OCT CONSULTING LLC

From Defense Knowledge

Stories from around the Department of Defense

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Travel to Panama and Florida: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will depart early next week for a trip to Panama City, Panama, to participate in the 2025 Central American Security Conference.; — Press Operations 2025-04-04 18:00:19
Senior Enlisted Leader Announcement: The Office of the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced the assignment of a senior enlisted leader.; — Press Operations 2025-04-04 16:53:25
DOD Announces Instructions for Reporting Termination and Cancelation Actions Taken in Response to the Administration's Efficiency Initiatives: The Defense Department announced the Principal Director, Defense Pricing, Contracting, and Acquisition Policy memorandum.; — Press Operations 2025-04-03 21:46:12
Advance Underwater Communication for the Future of Naval Operations: A Call for Solutions: The tri-national AUKUS Maritime Innovation Challenge 2025 is seeking commercial companies with solutions that will enhance the tactical and operational capabilities of undersea command.; — Press Operations 2025-04-03 16:07:21
Jules W. Hurst III, Performing the Duties of Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Statement on Guidance on Hiring Freeze Exemptions for the Civilian Workforce: During the hiring freeze directed by the secretary of defense, DOD will continue to hire the civilians that support the lethality of the total force.; — Press Operations 2025-04-02 13:48:40
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell Statement on Force Posture Updates: In line with the president's direction to achieve peace through strength, the defense secretary directed the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group to remain in the U.S Central Command area of respon...; — Press Operations 2025-04-01 20:52:00
Office of Strategic Capital Receives $8.9 Billion in Financing Requests for First Domestic Manufacturing Loan Program: The Office of Strategic Capital received more than 200 applications totaling $8.9 billion in financing requests for its inaugural credit product for American manufacturing.; — Press Operations 2025-04-01 15:41:36

Multimedia driven stories and information about Defense Department programs

The Heart of the Matter: Test Yourself on America's Oldest Medal: Since its origin during the Revolutionary War, the Purple Heart has served as a recognition of sacrifice and heroism by those in the U.S. military. Find out how much you know about the Purple Heart.; — Press Operations 2025-01-14 18:09:00
We Prepare. You Should, Too.: Service members train and prepare year-round so when disasters strike, troops are ready to help those in harm's way. Learn how you can prepare, too.; — Press Operations 2025-01-09 17:02:00
DOD in Photos 2024: DOD in Photos focuses in on the people and activities of the Defense Department around the world while highlighting the extraordinary work of military photographers who capture it all.; — Press Operations 2024-12-19 15:31:00
Military Units: Space Force: The Space Force structure is unique. While it is a separate and distinct branch of the armed services, it is organized under the Department of the Air Force.; — Press Operations 2024-12-12 17:27:00
Celebrating Holiday Troop Traditions: Not even Santa can escape our radar. And tracking him is only one of the many ways troops celebrate the holidays.; — Press Operations 2024-12-10 22:19:00
Remembering Pearl Harbor: On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and propelled the nation into World War II.; — Press Operations 2024-12-03 19:38:00
Land vs. Sea: Test Your Army-Navy Game Knowledge: Who will "sing second" this year? See how much you know about one of the oldest college football rivalries.; — Press Operations 2024-12-03 07:42:00

Speeches

Remarks by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the 80th Reunion of Honor Ceremony on Iwo Jima (As Delivered): Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered remarks during the 80th Reunion of Honor ceremony on Iwo Jima.; — Press Operations 2025-03-29 13:00:00
Opening Remarks by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at Ukraine Defense Contact Group (As Delivered): Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered opening remarks at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels.; — Pete Hegseth 2025-02-12 16:32:00
Farewell Remarks by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (As Delivered): Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III gave farewell remarks at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va.; — Lloyd J. Austin III 2025-01-17 21:57:48
Remarks by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III at the Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in Honor of President Biden (As Delivered): Remarks by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III at the Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in Honor of President Biden; — LLoyd J. Austin III 2025-01-16 22:53:00
Remarks by Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks at the Defense Innovation Board's Public Meeting: Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks gave remarks at the Defense Innovation Board's public meeting.; — Kathleen H. Hicks 2025-01-13 23:16:00
Keynote Address by Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks "Outpacing the PRC: Lessons Learned for Strategic Competition" (As Delivered): Deputy Defense Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks gave a keynote address about "Outpacing the PRC: Lessons Learned for Strategic Competition."; — Kathleen H. Hicks 2025-01-10 18:29:00
Remarks by Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III After His 25th and Final Meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (As Delivered): Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III delivered remarks following the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.; — Lloyd J. Austin III 2025-01-09 19:26:00

