The Hatch Report (Issue #16)
Industry Opportunities
1) DIU Solicitation for Artificial Intelligence-enabled Diligence Evaluation
Submission Details:
Submission Deadline: 21 January
Proposal Package: 5 pages or less or 15 slides or less.
Contract Type: Other Transaction Agreement (OTA)
The original CSO can be found - HERE
Description:
Seeks an AI/LLM-driven due diligence platform or service to quickly process and analyze large volumes of unstructured business and financial data from diverse sources. The platform should present insights on a professional dashboard for easy sharing and reporting to senior leadership.
Note: OTAs under 10 USC 4022 require meeting at least ONE of these conditions:
Include significant participation from a nontraditional defense contractor or nonprofit research institution
Ensure all significant participants (except the government) are small businesses or nontraditional defense contractors
Secure at least one-third of total project costs from non-federal funding sources
THR’s Take
A centralized due diligence tool would benefit many DoD entities. However, a key consideration is whether each entity should procure its own instance—simpler but likely to reinforce stovepipes—or whether a single enterprise-wide instance should be established for all users to register with. While the latter approach is more complex to implement, it would yield far more comprehensive insights, provided end-user compliance is maintained.
More broadly, DoD needs a unified industry engagement CRM that this tool could feed into. Users should be able to query a company and instantly access critical information—past engagements, due diligence assessments, bid outcomes, current status on active contracts, etc.—across the entire DoD, not just within their Service or command.
2) Army Seeks Industry Feedback on LASSO Prototype Architecture
Seeking industry feedback on the Draft CUI SOO before the formal release of the Architecture RFP. Vendors must demonstrate the ability to implement a MOSA within LASSO, ensuring key interfaces can support future upgrades and capability enhancements.
Submission Deadline: 30 January
3) Project COOKSON: UK MOD’s New Fast Attack Drone Boat for Ukraine
Key Logistical Details
Event: Project COOKSON Challenge Session
Date: 22 January
Location: London
Registration Deadline: 16 January
Procurement Timeline:
Q1 2025: The MOD plans to launch a procurement activity for an initial 10 COOKSON systems and hundreds of effectors.
Late 2025 or early 2026: Funding for demonstrations will be awarded to a small number of proposals (2–5).
Platform Specifications & Features
Project COOKSON envisions a modular, fast, and low-observable vessel designed to meet a wide range of operational needs in GNSS-denied or degraded environments. Below are the key specifications and features outlined by the MOD:
Vessel Capabilities:
Top Speed: 40+ knots in Sea State 3 conditions
Range: 800 nautical miles, fully laden
Endurance: Minimum of 72 hours
Transportability: Must fit on a 40-foot flatbed truck (ideally a 20-foot flatbed)
Weapons & Payloads:
Effectors: The vessel must carry multiple (>2) one-way effectors equipped with 80kg high-explosive warheads and a range of 30-100 km.
Primary Targets: Non-hardened land sites with a secondary capability to engage other surface vessels. Must be able to strike a target whilst the vessel and the effector are in a GNSS-denied or degraded environment.
Air Defense: The system must include hard-kill air defense capabilities to counter rotary-wing aircraft and ISR drones. The MOD suggests options such as MANPADs or 0.50 caliber weapons.
THR’s Take
Broader Market Opportunities
Demand for versatile USVs is rising, driven by technological advancements, constrained defense budgets, and Ukraine’s highly successful Black Sea operations. The recent proliferation of advanced LEO constellations (like Starlink) is an important dynamic that could significantly enhance long-range USV operations in contested environments. As a result, I’d expect more industry partnerships between LEO providers and autonomous system manufacturers across all domains.
A geographic analysis would quickly pinpoint ideal customers and operational environments for these systems. Key regions include the First Island Chain, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, North Sea, and Baltic Sea (there are many more). A robust modeling and simulation capability could illustrate their cost advantages and battlefield impact across these AoRs compared to traditional platforms.
