MD Loses Most Fed Jobs in US
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Maryland has lost more than 15,000 federal jobs since the start of the year, the largest such decline in the country during the Trump administration’s government reduction efforts. The Washington Post reports that in August, Maryland lost another 2,500 federal jobs, marking the state’s seventh consecutive month of federal job decline, said Dinah Winnick, a spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Labor.
Federal agencies are just days away from a funding lapse forcing closure of offices, but which employees will be sent home remains unknown. Historically, reports NextGov/FCW, the most recently updated of agencies’ shut-down contingency plans post on the Office of Management and Budget’s website. But OMB took down those plans earlier this year and has not restored them.
DefSec Pete Hegseth again terminated the military’s premier women’s advisory council, reports Military Times, for its “divisive feminist agenda that hurts combat readiness,” according to the Pentagon press office. The Defense Advisory Committee for Women in the Services had been among 40 committees Hegseth planned to reactivate with new committee members, but changed his mind on this one. The last DACOWITS’ agenda before quarterly meetings were paused addressed recruiting statistics; transfers between services; status of women serving on submarines; data on health and fitness including menopause, perimenopause, and hormonal imbalances; and reintegration to service of troops who’d given birth.
The US military buildup in the Caribbean has expanded to include another guided-missile destroyer, USS Stockdale, which joins seven Navy surface warships, reports USNI News. In addition to destroyers USS Jason Dunham and USS Gravely, are the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group — USS Iwo Jima, USS Fort Lauderdale, and USS San Antonio; the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie; and Littoral Combat Ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul. At least one nuclear attack submarine has been reported in the region.
Venezuela’s fishing villages know boats depart from its ports transporting both drugs and fish. Military Times reports. Since Venezuela’s economic collapse a decade ago, some fishing boats have been repurposed to smuggle migrants, traffic humans, wildlife, and fuel. Residents can tell when business is doing well because people eat out, get their hair and nails done, and buy expensive meat. They also say none of this has happened since the US military struck on one of those boats earlier this month.
The Virginia National Guard mobilized 40 soldiers and airmen this week in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement field offices across Virginia, to perform clerical duties, reports Military Times.
All of Maryland’s Air National Guard’s aircraft were decommissioned this week, making Maryland the only state in the nation without a flying mission within its National Guard, reports The Washington Post. Instead, the Air Force expanded the Maryland National Guard’s ground-based cybersecurity mission.
The US Army plans to cut 6,500 aviation jobs from the active duty ranks, starting in the coming months, reports Military Times. The move aims to realign the force toward the use of unmanned drones instead of manned aviation platforms and will occur over fiscal years 2026 and 2027, according to Army spokesman MAJ Montrell Russell.
UK Defence Journal reports BAE Systems plans to cut 116 management positions. The company statement reads, “We’ve undertaken a review . . .” and “Whilst we expect the overall size of the business to continue to grow, we’ll now commence consultation to potentially reduce our executive population by up to 116 roles.”
Washington is looking to set up a military storage facility in the Philippines by summer 2026 at the former US naval base at Subic Bay within 10 miles of the Marine Corps’ 57,000-square-foot warehouse at the former Subic Bay Naval Supply Depot, reports USNI News. Solicitation documents indicate the storage area should be able to support up to five dozen personnel and include a maintenance shop, reads the documents, one of the most significant developments from Washington in the Southeast Asian nation since the closure of its bases in the 1990s.
The Navy is “actively reviewing reports” of sailors whose social media activity is “misaligned with the Department’s current social media guidance,” according to a Navy official. Military.com reports that multiple members are reportedly under investigation or have been suspended, according to CBS News, for social media posts following the shooting of Charlie Kirk. The Navy’s social media handbook permits active-duty sailors to express personal views about public issues or political candidates but prohibits engagement in partisan political activity, such as posting a link to a political party or campaign.
The Army has released the names of the four soldiers killed Wednesday when the military helicopter they were on crashed near Army Joint Base Headquarters near Tacoma, WA, reports Military.com. Chief warrant officers Andrew Cully, 35, of Sparta, MO, and Andrew Kraus, 39, of Sanibel, FL; and sergeants Donavon Scott, 25, of Tacoma, WA, and Jadalyn Good, 23, of Mount Vernon, WA, died in the crash. The helicopter was on a routine training flight.
