Strait of Hormuz Status in Flux
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Iran seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, tightening its grip on the strategic waterway after President Donald Trump called off attacks indefinitely, reports Reuters. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said the Revolutionary Guards had seized two vessels for maritime violations and escorted them to Iranian shores. It was the first time Iran has seized ships since the beginning of the war.
Hundreds of ships and about 20,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Gulf, waiting to pass through the key waterway, but receiving conflicting reports on the status of the Strait of Hormuz, reports Defense News. Overlapping reports included merchant vessels attempting to cross the strait on Saturday that received radio messages from Iran’s navy telling them they were not allowed to pass, two ships reported being hit by gunfire, several commercial vessels tried to transit the strait after receiving a notice saying passage would be allowed but restricted to lanes Iran deemed safe.
On Sunday, Marines from the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli fast-roped from helicopters onto the deck of the Iranian cargo ship M/V Touska in what the US military called the first seizure of its week-long blockade of Iranian ports. Task & Purpose reports, the Navy destroyer USS Spruance fired several shots from its 5-inch MK 45 gun at the Touska’s engine room.
In addition to the Marines continuing to search the Toushka, US Central Command said, on Monday, the US Navy has turned back 27 ships trying to enter or exit Iranian ports since the American blockade, reports The New York Times.
Military planners from more than 30 countries began talks in London on Wednesday to advance a mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, reports Reuters. More than a dozen countries expressed willingness to join an international mission led by Britain and France, to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz when conditions permit.
The DoD has released a $1.5 trillion budget proposal for fiscal 2027 — a 42% year-over-year increase and the most expensive military outlay in modern history, reports Military Times. Each branch would receive a substantial funding increase: 33.6% for the Air Force, 24.3% for the Navy, and 23.9% for the Army. More than $65 billion, for the largest shipbuilding request since 1962, would expand the Navy with a new line of Trump-class battleships as its centerpiece.
Route Fifty reports an uptick in cyberattacks against critical infrastructure in the US by backers of the Iranian regime. A pro-Iranian hacking group claimed responsibility last week for a hack on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority that forced the agency to shut down access to some of its network, but LA Metro said bus and rail service was unaffected.
A coalition that includes the National Association of Minority Contractors and several higher education groups filed on Monday a lawsuit to block a recent Trump executive order targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at federal contracting companies, reports Government Executive. The filing argues the order is unconstitutional.
After a federal watchdog found a staff of two overseers insufficient to vet 27,000 research awards for ties to adversaries, namely China, the Pentagon says computers will now screen military-funded academics, reports Military Times. Stakeholders are urging caution, warning AI’s confusion over the timing and nature of research partnerships may obscure real espionage if humans are not the ultimate judge of foreign influence.
A flu vaccination is no longer a requirement for active-duty personnel, reservists, or DoD civilians, DefSec Pete Hegseth announced in a video posted Tuesday on X, reports Stars and Stripes.
US officials have informed some European counterparts that some previously contracted weapons deliveries are likely to be delayed as the Iran war continues to draw on weapons stocks, reports Military Times. The prime ministers of Estonia and Lithuania acknowledged the delay, reports Defense News. “Yes, the US has informed us of the situation, and we understand the reasoning and the circumstances. And we are in close contact with them … [for] discussions [on] how to address these supply challenges,” Estonia’s Prime Minister Kristen Michal said.
The US has cleared a potential $11.9 billion sale of advanced naval combat systems to Germany, reports Stars and Stripes, involving the Aegis-based Integrated Combat System, the backbone for ballistic missile defense operations. The sale, which still needs congressional approval, would outfit eight warships with the systems.
NATO intercepted Russian strategic bombers and fighter jets that flew over the Baltic Sea on Monday, reports Military.com. The French detachment said fighters armed with air-to-air missiles joined jets from Sweden, Finland, Poland, Denmark, and Romania to inspect and keep watch on the Russian aircraft.
The Trump administration’s $605 million funding request for the National Guard’s ongoing deployment in Washington is raising questions among appropriators on Capitol Hill, reports Stars and Stripes. Top Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee have asked the National Guard Bureau chief for a cost breakdown of the deployment and how it has impacted the force’s ability to train for its traditional role of reacting to disasters and supporting combat operations overseas.