Greater visibility into the USV industrial base would be helpful. How many companies can produce these systems? How many are currently building them? What are their manufacturing capacities and workforce limitations? How does all this compare to China’s USV industrial base? From my perspective, most of this analysis is still predominantly focused on submarines and conventional surface combatants.
Sustainment
The UK MOD’s notice outlines basic sustainment requirements for the platform, which is designed for reuse across multiple missions. It specifies that post-mission inspection, rearming, and maintenance must occur after each deployment, with vessels returning to friendly coastlines for repairs. Ideally, maintenance would be conducted on land to keep the platform mission-ready.
Notably, the notice does not address long-term sustainment considerations such as spare part supply chains, depot-level maintenance, or lifecycle support—areas that will likely require further industry input and development.
Why the U.S. Navy Should Take a Hard Look at Project COOKSON
Fast, unmanned vessels like COOKSON could be produced at scale to take on missions such as chokepoint defense, coastal patrols, and certain ISR-strike operations. These tasks place unnecessary strain on high-value platforms like destroyers and frigates, which are few in number, costly to operate, and subject to accelerated wear and tear with frequent deployments. Shifting some of these missions to affordable, flexible USVs could extend the lifespan of larger warships by reducing their operational tempo and maintenance demands.
The U.S. Navy should also encourage allied nations to procure a shared base vessel design to achieve economies of scale and reduce per-unit costs. A common platform would strengthen global supply chains, enhance interoperability among partners, and create a more resilient sustainment infrastructure. An open architecture would also allow individual nations to integrate various subsystems and weapons to meet their specific needs / domestic workshare requirements.
4) DARPA Solicitation for Hybridizing Biology and Robotics through Integration for Deployable Systems (HyBRIDS)
Background: Aims to develop biohybrid robots that integrate engineered components with biological systems. These robots will combine the precision of synthetic systems with the resilience, sensitivity, and adaptability of living organisms to achieve capabilities beyond traditional robotic platforms.
Submission Deadline: 7 April
5) AFRL Sensors Directorate Industry Day: MAINSAIL & ATOMATA
The AFRL Sensors Directorate will host a classified Industry Day to highlight two key programs focused on advancing sensor and autonomy capabilities for air and maritime domains.
Date: February 11-12
Location: Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Classification: SECRET
Submission Deadline: February 4
MAINSAIL (Maritime Automated Ingestion for Scene-Aware Identification and Localization)
Objective: Enhance Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) by improving the identification and localization of maritime targets in imagery from overhead assets.
Focus Areas:
Leveraging machine learning for Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) on electro-optical (EO) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery
Identifying and integrating non-imagery contextual data to constrain predicted target locations
Representing target knowledge using modern data structures, preferably with ontological support
Associating ATR outputs with contextual data to track past locations and predict future movements
ATOMATA (Air Target Optimization & Autonomy Activity)
Objective: Improve air-to-air combat identification performance by optimizing distributed tracking and feature fusion algorithms.
Focus Areas:
Developing tracking, track association, and sensor management algorithms to enhance feature fusion
Exploring options for distributed feature fusion operations
Conducting experiments to assess the impact of additional sensors, platforms, and geometries on combat identification
Creating a multi-platform, multi-sensor closed-loop environment for algorithm development and testing
Ensuring collaboration across ATOMATA components, including feature fusion enhancements and performance assessments
6) DARPA Other Transactions Webinar: Invitation for Non-Traditional Defense Contractors
Hosted by: DARPA Contracts Management Office (CMO)
Dates: 6 March and 15 October
Time: 12 PM – 2 PM ET
Format: Virtual (interactive session)
DARPA’s Other Transaction (OT) 101 Webinar is a two-hour virtual session aimed at non-traditional defense contractors, including academia and small businesses.
What to Expect:
Learn how DARPA uses OTs to accelerate cutting-edge research and prototype development
Explore the flexibility and advantages of OTs
Discuss barriers to participation and ways to foster innovation in the defense sector
Details:
Registration is required
Space is limited to 50 attendees per session
7) TRADOC G-2 RFP: Operational Environment (OE) and Core Functions
Background:
TRADOC’s mission has expanded to better support the Army in combat operations by providing modernized training based on current assessments of enemy capabilities and battlefield dynamics. This has increased TRADOC’s responsibilities in both the Operating Force and Generating Force, requiring more expert support.
