Fact Pattern: Pacific Defense U.S. Army CMFF APNT Block 2 Contract Award
Overview of the Announcement
On June 29, 2026, Pacific Defense announced the receipt of a contract award from the U.S. Army Program Manager Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PM PNT) (Pacific Defense, 2026a). The contract is for the development of the CMOSS Mounted Form Factor (CMFF) Assured Position, Navigation and Timing (APNT) Block 2 plug-in-card (PIC) (Pacific Defense, 2026a). Under this multi-phase, multi-year program, Pacific Defense will design, build, and test an enhanced version of its Block 1 APNT PIC aligned to CMFF program requirements, delivering initial prototype quantities to support U.S. Army system integration and test activities (Pacific Defense, 2026a).
The announcement was amplified on LinkedIn by Pacific Defense and commented on by Alan Shaffer, a member of the Pacific Defense Strategic Advisory Council and former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (Pacific Defense, 2026b; Pacific Defense, 2021). Shaffer’s comment on the post noted the company continues “leading the MOSA adoption across the Department of War” (Pacific Defense, 2026b). The post was tagged with hashtags #APNT, mosa, and #DefenseInnovation and had accumulated 29 reactions and 1 comment at time of observation (Pacific Defense, 2026b). Pacific Defense’s LinkedIn page reports 7,585 followers (Pacific Defense, 2026b).
The primary press release was distributed via Business Wire and published simultaneously on the Pacific Defense corporate website (Business Wire, 2026).
The Posting Organization: Pacific Defense
Pacific Defense is a non-traditional defense contractor headquartered at 400 Continental Blvd., Suite 100, El Segundo, California 90245 (Pacific Defense, n.d.). The company specializes in C5ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) and Electronic Warfare (EW) solutions for mission-critical environments, applying MOSA standards to deliver modular, upgradeable technology (Pacific Defense, n.d.).
Pacific Defense was formed in January 2020 through a platform investment by Emerald Lake Capital Management and HCI Equity Partners, with the acquisition of Spectranetix—a developer of CMOSS/SOSA defense electronics based in Sunnyvale, California—and a minority investment in Perceptronics Solutions, an AI/ML research company (Emerald Lake Capital Management, n.d.; Military Embedded Systems, 2025). The company subsequently acquired Spear Research in October 2020 (Emerald Lake Capital Management, n.d.).
The company reports more than 200 employees across seven primary locations: El Segundo, CA (headquarters); Sunnyvale, CA (hardware design and manufacturing); Mukilteo, WA (MOSA Software Center of Excellence); Nashua, NH (EW Center of Excellence); Fort Wayne, IN (enterprise and tactical software); Fairfax, VA (AI/ML technology); and Cedar Rapids, IA (PNT engineering hub) (Pacific Defense, n.d.). Primary work locations cited for the Block 2 APNT contract include Cedar Rapids, IA; Mukilteo, WA; Sunnyvale, CA; and El Segundo, CA (Pacific Defense, 2026a).
The company’s online presence includes its corporate website at www.pacific-defense.com, a LinkedIn company page at linkedin.com/company/pacific-defense, and an X (formerly Twitter) account at x.com/PacDefStrategy (Pacific Defense, n.d.).
Leadership
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Travis Slocumb | Chief Executive Officer |
| Tom Quast | VP of Business Development |
| Scott Hoffman | Chief Financial Officer |
| Kent Mader | Chief Operating Officer |
| Dr. Daniel Kilfoyle | Chief Technology Officer |
| Paul Sorrentino | VP of Supply Chain & Manufacturing |
| Samantha Donahue | SVP of Engineering Operations |
Travis Slocumb co-founded Pacific Defense in January 2020 after working at Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems as a Vice President, where he served as the business development executive for the Next Generation Jammer Mid-band program (Military Embedded Systems, 2025). He worked with Emerald Lake Capital to raise funds and establish the company (Military Embedded Systems, 2025).
Strategic Advisory Council
The Strategic Advisory Council, announced in June 2021, includes (Pacific Defense, 2021):
David Norquist — Most recently Deputy Secretary of Defense; prior roles include Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/CFO, first Senate-confirmed Chief Financial Officer at the Department of Homeland Security, and Deputy Under Secretary of Defense in the Office of the Comptroller (2002–2006).
Alan Shaffer — Most recently Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (January 2019–January 2021); prior service includes 24 years as a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force, retiring as Colonel; Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (2007–2015); Director of the NATO Collaboration Support Office. Shaffer is currently Director of Washington Operations for MIT Lincoln Laboratory (Potomac Advisors, n.d.).
LT GEN Erik Peterson (Ret.) — Listed as a Strategic Advisory Council member (Pacific Defense, n.d.).
The Contract Award: CMFF APNT Block 2 Plug-In Card
Contracting Authority
The awarding organization is the U.S. Army Program Manager Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PM PNT), which operates under the Capability Program Executive, Intelligence and Spectrum Warfare (CPE IEW&S) (U.S. Army, 2026). PM PNT’s stated mission is to “provide Warfighter-valued Assured PNT solutions today that enable multi-domain operations in rapidly evolving denied environments” (U.S. Army, 2026). The current Project Manager is Mr. Christopher Jais, who assumed responsibilities in June 2025 (U.S. Army, 2026).
