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Contracts · Drones

Army extends its drone marketplaces' FMS fast lane to eight more nations

Partners can order pre-cleared drone and counter-drone systems on existing Army contracts, with FMS case development timelines the Army says it cut from months to days.

Albania, Canada, Croatia, Egypt, Japan, Kuwait, Morocco and Panama signed statements of intent Tuesday, Oct. 13, to join the Army's two online marketplaces, one for drones and one for counter-drone systems. The signing, at the Association of the U.S. Army's annual meeting, extends a framework nine European partners joined at Eurosatory in Paris in June. The Army says 29 partners have joined the framework.1 Defense News reported that AUSA's president, retired Gen. Robert Brown, put the total at 33 nations.2

Eight more nations sign on to the Army's drone marketplaces

Partner signatories of the Army's UAS and counter-UAS marketplaces as of Oct. 13, 2026, and marketplace dollar figures as reported by Defense News

Eightpartner nations signed statements of intent at AUSA on Oct. 13
29partners the Army says have joined the marketplace framework
$800 millionin transactions the drone marketplace has processed since it was stood up, Defense News reported
$7 billionworth of counter-UAS contract vehicles the Army awarded through the marketplace, Ingraham said, according to Defense News

The $800 million in transactions and the $7 billion in contract vehicles are separate measures, not a combined total. Neither source says how much came from partner nations or names a vendor on the marketplaces.

Sources: U.S. Army, Oct. 13, 2026. Dollar figures reported by Defense News, Oct. 14, 2026. Data as of Oct. 14, 2026.

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What the signatories get is a way to order off Army contracts that suppliers already hold. Using a foreign military sales (FMS) pathway the Army calls the "FMS Fast Lane," partners can order pre-cleared, standard-configuration systems directly through those pre-established contracts. By completing technology transfer approvals, marketing licenses and foreign disclosure clearances in advance, the Army says it compressed FMS case development from months to days.1

The drone marketplace has processed $800 million in transactions since it was stood up, Defense News reported, without saying how much came from partner nations.2 Brent Ingraham, the Army's assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology, said the Army recently awarded counter-drone contract vehicles worth $7 billion through the marketplace, according to the outlet.1–2

The Army's announcement did not name the suppliers whose contracts partners can now order from. An announced partner order, or an Army contract modification citing FMS funds against a marketplace contract vehicle, would show which suppliers partner nations are buying from.1

Sources (2)
  1. U.S. Army: Army Hosts International Signing Ceremony for UAS and Counter-UAS Marketplaces at AUSA 2026 (Oct. 13, 2026) www.army.mil
  2. Defense News: US Army expands drone marketplace to 33 nations (Oct. 14, 2026) www.defensenews.com
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Contracts · Cyber infrastructure

DISA seeks cloud identity and access prototype for Department of War

Responses are due Nov. 30 for a commercial identity-management prototype. It would operate across IL5 and IL6 environments.

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is seeking a commercial, cloud-hosted identity and access management prototype to modernize the Department of War’s legacy identity infrastructure.1

DISA seeks solutions to prototype a Next Generation E-ICAM capability

Enterprise Identity, Credential, and Access Management (E-ICAM)

modernize legacy identity infrastructuremodular, cloud-hostedplanned

This effort will modernize legacy identity infrastructure with a modular, cloud-hosted commercial off-the-shelf/software-as-a-service solution operating across IL5 and IL6 environments.

The prototype must address the Federated Identity Provider, Automated Account Provisioning, Master Entitlement Record, and Federation Hub core capabilities.

Response deadline is Nov. 30, 2026, 5:00 p.m. America/Chicago (Monday)

Source: SAM.gov. As of Nov. 7, 2026.

Sources
TGOs tgos.io

DISA is seeking the capability through a prototype Other Transaction opportunity linked to its competitive Commercial Solutions Opening.1–3

The Next Generation Enterprise Identity, Credential, and Access Management (E-ICAM) effort calls for a modular commercial off-the-shelf or software-as-a-service solution. The solution would operate across Impact Level 5 (IL5) and Impact Level 6 (IL6) environments. The prototype must address four core capabilities: Federated Identity Provider, Automated Account Provisioning, Master Entitlement Record and Federation Hub.1

Responses to the Area of Interest are due Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. Central.1

DISA’s Commercial Solutions Opening and any Other Transactions awarded through it are not subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulation or its supplements.3

Sources (3)
  1. SAM.gov notice record sam.gov
  2. SAM.gov notice history sam.gov
  3. SAM.gov: DISA Commercial Solutions Opening (HC108425S0001) sam.gov

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Contracts · Space

Viasat wins contract for Space Data Network’s mission operations hub

The award includes a $115 million initial task order to design, field and scale the center, under a contract with a $450 million ceiling.

Space Systems Command (SSC) awarded Viasat a competitive indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Space Data Network Backbone’s Mission Operations Center, the command announced Nov. 5, 2026. The contract carries a $450 million maximum ceiling and a $115 million initial task order to design, field and scale the center.1

Viasat, Inc. will serve as the network and mission system integration partner

Mission Operations Center (MOC) for the Space Data Network Backbone

maximum ceiling$450 millionactual

contract to Viasat, Inc., with a maximum ceiling of $450 million

initial task order$115 millionactual

to design, field, and scale the MOC

Source: Space Systems Command, Nov. 5, 2026

Sources
TGOs tgos.io

Viasat will serve as the network and mission system integration partner as SSC expands its open-architecture ecosystem across multiple space-segment providers. SSC plans to bring mission integration, network operations and data transport management together through the center.1

The effort builds on the multi-vendor acquisition strategy demonstrated in the Space-Based Sensing and Targeting portfolio’s earlier Delivery Order 2 and Delivery Order 3 work. That work involved Amazon LEO for Government, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Rocket Lab and York Space Systems.1

Breaking Defense reported that the center will serve as the network orchestration hub for the backbone, a low Earth orbit constellation being built by SpaceX. The network’s near-term focus will be supporting the Golden Dome missile defense initiative, the outlet reported.2

DefenseScoop reported that earlier this year the Department of War awarded SpaceX a $2.3 billion contract to deliver a fully operational backbone prototype by the end of 2027.3

The center is intended to integrate mission systems across multiple constellations and providers.1 Breaking Defense described network orchestration as autonomously shifting data among satellite constellations and ground stations when congestion or jamming slows transmission.2

Sources (3)
  1. SSC release, Nov. 5, 2026 www.ssc.spaceforce.mil
  2. Breaking Defense breakingdefense.com
  3. DefenseScoop defensescoop.com