To meet these demands, TRADOC G-2 needs a flexible solution to provide analysis, planning, assessments, and execution across a growing number of subject matter experts (SMEs) and projects.
Key Details:
Period of Performance (PoP): 8-month base period + 30-day Phase-In, with four one-year option periods
Submission Deadline: 6 February
Note: Issue 12 of The Hatch Report previously covered this draft RFP, but it’s worth revisiting given TRADOC’s evolving mission.
8) NSWC Port Hueneme Division (PHD) Solicitation for Strategic Management Consulting Services
Background: NSCW PHD specializes in providing engineering, test, evaluation, and life-cycle support for surface warfare systems.
Scope: The Contractor will review current strategy methods and documents and develop a Customized Strategic Management Performance System for NSWC PHD:
2025-2035 comprehensive strategic plan (SP)
2025 and 2026 strategic operations plan (SOP)
2025 and 2026 Training Plan (TP)
Performance Monitoring system for command and department strategic initiatives
Submission Deadline: 6 February
9) OSD FSD Space Portfolio Division (SPD) RFI - Continuous Process Improvement Support Services
Background: The Space Portfolio Division (SPD) within the Office of the Secretary of Defense's Facilities Services Directorate provides consultation and management of DoD space and real property assets to meet evolving mission needs.
Scope: The Contractor will deliver comprehensive support services for Continuous Process Improvement (CPI), Business Process Reengineering (BPR), and organizational efficiencies. Services include:
Technology Assessment & Integration
Information Assurance
Technical Writing & Graphics Support
Cost Estimating & Funding Analysis
Database & Configuration Management
Project & Schedule Management
Contract Administration (Pre- & Post-Award)
Submission Deadline: 31 January
Industry Activity
10) STR Secures $9.6M DARPA Contract to Advance Joint All-Domain Warfighting Software (JAWS)
Background: The JAWS program aims to develop a theater-wide battle management suite that orchestrates sensors, communications, weapons, and platforms to improve kill web efficiency and resilience in contested environments.
Award Info: Systems & Technology Research (STR) has been awarded a $9.6M contract modification to continue work on JAWS, focusing on advancing orchestration services, predictive analytics, and user interfaces in Phase Four. The project spans multiple locations, with an expected completion by January 2026, bringing the total contract value to $44M.
11) SDA to award Johns Hopkins APL sole source IDIQ ($75M Ceiling / 12-month PoP)
JHU APL will provide R&D and T&E support for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) effort.
12) Valiant Integrated Services Bridge Contract for JBLM MTC Task Order
The Joint Base Lewis-McChord Mission Training Complex (JBLM MTC) delivers advanced simulation-based mission command training for Army units at all echelons, from Individual soldiers to Corps-level formations.
Contract Overview
Six-month bridge contract
Runs through May 2025
Issued under the Mission Training Complex Capabilities Support (MTCCS) II Multiple Award IDIQ
Purpose of the Bridge Contract
Ensures continuity of essential mission training services while the next competitive task order is finalized.
Necessary due to a 12-month protest delay on the original MTCCS II contract, which impacted several task orders.
13) Streamlining Ammo Management: ONE’s NEO Platform Secures $40M Marine Corps Contract
Contract Award Details
NSWC Corona Division awarded One Network Enterprises (ONE) an FFP contract for annual subscription licenses to the NEO platform.
The total contract is valued at $40 million. It covers a base year and four option years from FY25 through FY29.
The NEO platform supports the Marine Corps' Ordnance Information System-Marine Corps (OIS-MC) and Marine Ammunition Knowledge Enterprise (MAKE) environment.
The platform is critical for managing the Marine Corps' ammunition supply chain, ensuring mission-critical readiness at both tactical and strategic levels with online and offline capabilities for end users.
NEO Platform Capabilities
Provides cradle-to-grave asset visibility.
Offers real-time data synchronization, ensuring up-to-date inventory and supply chain management.
