Raft is rolling out a new partner program aimed at speeding the development and deployment of software-driven capabilities across the Pentagon’s modernization efforts. Announced this week, the Raft Partner Program is designed to help defense primes, emerging tech firms, and commercial providers build interoperable, mission-ready applications on top of Raft’s Data Platform and AI Mission System. The company is positioning the program as a way to reduce friction in integrating new capabilities, as the department increasingly emphasizes software-defined, multi-domain operations and faster fielding timelines.
The initial cohort of partners includes Lockheed Martin, Scale AI, Red Hat, and Rune Technologies, with additional partners expected to join in future rounds. Raft says participants gain early technical access, validated interoperability, and a clearer path to operational deployment, which could be a differentiator as competition for modernization programs intensifies. The move reflects a broader trend across the defense technology ecosystem: platform-centric approaches that aim to create reusable, scalable software foundations rather than standalone solutions, as the Pentagon continues to push industry to deliver capability at the pace of evolving operational demands.
Contract Opportunities: SAIC
Battelle has been selected as one of 10 companies awarded spots on the Defense Microelectronics Activity’s Advanced Technology Support Program V, a 10-year, multiple-award IDIQ contract with a ceiling of $25.35 billion. The contract is designed to help the Pentagon and other federal agencies rapidly access engineering solutions for complex electronics and software challenges. Through this vehicle, Battelle will support efforts to field emerging technologies, address electronics obsolescence, and close critical capability gaps across defense systems.
The award reinforces the growing focus on trusted microelectronics, supply chain resilience, and modernization of legacy platforms. Battelle’s role will span the full technology lifecycle, from early engineering development through production and sustainment, aligning with DMEA’s goals to ensure faster access to advanced technologies and reliable suppliers. As demand increases for secure, resilient, and upgradable microelectronics, the contract positions Battelle as a key contributor to ongoing defense modernization and mission readiness efforts.
Key Employer in the Cleared Industry: Leidos
The Department of Defense continues to face growing hiring needs driven by rapid modernization efforts, evolving global threats, and the demand for advanced digital, cyber, and engineering capabilities. At Leidos, we are hiring mission-ready professionals to support critical defense programs across systems engineering, cybersecurity, and software development, cloud and data engineering, intelligence analysis, and program management—delivering secure, resilient solutions that strengthen national security and enable mission success across the globe. Apply now!
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Cleared Opportunities
CesiumAstro has secured a $200 million government-backed financing package that underscores growing federal and private-sector interest in strengthening the U.S. space and defense industrial base. The financing, led by the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) in partnership with J.P. Morgan, is the largest deal completed to date under EXIM’s “Make More in America” initiative. Company leaders say the investment reflects a broader push to scale domestic manufacturing capacity for space-based communications technologies that are increasingly viewed as critical to national security and supply chain resilience.
The funding will support CesiumAstro’s expansion in Texas, including the acquisition of a 270,000-square-foot facility in the Austin area to serve as a vertically integrated manufacturing headquarters. The company plans to consolidate design, production, assembly, and testing operations at the site, with operations expected to begin in 2027. Over the next several years, CesiumAstro expects the expansion to drive significant workforce growth and reinforce Texas’ role as a hub for space and defense manufacturing, while positioning the company to meet rising government and commercial demand for secure, U.S.-built space communications systems.