The Navy is planning a major change in how enlisted sailors are evaluated for promotion, reports Task & Purpose. Sailors are currently assessed not only by their job skills, but also for volunteer work and for “collateral duties.” An April 13 memo from the Chief of Navy Personnel office said those collateral criteria would now count for less in promotions.
Disabled American Veterans is condemning a plan by the Office of Personnel Management to change long-held protections for veterans from federal job layoffs, reports Stars and Stripes. The proposed rule would prioritize performance reviews over a veteran’s status and years of service.
The US Coast Guard has intensified its search for six missing crew members of the cargo vessel Mariana after they located debris from the ship in a remote area of the Northern Mariana Islands. Stars and Stripes reports that the 145-foot, US-flagged vessel was carrying a crew of six when it reported a disabled engine April 15, as Super Typhoon Sinlaku slammed into the Northern Mariana Islands.
Contracts:
Premier Enterprise Solution LLC, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, has been awarded a firm-fixed-price, level-of-effort contract (HQ003426FE173) with a value of $9,263,906. The purpose of this contract is to provide policy, operations, and analytic support to the Directors for Defense Intelligence, Operational Support and International Partnership and Directorates (Counter Proliferation-Weapons of Mass Destruction, Global Operations and Integration, Senior Advisor on Global Partnerships, Indo-Pacific Directorate, Europe, Americas, and the Arctic Directorate, and Africa and the Near East Directorate). This requires expertise in security, resource requirements, formulating strategies, strategic planning and concept development, program analysis and evaluation, policy, and development of solutions that assist with the decision-making process, and other areas related to the mission of the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Intelligence and Security. Work will be performed at the Pentagon Reservation in Arlington, Virginia, the Mark Center in Alexandria, Virginia; and Department of Defense facilities in Fairfield, Pennsylvania, and Frederick, Maryland. The estimated completion date is April 30, 2031. The total amount of the contract if all options are exercised is $57,417,154. Funds in the amount of $1,700,000 are being obligated at the time of the award. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
OMNI Fed LLC, Gainesville, Virginia, has been awarded a $9,999,581 firm-fixed-price task order to establish a mission-aligned software development effort. This contract provides for development of secure software capabilities. Work will be performed at Colorado Springs, Colorado, and expected to be completed by April 20, 2027. This contract was a sole source acquisition. This is a task order (FA8820-26-F-B003) on a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase III BOA (FA2280-24-G-0004). Fiscal 2026 research and development funds in the amount of $9,672,822 were obligated at the time of award. The Space Systems Center Directorate of Contracting, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the contracting activity (FA8820-26-F-B003).
Elbit Systems of America, Roanoke, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $21,663,920 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for image intensifiers. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 3204 (a)(1), as stated in the Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. The ordering period end date is April 19, 2031. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2026 through 2031 defense working capital funds. The using customer is Navy. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Weapons Support, Richmond, Virginia (SPE4A7-26-D-0251).
QBase LLC, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a fixed price requirements bridge contract (HT001525C0001 P0003) with a value of $16,355,750. This contract supports the Defense Health Agency Infrastructure and Services Resource Management Branch, whose mission is to provide provides network sustainment and deployment support services to Military Health System military medical treatment facilities, to include hospitals, clinics, and other remote elements, both inside and outside the continental U.S. This work supports the overall network infrastructure at a medical treatment facility and responds to, detects, reports, records, diagnoses, and resolves the occurrence of network faults as well as measures network performance and connectivity on an ongoing basis. This is a six-month base contract with a six-month option. Location of performance is worldwide with a June 27, 2027, performance completion date. The base year is funded with operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $16,355,750. The Defense Health Agency, Enterprise Medical Services Contracting Division, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity. (Awarded April 16, 2026).
Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $36,973,224 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded delivery order N00024-26-F-6241 under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00024-26-D-6203) to exercise an option for engineering and technical support in support of the Integrated Submarine Imaging System. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by March 2027. Fiscal 2026 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,500,000 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Manassas, Virginia, is being awarded $20,492,194 for a firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase of 180 spare high-frequency chin array acoustic modules used in Block IV Virginia-class submarines. The contract does not contain an option provision. Work under the contract will be performed in multiple locations: Hingham, Massachusetts (37%); Oldsmar, Florida (36%); Liverpool, New York (23%); and Manassas, Virginia (4%). Work is expected to be completed by June 2031. Fiscal 2026 working capital funds (Navy) in the contract’s full amount of $20,492,194 will be obligated at time of award and those funds will not expire at the end of the applicable fiscal year. One company was solicited for this sole-source requirement pursuant to the authority set forth in 10 U.S. Code 3204 (a)(1) and one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00104-26-C-NA12).
Orbis Sibro, Inc.,* Charleston, South Carolina (N00024-26-D-4343), is awarded (along with several other vendors announced on Sept. 2, 2025 Sept. 30, 2025) a combined $1,123,590,000 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and cost-only, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract for discrete production, non-discrete production, and other production work to support the public shipyards in accomplishing repair, maintenance, and modernization of nuclear-powered attack submarines undergoing scheduled Chief of Naval Operations maintenance availabilities. This contract includes options which, if exercised, across the various vendors, would bring the cumulative value to $1,906,010,000. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (35%); Bremerton, Washington (25%); Kittery, Maine (20%); and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (20%), and is expected to be completed by August 2030. If all options are exercised, work will continue through August 2033. No funds will be obligated at the time of the award; funds will be obligated at the delivery order level as contracting actions occur. This contract was competitively procured via the System for Award Management website, with 29 offers received. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is being awarded a $45,524,438 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification (P00051) to a previously awarded and announced contract (N00030-22-C-6001) to provide support services for the U.S. Trident II D5 Strategic Weapon Systems Program, Attack Weapon System Program, and the Nuclear Weapon Security Program. Tasks to be performed include systems engineering and integration, test engineering, data analysis, and safety engineering. This contract award also benefits a Foreign Military Sale to the United Kingdom. Work will be performed in Rockville, Maryland (49%); Washington, D.C. (18%); Cape Canaveral, Florida (5%); Frederick, Maryland (5%); Silverdale, Washington (4%); Saint Mary’s, Georgia (3%); King’s Bay, Georgia (2%); York, Pennsylvania (2%); Fort Walton Beach, Florida (2%); Rochester, United Kingdom (1%); Conway, South Carolina (1%); and various other locations (less than 1% each, 8% total). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2026. This action is awarded subject to the availability of funds, and no funding will be obligated upon time of award. This contract was awarded as a sole-source acquisition pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) and 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(4) and was previously synopsized on the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) online portal. PAE Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Sedna Digital Solutions LLC,* Manassas, Virginia, is being awarded a $9,100,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost contract modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-23-C-6109) to exercise options for supporting materials for Sound Navigation and Ranging (SONAR) systems. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by December 2027. Fiscal 2026 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,778,939 (71%); fiscal 2026 other procurement (Navy) in the amount of $686,000 (18%); and fiscal 2025 other procurement (Navy) in the amount of $445,198 (11%), will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
CACI Inc., Federal, Chantilly, Virginia, was awarded a $42,669,847 firm-fixed-price contract for the Managing Army Human Capital-Innovation, Integration, and Implementation solution, which will modernize and sustain the Army’s Integrated Personnel and Pay System by providing ongoing operations, cybersecurity, and system maintenance for more than 1,100,000 soldiers. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Arlington Virginia with an estimated completion date of March 30, 2033. Fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $2,066,661.11 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W519TC-26-C-A014). (Awarded April 18, 2026).
SPATIAL FRONT INC., Bethesda, Maryland, was awarded a $39,432,214firm-fixed-price contract for the Managing Army Human Capital Innovation, Integration, and Implementation solution, which will modernize and sustain the Army’s Integrated Personnel and Pay System by providing ongoing operations, cybersecurity, and system maintenance for more than 1,100,000 soldiers. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Arlington Virginia with an estimated completion date of April 20, 2033. Fiscal 2026 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $2,439,036.64 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W519TC-26-C-A015). (Awarded April 17, 2026).
*Small business