U.S. Department of Defense Contracts valued at $7.5 million or more

Contracts for April 3, 2025: Today's Defense Department contracts valued at $7.5 million or more are now live on Defense.gov.; — Press Operations 2025-04-03 21:00:25
Contracts for April 2, 2025: Today's Defense Department contracts valued at $7.5 million or more are now live on Defense.gov.; — Press Operations 2025-04-02 21:00:06
Contracts for April 1, 2025: Today's Defense Department contracts valued at $7.5 million or more are now live on Defense.gov.; — Press Operations 2025-04-01 21:00:42
Contracts for March 31, 2025: Today's Defense Department contracts valued at $7.5 million or more are now live on Defense.gov.; — Press Operations 2025-03-31 21:00:09
Contracts for March 28, 2025: Today's Defense Department contracts valued at $7.5 million or more are now live on Defense.gov.; — Press Operations 2025-03-28 21:00:26
Contracts for March 27, 2025: Today's Defense Department contracts valued at $7.5 million or more are now live on Defense.gov.; — Press Operations 2025-03-27 21:00:05
Contracts for March 26, 2025: Today's Defense Department contracts valued at $7.5 million or more are now live on Defense.gov.; — Press Operations 2025-03-26 21:00:36

Defense Daily

Lockheed Martin’s New PrSM Inc. 1 Contract Begins With Order For 400 Missiles: The Army has placed an initial delivery order for 400 Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) under the potential $4.94 billion production contract it awarded Lockheed Martin [LMT] last week. The value [&...; — Matthew Beinart 2025-04-04 20:38:30
DIU Launches Blue Manufacturing To Vet Key Commercial Tech Suppliers: The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) last week launched its Blue Manufacturing marketplace initiative, an effort to create a catalog of vetted and trusted suppliers of advanced commercial technologies...; — Cal Biesecker 2025-04-04 20:18:40
Defense Watch: SecNav Message, Maven Smart System, Drone Incursions, Ukraine Aid: SecNav Message. Newly confirmed Secretary of the Navy John Phelan released his first message to the fleet on April 1, in which he reiterated that revitalizing the shipbuilding and industrial […]; — DDN Staff 2025-04-04 20:16:33
Guillot: HBTSS ‘Extremely Promising,’ Kill Vehicles Against Hypersonic Missiles Big Challenge: Pentagon officials have said that the speed and “end game” maneuverability of Chinese hypersonic missiles are concerns in setting up U.S. defenses against them, but Space Force/Missile ...; — Frank Wolfe 2025-04-04 16:41:17
Intelsat Wins US Space Force PLEO Task Order for Maritime Connectivity: Intelsat received a task order under the Proliferated Low-Earth Orbit (PLEO) contract vehicle to provide the U.S. Department of Defense with maritime connectivity. Under the 12-month task order,...; — Rachel Jewett 2025-04-04 16:35:53
Anduril Unveils New Undersea Sensor Network: Anduril on Thursday unveiled its new AI-enabled undersea sensor node network, called Seabed Sentry, ahead of the annual Sea-Air-Space Expo next week. The company said the new system uses cable-less...; — Rich Abott 2025-04-03 21:31:52
DoD IG Opens Investigation On Hegseth’s Use Of Signal App To Discuss Yemen Strikes: The Pentagon inspector general’s office has opened an investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the Signal messaging app to discuss plans for military strikes in Yemen. In a [&...; — Matthew Beinart 2025-04-03 21:15:45

LegiStorm Caught Our Eye Digest

Former DeSantis staffer joins Capitol Hill: Allison Cantrell, a former Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla. ) aide, has joined the House Foreign Affairs Committee as a professional staff member. Most recently, she spent over a year as a policy associa...; 2025-04-04 17:45:10
Kennedy press secretary joins DHS: Paloma Chacon has joined the U. S. Department of Homeland Security as a deputy press secretary after more than three years in Sen. John Kennedy's (R-La. ) office. Chacon most recently served as K...; 2025-04-02 17:52:33
House Democrats dwarf Republicans in town hall events: House Democrats have significantly outnumbered House Republicans in town hall events so far in 2025. From Jan. 1 to March 31, House Democrats have held 376 town hall events, more than doubling the...; 2025-03-31 16:21:14
Malliotakis staffer races up the ranks: Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N. Y. ) has promoted longtime staffer Anthony Raisley to communications director, marking his latest step up the office ladder. Raisley, who has been with Malliotakis' o...; 2025-03-28 17:47:11
57 members have an alma mater competing in the Sweet 16: With 16 teams remaining in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, 44 representatives and 13 senators have a rooting interest as their alma maters compete for a national championship. Each of the 16 ...; 2025-03-26 16:10:12

