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DARPA ALIAS Autonomous Black Hawk Delivered to U.S. Army

DARPA has delivered an experimental fly-by-wire H-60Mx Black Hawk helicopter equipped with the Sikorsky MATRIX autonomy suite to the U.S. Army for advanced operational testing. This delivery marks the completion of DARPA's Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program, which achieved the world's first uninhabited Black Hawk flight in 2022. Under the technology transition agreement between DARPA and the Army's Project Manager for Utility Helicopters, the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command will use the helicopter as a flying laboratory to mature reduced-crew and fully autonomous flight capabilities.

FY2027 Military Services Budget Request Hearing — Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture (Closed)

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Subcommittee on Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture, has scheduled a closed hearing on April 22, 2026 at 10:00 AM in HVC-304 Capitol, Washington D.C. to examine the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request for the military services with a focus on defense intelligence and overhead architecture. Four senior intelligence officials are scheduled to testify, including deputy chiefs of staff for intelligence from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force.

Two Trans Women Detained for Homicide in Cali, Colombia

Two trans women identified as Almendra and La Madre were detained by CTI servers with support from the Army and National Police on April 20 in Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, for their alleged involvement in a February 6 homicide. The two individuals attacked two people with a stabbing weapon in a vacant lot, stealing their belongings; one victim died and the other was injured. A prosecutor from the Seccional Cali charged both with homicide, attempted homicide, and aggravated theft—charges they did not accept. A judge ordered preventive detention in a correctional facility.

DCMA Southeast Supports Army Infantry Squad Vehicle Acceptance, $90M Contract

Defense Contract Management Agency Southeast quality assurance specialists accepted 173 A1 Infantry Squad Vehicles at GM Defense LLC in Concord, N.C. on March 31, 2026, under a $90 million Army contract. The vehicles, priced between $156,000 and $400,000 depending on configuration, are being delivered to various military installations across the country. DCMA has delivered approximately 1,000 ISVs to the Army over the past five years. The team also oversees a $34 million Canadian Foreign Military Sales contract for Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, with approximately 135 Canadian vehicles inspected so far.

Conco Plant Opens, Doubles MACS Output to 80,000 Monthly

Defense Contract Management Agency Lexington leaders attended the grand opening of Conco Inc.'s new industrial facility in Scottsburg, Indiana on February 5, 2026. The plant is dedicated to 155 mm Modular Artillery Charge System container production and will more than double the company's output to 80,000 MACS containers per month, supporting the Army's multi-year, $98 million contract. DCMA personnel will provide ongoing quality assurance oversight and contract administration throughout the product lifecycle, including oversight of the contractor's return site for container reuse.

Revolutionary War Quarter Released at Mount Vernon

The US Mint and George Washington's Mount Vernon celebrated the release of the Revolutionary War Quarter on March 23, 2026. The quarter, the second coin in the 2026 Semiquincentennial Circulating Coin Program, was released to Federal Reserve Banks for distribution to financial institutions. The coin features a Continental Army soldier at Valley Forge on the reverse and was authorized by the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-330).

STRL Personnel Demonstration Project Probationary and Trial Period Waiver Amendments

The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering issued a notice amending Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratory (STRL) Personnel Demonstration Project Federal Register Notices by updating waiver citations for probationary and trial periods. The amendments reflect changes resulting from Executive Order 14284, which repealed Civil Service Rule 2.4 and established Civil Service Rule 11. The 24 designated STRLs across the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Defense Health Agency are affected. Implementation begins no earlier than April 21, 2026.

Former Army Member Adam Schlueter Convicted of Sexually Assaulting Two Minors in Germany

A federal jury in the Northern District of Georgia convicted Adam Schlueter, 37, of Atlanta, of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 12 and two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Schlueter committed these crimes while stationed as a U.S. Army member in Grafenwoehr, Germany from 2009 to 2013. The jury found that Schlueter physically, emotionally, and sexually abused two minor victims, including pushing one child through a second-story window. Schlueter is scheduled for sentencing on July 9, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 30 years in prison with a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Lane County Oregon Youth Conservation Services Grant, $20k-$175k, Closes May 21

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Portland District has posted a cooperative agreement opportunity for land stewardship and restoration services on USACE-managed lands in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. The program targets Lane County youth with active cases through the Department of Juvenile Justice, with recipients earning restitution, community service hours, high school credit, GED progress, and vocational training. Award amounts range from $20,000 to $175,000, with $155,000 in total program funding available; applications close May 21, 2026.

Hawthorne Army Depot Class 2 Hazardous Waste Permit Modification

The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) is requesting public comment regarding the Class 2 Permit Modification to the RCRA Hazardous Waste permit at the HWAD – Main Base facility located in Hawthorne, Nevada. The Class 2 Permit Mod revises current permit language by changing "munitions" to "U.S. Government controlled assets" and expands permitted activities to include recycling and storage of U.S. government controlled assets and/or batteries. Comments may be submitted during the 45-day public comment period that begins on April 17, 2026 and ends on June 01, 2026 at 5pm PDT.

