MCP is an application-level protocol that provides a simple and agreed upon messaging pattern and transport format currently used by many AI-enabled systems for managing interactions between services. The guidance aims to reduce risk while supporting safe innovation in AI-augmented systems.

Real-world adoption of MCP has accelerated. It is increasingly found in AI deployments across products used in business, finance, legal, software development, and other industries, including for sensitive tasks like querying personally identifiable information.

While MCP simplifies the integration of diverse capabilities into powerful agent workflows, the current protocol specification requires careful and cautious implementation for security. Gaps in MCP design, implementation, and operational posture have created significant and evolving security concerns including serialization risks, trust boundaries, and agent misuse, to name a few, according to the CSI.

Although traditional cybersecurity principles such as authentication, authorization, and input validation remain necessary protective measures, agentic AI systems — especially those featuring MCP — introduce novel and systemic risks like dynamic tool invocation, implicit trust relationships, and context sharing. Established cyber defense strategies unfortunately do not adequately address these new risks.
These are not isolated problems that can be patched at the interface or endpoint level. Securing MCP systems requires treating the agentic environment as a continuum. Misaligned assumptions or subtle inconsistencies at any stage can propagate and compound into exploitable conditions.

This report examines these security concerns, outlines gaps that must be addressed before MCP can be used securely and confidently. It offers practical recommendations for organizations adopting MCP in high-stakes or production environments. The guidance is designed to remain relevant as the MCP protocol, implementations, and operations continue to evolve.

Adopters are advised to proceed with caution, drawing on lessons from prior distributed and plugin-based ecosystems while applying heightened scrutiny to MCP’s novel integration and automation patterns. Continued collaborative work among implementers, security researchers, and standards organizations will be essential to establish more robust and trustworthy foundations for AI infrastructure, particularly for national security and other high assurance environments.

Read the full report.

Source: NSA

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AFRL Procurement Headquarters (PK), located at 1864 4th St, Building 15, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, is announcing a DRAFT solicitation for the AFRL Multiple Award Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (AMAC) contract vehicle.

The AFRL Multiple Award Contract (MAC) vehicle is intended for streamlined acquisition of Science and Technology (S&T) across all technology areas relevant to the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The AMAC aims to facilitate rapid and efficient technology development, ultimately advancing the state-of-the-art for the United States Air Force and Space Force.

The goal is to provide AFRL with flexible and responsive access to a diverse pool of qualified contractors capable of performing work in any of the below technical areas of interest as well as emerging areas of interest. The secondary objective is to provide a streamlined and standardized acquisition vehicle to be used across AFRL.

AFRL is actively seeking industry input, opinions and responses to the provided draft documentation. Constructive feedback from industry partners is highly encouraged to help refine and finalize the solicitation.

Review the AFRL MAC.

Source: SAM

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The United States and the Portfolio Acquisition Executive-Layered Protection &Integration (PAE-LPI) is engaged in a critical, persistent innovation race against strategic competitors, most notably the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which leverages Military-Civil Fusion to mandate the immediate transfer of commercial breakthroughs to military applications. Traditional Department of War (DoW) acquisition models operating on 7-to-15-year timelines are structurally incapable of pacing the threat in rapidly evolving domains like biotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI).

To maintain technological overmatch and secure the United States’ biotechnology ecosystem (projected to exceed $1.5 trillion), the Government requires an asymmetric response that harnesses the dynamic, free-market ecosystem of private capital, academia, and commercial enterprise. Drawing inspiration from venture-backed intelligence community models, this Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) establishes a public-private nexus.

The objective of this OTA is to establish a technology accelerator with a 501(c)(3) partner. Supported by Government investment, this accelerator will speed the prototyping of new technologies; specifically medical countermeasures (MCMs), by bridging the private sector, elite national High-Performance Computing (HPC) resources, and the Government.

Review the VEDDER RFI.

Source: SAM

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“Advancements in artificial intelligence are revolutionizing how mission objectives are achieved, enabling unprecedented levels of enterprise efficiency, precision, and scalability,” said Jill Bruning, Amentum chief technology officer. “With Sam’s unique expertise, he will strategically drive results-focused AI solutions that empower our customers to tackle their most complex challenges – ultimately advancing the world’s most critical missions.”