Ensures offline functionality for end users, allowing them to continue working without network access and synchronize data when reconnected to enterprise networks.
Meets audit and financial readiness requirements, ensuring compliance with DoD standards.
Justification for Sole-Source Award
The contract was awarded on a sole-source basis due to NEO’s proprietary source code, which makes it the only software fully compatible with the Marine Corps' existing OIS-MC infrastructure.
NEO’s database archiving capabilities ensure secure, long-term data storage without data loss.
The platform’s secure access controls prevent unauthorized access to sensitive system logs.
The platform’s ability to provide continuous, secure operations in both connected and disconnected environments.
14) CruxDCG, LLC Secures Sole-Source Bridge Contract for Army Public Affairs Support
Contract Award Details
Contract value = $629,462 / provides continued support to the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs (OCPA).
The 90-day extension ensures uninterrupted communication and planning services while the Army finalizes its competitive evaluation for a new follow-on contract.
Follow-on Contract Opportunity
The follow-on contract is currently posted on SAM.gov and is open to multiple small businesses capable of delivering strategic communication support to the Army.
Due to a high volume of questions from interested vendors, the initial proposal deadline of December 20, 2024, is likely to be extended.
The follow-on contract, estimated at $15.7 million over five years, represents a significant opportunity for small businesses in the public affairs and communications sector.
15) Flying Lion Announces Over 50,000 Drone as First Responder (DFR) Flights Flown
Flying Lion, Inc. (FLI), a leading drone service provider for law enforcement and public safety agencies has completed more than 55,700 Drone-as-First-Responder (DFR) missions, with over 35,000 flown Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS).
DFR programs enable the immediate dispatch of a drone from a fixed location in response to a 911 call for real-time aerial situational awareness in advance of and to support ground units to enhance community and first responder safety.
16) VSolvit Wins $17.6M SBIR Phase III Contract to Support Navy Enterprise Business Systems
Background: The Enterprise Business Systems (EBS) Enhanced Operations Environment (EOE) supports the Naval Facilities Engineering Command’s IT operations and ensures the efficient management of critical infrastructure and resources across the Navy.
Award Info: VSolvit LLC, a Ventura, California-based small business, secured a $17.6M SBIR Phase III contract to provide EBS EOE support services, with the total contract value potentially reaching $93.8M if all options are exercised. Work will be performed in Ventura and is expected to continue through January 2026, with a potential extension through 2030. FY25 Navy operations and maintenance funds of $100,000 were obligated at the time of award.
17) AWS Secures $74.1M Navy Contract for GovCloud and Marketplace Services
AWS has been awarded a $74.1M FFP order against a previously issued BOA to provide 70.2M units of cloud consumption services and 3.9M units of AWS Marketplace access. The work, performed in Seattle, Washington, will support NAWCAD’s Digital Networks and Applications Department through January 2026. FY25 Navy working capital funds of $9M were obligated at the time of award.
18) Oshkosh Defense Secures $19M Contract Mod for Navy and Marine Expeditionary Fires Carriers
Background: These unmanned vehicles are a critical component of the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), which is designed to enhance anti-ship missile deployment capabilities.
The ROGUE Fires platform is an unmanned adaptation of Oshkosh’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), modified to serve as a ground-based missile launch system. It is equipped with a launcher housing two Naval Strike Missiles (NSMs).
19) NAVSEA to Award Undersea Warfare Systems Contract to Metron, Inc.
NAVSEA plans to issue an RFP to Metron, Inc., based in Reston, Virginia, for the development of advanced undersea warfare technologies.
Contract Focus Areas
The contract will support enhancements to the Undersea Warfare Decision Support System (USW DSS) and related systems used on surface ships and submarines. Key areas of work include:
Combat system signal processing
Tracking algorithms
Display tools for decision support
Selection Process and Timeline
Metron responded to NAVSEA’s BAA on 16 March 2023.
Metron was notified on June 13, 2024, that their submitted white paper would be pursued to a Phase II as an RFP.