GSA Sells Twin Cities Army Site for $3.58M in Minnesota

The U.S. General Services Administration announced the completion of a $3.58 million auction of the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in Arden Hills, Minnesota on April 21, 2026. The 62-acre property, originally built in 1942 for WWII ammunition production and operated for five decades, was environmentally restored by the Army working with the EPA and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency before being listed for sale. GSA Administrator Edward C. Forst stated the sale will save taxpayers approximately $3 million and fulfills President Trump's directive to reduce the federal property footprint.

President Mulino Inspects Balboa Port Operations Under Temporary Maersk Concession

President José Raúl Mulino inspected the Port of Balboa on April 10, 2026, confirming that operations continue normally under a temporary 18-month concession awarded to Maersk following a Supreme Court ruling that declared the previous concession unconstitutional. The port now operates with 100% Panamanian staff. The government is preparing two new concessions for the Balboa (Pacific) and Cristóbal (Atlantic) ports, as well as a new pliego for the Margarita port. Regarding the Puente de las Américas, Mulino reported that four U.S. Army Corps of Engineers professionals are being received to conduct structural evaluations, including metal sampling and strain-gauge placement at critical zones. Panama has also communicated concerns to Chinese diplomatic authorities regarding the detention of Panamanian-flagged vessels in Chinese ports.

INAIL Sicily Events Certify Ministry of Defense Facilities

INAIL held two informational events in Sicily on April 9 and 21, 2026, focused on the verification and certification of plants and equipment used by the Ministry of Defense. Over 120 representatives from the four Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Carabinieri) participated, with events hosted in Palermo and Messina respectively. The events supported the implementation of the convention between INAIL and the Ministry of Defense, enabling military commanders—acting as employers—to use INAIL's CIVA application and technical personnel for equipment certification through the Institute's 36 territorial operational units.

NRM Education Training Grant Eugene OR $50K-$260K

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Portland District, is soliciting cooperative agreements under Assistance Listings 12.010 for land stewardship and prairie restoration at Fern Ridge Lake in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. The program will provide education and training to at-risk youth enrolled at Kalapuya High School in the Eugene area. Eligible applicants include county, city, township, and state governments, independent school districts, and nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status. Funding ranges from $50,000 to $260,000, with applications closing May 20, 2026.

Unified Command Provides Situational Update: Recovery Efforts February 4 2025

DC FEMS Unified Command confirms recovery of 67 victims from an aircraft collision over the Potomac River, with 66 remains positively identified. Multi-agency salvage operations continue with the US Army Corps of Engineers, US Coast Guard, and US Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving. The Potomac River north of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge remains closed to all watercraft until further notice.

Ansem's Army Ethena Ltd - $2,500 Penalty for Late Notice Filing

The New Hampshire Bureau of Securities Regulation entered a Consent Order against Ansem's Army Ethena Ltd (AAE) for failing to timely notice file the sale of federal covered securities in New Hampshire. AAE made its first sale on April 9, 2024 but did not submit the required notice filing until August 12, 2025—more than one year after the first sale, violating the 15-day requirement under RSA 421-B:3-302. AAE agreed to pay an administrative penalty of $2,500 and to cease and desist from further violations.

Pleasant Valley Interceptor 401 Certification, Washoe County

The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) has received a Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification application from NCE for the Pleasant Valley Interceptor Reach 3 project in Washoe County. The application seeks certification for Nationwide Permit 58 (Utility Line Activities for Water and Other Substances), which requires federal authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. NDEP is soliciting public comments on the application through May 20, 2026.

Attorney General Mayes and Better Business Bureau Warn Arizonans About Romance Scam

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and the Better Business Bureau jointly issued a public service announcement warning Arizonans about romance scams, which the BBB reports take more money per victim than nearly any other fraud type tracked. Three recent Arizona complainants collectively lost $155,000 after meeting individuals on social media and dating apps who claimed to be overseas surgeons, army generals, and engineers before requesting funds via cash apps, wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. The PSA provides warning signs and protective guidance, directing victims to file consumer complaints via the AG's website or contact the AG's Phoenix or Tucson offices.

USACE and USDA Break Ground on $750M Texas Sterile Fly Production Facility

USDA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers broke ground on April 17, 2026, on a $750 million sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas. The facility is designed to produce sterile New World Screwworm flies using the sterile insect technique, with initial operational capability targeted for November 2027 at 100 million flies per week, scaling to 300 million flies per week at full production. This facility is a cornerstone of USDA's five-pronged strategy to combat New World Screwworm, expanding domestic capacity so the U.S. does not rely on foreign production for this pest-control measure. The production network will complement USDA's existing 100 million flies per week output at the Panama-based COPEG facility and Mexico's upgraded Metapa facility.

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Land Rehabilitation and Maintenance Support Cooperative Agreement

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Alaska District posted a cooperative agreement opportunity (W911KB-26-2-0001) to provide Land Rehabilitation and Maintenance (LRAM) support for Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Richardson Training Area. The $1.475M–$3.2M award will support the Integrated Training Area Management (ITAM) Program, including soil, water, and vegetation protection, erosion control, and habitat management. Applications close May 18, 2026.

USDA Breaks Ground on Texas Sterile Fly Production Facility

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and Lieutenant General William H. 'Butch' Graham led the groundbreaking ceremony on April 17, 2026, at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas. USDA is partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to construct a sterile fly production facility as part of a five-pronged strategy to combat New World Screwworm. The facility will expand domestic capacity to protect livestock, wildlife, and public health from this serious pest.