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DIU Seeking UAS Proposals Under New Agile Development Process
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Project G.I. is a $20M Defense Innovation Unit agile development and deployment process for unmanned systems.

The Defense Innovation Unit is asking industry to propose uncrewed aerial systems and supporting items through its newly launched Project G.I. agile development and deployment process for unmanned systems.

According to DIU, the three-phase Project G.I. program, which has a $20 million prize funding pool, will accelerate the identification, assessment, iteration and integration of ready-now autonomous solutions at scale for participating units.

The agency is interested in less exquisite small and medium uncrewed aerial systems with a high technical readiness level for rapid adaptation to military needs. DIU will hold a webinar on June 17 to answer questions from interested parties. All submissions under the program’s design reference missions should feature mature, mission-ready capabilities that can participate in live evaluations within three months following the solicitation’s release.

Project G.I. Design Reference Missions

The program will evaluate UAS units and other items under three design reference missions, namely First Person View Effects, Kill Chain and a soon-to-be-published emerging problem set.

Proposals for FPV Effects, which aim to develop capabilities for kinetic attacks, should be received by July 10, while submissions for Kill Chain are due Aug. 15.

Project G.I. Phases

Phase one is focused on proposal evaluation and downselection. Selected companies are eligible for up to $50,000 each and will continue to the second phase.

A live demonstration event oriented on a specific design reference mission will be held during phase two. Based on user feedback and evaluation during the demonstration, vendors will be notified if they will advance to phase three and receive up to $500,000 each.

Based on performance in phase two, end-user feedback, capability maturity and available funding, the government may pursue one or more of the following actions during the third phase:

  • Provide cash prizes of up to $3M per company to incentivize further maturation. 
  • Procure and deliver selected systems to partner units for extended testing, assessment and training.
  • Issue a request for prototype proposal and award a prototype other transaction agreement for further prototyping.

Hands-on Testing 

Project G.I. will involve warfighters early in the process, allowing them to test and evaluate products and provide feedback. “Doing this at speed will in turn help catalyze the necessary scaling and readiness through major acquisition and training efforts across the Services that will deliver strategic impact – and will simultaneously support the flywheel of American private sector dynamism in delivering against that strategic need,” said Doug Beck, director of DIU.

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NSF Announces Up to $100M Investment in NextG R&D
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NSF's Verticals-enabling Intelligent NEtwork Systems program is an investment in next-gen wireless communications.

The National Science Foundation has launched a new funding opportunity for research and development related to the next generation of wireless communication systems, or NextG.

The independent agency said Tuesday that the NSF Verticals-enabling Intelligent NEtwork Systems, or NSF VINES, program, will invest $100 million toward accelerating innovations in NextG capabilities and ensure that the U.S. remains a leader in telecommunications technology.

NSF VINES is a partnership involving companies such as Ericsson, Intel and Qualcomm; federal government organizations, including the Department of Defense Office of the Under Secretary for Research and Engineering; and allies from around the world.  

NextG R&D Program Details

According to NSF, the initiative will have two tracks: Use-inspired Fundamental Research and Verticals-Driven Technology Development, Demonstration and Translation.

The first track, Use-inspired Fundamental Research, will focus on areas of the NextG that have high potential for impact. The program aims to identify and develop novel networking techniques and solutions.

The Verticals-Driven Technology Development, Demonstration and Translation track will aim to produce adoption-ready technologies.

NSF VINES will support R&D that employs other emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and quantum communications to advance NextG.

“NSF VINES will enhance U.S. competitiveness in advanced telecommunications technologies, including NextG wireless telecommunications and emerging potential NextG vertical industries, and prepare the American workforce for jobs available now and in the future,” said Brian Stone, chief of staff performing the duties of director at NSF.

Emerging NextG vertical industries include connected autonomous vehicles, precision agriculture, remote healthcare and smart grids.

“This important investment from NSF, in collaboration with industry and other government agencies, will help strengthen U.S. leadership and ensure the American people reap the benefits in areas such as self-driving cars, advanced manufacturing, energy infrastructure and beyond,” added Lynne Parker, principal deputy director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

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Melinda Rogers Leaves Post as DOJ Chief Information Officer
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Marking an "inflection point" in her life, Melinda Rogers is leaving the Department of Justice chief information officer post

Melinda Rogers shared on LinkedIn that she is leaving her position as chief information officer at the Department of Justice, effective Friday. Her departure from the department marks an “inflection point” in her life, as her twin sons moving away to college would enable her “to do something different,” she noted in her social media post. Rogers added that she anticipates “starting on a new milestone” and keeping the connections that she has established while with DOJ.

