Countermeasures
U.S. Secretary of Commerce appoints Florida sheriff as chair of FirstNet authority board
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick announced he had appointed Sheriff Michael Adkinson, Jr. to serve as the chairman of the Board of the First Responder Network Authority, or FirstNet Authority. Lutnick praised Adkinson’s leadership and experience in making the appointment. The First... Read More »
Federal authorities seize 500 pounds of cocaine in Los Angeles
The U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other federal agency partners conducted a joint boarding operation on May 21 that resulted in the seizure of 500 pounds of cocaine, worth approximately $6.4 million. Officers boarded... Read More »
Lockheed Martin breaks ground on Alabama facility
Defense technology company Lockheed Martin recently broke ground on a new munitions production center at its facility in Troy, Ala., that will support Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors and future work with Next Generation Interceptor. The center, Building 47, will add... Read More »
Legislation would restore retirement benefits to CBP officers
Bipartisan legislation that would restore enhanced retirement benefits to certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers passed the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform recently. Introduced by U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), the legislation, the U.S. Customs and Border... Read More »
Legislation dedicating TSA fees to airport, aviation safety garners support from industry
Legislation that would ensure certain fees collected on plane tickets would go to strengthening aviation and airport security is gaining support from the aviation industry. Leaders from across the industry have expressed their support for the “Spending Aviation Fees for Equipment,... Read More »
FEMA to award $648M to firefighters, first responders
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently opened the application period for three grant programs that assist firefighters and other first responders. The agency will award a total of $648 million. “When a disaster strikes, firefighters and other first responders are often the... Read More »
Joint Interagency Task Force awards $500M to support counter-unmanned aerial system operations
The Joint Interagency Task Force 401 of the U.S. Department of Defense, referred to as the U.S. Department of War by the Trump administration, recently announced it had awarded a three-year $500 million contract to support counter-unmanned aerial system operations. The agreement, officials... Read More »
U.S. communications firms form cybersecurity collaborative
Eight of America’s leading communications companies announced the establishment of a cybersecurity non-profit. The Communications Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Analysis Center, also known as C2 ISAC, is a collaboration of AT&T, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Lumen Technologies, T-Mobile,... Read More »
Additional 244 kilograms of cocaine seized from alleged Ohio drug dealers
The Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) recently seized an additional 244 kilograms of suspected cocaine as part of an ongoing investigation of two alleged drug traffickers. The Southwest Ohio men were arrested on May 10 and charged with conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to... Read More »
CrowdStrike threat landscape says North Korean adversaries steal billions in digital assets
According to a new report released by CrowdStrike, North Korean adversaries (Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK) stole billions in digital assets in 2025 while industrializing cybercrime with AI-powered deception. The CrowdStrike 2026 Financial Services Threat Landscape Report found... Read More »
DHS update of financial management systems not always reliable, GAO finds
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) modernized its financial management systems, but the department’s cost and schedule estimates weren’t always reliable, a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found, and its guidance and plans weren’t consistent. GAO added DHS to the... Read More »
House passes bill fully funding care for US veterans, families
The House approved legislation last week that will fully fund care for American veterans and their families, lawmakers said. The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2027 outlines how $157 billion in discretionary allocation should be spent. The... Read More »
Tren de Aragua leader appears in court for supporting a foreign terrorist org, drug trafficking
Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, an alleged high-ranking leader of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA), was extradited from Colombia and appeared in a federal Southern District of Texas court on Friday. Colombian authorities arrested Flores on March 31, 2025, on a... Read More »
Counterterrorism subcommittee advances DHS intelligence, analysis legislation
U.S. Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), chair of the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, forwarded a package of bipartisan bills aimed at reforming the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A). I&A’s focus since its establishment in 2004 has... Read More »
Congress members advocate for federal plan to address internet vulnerabilities
A bipartisan delegation of 35 lawmakers recently sent a letter to National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross, urging the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) to develop a federal-industry plan that prepares for a large increase in vulnerability disclosures discovered by advanced artificial... Read More »
Coast Guard finalizes $3.5B contract for five icebreaker vessels
The U.S. Coast Guard recently finalized a $3.5 billion contract with Davie Defense for the construction and delivery of five arctic security cutters (ASCs), a brand new class of polar icebreaker vessels. The contract was awarded in early February. It was the third of three ASC contracts awarded... Read More »
Defense Department announces new partnerships enhancing lethal strike capacity