In this newly established role, Dr. Nazari’s focus spans both customer-facing AI solutions and internal operational automation. His priorities include aligning AI investments with mission-critical customer demand signals, and ensuring all AI deployments meet FedRAMP, CMMC, and client compliance standards.

Dr. Nazari has architected solutions ranging from AI-powered supply chain systems to state-of-the-art autonomous technologies supporting challenging defense environments and tactical operations.

Before the chief AI architect role, Dr. Nazari worked for Amentum leading key AI initiatives at DARPA. Prior to joining Amentum, he held roles at Scientific System Company, Inc. (SSCI) and Systems & Technology Research (STR), driving AI and machine learning (ML) advancements for the Department of Defense.

Source: Amentum

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SPA Fellows represent the company’s most senior subject matter experts, advancing enterprise capabilities and delivering mission impact for national security clients. These appointments reinforce SPA’s commitment to accelerating how advanced capabilities are developed, integrated, and applied across complex, multi-domain environments.

The newly appointed fellows are:

• Ian Harding, Fellow, Software Engineering
• Steven Hernandez, Fellow, DevSecOps and Cloud
• Amy Soller, Fellow, Applied Artificial Intelligence
• Phillip Pournelle, Fellow, Digital Wargaming

Together, their expertise enables SPA to deliver mission-ready capabilities faster from scalable software systems and secure cloud architectures to applied artificial intelligence and advanced analytical wargaming that informs critical decisions.

Harding leads the design of advanced software architectures that enable data analytics, artificial intelligence, and decision-making. Hernandez architects secure, scalable cloud and DevSecOps solutions that accelerate the delivery of mission-critical systems, particularly in space and command and control environments. Soller leads the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning to advance mission outcomes, adapting and customizing emerging technologies for complex defense and intelligence environments. Pournelle leads digital wargaming and analytical approaches that advance decision-making across joint and naval operations.

Source: SPA

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This milestone delivery keeps the program on track for full assembly of the payload, known as Flight Unit 1, expected to launch in 2028.

“We met multiple challenges across a multiyear timeframe to successfully deliver our components for the next stage of full payload assembly,” said Thai Sheridan, vice president and general manager of military space for BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems. “This program will provide essential next-generation defense and intelligence capabilities for the Space Force.”

The sensor subassembly built by BAE Systems is a significant component of the mission payload and provides the optics, pointing mechanism, controlling electronics and electrical bus interface to the spacecraft.

The sensor system controller interfaces directly to the space vehicle to receive commands and provide telemetry data for the mission. It provides power control and conversion for sensor assembly components as well as high-accuracy mirror direction.

The BAE Systems hardware originally was designed for use with the geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) element of the program. Featuring a highly adaptable design, the components were able to be repurposed for the NGP mission, allowing the program to meet challenging schedule needs.

Source: BAE Systems

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The C5ISR Center is hosting an engagement event open to all of industry, for the purpose of providing two-way collaboration on current and future technologies.

1. Who: The intended audience includes active and prospective industry partners. No media will be invited to attend.
2. When/Where: The two-day event is Tuesday 25 August – Wednesday 26 August. It will be held fully in-person at Aberdeen Proving Ground, in both the Myer Auditorium and the APG Recreation Center gymnasium.
3. Purpose: The Army has been undergoing significant change over the last year focused heavily on increasing the speed with which capabilities are delivered to Soldiers and reducing bureaucratic challenges along the way. Through ongoing Continuous Transformation and Acquisition Reform, paired with strategic organizational realignments for Forge Generation, Force Development and Force Design, the Army is adapting faster than ever to sustain asymmetric advantage and remain resilient against emerging threats. A key tenet to the success of these efforts is the close partnership and collaboration with the Army’s industrial base. This year’s Industry Expo will offer insights to critical science and technology (S&T) efforts across the Center’s core competencies and aid industry in identifying how to best invest internal research and development (IR&D) funds supporting these activities.
4. Format: The event will utilize a dual approach in delivery. The C5ISR Center will present key S&T efforts and investment / technology thrust areas through panels and slide presentations (day one) and then transition to a symposium-style format (day two) with booths representing technology areas across the Center to facilitate a two-way dialogue.
5. Registration: Each business entity (per each CAGE Code) will be entitled to register five (5) representatives to attend the event. Registration opens 0900 on Monday 15 June 2026 and may be accessed through the following link: https://c5isrcenter.devcom.army.mil/c5isr-expo-2026/

Review the C5ISR 2026 Industry Expo information.

