Brindwell & Partners · Practice Area
Defense & Intelligence

Where mission
meets precision

We serve the Department of Defense, combatant commands, and the Intelligence Community at the points of greatest complexity — C4ISR modernization, AI-enabled decision advantage, program management, and the transformation of legacy systems that national security depends upon.

TS / SCI Cleared Staff
CMMC Level 2 / 3
FedRAMP High
ITAR / EAR Registered
DFARS Compliant
14+
Combatant Commands
& IC agencies served
$1.4B
Defense program
value managed
800+
Cleared professionals
on active billets
96%
Contract recompete
win rate

The Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community face challenges that no private-sector organization encounters — adversaries who adapt, budgets constrained by appropriations cycles, and the irreducible weight of decisions that cost lives if wrong. We exist to give senior defense and intelligence leaders the strategic, analytical, and technological support that those decisions demand.

Our Defense & Intelligence practice is staffed exclusively by former military officers, senior defense officials, and cleared technologists who have operated inside the systems we now advise. We do not bring generic consulting methodologies to classified programs. We bring operational experience, cleared delivery capability, and a rigorous analytical culture built for environments where being approximately right is not enough.

14+
COCOM & IC
agencies served
96%
Contract recompete
win rate
800+
Cleared professionals
on active billets
18yr
Defense practice
history
Active Certifications & Compliance
TS / SCI Personnel
CMMC Level 2 & 3
FedRAMP High
DFARS 252.204-7012
NIST SP 800-171
ITAR / EAR Registered
ISO 27001
SOC 2 Type II
Section 508
Zero Trust Aligned

Six capabilities for
decisive advantage

Purpose-built for the DoD, the IC, and the defense industrial base. Every engagement is staffed with cleared, operationally experienced professionals — not rotated in from commercial practice.

01
C4ISR & Mission Systems
Architecture, integration, and modernization of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems.

Modern warfare is an information contest. The force that sees, decides, and acts faster wins — and that advantage is built or lost in the architecture of C4ISR systems. We support DoD components, combatant commands, and program offices in designing, integrating, and modernizing the command and control infrastructure on which joint operations depend.

Our engineers and architects hold active TS/SCI clearances and bring direct operational experience in contested electromagnetic environments, distributed command architectures, and the integration of AI and machine learning into sensor-to-shooter kill chains.

Core Capabilities
Joint All-Domain C2 (JADC2)
Sensor-to-Shooter Integration
Tactical Edge Architecture
EW / SIGINT Modernization
Multi-Domain ISR Fusion
PNT Resilience & Assurance
SATCOM / Space-Based Systems
Ground Segment Modernization
Impact Indicators
60%
Reduction in sensor-to-decision cycle time on AI-augmented C2 programs
9
JADC2-related programs supported across combatant commands
$480M
Acquisition value on C4ISR modernization programs managed
Contract Vehicles
OASIS+ SEWP V CIO-CS Army ITES-3S GSA MAS
02
AI for Decision Advantage
Operationalizing artificial intelligence and machine learning within the DoD's ethical, legal, and operational framework — from strategy to fielded capability.

The Department of Defense's AI strategy is no longer a policy document — it is a live operational competition. We help DoD components move from AI experimentation to deployed capability: designing responsible AI governance frameworks, building the data infrastructure that AI requires, and embedding machine learning into decision support tools that commanders and analysts will actually trust and use.

Our AI practice is structured around DoD's ethical principles for AI and aligned with the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office's (CDAO) standards for responsible acquisition and deployment.

Core Capabilities
DoD AI Strategy & Governance
Predictive Analytics for Operations
NLP / Document Intelligence
Computer Vision & ISR Analysis
Decision Support Tooling
Data Mesh Architecture
Responsible AI Frameworks
Algorithmic Warfare Integration
Impact Indicators
4
CDAO-aligned AI governance frameworks deployed across service components
40%
Increase in analyst throughput on IC collection prioritization programs
18mo
Average time to fielded AI capability from program initiation
Contract Vehicles
OASIS+ CDAO TRADEWINDS GSA IT 70 DIU OT Authority
03
Program Management & Acquisition Advisory
Credentialed program executives and acquisition professionals embedded within major defense programs from Milestone A through fielding.