The anticipated contract award date is Q3 FY25. The PoP will consist of a base year and four option years.
20) Stratolaunch Awarded $24.7M Agreement by Missile Defense Agency for Hypersonic Flight Test Campaign
Background: The project will extend Talon-A hypersonic test operations from the U.S. West Coast to global launch locations, enhancing advanced missile defense testing capabilities.
Award Info: Funded with FY24 RDT&E dollars, the agreement includes modifications to the Spirit of Mojave 747 launch platform. The test campaign, scheduled for Q4 2025, will be primarily conducted at Stratolaunch’s Mojave, California headquarters.
21) Raft Secures $25M Contract to Support Kessel Run Cloud and IT Integration
Background: Kessel Run, a leading Air Force software development unit, leverages cloud computing and secure DevSecOps practices to deliver mission-critical applications and services for Air Force operations.
Award Info: Raft LLC has been awarded a $25.1M time-and-materials contract to provide cloud computing, IT integration, and technical engineering services, including platform engineering, secure application delivery, and application migration, to support Kessel Run operations. Work will be performed at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, through January 2026. At the time of award, FY25 R&D and operations funds totaling $5.8M were obligated.
22) Huntington's commercial banking segment adds Aerospace & Defense Vertical
Background: Huntington Bank has established an Aerospace & Defense (A&D) vertical to offer specialized financial services tailored to companies in the defense sector, including advisory support, treasury management, capital markets, and corporate finance.
Leadership: The new A&D group is led by Senior Managing Director Jeff Harrick, an Army veteran with over 20 years of experience in corporate and investment banking at Wells Fargo and Citizens Financial Group.
23) NSWC Panama City Division Awards Sole Source IDIQ to Andantech for Vision Sensor Development
The development of large-scale circuit designs will support image-sensor, memory, and computation-logic components used in high-throughput, low-power, and low-bandwidth vision sensors featuring reconfigurable analog processing logic.
Andantech's EOS technology is a mixed-signal, time-domain compute accelerator. EOS stands out for its:
Tileable Core Design: Allows the creation of many-core computational devices with extremely low power consumption and high throughput.
Process Scalability: Efficiency improves as transistor technology advances, making it adaptable to newer manufacturing processes.
Proprietary Time-Domain Representation: Represents data via voltage transition timing, optimizing energy consumption and computation speed compared to traditional voltage or pulse-density modulation methods.
Efficient Operations: Enables operations like addition without standard gates, saving area and power in compute device design.
24) NetRise Awarded $1.8M AFWERX STTR PII Contract to Support National Defense
Based in Austin, Texas, NetRise was built by defensive cyber experts bred across the private sector, intelligence community, and U.S. federal government to solve the software supply chain security problem.
25) Agile Defense Scales through IntelliBridge Acquisition
Background: Agile Defense provides digital transformation, data analytics, and cybersecurity solutions to the Department of Defense (DoD) and federal civilian agencies. IntelliBridge delivers advanced technology, data analytics, and mission-critical solutions focused on national security, homeland security, and law enforcement.
Announcement: With the acquisition, Agile Defense doubles in size to over 2,000 professionals and broadens its portfolio to support defense, national security, and federal civilian missions. Both companies are backed by Enlightenment Capital, positioning the combined firm to deliver enhanced capabilities across the government sector.
26) Avion Solutions Acquires Tennessee Valley Research Group, Expanding Expertise in Defense Technologies
Background: Avion Solutions specializes in aerospace engineering, airworthiness, modeling and simulation, and integrated product support for defense and aerospace clients. Tennessee Valley Research Group (TVRG) brings technical expertise in laser systems, tactical ballistic missile targets, and hypersonic weapon testing.
Announcement: The acquisition enhances Avion's capabilities in emerging defense technologies, particularly in laser systems and hypersonic weapons. The combined expertise positions Avion to deliver greater value to defense customers in critical mission areas.
*DISCLAIMER / CAVEATS
This newsletter is not associated with any other person, organization, or entity.
Please respond to this email if you feel a correction is warranted.
Please respond to this email if you have any feedback or recommendations.