Why It Matters

Congress is pushing defense modernization, but acquisition bureaucracy and industry resistance threaten to slow adoption of the open-architecture systems Pacific Defense specializes in. The Pentagon has mandated MOSA standards government-wide, yet program offices lack expertise and incentive to enforce them. Pacific Defense’s lobbying aims to lock in congressional language and funding that would accelerate adoption of modular, interoperable electronic warfare and command-control systems—technologies essential for competing with China and Russia.

The company is competing against both traditional defense contractors resisting open standards and other integrators pushing similar solutions, making strategic access to Senate Appropriations Committee insiders critical to winning the policy battle.

By the Numbers

Pacific Defense Strategies Inc. has spent $2.57 million across 83 disclosures since 2021, employing a hybrid strategy combining $1.18 million in in-house lobbying with external firms including Holland & Knight LLP ($540,000 prior to this engagement).

The fourth quarter engagement with Holland & Knight represents a continuation for $60,000 to focus on electronic warfare and C5ISR provisions in the FY 2026 defense bills. The lobbying team includes Michael R. Wakefield, who recently served as Professional Staff Member for the Senate Appropriations Committee; Misha E. Lehrer, a veteran of Senator Chris Murphy’s office; and Sean P. McGlynn, who has worked Pacific Defense for 19 quarters since 2022.

The Agenda

Pacific Defense Strategies Inc. hired Holland & Knight LLP to target the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act and Defense Appropriations bills on three core issues:

• Electronic Warfare and C5ISR provisions in House and Senate Defense Appropriations bills
• Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) standards in the House NDAA (H.R. 3838, the SPEED Act) and Senate version

The timing aligns with Congress’s demonstrated interest in the exact technologies Pacific Defense specializes in. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who lead the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems, have direct jurisdiction over these issues.

Broader Context

Congress is accelerating defense acquisition reform amid escalating threats from China and Russia. The Pentagon renamed its acquisition system the "Warfighting Acquisition System" to emphasize speed and operational effectiveness. The Defense CTO office issued a mandatory MOSA Implementation Guidebook establishing modular open systems as required for all DoD programs.

A Pentagon assessment concluded China’s military buildup leaves the U.S. increasingly vulnerable, with China positioned to achieve strategic dominance over Taiwan by 2027. This threat environment has driven bipartisan congressional support for rapid fielding of advanced EW and C5ISR capabilities.

The FY 2026 NDAA was signed into law in December 2025, authorizing over $25 billion for munitions and directing Army modernization efforts.

Between The Lines

The House Armed Services Committee held hearings on "Reforming Defense Acquisition to Deliver Capability at the Speed of Relevance," emphasizing that the current acquisition system moves too slowly and that approaches like MOSA are critical to accelerating technology delivery.

Senate committees held hearings on "Harnessing AI Cyber Capabilities" and "Defense of the Department of Defense Information Network," directly addressing Pacific Defense’s core domains.

Competitive Landscape

Pacific Defense faces competition from OceanSound Partners, which has engaged Ballard Partners LLC to promote "open architecture software systems for mission-critical DoD systems." The overlap suggests Pacific Defense must compete for congressional attention and funding against other industry players promoting comparable solutions.

The Bottom Line

Pacific Defense is investing $60,000 with Holland & Knight to influence defense spending on electronic warfare and modular systems during a period when Congress is actively pushing military acquisition reform.

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