2026 National Defense Strategy, Space Force Acquisition, and New Job Openings

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News

• New Defense Strategy Unveiled, Pete Modigliani and Matt MacGregor, Substack, Non-legal oriented defense headlines with a focus on acquisition and reform. The 2026 National Defense Strategy implements four priorities: (1) defend the Homeland, (2) deter China, (3) Increase allies’ burden sharing, and (4) supercharge the defense industrial base. Link to 2026 National Defense Strategy.
• FY2026 NDAA: A Commercial Reset for Defense Contracting, Erin Felix, Eyasu Yirdaw, Polsinelli. Discussion FY26 NDAA acquisition and procurement provisions with analysis of what meets the definition of a ‘“nontraditional defense contractor.”
• FedRAMP Proposes Updates to Authorization Process—Six New RFCs Released for Public Comment, Kate Growley, Michael Gruden, Jessica Chao, Crowell & Moring. New requests for comment add which close from Feb. 12 to March 11 address: Reporting Assessment Costs, FedRAMP Authorization Designations, expanding the FedRAMP marketplace, Link to requests for comment.
• Anthropic publishes a new “constitution” for its flagship Claude model. It guides the model’s values and ethical behavior to ensure the entity is broadly safe, ethical, compliant, and genuinely helpful. This constitution is an element of the model’s training process, and is released under a Creative Commons license.

Social Media and Podcasts

• What do Abundant [Space] Launches and Big Liquidity actually mean for founders in 2026, Justus Kilian, Space Capital – VHTB podcast.
• New Innovation Ecosystem, This post Detailed analysis of the acquisition ecosystem reorganization.
• Linkedin Post about the use of AI for inhouse legal teams reducing overall legal costs.
• National Fraud Enforcement, EO Focused on Defense Contracting, Fastest 5 Minutes, podcast,Peter Ayre and Yuan Zhou, Crowell & Moring.
• Whose Demand Signal is it Anyway? A U.S. Space Force Case Study, Substack, Nestor Levin. Good analysis of the U.S. Space Force’s acquisition system.

Open Defense Tech Legal Jobs

* Indicates new additions since last newsletter.

• Legal Counsel, Blue Origin, Greater Seattle Area, Space Coast, FL, Huntsville, AL (Space)*
• Counsel – Supply Chain, Forterra, Arlington, VA (Ground Autonomy)*
• Senior Legal Counsel, DEEP, Miami, FL (Deep sea exploration)*
• Senior Corporate Counsel – Aerospace & Defense, Microchip, Inc., Chandler, AZ (Semiconductors)*
• Compliance Counsel, Saronic, Austin, TX, San Diego, CA, Washington, D.C. Multiple legal positions across legal ops/paralegal/etc. (Maritime Autonomy)*
• Associate General Counsel, MP Materials, Las Vegas, NV (Rare earths)
• Legal and Compliance Analyst, Global Trade Compliance, Washington, D.C. and Hawthorne, CA, SpaceX (Space)
• Legal Counsel, Government Contracts, Hadrian, Washington, D.C. (Advanced manufacturing)
• Legal counsel, Air Dominance and Strike, Anduril Industries, Washington, D.C. (Aerial Unmanned Systems)
• M&A Corporate Counsel, Anduril Industries, Costas Mesa, CA (Unmanned systems and AI)
• Satellite Policy Associate (Starlink Regulatory Affairs), SpaceX, Washington, D.C. (Space)
• Product Counsel, Nominal, Washington, D.C. (Engineering and testing platform)
• Sr. Corporate Counsel, SpaceX, Hawthorne, CA (Space)
• Legal Counsel – Contracts, Palantir Technologies, Washington, D.C. (Software/AI)
• Senior Legal Counsel, Supply Chain, Commercial Contracts, Metrea, Temecula, CA, US (Effects as a service, Aerospace)
• Assistant General Counsel, K2 Space, Los Angeles, CA (Space)
• Senior Counsel, Government Business, Beehive Industries, Knoxville, TN (also roles in Loveland, OH and Englewood, CO) (Advanced manufacturing)
• Paralegal, Beehive Industries, Loveland, OH (Advanced manufacturing)
• Commercial Counsel, Government Contracts, xAi, Washington, D.C. (AI)
• Senior Director and AGC, Product Legal (Privacy, IP, Employment), Scale AI, San Francisco, CA (AI)
• Lead Counsel, Product and Employment, Scale AI, San Francisco, CA (AI)

