Hampton Roads is home to one of the most strategically important defense innovation hubs in the country. At this year’s TechNite, the Advancement in Defense Contracting Award honored organizations accelerating mission-critical technology, strengthening national security, and improving the way the defense sector delivers capability to the warfighter.

Sponsored by Valor Cybersecurity, this award recognized three standout finalists whose work reflects the strength and sophistication of the defense industrial base in the 757. While only one company ultimately earned the top honor, each finalist is driving meaningful impact across the Department of Defense and advancing the future of defense readiness.

ADS

ADS serves as the essential bridge between the innovation economy and our nation’s warfighters, enabling emerging technologies to reach operational environments faster and more efficiently.

In 2024, ADS fulfilled more than 92,000 orders across multiple DoD contracts, supporting over 3,000 customers with a team of roughly 490 employees. This level of scale and efficiency is virtually unmatched, earning ADS the reputation as the “Amazon of the defense industry.”

From equipment and logistics to advanced systems, including being the leading provider of Unmanned Aircraft Systems to the Department of Defense, ADS plays a vital role in enabling American servicemembers and expanding market access for thousands of innovative suppliers nationwide.

Clear Aspect Solutions

Clear Aspect Solutions (CAS) represents world-class expertise in digital engineering and command-and-control modernization. The Hampton Roads firm works with Air Combat Command’s C2 Futures to digitize and prioritize enterprise requirements, ensuring technology decisions are traceable, collaborative, and strategically aligned.

Through their non-proprietary Capabilities-Based Assessment Tool, built via USAF SBIR Phases I and II, CAS improves mission-focused analysis, program maturity, and enterprise reuse, ultimately saving time and taxpayer dollars while equipping decision-makers with clarity and speed.

CAS exemplifies how local innovators are shaping the digital future of airpower.

G2 Ops

G2 Ops, a woman-owned small business headquartered in Hampton Roads, stands at the forefront of secure digital engineering across multiple national security pillars. Their Gold Standard Methodology™ and Cyber Ready Center of Excellence blend model-based engineering with continuous cyber assurance across complex mission systems.

A landmark achievement for the company—the Cyber Ready Authorization to Operate for the AEGIS Weapon System—demonstrates real-time cyber risk integration into MBSE models, enabling mission-relevant threat prioritization.

With SBIR-developed tools and partnerships across STRATCOM, NASA, and Navy Warfare Centers, G2 Ops continues to deliver repeatable, secure, and scalable solutions across undersea, satellite, and nuclear-deterrence environments.

And the Winner: G2 Ops

This year’s Advancement in Defense Contracting Award goes to G2 Ops, recognized for its leadership in helping defense programs engineer, secure, and modernize with speed and rigor.

A Region Driving America’s Defense Future

ADS, Clear Aspect Solutions, and G2 Ops each represent what makes Hampton Roads a critical center of gravity for innovation, execution, and national defense. Their work accelerates technology adoption, improves program delivery, and strengthens the capabilities of the U.S. military.

Congratulations to all three finalists for their vision, impact, and commitment to advancing the mission.

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