The DoD tightened cybersecurity requirements for tech companies that sell cloud computing services to the Pentagon, according to NextGov/FCW, after a ProPublica investigation exposed how Microsoft used China-based engineers without sufficient protection of very sensitive data vulnerable to hacking from the nation’s leading cyber adversary.
The cyberattack that disrupted major airports in the UK, Germany, and Belgium was caused by ransomware, according to the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity. Aljazeera reports that disruptions Friday night took out automated check-in systems developed by Collins Aerospace, owned by weapons maker RTX, formerly Raytheon Technologies. The company said on Monday it was in the final stages of completing updates to restore the airports to full functionality. Delays and cancellations continued through Monday.
Copenhagen airport reopened Monday after briefly closing due to sightings of “unidentified drones,” as another drone sighting prompted Norway’s Oslo airport to shut its airspace, reports Aljazeera. Earlier on Monday, Copenhagen airport said it closed its airspace “due to two to three unidentified drones.”
European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said plans to convene talks with defense ministers about creating a “drone wall” along the EU’s eastern border — a project infused with urgency by a Russian drone incursion into Poland, reports Reuters.
Trump said Tuesday that NATO allies should shoot down Russian aircraft encroaching on their airspace and walked back earlier support for Russia to keep the Ukrainian territory it has won, reports Politico. “I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,” he wrote on social media shortly after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
The Trump administration has told Congress it plans to sell nearly $6 billion in weapons to Israel, as the US ally faces increasing isolation over its war in Gaza. Military Times reports the sale includes $3.8 billion for 30 AH-64 Apache helicopters, nearly doubling Israel’s current stocks, and a $1.9 billion sale for 3,200 infantry assault vehicles for the Israeli army.
The Taliban government on Sunday rejected Trump’s bid to retake Bagram Air Base, four years after America’s withdrawal rom Afghanistan left the sprawling military facility in the Taliban’s hands, reports Miitary.com. Trump on Saturday renewed his call to reestablish a US presence at Bagram.
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, was awarded a $97,500,000 fixed-price incentive (firm-target) advanced acquisition contract to procure F-35 APG-85 Lot Six long lead time, materials, parts, components, and efforts necessary to protect the APG-85 radar delivery schedule for the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in March 2029. Fiscal 2025 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funding in the amount of $56,121,000; and fiscal 2025 aircraft procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $41,379,000, will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0001925C0010).
SPARC Research LLC, Warrenton, Virginia, was awarded a $30,444,179 face value cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for extended range small solid rocket motors. This contract provides support to the Air Force Research Laboratory rocket propulsion division and mission partners in the application of emerging solid propulsion technologies to improve performance and availability of 2.75-inch form factor systems. Work will be performed at Warrenton, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2027. This contract was awarded through a competitive broad agency announcement in which dozens of submissions were received and evaluated via government scientific peer reviews against publicized selection criteria on SAM.gov. Fiscal 2024 research and development funds in the amount of $30,444,179 are being obligated at the time of award. Edwards Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity (FA9300-25-C-6023).
Sabre Systems LLC, Warrington, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $199,976,987 cost reimbursable, cost-plus fixed-fee indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides comprehensive end-to-end IT and digital services support including modernization, cybersecurity, cloud, data and artificial intelligence, enterprise management, and transformation planning in support of the Naval Air Systems Command Digital Transformation Department’s ongoing and future initiatives such as cybersecurity events, cloud adoption, emerging technologies, IT consolidation, and infrastructure improvements. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (30%); and Warrington, Pennsylvania (70%), however the place of performance is not limited to the above locations due to the evolving, integrated and capability-focused enterprise requirements throughout Naval Air System Command and the Department of War. Therefore, specific work locations will be determined on individual orders as they are issued. Work is expected to be complete by October 2030. No funds will be obligated at the time of award, funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competed, and six offers were received. Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0042125D0087).
Leidos Innovations Corp., Gaithersburg, Maryland, is awarded a $9,500,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N6523625D1000). The commercial contract is for the procurement of hardware, software, logistics, and on-call help desk support for the Leidos developed Micro-Processor En-Route Automated Radar Tracking System, a Federal Aviation Administration certified Air Traffic Control digital radar data processing and display system. This contract includes a five-year ordering period and a two-year option period. The option period, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $13,000,000. Work is in Charleston, South Carolina, and is expected to be completed by September 2030. If the option is exercised, the work could continue until September 2032. Fiscal 2025 operations and maintenance (Air Force) funds in the amount of $476,338 will be obligated on the first delivery order at time of award of the basic contract. The obligated funds would have expired at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured because it is a sole source acquisition pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S. Code 3204(a)(1) – One source or limited sources (Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 6.302-1). Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity.