Professional Development and CLE of Interest

Legal and non-legal professional development. Some events have a registration fee. The list will be updated with new events.

Government Contracts & Acquisition

• You’re Hired! Restrictions on Hiring Former Government Employees for Government Contractors, Feb. 3, 2026, Webinar. PilieroMazza.
• Navigating the New Era of U.S. Government Contracting: Strategies for Commercial Companies and ”Non-Traditional” Contractors,” Feb. 3, 2026, Webinar. Freshfields.
• PubK Law Annual Review, Feb. 10-11, Washington, D.C.
• Government Contracts in M&A: Navigating Compliance and Risk – Events, March 10, 2026, Webinar. Morgan Lewis. Includes overview on M&A compliance obligations, national security considerations, False Claims Act risks, and restrictions on assignment or change of control.
• ABA 2026 Federal Procurement Institute, March 11-13, 2026, Annapolis, MD. ABA Public Contract Law Section’s flagship event with CLE sessions on federal procurement trends relevant to defense tech.
• NCMA Warfighter Acquisition Forum, April 23, 2026, Washington, D.C. One-day forum for defense acquisition pros; discussions on strategies and policies.
• Hilton Head Government Contracts Week, July 27-31, 2026, Hilton Head, SC. FPS conference with masters-level sessions on govcon law; CLE available.

M&A, CFIUS, FOCI, & Trade Regulation

• M&A Academy: CFIUS & Trade Regulation Considerations in M&A Transactions, February 24, Webinar, Morgan Lewis. Presentation on CFIUS due diligence, risk assessment, national security issues, and trade regs in M&A—tailored for defense/govcon deals; part of ongoing academy series with CLE potential.
• 12th National Conference on CFIUS, April 22-23, Washington, D.C. ACI conference with discussions on CFIUS including filing requirements, risk mitigation strategies, and new regulations.
• 9th National Forum on FOCI, September 29–30, Washington, D.C. ACI. Focuses on Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence mitigation (parallel to CFIUS in cleared defense contractors); compliance strategies for national security reviews in defense M&A.
• Advanced Venture Capital 2026 | October 27, 2026 | In-Person Program – PLI, October 27, 2026, San Francisco, CA. PLI.

Export Controls

• Global Export Controls Advanced Forum, February 24-25, 2026, Arlington, VA. American Conference Institute (ACI) conference on multi-jurisdictional export compliance, including deemed exports and sanctions. Offers CLE credits and networking for defense attorneys.
• Live Export Compliance Seminar, June 15-18, Chicago, IL. Enforcement-focused ITAR/EAR.

Intellectual Property (IP)

• 2026 IP Transactions Bootcamp, Feb. 12, 2026, Seattle, WA. AIPLA.
• 2026 AIPLA Spring Meeting, May 13-15, Fairmont San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. 2.5-day conference on trending IP topics, expert insights, networking; focuses on innovation/tech IP relevant to defense sectors.

Industry & Entrepreneurship

• Milvetstartups, Feb. 12-13, 2026, San Francisco, CA. Largest conference of military entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders.
• Defense TechConnect Innovation Summit & Expo, Sep. 22-24, 2026, National Harbor, Maryland.

Pro Bono and Volunteer Opportunities

Coming soon.

Contact Defense Tech Legal Network.

Defense Tech Legal Network Est. January 2026

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