283M to Start FF(X) Frigate Construction After Constellation-Class Cancellation
Ingalls Shipbuilding secured a $283 million lead yard support contract on April 28 to begin cutting steel and procuring long-lead materials for the FF(X) frigate, which replaces the cancelled Constellation-class program and targets first delivery by 2028.
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Awards
Navy Commits $103M to Submarine Test Infrastructure in Back-to-Back Awards to General Dynamics and HII
Two May 7 contract awards totaling $103M expand the Navy's submarine test and unmanned undersea vehicle programs: a $66M SBIR III IDIQ to General Dynamics Mission Systems for Virginia- and Columbia-class test data systems, and a $37M Lionfish UUV production option to HII.
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Enforcement
SBA's Expanded Administrative False Claims Act Powers Are Now in Effect — What Defense Contractors and 8(a) Firms Need to Know
As of May 4, 2026, SBA's new rule under the Administrative False Claims Act raises the agency's administrative enforcement ceiling from $150,000 to $1 million, adds reverse false claims liability, and extends the statute of limitations, materially expanding risk for small business program participants.
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Awards
NAVAIR Awards Lockheed Martin $14.5M to Instrument F-35C Test Jets for Carrier Suitability Trials as Block 4 Testing Gap Widens
A $14.5M cost-plus-incentive-fee contract awarded to Lockheed Martin by Naval Air Systems Command covers installation of flight test instrumentation on CF-5 aircraft to bridge a gap in F-35C carrier suitability testing until dedicated flight science jets become available.
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Policy
June 30 Deadline Looms: FAR Overhaul Quintuples TINA Threshold and Doubles CAS Coverage Floor
The most consequential FAR changes in 40 years take effect June 30, 2026. Certified cost/pricing data threshold jumps from $2M to $10M; full CAS coverage threshold doubles from $50M to $100M. Contractors near the old lines need to act now.
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Awards
Space Force Triples Andromeda Ceiling to $6.2B — 14 Firms to Replace GSSAP and SILENTBARKER Spy Satellites
The Andromeda IDIQ, awarded to 14 firms in April 2026 for next-generation geosynchronous surveillance satellites, has seen its ceiling raised from $1.84B to $6.2B. The program replaces GSSAP (run by Space Force) and SILENTBARKER (run jointly with NRO). FY2027 urgency is driving the acceleration.
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Awards
B-52J Clears Critical Design Review — Boeing Begins $2B Engine Swap at San Antonio This Year
The B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program passed its Critical Design Review in early May 2026, clearing the path for Boeing to begin modifying the first two aircraft at its San Antonio facility later this year. Rolls-Royce F130 engines will replace 1960s-era TF33s on all 76 bombers.
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Policy
White House Moves to Strip AI Vendors' Veto Power Over How Agencies Use Their Technology
Draft White House policy language would establish that elected government — not private AI companies — determines lawful use of technology under federal contracts. The move follows the Anthropic/DoD dispute and a broader renegotiation of AI safety testing access at Commerce.
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Policy
Army's $253B FY2027 Budget Boosts R&D by $2.1B — What Gets Funded and What Gets Cut
The Army's FY2027 budget request totals $252.9 billion, with R&D rising 12.9% to $18.7B. The increases target drone fleets, next-generation weapons, and 18,300 new soldiers. Financial management and audit readiness funding is quietly declining — a red flag for oversight-focused contractors.
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Policy
NGA Stands Up Rapid Capabilities Office, Promises AI Blueprint — and Explicitly Invites Risk-Taking
At the GEOINT Symposium in Aurora, Colorado, NGA Director Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp announced a new Rapid Capabilities Office with a mandate to bypass traditional acquisition timelines. Director Chris Parrett: 'We're not going to wait on the perfect solution.' An AI Blueprint is coming within weeks.
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Policy
SBA Is Moving the Small Business Contracting Goalpost — and Most Firms Don't Know It Yet
The Small Business Administration quietly revised how it grades agency small business performance in early 2026. New factors emphasize veteran contracting, de-emphasize 8(a) sole-source awards, and rename categories. With 1,000 firms suspended and only 65 new 8(a) entrants in 2025, the program is under its most severe pressure in decades.
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Policy
CISA's CI Fortify Initiative Puts Critical Infrastructure Operators — and Their Contractors — on Notice
CISA launched CI Fortify on May 5-6, 2026 — a new initiative requiring critical infrastructure operators to plan for isolation-mode operations and manual recovery from cyberattacks. ICS/SCADA vendors, MSPs, and security integrators are explicitly called out as essential partners.
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