Melinda Rogers’ Career

Rogers had a tenure of over four years as the department’s CIO, with her role focused on IT services concurrent with her work as DOJ chief data officer and deputy assistant attorney general, according to her LinkedIn profile. Previous to her CIO position, she served for more than seven years as DOJ’s chief information security officer in charge of cybersecurity, including supply chain risk management and federal regulations compliance. 

Before joining DOJ, Rogers served as assistant vice president at Equifax, managing its service portfolio for fraud detection, identity verification and risk management. She also had previous stints as an account manager at Procter & Gamble and as assistant vice president of NationBank (now Bank of America), managing real estate loan portfolios and customer relations.

Shantrell Collier was appointed in February as the department’s deputy chief information officer. A retired U.S. Army sergeant major, Collier joined DOD in 2022 as the chief of staff to the assistant attorney general of administration.

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Johns Hopkins Lab Promotes Lisa Blodgett to Senior-Level CSO Role
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Lisa Blodgett of Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab has been elevated to the role of chief strategy officer.

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory has appointed Lisa Blodgett, its former force projection sector head, as assistant programs director and chief strategy officer. In her new senior-level role, Blodgett will oversee the lab’s strategic planning, direct its enterprise financial investment, lead engagement with government partners and grow industry relationships, APL said Monday. 

Ralph Semmel, APL director, described Blodgett as “an exceptional leader,” with a firm focus on the lab’s mission

“Her deep technical expertise and broad national security experience will be key to ensuring the Laboratory continues delivering game-changing innovations that will ensure our nation’s well-being long into the future,” Semmel said.

Lead Role in DOD Support Programs

According to her LinkedIn profile, Blodgett held her former role as the lab’s force projection sector head for 10 years. Her work in the sector, which covers nearly one-fourth of sponsored programs that APL runs, included managing projects geared to provide critical capabilities for the Department of Defense. The efforts that she led in the sector covered initiatives on submarine security, electronic warfare, advanced sensor development, precision strike, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. 

Blodgett has been working with APL for more than 34 years, starting out in 1991 as a research engineer providing computer modeling support to the U.S. Navy and later serving as an acoustic analysis. Subsequently, she was appointed business area executive for undersea warfare in 2006 and then sea control before taking the force projection post in 2015.

Membership in Advisory Councils

With her APL experience, Blodgett has been tapped as a council member of several national advisory organizations, such as the advisory council for the National Defense Industrial Association and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory National Security Sciences Strategic Advisory Board. She also chaired the Nuclear Command, Control and Communications Task Force of the U.S. Strategic Command Strategic Advisory Group.

Blodgett holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and master’s degrees in electrical and computer engineering and technical management from Johns Hopkins University.

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Trump Admin Proposes New Funding Mechanism for Technology Modernization Fund
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Trump in his new budget request proposes to fund TMF by collecting unobligated balances of expired discretionary funds

According to the General Services Administration’s fiscal year 2026 congressional justification, the president’s FY 2026 budget request includes a governmentwide provision that would permit GSA, with the Office of Management and Budget’s approval, to fund the Technology Modernization Fund by collecting unobligated balances of expired discretionary funds from other government agencies.

“This proposal offers a dual benefit: it would increase the amount of funding available in the TMF to make continued investments while simultaneously alleviating the burden on the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee,” GSA said in the document.

According to the document, the provision would provide TMF with the necessary funds to help federal agencies modernize high-priority systems, advance artificial intelligence adoption, support cross-government collaboration, improve cybersecurity, enhance public-facing digital services and advance shared services.

Advancing Federal Digital Transformation Through TMF

According to the GSA document, TMF has invested over $1.07 billion in 69 modernization projects and systems upgrades across 34 federal agencies. It has received and assessed more than 290 proposals totaling approximately $4.5 billion in funding demand.

TMF investments have enabled agencies to see dramatic results. These include enabling access to digital service records for millions of veterans and families through the National Archives and Records Administration and strengthening data security and privacy protections for 70 million retirement and disability beneficiaries and their families served by the Social Security Administration.

