Defense Unicorns is doubling down on secure software delivery by teaming up with RapidFort, a company specializing in container hardening. The partnership, announced August 19, aims to strengthen Defense Unicorns’ Unicorn Delivery Service (UDS), a runtime platform built for defense missions. By integrating RapidFort’s tools and curated container images, Defense Unicorns has been able to cut down on vulnerabilities, boost compliance, and speed up deployment—without taking on the heavy lift of building its own hardening pipelines.
The move highlights a growing challenge for defense tech startups: balancing security with speed. Delivering software in classified environments requires airtight protections, but traditional approaches to container hardening often slow down mission-critical deployment. By outsourcing this piece to RapidFort, Defense Unicorns is betting on a faster, more scalable model that keeps vulnerabilities near zero while still meeting strict compliance requirements. For defense operations where readiness depends on secure, reliable software, the partnership is a notable step in closing the gap between innovation and security.
Contract Opportunities: booz allen
Booz Allen Hamilton just scored a major win in the national security contracting space, landing a $1.58 billion task order to support the Defense Intelligence Agency’s counter–weapons of mass destruction mission. The five-year contract, known as the WAEDS task order, puts Booz Allen at the center of efforts to modernize how the U.S. analyzes and responds to WMD threats. The work will span intelligence analysis, data science, and advanced technical support for DIA and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency—two key players in preventing and countering WMD proliferation.
The deal underscores both the scale and complexity of today’s CWMD challenge. Booz Allen plans to bring a wide range of specialized expertise—from cyber and AI to missile systems and language-enabled analysis—to strengthen the intelligence community’s ability to detect, analyze, and act on emerging threats. With much of the work happening in Virginia and at sites worldwide, this award not only cements Booz Allen’s role as a core DIA partner but also highlights how data-driven tools and advanced technology are reshaping the fight against weapons of mass destruction.
Key Employer in the Cleared Industry: ManTech
Justin Dilligard, a Technical Recruiter at ManTech, is leading a major recruiting push for the Navy Continuous Training Environment (NCTE) program. He’s on the hunt for top talent to fill roles like Network Engineers, Software Engineers, RF Engineers, and Project Managers. His pro-tip for candidates? Don’t sell yourself short! He advises highlighting all relevant certifications and IT systems experience to make your resume shine. Ready to connect? You can reach him directly on ClearanceJobs via DM or at Justin.Dilligard@MANTECH.com. Check out all NCTE careers at MANTECH.com/careers.
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Cleared Opportunities
Rancher Government Solutions (RGS) and Norseman Defense Technologies are teaming up to push the boundaries of edge computing with a new platform called Odin’s Edge. Announced August 19, the system blends Norseman’s rugged, mission-ready hardware with RGS’s hardened Kubernetes-native software, creating what the companies describe as a fully autonomous “platform in a box.” Unlike many edge systems that still depend on persistent cloud connectivity, Odin’s Edge is designed to operate independently in austere or disconnected environments—ideal for defense, intelligence, and emergency response missions.
The platform is built to be both powerful and portable. Optimized for GPU-capable, lightweight hardware, Odin’s Edge can run on generator or house power and be deployed anywhere—from a backpack to a tactical vehicle. Leaders at both companies say the goal is to give operators cloud-level compute and AI capabilities in places where the cloud simply can’t reach. Whether on a submarine, in a disaster zone, or at the tactical edge of a forward-deployed mission, Odin’s Edge is built to keep data actionable at the point of need. The partnership underscores a broader shift in defense tech: moving advanced compute closer to the operator, without sacrificing autonomy or security.