Scope of Work
Under the contract, Pacific Defense will (Pacific Defense, 2026a):
- Design, build, and test an enhanced version of its Block 1 APNT PIC aligned to CMFF program requirements.
- Deliver initial prototype quantities to support U.S. Army system integration and test activities.
- Execute a multi-phase and multi-year program.
Technical Specifications of the Block 2 APNT PIC
The Block 2 APNT PIC is described as (Pacific Defense, 2026a):
- A rugged 3U VPX card.
- Aligned to The Open Group Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) and C5ISR Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS).
- Designed to provide resilient navigation and precise timing in contested and GPS-degraded environments.
- Capable of fusing data from multiple sources: GPS, alternative navigation signals, inertial sensors, and platform vehicle data.
- Characterized by a compact form factor, low SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power) profile, and scalable architecture.
The product is initially focused on mounted U.S. Army ground and aviation platforms, with stated broad applicability across U.S. and allied airborne, ground, and maritime systems (Pacific Defense, 2026a).
Quoted Statement
Mike Repko, General Manager, APNT Programs at Pacific Defense, stated: “Our APNT PIC products are designed from the outset to operate in contested environments and to evolve quickly as new technologies emerge, ensuring soldiers retain mission effectiveness when GPS is degraded or denied. This award reflects our commitment to helping our customers solve the assured PNT problem and advancing standards-based MOSA solutions that can be rapidly integrated and deployed across operational platforms.” (Pacific Defense, 2026a)
Assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (APNT): Background
Assured PNT refers to the capability to provide military platforms with reliable position, navigation, and timing data in environments where GPS signals are jammed, spoofed, or otherwise denied (U.S. Army, 2026). The U.S. Army’s PM PNT characterizes GPS as “central to American military operations” and states that adversaries have recognized this as a critical vulnerability, with incidents of malicious disruption increasing worldwide (U.S. Army, 2026).
PM PNT manages multiple APNT programs, including the Mounted Assured PNT System (MAPS) and the Dismounted Assured PNT System (DAPS) (U.S. Army, 2026). The CMFF program integrates APNT capability as one of its core plug-in card types (U.S. Army, 2025).
Pacific Defense’s APNT product history includes the SX-124, a 3U OpenVPX APNT plug-in card developed on internal R&D funds by Spectranetix (a Pacific Defense company), introduced in November 2021 (Pacific Defense, 2022). The SX-124 uses a Xilinx UltraScale+ MPSoC and the pntOS open sensor fusion software framework, supports M-Code GPS, ALTNAV, and inertial measurement unit (IMU) inputs, and provides IEEE 1588 PTP and NTP timing outputs (Pacific Defense, n.d.b). In November 2022, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) awarded Pacific Defense a prototype Other Transaction (OT) contract for delivery of SX-124 APNT cards for customer evaluation and testing (Pacific Defense, 2022).
Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA): Background
MOSA is defined in 10 U.S.C. § 4401 as an integrated business and technical strategy requiring major defense acquisition programs receiving Milestone A or Milestone B approval after January 1, 2019, to be designed and developed using a modular open systems approach (DoD OUSD(R&E), n.d.). The statute requires systems to employ modular design with major system interfaces compliant with widely supported, consensus-based standards; allow severable major system components to be incrementally added, removed, or replaced; and comply with technical data rights provisions (DoD OUSD(R&E), n.d.).
The DoD identifies five primary benefits of MOSA: (1) enhanced competition through openly competed severable modules; (2) facilitated technology refresh without replacing entire systems; (3) incorporation of innovation through operational reconfiguration; (4) cost savings and avoidance through technology reuse; and (5) improved interoperability (DoD OUSD(R&E), n.d.). On December 17, 2024, a DoD Tri-Service Memo titled “MOSA for our Weapon Systems is a Warfighting Imperative” directed service acquisition executives to identify and report on MOSA activities that are shared, under development, or being transitioned (Defense Standardization Program, 2025).
CMOSS and SOSA Standards
The C5ISR Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS) is a U.S. Army-led framework defining standards for C5ISR and EW systems to enable modular, interoperable hardware and software (U.S. Army, 2025). The Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) Technical Standard, developed by The Open Group SOSA Consortium, leverages OpenVPX to define card profiles with specifications for features such as pinouts, Ethernet capabilities, and serial ports (The Open Group, n.d.). The SOSA Consortium’s vision is to develop business acquisition practices and a technical environment for sensors and C5ISR payloads that foster innovation, industry engagement, competition, and rapid fielding of cost-effective capabilities (The Open Group, n.d.).
CMFF Program Context
The CMOSS Mounted Form Factor (CMFF) program is led by PM Mission Command within Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications, and Network (PEO C3N) at Aberdeen Proving Ground (Pacific Defense, 2025). In September 2025, the Army awarded Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) Rapid Prototype OTA agreements to both General Dynamics Mission Systems and Pacific Defense to develop CMFF chassis prototypes independently (U.S. Army, 2025). The CMFF chassis—also called the Mounted Common Infrastructure—integrates capabilities including APNT, tactical communications waveforms, command and control, and force protection electronic attack systems through plug-in cards (U.S. Army, 2025).