WSJ Op-eds

Trump and His ‘Little Disturbance’ From Tariffs: The effective U.S. tariff rate is now higher than after Smoot-Hawley.; — The Editorial Board 2025-04-03 21:49:00
Finland Knows Winter Is Coming: The Finns ramp up defense spending and leave a land-mine pact. It’s a lesson for Trump.; — The Editorial Board 2025-04-03 21:43:00
What the Trump Dollar Plunge Means: Are investors losing confidence in U.S. economic policy?; — The Editorial Board 2025-04-03 21:40:00
Congress Begins to Dissent on Trade: Four GOP Senators vote to undo Trump’s tariffs on Canada.; — The Editorial Board 2025-04-03 21:45:00
TV and Movies for America’s Vast Middle: A new generation of filmmakers tells stories ordinary religious people get. Jon Erwin is one.; — Barton Swaim 2025-04-04 18:59:00
Josh Shapiro Keeps Betraying Poor Pennsylvania Children: Pennsylvania’s governor campaigned on school choice. In office he bows to the teachers union.; — Rachel Langan 2025-04-04 18:58:00
Say Hello to Your New Colleague, the AI Agent: Today’s CEOs are the final generation of executives who will lead exclusively human workforces.; — Marc Benioff 2025-04-03 19:37:00

The Diplomat

What Trump’s New Tariff Rules Mean for South Asia: Uncertainty looms. But since the tariffs are also squeezing global competitors, South Asian countries could, with the right policies, recover.; — Saqlain Rizve 2025-04-04 09:38:00
Tariffs and Inflation for the US, Disruption for Indian Supply Chains: India must work at making India great as opposed to bending over backwards to help Trump in Making America Great Again.; — Anuradha Chenoy 2025-04-04 13:51:00
ASEAN’s Position in Plastic Treaty Negotiations: Paper Tiger, Plastic Dragon?: ASEAN has become an attractive destination for petrochemical expansion and plastic waste exports, given its proximity to China and regional appetite for foreign investment. This will come at high r...; — Yuyun Ismawati and Wong Pui Yi 2025-04-04 12:38:00
Constitutional Court Upholds South Korean President’s Impeachment: The Constitutional Court upheld Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment. As of April 4, Yoon is no longer president of South Korea and a snap election must take place within 60 days.; — Mitch Shin 2025-04-04 12:11:00
COP31: An Opportunity That Australia Cannot Afford to Miss: The benefits of co-hosting the annual climate negotiations by far outweigh the costs, both economically and strategically.; — Melanie Pill and Richie Merzian 2025-04-04 05:46:00
Taking Stock of China’s Polar Fleet: China’s maritime capabilities in the Arctic remain limited, but domestic research activities suggest a concerted effort to strengthen its presence in the polar regions.; — Trym Eiterjord 2025-04-04 18:13:00
Southeast Asian Governments React to Punitive Trump Tariffs: Vietnam and Thailand say they are open to negotiations with Washington, but will also seek to diversify their export markets away from the U.S.; — Sebastian Strangio 2025-04-04 04:27:00

European Security & Defence

Putin’s spring call-up is Russia’s largest conscription drive since 2011: <img width="300" height="165" src="https://euro-sd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Russian-troops-training-Russian-MoD-300x165.jpg" class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image" alt="" style="display...; — Peter Felstead 2025-04-04 20:23:47
SwAF embarks on its first external NATO Air Policing mission: <img width="300" height="169" src="https://euro-sd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Gripens-in-Poland-Swedish-Armed-Forces-300x169.jpg" class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image" alt="" style="disp...; — Peter Felstead 2025-04-04 18:13:11
US State Department approves sale of 20 F-16 Block 70/72s to the Philippines: <img width="300" height="176" src="https://euro-sd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/F-16-Block-70_72-Lockheed-Martin-300x176.jpg" class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image" alt="" style="display: b...; — Peter Felstead 2025-04-04 18:11:33
Embraer and Denel sign MoU in relation to KC-390 collaboration: <img width="300" height="200" src="https://euro-sd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Embraer-and-Denel-KC-390-collab-Embraer-300x200.jpg" class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image" alt="" style="dis...; — Peter Felstead 2025-04-04 16:00:27
Babcock secures innovative Ukraine support contract that includes 3D printing: <img width="300" height="200" src="https://euro-sd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Chall-2-Crown-Copyright-300x200.jpg" class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image" alt="" style="display: block; mar...; — Peter Felstead 2025-04-04 14:07:28
Leonardo unveils new cockpit design for Block 20 version of the M-346: <img width="300" height="225" src="https://euro-sd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/M-346-Block-20-cockpit-Leonardo-300x225.jpg" class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image" alt="" style="display: bl...; — Peter Felstead 2025-04-03 16:50:35