Defense acquisition programs fail — frequently, expensively, and publicly. Cost overruns, schedule slippage, and requirements instability are endemic to the DoD acquisition system. We place experienced Program Executive Officers, PMs, and acquisition professionals — many holding DAU credentials and prior government program office experience — directly into struggling or high-risk programs to stabilize cost, schedule, and performance.

Core Capabilities
ACAT I / II Program Support
Acquisition Strategy Design
Source Selection Support
Earned Value Management
Independent Cost Estimating
Risk & Issue Management
Test & Evaluation Planning
Other Transaction Authority
Impact Indicators
$4.2B
Cumulative acquisition value on programs directly supported
94%
Programs met schedule milestones with our PM support
22%
Average cost variance improvement within 12 months of engagement
Contract Vehicles
OASIS+ Army ITES-3S Navy SeaPort-NxG DISA SETI
04
Cybersecurity & Information Assurance
Zero trust architecture, RMF/ATO support, CMMC readiness, and cyber operations program support for the defense enterprise.

The DoD's cyber posture is under continuous assault from nation-state actors with unprecedented sophistication and persistence. Our cybersecurity practice supports the full spectrum of defense cyber requirements — from risk management framework (RMF) navigation and authority-to-operate (ATO) acceleration, to active red team operations, zero trust architecture design, and CMMC compliance for the defense industrial base.

Core Capabilities
Zero Trust Architecture (DoD ZTA)
RMF / ATO Acceleration
CMMC Level 2 & 3 Readiness
Penetration Testing & Red Team
NIST SP 800-171 / 172
Cyber Hunt & Incident Response
Supply Chain Risk Management
Continuous ATO (cATO)
Impact Indicators
120+
ATOs successfully navigated across defense and IC environments
35%
Reduction in time-to-ATO using our accelerated RMF methodology
100+
DIB suppliers guided through CMMC Level 2 assessment preparation
Contract Vehicles
DISA SETI CIO-CS GSA MAS OASIS+ Army ITES-3S
05
Intelligence Modernization
Strategic and technical advisory for IC components navigating collection modernization, data sharing, and the integration of commercial intelligence capabilities.

The Intelligence Community is engaged in a generational modernization — moving from legacy stovepipes toward integrated, cloud-enabled, AI-augmented collection and analysis environments. We support IC components in strategy development, technology roadmap design, collection modernization, analytic transformation, and the integration of commercial GEOINT, OSINT, and SIGINT capabilities into classified workflows.

Core Capabilities
IC Enterprise Architecture
Collection Modernization
Analytic Transformation
Commercial GEOINT Integration
OSINT Program Design
Data Sharing & Federated Access
Mission Partner Environments
Workforce & Tradecraft Design
Impact Indicators
7
IC components supported across collection modernization initiatives
40%
Improvement in all-source analytic cycle time on AI-augmented programs
06
Force Design & Organizational Transformation
Strategic advisory for senior defense leaders redesigning force structure, command relationships, and organizational culture for multi-domain operations.

The character of warfare is changing faster than institutional structures can adapt. We advise senior military and civilian defense leaders on force design, organizational redesign, and the cultural transformation required to operate effectively in multi-domain contested environments — from the strategic level of the Joint Staff and OSD to the tactical level of unified commands and service components.

Core Capabilities
Force Structure Analysis
Joint Command Design
Wargaming & Red Teaming
Strategic Competition Analysis
Talent Management Reform
Readiness Optimization
Doctrine Development
Change Management (OSD)
Impact Indicators
6
Major organizational redesign engagements at CCMD or service component level
24+
Wargaming and red team exercises conducted for senior DoD leaders

