The fight for the electromagnetic spectrum is no longer a niche mission set. It is becoming a decisive layer of modern warfare. The Army’s latest moves, paired with new cyber mandates and a massive budget push, show a clear shift toward speed, adaptability, and machine-driven operations.

For industry and government teams, this is a live signal to move now or risk falling behind.

The Army is reshaping how it acquires electronic warfare and spectrum capabilities. A new broad industry solicitation, fresh FY26 NDAA provisions, and the Trump administration’s March 2026 Cyber Strategy all point to the same reality: 

Spectrum dominance is now a core warfighting domain, and the pace of change is accelerating.

Recent conflicts have shown how adversaries can quickly deny communications, navigation, and precision fires through electromagnetic means. The Army is responding by opening up to industry ideas rather than dictating narrow requirements. 

Here’s what’s moving and what it signals for the defense ecosystem.

On February 24, 2026, Project Manager Electronic Warfare & Cyber (PM EW&C) released a Characteristics of Need (CoN) document alongside a Request for Information. Responses were due March 13.

This is a deliberate shift. The Army is sharing high-level problem statements to attract mature solutions from across industry, including small businesses and non-traditional. 

The CoN focuses on four areas:

Priorities include resilience, modularity, scalability, rapid deployability, and AI/ML integration. The planned path forward is a Multiple Award IDIQ using commercial solutions authorities, with potential for OTA prototyping to speed fielding.

Policy momentum is building on post-quantum cryptography (PQC). The Trump Cyber Strategy, released in early March, emphasizes accelerating PQC adoption across federal and national security systems, paired with zero-trust enforcement.

The FY26 NDAA reinforces this by directing DoW to harmonize cybersecurity requirements across the defense industrial base. It aims to eliminate duplicative rules that complicate contractor compliance. Supply-chain security gains stronger visibility tools and risk-identification mandates to address foreign adversary threats early.

AI is the key enabler. The CoN highlights how fragmented systems have blocked machine-speed decisions in EW. New modular, software-defined architectures and edge computing will allow adaptive responses to dynamic threats.

This opens the door to legacy platform upgrades via software rather than hardware overhauls, while new programs can bake in JADC2 compatibility from the start.

Program managers and DoW civilians: More flexible pathways mean faster insertion of commercial tech and less requirements churn.

Contractors and BD teams: This RFI and upcoming IDIQ are open lanes. Prioritize AI-enabled, modular EW/SIGINT solutions that deliver rapid deployability and interoperability. Small and non-traditional players are encouraged.

Broader signal: Spectrum dominance is central to multi-domain operations. Expect sustained budget focus here as the Army rebuilds after years of underinvestment.

Key Takeaways

The IDIQ structure & next steps should emerge soon. Developments are worth watching closely.

Why does business news feel like it’s written for people who already get it?

Morning Brew changes that.

It’s a free newsletter that breaks down what’s going on in business, finance, and tech — clearly, quickly, and with enough personality to keep things interesting. The result? You don’t just skim headlines. You actually understand what’s going on.

Try it yourself and join over 4 million professionals reading daily.

Check it out

President Trump’s January announcement of a $1.5 trillion FY27 defense budget remains the defining story. The Pentagon’s acting comptroller, Jules Hurst III, confirmed on March 17 that the formal request is “very close,” with full justification books expected in April.

This would be a ~$600 billion jump from FY26’s roughly $900 billion baseline. The Pentagon says yes, it can spend it; they trimmed initial ideas to focus only on the “most essential things,” with heavy emphasis on procurement and R&D like the Reagan-era buildups.

A straight base-budget increase of that size won’t fly in the Senate. Reconciliation is the workaround.

HASC Chairman Mike Rogers is already pushing for $450 billion in defense reconciliation money, three times the $150 billion secured last year via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 

The math is simple: request ~$1 trillion in the base, roll over any leftover prior-year funds, and let reconciliation close the gap.

This gives authorizers more control and immediate flexibility for multi-year projects.

The priorities are no mystery:

Expanded multiyear procurement authorities will cover far more programs than before.

The Pentagon is confident they’ll land “close to about that” number, even if Congress trims the top line. A split Congress after midterms raises the odds of delays or a full-year CR, but reconciliation shields the defense increase from filibuster.

Expect $1.3–1.4 trillion in total FY27 national defense spending by the time Congress finishes its work. Still historic, still transformative for industry.

The next 60 days will tell us how serious this really is.

Today’s briefing only scratches the surface.

Tip of the Spear Pro delivers the deeper monthly intelligence you need.

Each month, you receive exclusive intel & analyst reports that go well beyond this newsletter. These reports provide detailed forecasts and contract pipeline intelligence written specifically for defense contractors and government leaders.

Ready to upgrade?

Click here to join and unlock this month’s full report.