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NESDIS Publishes Orion Space Solutions’ Earth Observation Digital Twin Study
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A concept study found that an Earth observation digital twin could improve NOAA's weather monitoring/modeling capabilities

An Orion Space Solutions concept study, published under a partnership with the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service, found that the deployment of a machine learning-enabled Earth observation digital twin data ground processing and dissemination system could help improve the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s weather monitoring and modeling capabilities.

Under a Joint Venture Partnerships award, Orion used a sophisticated visualization engine; the ability to run, manage and visualize complex processes using high-performance computing in the cloud; and physics-informed machine learning technologies to prototype an automated Earth observational data processing, analysis and visualization system and explore how digital twins could be used for a variety of purposes, including space domain awareness, sea ice retrieval, weather forecast dissemination and advanced machine learning algorithm training, NESDIS said Monday.

As part of the study, which aims to extend and automate data processing and analytics as a next-generation ground processing enterprise, the company showed how the Earth observation digital twin prototype can be integrated with NOAA’s Unified Earth System Modeling Framework for scientists, engineers, forecasters and the public to better visualize, understand, and predict the past, present and future of the Earth environment.

Recommendations for Successful Digital Twin Implementation

Orion provided NOAA with recommendations on how to proceed should it decide to use the digital twin, including using open-source software tools, processes and engines that meet standards set by the geospatial community; automating the data processing pipeline to deliver information as it becomes available; and leaving source scientific data in original, container format, with a second visualization data format stored as modeled data points embedded in a hierarchical grid format for efficient storage and streaming while maintaining scientific fidelity.

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DIU Needs Qualified Assessors for Drone Compliance Evaluation
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DIU is seeking qualified organizations to be recognized assessors for compliance evaluations of drone platforms.

The Defense Innovation Unit invites qualified organizations to serve as recognized assessors, who will review drone platforms and associated components for compliance with the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA.

The NDAA assessment will inform the process of certifying drones for the Blue Unmanned Aerial Systems Cleared List, DIU said Monday. It also advances the government’s efforts to collaborate with industry, nonprofits, academic institutions and federally affiliated organizations for national security programs.

Recognized Assessors’ Responsibilities and Qualifications

The selected entities will conduct compliance assessments on relevant components, verify ownership and interest stakes to determine eligibility, review supply chain provenance and software/firmware/hardware artifacts, and submit assessment reports for DIU’s certification. If tapped for the program, the assessors will directly engage with companies looking to secure spots in the Blue UAS Cleared List.

For the initial cohort of candidates, DIU will work with organizations that can demonstrate technical expertise and experience, organizational independence and the ability to scale projects. The entities should also adhere to government standards, reporting format and audit oversight. In addition, candidates with expertise in regulation, supply chain forensics, business intelligence, reverse engineering and cybersecurity will be strongly considered for the initiative.

Interested parties can submit presentations or white papers detailing their capabilities no later than June 16.

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Air Force Safety Center Unveils CSAF’s Integrating Risk & Readiness Campaign Phase II
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The Integrating Risk & Readiness Campaign is a multi-phase effort to embed risk management principles across all commands

The U.S. Air Force Safety Center has launched phase two of the Air Force chief of staff’s Integrating Risk and Readiness campaign.

Utilizing Risk Management to Enhance Airmen’s Capabilities

The Air Force Materiel Command said Monday the IRR’s second phase is intended to embed risk management principles across all command levels. This is meant to equip airmen with the necessary skills and knowledge to identify risks, develop and implement mitigation strategies and assign the right person at the proper level to take on the risk.

Air Force Safety Center Unveils CSAF's Integrating Risk & Readiness Campaign Phase II

Risk management is just one of many components of air and space defense. Learn about the advancements in national security and defense capabilities in the air and space domains at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Defense Summit.

Phase two will utilize the “policy, practice, tools and training” construct to ensure consistent application of risk management processes in policy development, operational practices, training and risk management tool deployment.

Policy changes, including updates to DAFI 90-802, Risk Management, will establish standard risk management principles across the Department of the Air Force and be included in DAF publications.