Politico Defense feed

Democrats slam Trump for golf event amid tariff turmoil, dignified transfer of US soldiers’ remains: The president attended a “LIV Dinner” on Thursday night.; — By Ben Johansen 2025-04-04 20:09:24
Trump's tariffs threaten US weapons production: The program could make it more difficult for America to produce weapons — and keep allies.; — By Paul McLeary and Joe Gould 2025-04-03 21:59:00
DOD watchdog launches investigation into Hegseth’s Signal use: The inquiry will examine whether the Pentagon chief violated the agency’s standards for sharing classified information.; — By Jack Detsch 2025-04-03 19:15:37
New chaos in White House as top NSC officials sacked: Mike Waltz’s NSC is under fire from far-right influencers.; — By Robbie Gramer and Jack Detsch 2025-04-03 18:51:22
Former acting AG Whitaker confirmed as US envoy to NATO: His selection had surprised U.S. allies because the lawyer had no significant foreign policy experience.; — By Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing 2025-04-02 01:38:27
Caine denies Trump’s MAGA hat tale: The nominee for the Joint Chiefs chair said the president "was actually talking about somebody else."; — By Joe Gould and Connor O'Brien 2025-04-01 14:28:27
Judge blocks Trump administration from firing CIA, ODNI staffers who worked on DEI: A federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia, ordered that the employees be allowed to seek other positions at the agencies.; — By Josh Gerstein 2025-04-01 00:25:37

CGTN-China politics

China, EU discuss economic policy, cooperation in Brussels: Chinese Vice Minister of Finance Liao Min co-chaired the 16th China-EU Financial Dialogue with EU officials in Brussels on Monday.; 2025-04-02 12:50:13
Wang Yi mourns passing of Laos' former president: Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Thursday went to the Lao Embassy in China to mourn the passing of Khamt...; 2025-04-03 14:58:51
Full and effective protection of environmental rights in Xizang: China's State Council Information Office released a white paper on Friday titled "Human Rights in Xizang in the New Era."; 2025-03-29 04:41:58
Xi Jinping sends condolences after deadly Myanmar quake: Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence to Myanmar's leader Min Aung Hlaing on Saturday over the deadly earthquake that struck Myanmar.; 2025-03-29 04:17:51
Israel warns Rafah residents to evacuate ahead of an 'intense fight': Israel warns Rafah residents to evacuate ahead of an 'intense fight'; 2025-03-31 07:05:11
China extends anti-dumping probe into EU brandy by three months: The Chinese Commerce Ministry said on Wednesday that it will extend an anti-dumping investigation into brandy imports from the European Union by three months.; 2025-04-02 10:14:53
U.S. behind cyberattacks against China during Asian Winter Games: FM: U.S. behind cyberattacks against China during Asian Winter Games: FM; 2025-04-03 14:35:30

TradeWinds - maritime shipping news

Singapore’s Berge Bulk grabs 7.3% stake in US-listed Genco Shipping: Purchase of more than 3m shares is filed under passive investment status; — Joe Brady 2025-04-04 18:44:49
Houthis ‘living their final months’ as Iranian official says they are pulling out: Lack of Iranian support could push shipping back into Red Sea; — Matt Coyne 2025-04-04 17:29:25
Wavelength Podcast: Are Trumps tariffs terrifying shipping?: Plus, the greenhouse gas talks in London get tense and what we learned from an initial report on the Solong disaster; — Craig Eason 2025-04-04 17:25:17
The trade war is here and it’s worse than expected. Here come the economic headwinds for shipping: Economists see impact to US economy after Washington’s tariffs and Chinese response defy expectations; — Eric Priante Martin 2025-04-04 17:23:47
Shipping stock crash accelerates in US after China’s tariffs retaliation: Most stocks slide more than 5%, with LPG and tanker names seeing double-digit damage; — Joe Brady 2025-04-04 15:24:29
Oldendorff-backed study: Scrubbers are the best fuelling option for the environment: Report is the first to compare impact of exhaust gas cleaners and heavy fuel oil with low-sulphur fuels on a well-to-wake basis; — Holly Birkett 2025-04-04 15:12:30
LPG sector downgraded to ‘sell’ as risk increases with tariffs and newbuildings: BW LPG stock crashes 13% on Oslo exchange; — Jonas Walsgård 2025-04-04 13:28:38