DCS Corp., Alexandria, Virginia, was awarded a $14,999,681 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for advanced vibration and impact testing for aircrew resilience. This contract provides aerospace physiology and human performance research in a wide range of areas to include aircrew protection, biodynamics, injury susceptibility, and oxygen systems related technologies. Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and work is expected to be complete by Sept. 22, 2028. This contract was a competitive acquisition with one offer received. Fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,302,336 are obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory Wright Research Site, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA2384-25-C-B051).
Cottrell Contracting Corp.,* Chesapeake, Virginia, was awarded a firm-fixed-price contract for $8,255,950 to perform maintenance dredging of the Coast Guard Pier Papa and Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Charleston, South Carolina, with an estimated completion date of March 13, 2026. Fiscal 2025 civil operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $8,255,950 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity (W912HP-25-C-A007).
Bechtel National Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $95,665,550 modification (P00290) to contract W52P1J-09-C-0012 for phase 2 of the closure of the Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant. Work will be performed in Pueblo, Colorado, with an estimated completion date of April 3, 2028. Fiscal 2025 research, development, test, and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $70,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island, Illinois, is the contracting activity.
Valiant Global Defense Services Inc., Herndon, Virginia, was awarded an $83,875,243 modification (P00008) to contract W911S8-24-C-0004 for training support services. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $408,720,917. Work will be performed in Fort Polk, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 26, 2029. Fiscal 2025 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $5,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. Army 418th Contracting Support Brigade, Fort Polk, Louisiana, is the contracting activity.
L3Harris Interstate Electronics Corp., Anaheim, California, is being awarded a $36,831,262 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00040) for new procurement options under a previously awarded and announced contract (N0003022C2001), to provide services and support for flight test instrumentation systems. This contract award also benefits a Foreign Military Sale to the United Kingdom. The total value of the modification is $36,831,262 and the total cumulative face value of the contract, including all optional line items, is $489,127,076. Work will be performed in Anaheim, California (56%); Cape Canaveral, Florida (30%); Washington, D.C. (10%); Bremerton and Silverdale, Washington (2%); and Kings Bay, Georgia (2%). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 8, 2029. Fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,862,690 are being obligated on this modification. No funds will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract is being awarded on a sole source basis under 10 U.S. Code 3204(a)(1) and was previously synopsized on the System for Award Management online portal. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Avum Inc.,* Agoura Hills, California (N66001-21-D-0185); Cencore LLC*, Springville, Utah (N66001-21-D-0186); Cognetic Technologies,* Vista, California (N66001-21-D-0187); Computer Technologies Consultants Inc.,* Bethesda, Maryland (N66001-21-D-0188); Data Intelligence LLC,* Marlton, New Jersey (N66001-21-D-0189); Forward Slope Inc., San Diego, California (N66001-21-D-0190); Cameron Bell Corp.,* Daniel Island, South Carolina (N66001-21-D-0191); JRH Consultants LLC,* Washington D.C. (N66001-21-D-0192); Metronome LLC,* Fairfax, Virginia (N66001-21-D-0193); Nexagen Networks Inc.,* Morganville, New Jersey (N66001-21-D-0194); Pioneer Technologies Inc.,* Fairfax, Virginia (N66001-21-D-0195); Programs Management Analytics and Technologies,* San Diego, California (N66001-21-D-0196); Prosync Technology Group LLC,* Ellicott City, Maryland (N66001-21-D-0197); Sentar Inc.,* Huntsville, Alabama (N66001-21-D-0198); Solute Consulting,* San Diego, California (N66001-21-D-0199); Tri Star Engineering, Inc.*, Bloomington, Indiana (N66001-21-D-0200); and Vsolvit LLC,* Ventura, California (N66001-21-D-0201), are awarded a combined $59,568,577 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide systems engineering, software engineering, and life-cycle support for the development and sustainment of business systems and enterprise information systems for the Department of War, Department of Navy, and other federal agencies. Work will be performed globally and is expected to be completed by September 2031. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. Option two under the existing contract, valued at $11,895,206, is being exercised. The requirement was competitively procured as a total small business set-aside via a request for proposal (N66001-21-R-0013) published on the beta.SAM.gov website and the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command e-Commerce Central website, and 24 offers were received. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.