Source: SAM

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This partnership will deliver technology that uses a collaborative rapid prototyping approach to create adaptable, ultra-secure, connected devices. This is a critical step in addressing security concerns and decreasing time-to-market for such devices, which is essential as adversaries’ technologies swiftly adapt to challenge the nation’s security architecture, the company said.

In their first joint effort, Riverside Research and Plexus developed the Aegis R52L Enhanced Retransmission Device, designed to secure end-user devices. Together, they moved from the initial concept to identifying requirements, developing prototypes and planning for full-scale manufacturing in under nine months. This pace sets a new standard for bringing these commercially viable technologies to market.

“Partnering with Riverside Research aligns with our vision to help create the products that build a better world by enabling the rapid deployment of secure, cutting-edge technologies that protect freedom, people and the dedicated soldiers who serve our nation,” said Jim Stokes, Plexus market sector vice president, aerospace/defense. “We are committed to accelerating their time-to-market through our integrated engineering and manufacturing solutions.”

“Too often, industry has been forced to navigate the complex ecosystem of defense contracts to fulfill the entirety of the product development process,” said Carl Nerup, vice president, business development, at Riverside Research. “With Riverside Research and Plexus aligned, the marketplace now has an innovation engine. Together, we’re combining our companies’ world-class problem-solving abilities to guide customers smoothly from concept to product.”

Source: Riverside Research

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As the U.S. Department of War accelerates toward AI-first operations, the challenge is no longer whether AI can generate useful outputs. The challenge is whether AI can carry out real work across fragmented systems, contested environments, and high-consequence operations while keeping humans in command.

Legion is built for that shift, according to the company. The company is introducing the Command Layer, its architecture for turning intent into governed action across agents, mission systems, and operational environments. At SOF Week, Legion will demonstrate how that architecture becomes deployable capability through Mission Packs, which package AI agents into role-specific operational capabilities, and Centurion, its deployable edge AI system for denied, degraded, intermittent, and limited environments.

“Agentic AI will only matter to national security if it can do real work under real constraints,” said Ben Van Roo, CEO and co-founder of Legion Intelligence. “The Command Layer is what makes that possible: agents execute the work, Mission Packs make them usable for the roles military teams already perform, and Centurion brings that capability to the edge where missions actually happen, with governance built in so human authority remains intact.”

Mission Packs put Legion’s AI agents, applications, data connections, and governance safeguards to work on the jobs teams perform every day. Instead of starting from a blank prompt, users start with purpose-built capabilities for the work they need to complete, from preparing intelligence products and coordinating operations to surfacing command decisions and improving maintenance readiness.

“Mission Packs make AI agents usable in the real world,” said Steve Mahoney, SVP of Product at Legion Intelligence. “They give teams a starting point for action, not another empty chat interface. Each Pack brings together agents, tools, data, and controls for a specific operational role, so teams start from mission-ready capability instead of a blank prompt.”

Legion is also introducing Centurion III, an ultra-small form factor that brings governed AI into a laptop-class footprint at the edge. It extends Legion’s deployable AI footprint into environments where cloud access, stable networks, and centralized infrastructure cannot be assumed.

Source: Legion Intelligence

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As adversary investments in maritime systems accelerate and the demand for distributed, survivable forces grows, Maritime Technologies is purpose-built to give the U.S. and allied warfighters the tools to outpace the threat. It brings together a suite of prototype, fielded, and field-ready systems under a single mission: deliver innovation on the high seas, at the speed of relevance.

“Along with our compelling portfolio in space, spectrum, and cyber, the maritime domain is where the next decade of strategic competition will be decided,” said Dr. Phil Root, chief technology officer of GRVTY and head of Maritime Technologies. “Maritime Technologies is our answer: a focused, mission-driven team that puts autonomy, range, precision navigation, and scale directly in the hands of the operators who need them most.”

Source: GRVTY

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