Units will update their risk thresholds using the Risk Assessment Matrix to reinforce the practice line of effort. Commanders use these tools to define the impact on a unit’s mission and assign risk acceptance authority, embedding risk management principles into daily planning, execution and evaluation to foster a culture of proactive decision-making. The IRR campaign’s tools element involves the utilization of the Joint Risk Assessment Tool by all DAF personnel to complete a DD Form 2977, Deliberate Risk Assessment Worksheet, for scenario-based risk assessment during the annual risk management refresher training. The tools and training are intended to boost the baseline knowledge.

Leaders are also encouraged to use existing AFSEC tools like SAFEREP, the Military Flight Operations Quality Assurance program, Line Operations Safety Audit, DAF Combined Mishap Reduction System, and Organizational Safety Assessments.

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Army C5ISR Center to Launch 2025 Network Modernization Experiment Event
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U.S. Army's seventh Network Modernization Experiment is meant to get advanced tech into the hands of warfighters faster.

The U.S. Army is set to launch its annual Network Modernization Experiment, or NetModX, marking a significant shift toward accelerating the development of advanced technology to equip soldiers.

Fast-Tracking C5ISR Capabilities Deployment

The service branch said Monday the seventh NetModX will facilitate the transition of the Army Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, or C5ISR, Center to a dedicated environment for persistent experimentation to rapidly advance C5ISR capabilities from research and development to deployment on the front lines. NetModX is intended to address the challenges facing soldiers in contested battlefield network environments, including cyber threats, electromagnetic warfare and tactical communications.

Army C5ISR Center to Launch 2025 Network Modernization Experiment Event

Get insights on the Army’s modernization initiatives intended to protect soldiers and boost their capabilities to make informed decisions on the battlefield. Register and join Army officials, government leaders and industry trailblazers at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Army Summit.

C5ISR Center scientists and engineers will work with industry partners, soldiers and Army program executive offices this summer and fall to test the performance of technologies in operationally relevant environments and scenarios. Data gathered during the experiments will be used to support decision-making for both programs of record and science and technology projects.

The NetModX 25 will introduce the concept of persistent experimentation, which will extend to 2026. Through this approach, projects will undergo an experiment-refine-demonstrate-adapt process before they undergo large-scale Army integration. The C5ISR Center is also utilizing a cyclical process, ensuring alignment with the continuous transformation efforts of the Army Futures Command.

“NetModX facilitates the maturation and delivery of transformative C5ISR capabilities that enable soldiers to see the battlespace and effectively make decisions,” said Beth Ferry, director of the C5ISR Center. “Doing that in a persistent fashion rapidly accelerates capability development to combat an ever-changing threat environment.”

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Pete Hegseth on Reestablishing Deterrence in Indo-Pacific
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Headshot of Pete Hegseth, secretary of the Department of Defense

Pete Hegseth, secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2025 Wash100 awardee, said the U.S. intends to reestablish deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region through three approaches: improving U.S. forward force posture; helping allies and partners strengthen their defense capabilities; and rebuilding defense industrial bases.

Improving Forward Force Posture

“So first, the Department of Defense is prioritizing forward-postured, combat credible forces in the Western Pacific to deter by denial along the first and second island chains,” Hegseth said Saturday during the 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

To advance the first approach, the defense secretary cited DOD’s commitment to deploying more advanced U.S. military capabilities to the Philippines and the U.S. Army’s plans to perform the first live-fire test of its Mid-Range Capability system in Australia.

Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience

During the event, Hegseth mentioned the Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience, or PIPIR. PIPIR is a multilateral forum of 14 allies and partners working with industry, capital providers and non-government stakeholders to bolster industrial resilience, expand capacity and speed up deliveries.

He cited PIPIR’s initial projects, including plans to establish repair capability and capacity for P-8 radar systems in Australia to support Indo-Pacific allies and partners.

“The second is a project that will develop standards for small unmanned aerial systems across the Indo-Pacific, identifying secure sources of production for their critical components, and increasing global supply chain resilience for these essential systems,” Hegseth added.

Hegseth’s Call for Indo-Pacific Allies to Increase Defense Spending

The Pentagon chief also called on U.S. allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region to boost their defense spending.

“I urge all our allies and partners to seize this moment with us. Our defense spending must reflect the dangers and threats that we face today,” Hegseth said at the event.

“Ultimately, a strong, resolute, and capable network of allies and partners is our key strategic advantage. … But it’s up to all of us to ensure that we live up to that potential by investing. U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific can, and should, quickly upgrade their own defenses,” he added.

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