Brig. Gen. Shane Taylor, PEO C3N, described CMFF as “that ‘plug and play’ infrastructure that will enable commercially available technologies to be at the Soldier’s fingertips with the simple insertion of a card” (U.S. Army, 2025). CMFF prototypes are to be validated through lab- and field-based risk reduction events, operational demonstrations, and soldier touch points, with future integration efforts to include the 4th Infantry Division fielding of the Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) prototype technology stack (U.S. Army, 2025).
Additional Pacific Defense Contract History
| Date | Contract/Award | Awarding Authority |
|---|---|---|
| January 2020 | Platform investment; acquisition of Spectranetix | Emerald Lake Capital Management / HCI Equity Partners |
| October 2020 | Acquisition of Spear Research | — |
| November 2022 | Prototype OT for SX-124 APNT 3U cards | Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) |
| March 2025 | Contract definition phase, CMFF MCI OTA evaluation | U.S. Army PM Mission Command / PEO C3N |
| September 2025 | MTA Rapid Prototype OTA, CMFF chassis development | U.S. Army PEO C3N |
| October 2025 | Multi-year contract, CMFF Mounted Common Infrastructure | U.S. Army |
| April 2026 | 12-month rapid prototyping contract, next-generation EW prototype | U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM) |
| June 2026 | CMFF APNT Block 2 PIC development program | U.S. Army PM PNT |
(Pacific Defense, 2022; Pacific Defense, 2025; U.S. Army, 2025; Business Wire, 2026; Pacific Defense, 2026a)
References
Business Wire. (2026, April 29). Pacific Defense Awarded U.S. Marine Corps Contract for Next Generation Electronic Warfare Prototype. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260429918712/en/Pacific-Defense-Awarded-U.S.-Marine-Corps-Contract-for-Next-Generation-Electronic-Warfare-Prototype
Business Wire. (2026, June 29). Pacific Defense Advances Assured PNT Leadership with U.S. Army APNT Contract Award. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260629894799/en/Pacific-Defense-Advances-Assured-PNT-Leadership-with-U.S.-Army-APNT-Contract-Award
Defense Standardization Program. (2025, January 29). Tri-Service Memo Updates MOSA Guidance. https://www.dsp.dla.mil/Publications/DSP-Journal/News-Display/Article/4047367/tri-service-memo-updates-mosa-guidance/
Department of Defense Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. (n.d.). Modular Open Systems Approach. Modular Open Systems Approach – DoW Research & Engineering, OUSW(R&E)
Emerald Lake Capital Management. (n.d.). Pacific Defense. Emerald Lake Capital Management - Pacific Defense
Kress, D. (2025, September 25). CMOSS Mounted Form Factor Award Initiates Rapid Prototype Development. U.S. Army. CMOSS Mounted Form Factor Award Initiates Rapid Prototype Development | Article | The United States Army
McHale, J. M., III. (2025, January 23). MOSA momentum, DoD acquisition, and engineering talent. Military Embedded Systems. MOSA momentum, DoD acquisition, and engineering talent - Military Embedded Systems
Pacific Defense. (2021, June 22). Pacific Defense Announces Formation of Strategic Advisory Board. Pacific Defense Announces Formation of Strategic Advisory Board
Pacific Defense. (2022, November 17). Pacific Defense Awarded Defense Innovation Unit Contract to Deliver Assured PNT 3U Cards for Army and Broader DoD Adoption. Pacific Defense Awarded Defense Innovation Unit Contract to Deliver Assured PNT 3U Cards for Army and Broader DoD Adoption
Pacific Defense. (2025, March 27). Pacific Defense Selected for U.S. Army CMFF Program. Pacific Defense Selected for U.S. Army CMFF Program
Pacific Defense. (2026a, June 29). Pacific Defense Advances Assured PNT Leadership with U.S. Army APNT Contract Award. Pacific Defense Advances Assured PNT Leadership with U.S. Army APNT Contract Award
Pacific Defense. (2026b). Pacific Defense Advances Assured PNT Leadership with U.S. Army APNT Contract Award [LinkedIn Post]. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/apnt-mosa-defenseinnovation-share-7477755509710802944-go4z/
Pacific Defense. (n.d.a). Who We Are. Who We Are
Pacific Defense. (n.d.b). SX-124 Positioning, Navigation, Timing. SX-124 OpenVPX™ Assured PNT Plug-In Card | Pacific Defense
Potomac Advisors. (n.d.). Hon. Alan R. Shaffer. Hon. Alan R. Shaffer | Potomac Advocates
The Open Group. (n.d.). The Open Group SOSA® Consortium. Sensor Open Systems Architecture™ / SOSA® Consortium | www.opengroup.org
U.S. Army. (2026). Project Manager Positioning, Navigation, and Timing. Capability Program Executive, Intelligence and Spectrum Warfare. https://cpeisw.army.mil/pm-pnt/
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