Systems Planning and Analysis Inc., Alexandria, Virginia is being awarded a $51,199,968 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract that will include terms and conditions for the placement of both cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price type task orders to provide modeling, simulation and analysis tools, and techniques which include warfare and warfare support analyses and assessments, campaign analyses, mission-level analyses, data analytics, management and documentation in support of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations Assessment Division. The contract will include a five-year ordering period with no options. The ordering period is expected to begin October 2025 and be completed by October 2030. Work will be performed in Alexandria, Virginia (95%), and Arlington, Virginia (5%). Fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) (Navy) funds in the amount of $450,000 will be obligated to fund the contract’s minimum amount, and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Subsequent task orders will be funded with appropriate fiscal year operations and maintenance (Navy); or RDT&E (Navy) funds. The contract was competitively procured as an unrestricted, competitive procurement with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Pentagon Directorate, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the contracting activity (N00189-25-D-Z036).
Aero International LLC, doing business as AMS Engineered Solutions, Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $9,024,589 firm-fixed-price contract for T-38 spares. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 3204 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a three-year six-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is California, with March 19, 2027, performance completion date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma (SPRTA1-25-F-0270).
CACI Inc – FEDERAL, Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded a $19,173,656 modification (P00038) to a previously awarded contract (FA8821-24-F-B001) for a modification to implement the New Hampshire Tracking Station C-side MTR project for the Satellite Control Network. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $425,033,553 from $405,859,897. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 22, 2027. Fiscal 2025 operations and maintenance appropriations funding in the amount of $19,173,656 is being obligated at the time of award. Space Systems Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity.
Advanced Thermal Batteries Inc., Westminster, Maryland, was awarded a $9,349,934 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for Stage One Battery Replacement program. This contract provides for a replacement of legacy asset, Stage One Flight Control Unit battery for the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. Work will be performed at Westminster, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by March 22, 2028. This contract was a competitive acquisition and three offers were received. Fiscal 2024 funds for research, development, test and evaluation in the amount of $2,748,721 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8214-25-C-B003).
Avantus Federal, McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $95,095,000 modification (P00027) to a previously awarded contract (FA2401-23-F0002) to exercise Option Year Two. This contract provides systems engineering and technical assistance to the Space Development Agency (SDA) and provides a broad range of professional services. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of Option Year Two to $170,381,412 from $75,286,412. Work will be performed at Chantilly, Virginia; and SDA applicable locations, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 29, 2026. Fiscal 2025 funds research, development, test and evaluation funds; and operations and maintenance funds, in the amount of $15,815,000 are being obligated at time of award. Space Development Agency, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
ECC Expeditionary Construction LLC, Burlingame, California (FA8903-25-D-0076); Gilbane Federal JV, Providence, Rhode Island (FA8903-25-D-0077); Tutor Perini Corp., Sykmar, California (FA8903-25-D-0078); CMS COLAS Construction LLC, Maumee, Ohio (FA8903-25-D-0079); CDM Constructors Inc., Boston, Massachusetts (FA8903-25-D-0080); Flatiron Dragados Constructors Inc., Broomfield, Colorado (FA8903-25-D-0081); Parsons Government Services, Pasadena, California (FA8903-25-D-0082); Contrack Watts Inc., McLean, Virginia (FA8903-25-D-0083); SLSCO Ltd., Galveston, Texas (FA8903-25-D-0084); Bering-Weston Solutions, Anchorage, Alaska (FA8903-25-D-0085); Exp Federal Inc., Chicago, Illinois (FA8903-25-D-0086); Hensel Phelps Construction, Greeley, Colorado (FA8903-25-D-0087); and SeaPac Engineering Inc., Los Angeles, California (FA8903-25-D-0070), were awarded a ceiling of $15,000,000,000 firm-fixed-price, multiple award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Air Force Civil Engineering Center construction services. This contract provides for design-build and design-bid-build construction services including sustainment maintenance, sustainment repair, restoration, modernization, minor construction, military construction, other procurement construction, and demolition located at various locations worldwide. Work will be performed globally and, if all options are exercised, is expected to be completed on Sept. 29, 2035. These contracts were competitive acquisitions with 19 offers received. Fiscal 2025 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $39,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The 772nd Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, Joint Base Lackland-San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity.
