The Defense Department’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious in decades, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasizing a historic rebuilding of military readiness and deterrence capabilities. At a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Hegseth laid out the topline numbers: a proposed $961.6 billion DOD budget — part of a broader $1 trillion national security package. He framed the proposal as a reversal of what he described as chronic underinvestment, positioning the budget as a bold recommitment to the U.S. military’s global posture and technological edge.
Among the biggest line items are $62 billion earmarked for modernizing the nuclear triad — a nod to enduring deterrence priorities — and a $25 billion investment in “Golden Dome for America,” a homeland defense initiative. Maritime forces are also getting a boost with $47 billion allocated for shipbuilding, supporting 19 new vessels and $6 billion toward revitalizing the shipbuilding industrial base. Meanwhile, next-gen air power is represented by the F-47 sixth-generation fighter program, receiving $3.5 billion. All these investments are guided by a classified interim National Defense Strategy that highlights homeland defense, competition in the Indo-Pacific, and stronger allied burden-sharing — with a full version expected later this summer.
Contract Opportunities: Curtiss-Wright
Curtiss-Wright just landed a major win with the U.S. Air Force, securing an $80 million Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to provide high-speed data acquisition systems (HSDAS). This agreement extends through March 2030 and covers a wide array of Curtiss-Wright’s Flight Test Instrumentation (FTI) hardware and support services. The company’s HSDAS tech plays a vital role in collecting, recording, and analyzing flight test data, and will be used across current and future USAF development programs.
The deal is a strong vote of confidence in Curtiss-Wright’s legacy in the aerospace test and instrumentation space. The firm’s ability to deliver reliable, high-performance data solutions—from RF transmission systems to integrated analysis software—gives the Air Force an edge in modernizing how it gathers and interprets flight performance. As part of Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Electronics segment, this contract reaffirms the company’s long-standing role as a backbone provider for military aerospace testing efforts.
Key Employer in the Cleared Industry: Leidos
Leidos is seeking top talent to support critical Department of Defense (DoD) missions, delivering innovative solutions in defense systems, digital modernization, cybersecurity, and national security. Join us in advancing mission success and operational readiness for our nation’s defense.
SPONSORED CONTENT: This content is written on or behalf of our Sponsor.
Cleared Opportunities
Nooks, a rising star in the defense-tech arena, just closed a $25 million Series A funding round—and it’s not your typical startup story. Based in Crystal City, VA, Nooks is pioneering a new model for secure government workspaces through what it calls “Classified-Infrastructure-as-a-Service” (CIaaS). With big names like Zigg Capital, Upper90, SAIC, and Lockheed Martin throwing their weight (and wallets) behind the concept, Nooks is clearly striking a chord with a national security ecosystem desperate for more agile, scalable classified environments.
This funding isn’t just a cash infusion—it’s a major vote of confidence in how secure work will evolve in an era of distributed teams and emerging threats. Nooks is already making moves in key national security hubs like Arlington, Colorado Springs, and El Segundo. With backing from defense heavyweights and real estate experts alike, the company plans to transform underutilized office buildings into a network of modern SCIFs (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities). Their goal? Accelerate collaboration across government and industry by replacing the patchwork of costly, outdated secure spaces with turnkey, shared infrastructure.
By aligning with initiatives like DARPA’s Prospero and the STRATFI program, Nooks is tapping into federal innovation pipelines while tackling one of the defense sector’s stickiest problems—how to securely work together, faster. With CIaaS now officially in the spotlight, expect to hear more from Nooks as it reshapes the blueprint for classified collaboration.
