For the next round of participants in a pilot program to Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT), the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) recently announced 13 projects will receive funding. Helmed by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)), this program is meant to hasten the transitioning of technologies into production, and subsequently field them for soldiers in the field. Priorities were given to technologies developed by small businesses and nontraditional defense contractors, to buck the trend of military ..read more

Focused on China and Russia as the combined threats of the present and future, a group of senators recently introduced the Restoring American Deterrence Act to revise United States nuclear preparedness and update deterrence strategies. The bill was based on recommendations from the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States, which was assembled by Congress in 2023 to review the country’s strategic posture, including nuclear weapons policy, strategy and force structure. It was the second commission of its kind, following the first in 2009. The goal, in both cases: f ..read more

This week, a collection of Republican and Democratic legislators introduced a bill to sanction any Chinese military firm supporting Russia. In the NO LIMITS ACT, U.S. Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), John Moolenaar (R-MI), and Jared Golden (D-ME) proposed blanket sanctions for any such firm providing material support to Russia during its invasion of Ukraine, and would give any Chinese military firms identified by the U.S. government 180 days to withdraw from the Russian market. Failure to do so would not result in steady increases in sanctions; it would lead to full blocks ..read more

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced more than $1.8 billion in preparedness grants to benefit eight recipients in fiscal year 2024 in addressing capacity, flexibility and high priority investments. “As threats continue to evolve, the Department of Homeland Security is committed to providing state, local, tribal and territorial governments, as well as transportation authorities and nonprofit organizations, with vital resources to help them strengthen our nation’s security and preparedness,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said. “This funding is essen ..read more

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a notice of funding opportunity for its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) grant program recently, opening a month-long application period for interested parties to seek out $18 million. Online, in-person, and hybrid projects run by states, localities, Tribes, and territories, as well as nonprofits and universities, are all applicable. Each will have until May 17, 2024, to apply, with winners to be announced in September. In all cases, this money will go toward helping local communities build and improve lo ..read more

In introducing their Defense Quantum Acceleration Act last week, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) seek to hasten the implementation of quantum technologies within the Department of Defense (DoD). Both lawmakers pitched the move as one specifically meant to counter China’s own advances. It is also meant to consolidate existing efforts, which the pair labeled tremendous, but noted lack a unified effort and focus when it comes to getting these capabilities to soldiers on a timeline. “U.S. advancement of quantum technology is critical for our nation to compete ..read more

A bill introduced by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Steve Daines (R-MT) recently proposed extending use of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) procurement tool to acquire leading-edge technology from private companies. The Better Enabling Secure and Trustworthy (BEST) Technology for the Homeland Act (S.4024) honed in on the other transaction authority (OTA), which DHS uses to work with contractors new and old to acquire technologies deemed mission critical for everything from border security to aviation and supply chain security. It allows the creation of flexible agreements in pla ..read more

A new bill introduced by U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) proposed protections for servicemembers by requiring the Department of Defense (DoD) to pursue better blast overpressure screening, tracking, prevention and treatment measures. Blast overpressure is the pressure caused by shockwaves above normal atmospheric pressure, generally caused by explosions or sonic booms. The Blast Overpressure Safety Act would require a host of protection measures – a potentially major need, given that DoD treatment nearly 50,000 servicemembers for related traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in ..read more

According to new findings from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S. Coast Guard’s ongoing efforts to modernize its fleet of about 200 aircraft suffer from a major flaw in its lack of analytical data.  The Coast Guard relies on its aircraft to protect the U.S. coastline and inland waterways, particularly for search and rescue missions. However, between fiscal years 2018 and 2022, its aircraft fleet availability failed to meet its 71 percent availability target, exposing the possibility that at least one aircraft might not always be available on short notice. At the time, t ..read more

Through an exercise known as Poseidon’s Domain, the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve will take crews from three of its Port Security Units (PSU) and put them to the test along the northeast and eastern coasts of Puerto Rico this month. From April 8 to April 25, crews from PSUs 305, 307, and 309 will train on Coast Guard Reserve PSU functions related to national defense and homeland security missions. Boat operations, air drone operations and Life Support Area establishment will all be part of the training events, conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Army Reserve 432nd Transportation Company, U.S ..read more