Results that matter
in the field

Details modified or withheld per classification and client confidentiality requirements.
01
JADC2 · Combatant Command
JADC2 Decision Cycle Compression for a Pacific Combatant Command
A Pacific-theater CCMD required a dramatic reduction in the time from sensor detection to commander decision on time-critical targets. We redesigned the information architecture, integrated AI-based cueing, and redesigned the watch-floor workflow — delivering a capability now used in live operations.
60%
Cycle time
reduction
18mo
From award
to fielding
02
Cyber · Defense Industrial Base
CMMC Level 3 Readiness for a Major Tier-1 Defense Prime
A Tier-1 prime contractor faced imminent CMMC Level 3 assessment across 14 facilities. We conducted gap assessments, designed remediation architecture, and prepared the organization — resulting in a clean first-attempt assessment with no POA&M items on 11 of 14 facilities.
11/14
Clean first-attempt
facilities
$2.4B
Contract value
protected
03
AI / ML · Intelligence Community
AI-Augmented Analytic Workflow for an IC Collection Component
An IC collection component required automation of high-volume document triage and collection prioritization tasks absorbing 60% of analyst time. We designed, built, and deployed an NLP-based triage system aligned to CDAO responsible AI principles — achieving ATO on the classified network in nine months.
40%
Analyst throughput
increase
9mo
To ATO on
classified network
04
Program Management · Army
ACAT II Program Rescue — Restoring Schedule & Cost Confidence
An Army ACAT II program was 18 months behind schedule and 22% over baseline cost at Milestone C. We embedded a former PEO and senior acquisition team, stabilized requirements, restructured the contract, and restored program confidence — enabling a successful Milestone C decision six months later.
22%
Cost variance
corrected
6mo
To successful
Milestone C

A cleared, integrated
delivery model

We do not staff defense engagements from a commercial talent bench. Every engagement is supported by cleared professionals with prior operational experience, credentialed acquisition knowledge, and an understanding of how government programs actually function — not how textbooks describe them.

Assessment & Positioning
Weeks 1–4
Cleared team onboarding, program immersion, stakeholder mapping, and rapid baseline assessment of the program's technical, acquisition, and organizational state. We do not deliver generic findings — we deliver an operationally specific diagnosis from professionals who understand the environment.
Cleared Access & Onboarding Program Baseline Assessment Stakeholder Map Risk Register (Initial)
Strategy & Architecture
Weeks 4–12
Development of the strategic approach, technical architecture, and acquisition pathway aligned to program objectives, funding constraints, and milestone requirements. All work products are classified as required and formatted for government program office use — not consulting deliverables.
Acquisition Strategy Technical Architecture Program Roadmap CONOPS Development
Execution & Integration
Ongoing
Embedded cleared staff supporting program office operations, contractor oversight, testing, and milestone preparation. We function as an extension of the government program office — not as an external advisory layer that produces reports and departs.
Embedded PM Support Contractor Oversight T&E Planning Milestone Package Prep EVM Reporting
Transition & Sustainment
Program Close
Deliberate knowledge transfer to government organic capability, documentation of processes and architectures, and transition planning that ensures program continuity beyond the engagement. We measure our success by what functions without us.
Knowledge Transfer Plan As-Built Documentation Sustainment Playbook

Led by those who served

Our Defense & Intelligence practice is led exclusively by former senior military officers and defense intelligence executives who understand the mission from the inside.

RE
Rear Adm. (Ret.) Robert Ellison
Practice Lead, Defense & Intelligence
Thirty-year Navy career culminating as Deputy Director, J6, Joint Staff. Former Program Executive Officer for Navy C4I. Led the Navy's initial JADC2 concept development. TS/SCI cleared.
C4ISR JADC2 Joint Staff TS/SCI
DH
Diana Harrington, SES (Ret.)
Senior Director, Intelligence Modernization
Former Senior Executive Service official at a major IC collection agency. Led the agency's transition to cloud-based collection infrastructure and designed its first AI governance framework. TS/SCI/SAP cleared.
IC Modernization AI Governance TS/SCI/SAP
MK
Col. (Ret.) Marcus Kim
Senior Director, Acquisition & Program Management
Twenty-six years as an Army Acquisition Corps officer. Former Program Manager, Integrated Air and Missile Defense. Level III certified in Program Management and Systems Engineering. Cleared TS/SCI.
ACAT Programs Acquisition Strategy Systems Engineering

Thinking from the
front lines

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AI & Decision Advantage

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Ready to bring
mission precision?

Our cleared partners are available for classified and unclassified discussions. Whether you need embedded program support, strategic advisory, or a rapid capability assessment — we are structured to respond at the pace your mission requires.