On May 7, 2026, the FEMA Review Council released its final report recommending a substantial shift in how disaster preparedness, response and recovery are managed nationwide.

At this year’s Red, White and You conference, our market intelligence team detailed the ins and outs of what we’re seeing across the public sector. Throughout the sessions, one theme became clear: while success in the public sector market used to rely heavily on institutional knowledge and long-standing relationships, agency buying cycles, and slower opportunity development, the market this year looks different. It’s faster, calling for more efficiency, innovation and cost-optimization.

More than 15 years ago, the DoW formally elevated cyber pursuits to the same strategic level as sea, land, air and space. This acknowledgement shifted cybersecurity from risk management to a national defense need, underscoring the importance of protecting the DoW’s defense infrastructure and networks. Defense cybersecurity challenges have since evolved into a multi-domain conflict, particularly with China and Russia - both aiming to infiltrate digital assets.

In mid-March, AFCEA NOVA hosted the Naval IT Day in Chantilly, Virginia with the core message on how Navy and Marine Corps digital priorities are enabling the naval force. The message was clear, IT is not just a necessary function, it is a mission-critical warfighting capability.

The Golden Fleet, a US Navy initiative introduced by the administration in December of 2025, aims to revitalize the US shipbuilding industry, develop and sustain a new class of naval fleet and change how it does business to rapidly address maritime threats, particularly from China, in the Indo-Pacific region. The first frigate is planned for full operation in 2028.

If you’ve been part of the defense industrial base (DIB) or are looking to support the DoW, it should come as no surprise that AI is now seeing actionable impact in day-to-day operations. Strategically, AI is essential in warfighting decision-making, analyzing data and enhancing operational logistics. The Army in particular has started incorporating AI solutions across a number of elements outlined below, on the heels of several new strategy announcements and initiatives.

At WEST this year, Department of the Navy leaders signaled a clear shift in modernization priorities: the debate is no longer about adopting emerging technology or drafting strategy documents. Instead, we’re seeing operational speed, how quickly the Navy can field capability, integrate systems and make decisions, become the objective. Across sessions on shipbuilding, acquisition transformation, AI, Zero Trust and maritime force design, the recurring theme was speed matters most.

Aging infrastructure, outdated hardware and overall modernization needs have been a mission-critical challenge for the DoD. It’s not just about IT headaches; there are real obstacles to modernization for the Department. Let’s look at what’s driving the urgency to update in multiple ways and how IT companies can position themselves to help modernize the nation’s defense backbone.

On December 11, 2025, President Trump signed a new executive order that could reshape how AI is governed in the U.S. This executive order titled “Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence,” aims to limit the ability of individual states to enact their own AI regulations, thereby establishing a unified and “minimally burdensome” approach to AI policy nationwide (up until this point, there has been a patchwork of state-level AI regulations).