Good morning, Morgan

F-35 Engine Procurement — Funding Reduced & Competitive Bid Added

Sen. Wicker (R-MS) filed Amendment #247 reducing F-35 engine procurement funding from $1.2B to $950M. New requirement added: competitive bidding required for all engine subcontracts exceeding $50M, replacing previous sole-source arrangements. Amendment passed Armed Services Committee 14-11.

Cybersecurity Certification — Implementation Timeline Shortened

SASC markup shortened the cybersecurity contractor certification deadline from October 2027 to April 2027. Compliance cost estimates revised upward to $2-4M per contractor. Bipartisan support in committee vote 22-5.

Zero-Trust Mandate — Funding Increased $50M

Sen. Warner (D-VA) secured additional $50M for zero-trust implementation, bringing total to $450M. Added language requiring interoperability testing with allied nations' defense networks.

Tactical Computing — Domestic Preference Language Strengthened

Rep. Calvert (R-CA-41) introduced amendment strengthening domestic manufacturing preference for tactical computing equipment. Changed 'preference' to 'requirement' for systems handling classified data.

Supply Chain Security — Allied Nation Exemption Proposed

Sen. Shaheen (D-NH) proposed amendment to exempt AUKUS and NATO-nation suppliers from domestic sourcing requirements in Sec. 512. Amendment tabled pending CBO score — expected vote next week.