The U.S. Department of Defense, referred to by the Trump administration as the U.S. Department of War, announced its new framework agreements will expand the United States’ military’s strike capabilities. According to the DoW, its new agreements with Anduril, CoAspire, Leidos and Zone 5... Read More »
Connecticut National Guard hosts cyber training exercises
The Connecticut National Guard is hosting the 12th annual Cyber Yankee regional cyber training exercise at Camp Nett. The event began May 4 and concludes Friday. The event trains military and utility company cyber experts on cyber threat responses to threats targeting critical infrastructure.... Read More »
Air Force accelerates upgrades to KC-46 Pegasus tanker
The U.S. Air Force announced recently that it had negotiated terms with Boeing Company to upgrade the KC-46 Pegasus tanker and accelerate its delivery to the fleet. Officials said the plan looks at three different areas of impact – repurposing early-built aircraft for immediate operational... Read More »
More than two dozen charged in connection with South American criminal organization
More than 25 individuals have been charged in six U.S. Attorney General offices for drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and other offenses. The charges are part of a Homeland Security Task Force operation targeting Tren de... Read More »
Rep. Garbarino asks for more information on university cyberattacks
U.S. Rep. Anderw Garbarino (R-NY) is asking for more information on two cyber intrusions that impacted platforms used by nearly 9,000 schools and universities. In a letter to Instructure Holdings, Inc., Garbarino, chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security, asked for information about... Read More »
Five installations to take part in counter-UAS technology testing
The Joint Interagency Task Force 401 recently selected the five installations that will participate in the directed-energy counter-unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) pilot program included in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. The installations are located in Arizona,... Read More »
FEMA coordinating with federal, state, local partners over FIFA World Cup
Representatives with the Federal Emergency Management Agency said the agency is actively working with federal, state, local, tribal, territorial and private-sector partners to ensure America is ready for the FIFA World Cup 2026 events. FEMA officials said they had been working with partners for... Read More »
Tool helps agencies with C-UAS purchasing
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) designs resource for first responders and security agencies. The C-UAS Purchasing Tool provides a standardized framework to help national security and public safety agencies with the purchase of counter unmanned... Read More »
Legislation would stop China from purchasing U.S. farmland, lawmakers say
U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI) said his legislation would protect national security interests by preventing foreign adversaries like China from purchasing American farmland and real estate near sensitive national security sites. The legislation, the Protecting U.S. Farmland and Sensitive Sites... Read More »
NNSA facility modernizes Nuclear Security and Weapons Infrastructure
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said the construction of Pantex Plant’s High Explosives Science and Engineering (HESE) facility has been completed The new facility consolidates 15 aging facilities, which will strengthen U.S. nuclear security... Read More »
Coast Guard to launch Special Missions Command in October
The U.S. Coast Guard plans to launch a unit that will oversee its deployable specialized forces and enhance the operational effectiveness when responding to national emergencies and events. Special Missions Command will be commissioned on or around Oct. 1 and will be based at the existing... Read More »
Army holds artificial intelligence tabletop exercise
The U.S. Army convened 14 senior cybersecurity executives from leading technology companies at the Pentagon on April 27 for an artificial intelligence tabletop exercise. The exercise, AI TTX 2.0, was designed to accelerate adoption of agentic AI for cyber defense and centered on a hypothetical... Read More »
FBI: Cyber-enabled strategic cargo theft on the rise
The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced cyber tactics enabling cargo theft have surged recently. In a Public Service Announcement, the FBI said cyber threat actors are increasingly using cyber-enabled tactics to impersonate legitimate businesses as a means to hijack freight, steal... Read More »
AeroVironment awarded prototype agreement for loitering munition
The U.S. Army recently awarded Virginia-based AeroVironment (AV), a defense technology company, a prototype agreement for the rapid development, delivery and testing of the Switchblade 400 loitering munition. Switchblade 400, a medium-range, man-portable, anti-armor loitering munition, is a key... Read More »
America First legislation concerning Foreign Military Financing introduced
U.S. Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced legislation recently that would give the U.S. State Department the authorization to fund arming U.S. partners and allies that put “America first.” Mast’s legislation, Foreign Military Financing Loan... Read More »
Defense Department announces agreements with AI companies on classified network deployment
The U.S. Department of Defense, referred to as the U.S. Department of War by the Trump administration, announced that it has entered into agreements with eight of the world’s leading artificial intelligence companies to deploy AI capabilities on the department’s classified networks. The... Read More »
KBR receives two task order modifications from Army worth up to $449M
The Army Contracting Command recently awarded Texas-based KBR, a science, technology and engineering solutions company, two up to $449 million task order modifications to continue providing intelligent, data-driven logistics support to the U.S. Army in Europe and North America. The contract was... Read More »
FEMA to award $1.1B for flood mitigation
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently opened the application period for $1.1 billion in Flood Mitigation Assistance program funding. The program funds community-led projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to structures and buildings insured by the... Read More »