Industry chaos, congressional clampdowns and secret CCA contracts: 2025 review
I didn't include Taylor Swift song recommendations this time, but if you're asking me my favorite tune off "The Life of A Showgirl," it's "Ruin the Friendship."
Space Force officials fear program delays from small business fund fight
The Space Rapid Capabilities Office already is seeing an impact from the congressional impasse on reauthorizing Pentagon use of Small Business Innovation Program grants, Director Kelly Hammett said.
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Turning R&D into reality to meet the challenges of the modern battlefield
Knowing when to build on commercial systems and when to develop something new can be the difference between parity and information dominance.
‘Clean those bastards out’: Small business fund used by DoD teeters on the edge
Senate lawmakers are at an impasse over the Small Business Innovation Research program, a key program used by the Pentagon to provide seed funding for small firms.
Small victories: Army Applications Lab issues first progress report
45 percent of AAL’s completed projects have “transitioned” into regular DoD programs, but AAL admits others “end up in the valley of death due to factors external to the project, even if the project meets all milestones and the technology solves the military problem.”
Congress saves SBIR program at the last minute, with strings attached
After lawmakers raised concerns about potential abuse, there was a "Herculean" effort to rewrite the legislation.
Lawmakers propose changes to SBIR as program renewal deadline nears
However the tech-focused small business program proceeds, some lawmakers are calling for change in how SBIR operates, according to documents obtained by Breaking Defense.
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GPS: Still the gold standard in global navigation
The GPS network continues to prove its unmatched reliability, and it’s only getting stronger.
Startup SCOUT piques Space Force interest with space data software
Sergio Gallucci, SCOUT co-founder and chief technology officer, told Breaking Defense that its new AFWERX contract is focused on demonstrating its software for integrating and streamlining unclassified data from multiple satellites.
After hearing Silicon Valley complaints, Hicks says no ‘magical’ fix to acquisition
“My view isn't like, I'm going to magically unlock special secret approaches that haven't been touched before,” Deputy Defense Secretary Kath Hicks said Wednesday. “I think it's more about how you start to shift the incentives"
Air Force To Fund, Test Unmanned Hypersonic Plane
"There are so many building block technologies that need to happen first. So, it’s a bit silly, but the appeal of the theoretical end result is undeniable," says Teal Group's Richard Aboulafia.
Could ‘Weather Intelligence’ Take The Pentagon By Storm?
A weather "data coverage gap exists in areas that we operate on a regular basis in the military," says Dan Stillman, director of marketing for Tomorrow.io's space and government division.
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Data overload threatens decisionmakers as autonomy expands
Reducing cognitive overload on warfighters while improving “time to trust” for autonomous systems is a matter of design.
Acquisition Reform That Works & No One Has Heard Of
Congress and the new Pentagon leadership must act now and expand the program to the Army and Navy, and the defense agencies. Scaling the program up will not cure all the department’s innovation woes but it will send an important message to our next generation of entrepreneurs that the Pentagon really is open for business.
SOFWERX Boosts Small Biz At SOCOM; Faster Turnaround
“If you can give me a white paper in three weeks, I'll pay for your white paper in three weeks, if you can give me a prototype in three months, I'll [pay for] your prototype in three months,” said James Smith, SOCOM's acquisition chief.
ERCA: Army Contracts To Help New Cannon ‘Fire Faster’
Five small businesses won SBIR Phase II awards to build robotic arms to handle shells, software to manage ammo inventory, and other prototype technologies.
AFWERX Seeks Next Breakthrough Tech Market For Investment
"I think we need something like a PEO that is wholly focused on commercial enterprise," says Air Force acquisition czar Will Roper.