EveryCRS Appropriations

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations: FY2025 State of Play: 2024-09-27 04:00:00
FY2025 Appropriations Status: In Brief: 2024-09-30 04:00:00
Agricultural Conservation: FY2023 and FY2024 Appropriations: 2024-10-01 04:00:00
Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2025 (Division A of P.L. 118-83): 2024-10-07 04:00:00
Offshore Energy Agency Appropriations, FY2025: 2024-10-10 04:00:00
Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2025 Budget and Appropriations: 2024-10-16 04:00:00
Energy and Water Development Appropriations for Nuclear Weapons Activities: In Brief: 2024-10-24 04:00:00

TechCrunch

TechCrunch Mobility: Tesla takes a hit, tariff chaos begins, and one EV startup hits a milestone: Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! Over the 13 years reporting...; — Kirsten Korosec 2025-04-04 19:52:00
How Kalshi helped prediction markets go mainstream: Kalshi is the largest prediction market in America, creating an entire trading economy around political, sports, and cultural events. To some, including several states, it’s an illegal effort...; — Maggie Stamets 2025-04-04 19:00:00
OpenAI’s models ‘memorized’ copyrighted content, new study suggests: A new study appears to lend credence to allegations that OpenAI trained at least some of its AI models on copyrighted content. OpenAI is embroiled in suits brought by authors, programmers, and othe...; — Kyle Wiggers 2025-04-04 18:42:11
AI has opened a new era in venture capital according to Forerunner founder Kirsten Green: Forerunner has seen a number of high-profile successes, showing an ability to get ahead of consumer trends with investments in Oura, Chime, the Farmer’s Dog, and beyond in non-B2C companies. ...; — TC Video 2025-04-04 18:34:00
DeepSeek: Everything you need to know about the AI chatbot app: DeepSeek has gone viral. Chinese AI lab DeepSeek broke into the mainstream consciousness this week after its chatbot app rose to the top of the Apple App Store charts (and Google Play, as well...; — Kyle Wiggers 2025-04-04 18:04:29
Meta officially says goodbye to its US fact checkers on Monday: Meta will no longer have any fact-checkers in the U.S. come Monday, according to Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan. Meta announced this significant policy change in January when it also loos...; — Amanda Silberling 2025-04-04 18:01:14
Mach CEO on building defense tech company in your 20s: Mach CEO Ethan Thornton has been building weapons systems of varying shapes and sizes since high school, but his ambitions have turned into a company that recently landed a contract with the U.S. m...; — TC Video 2025-04-04 17:55:14

Space.com

NASA's Perseverance rover watches as 2 Mars dust devils merge into 1 (video): NASA's Perseverance Mars rover captured a giant dust devil devouring a smaller storm swirling closely behind on the rim of Jezero Crater.; 2025-04-04 21:00:00
How to see Venus light the sky as the bright 'morning star' through fall 2025: After putting on a great show in our evening sky since the fall of 2024, dazzling Venus puts on a spectacular showing for early morning risers for the balance of 2025.; 2025-04-04 20:00:00
HoverAir X1 PRO drone review: The HoverAir X1 PRO is one of two new ZeroZero Robotics selfie drone models and is the more affordable option of the two with 4K video capture with a host of optional accessories available.; 2025-04-04 19:00:00
Scientists are using stellar 'quakes' to peer inside stars: Scientists are probing stellar "quakes" to understand what lies beneath the surface of a star's body.; 2025-04-04 18:08:13
The Lego Marvel Spider-Man Daily Bugle set is one of the largest Lego sets in the Lego Marvel range — now at one of the lowest prices we've seen in years: This fantastic Lego set makes an amazing center feature to any Lego Marvel collection and it's rarely discounted, so grab it while you can.; — paul.brett@futurenet.com (Paul Brett) 2025-04-04 16:48:45
SpaceX's private Fram2 astronauts splash down on Earth, ending historic polar orbit expedition: SpaceX's Fram2, the first crewed mission ever fly a polar orbit, splashed down today (April 4), returning four private astronauts to Earth.; — jdinner@space.com (Josh Dinner) 2025-04-04 16:32:23
Astronaut's new NASA portrait is a blast from the past: Space photo of the day: NASA photographer Josh Valcarcel captured Zena Cardman in a pose evocative of one of the first female astronaut's portraits.; — robert@collectspace.com (Robert Z. Pearlman) 2025-04-04 16:30:00