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NSWC Carderock Awards Systems Planning and Analysis–Envisioneering Prime Contract; CEO William Vantine Quoted
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NSWC Carderock Awards Systems Planning and Analysis–Envisioneering Prime Contract; CEO William Vantine Quoted

Systems Planning and Analysis–Envisioneering (E-SPA), a  joint venture between Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. and Envisioneering Inc., was awarded a $4.56 million prime contract from the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock to provide research, development, test and evaluation services to the Advanced Propulsor Management Office. 

This is a great win under our DTIC IAC MAC vehicle and provides an excellent opportunity for the E-SPA Joint Venture to provide high-quality services to the COLUMBIA Propulsor Program,” said Dr. William Vantine, president and CEO of SPA. 

Work will be performed at multiple Naval Sea Systems Command locations, including Carderock, MD, and the Naval Foundry and Propeller Center in Philadelphia to develop and provide new scientific and technical information, including tools for the tracking, analysis, and forecasting of costs across multiple submarine platforms. 

E-SPA’s responsibilities focus on cost and construction trend analysis for COLUMBIA Class submarine propulsor program.

This work is awarded as a task order on the Defense Technical Information Center Information Analysis Center Multiple Award Contract (DTIC IAC MAC).

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Dave Young Named SVP of Strategic Sales for Lumen Technologies; Zain Ahmed Appointed Public Sector SVP
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Dave Young Named SVP of Strategic Sales for Lumen Technologies; Zain Ahmed Appointed Public Sector SVP

Lumen Technologies announced on Tuesday that the company has appointed Dave Young, a two-time Wash100 Award winner, into the newly created role of senior vice president of Strategic Sales, which has also led to Zain Ahmed taking Young’s previous role as the senior vice president of Lumen’s Public Sector.

“I’m excited that Dave and Zain, two of our strongest sales leaders, are both taking on new roles that will position Lumen to grow our strategic enterprise and public sector business for years to come,” said Ed Morche, president of the Lumen North American Enterprise and Public Sector team.

Both Young and Ahmed will report to Morche and Young’s former public sector leadership team will now report to Ahmed directly. Under his new role, leaders from the Lumen System Integrator, Global Hyperscaler, Digital Ventures and Indirect Sales groups will report to Young.

Young has more than 30 years of experience in the telecommunications and technology sector while Ahmed has over 20 years of experience supporting government agencies with technology solutions.

About Lumen Technologies

Lumen is guided by our belief that humanity is at its best when technology advances the way we live and work. With approximately 450,000 route fiber miles and serving customers in more than 60 countries, we deliver the fastest, most secure platform for applications and data to help businesses, government and communities deliver amazing experiences.

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Rep. Adam Smith: White House Must Take a Hard Look at Nuclear C2 System in Posture Review
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Rep. Adam Smith: White House Must Take a Hard Look at Nuclear C2 System in Posture Review

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., has called on the White House to examine nuclear command, control and communications system modernization efforts as part of the federal government's Nuclear Posture Review (NPR). 

The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) chairman told President Biden in a letter that his administration should also take into account the U.S. nuclear deterrent and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) infrastructure during the NPR process.

“I urge you to ensure this review directly influences your next budget request, in line with your Interim National Security Strategy, which notes the importance of taking steps to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy,” Smith wrote in the missive dated Monday.

Smith said using the “fail-safe and risk reduction" analysis method could help the government gain insight into the vital issues associated with the nuclear enterprise.

“Given the evolving cybersecurity and information warfare threats, we must ensure that our systems are secure and protected against the accidental or inadvertent launch."

The lawmaker wants the Biden administration to ensure that ongoing and future modernization efforts are necessary, pointing out that the armed forces are currently working on a record amount of new weapons and maintaining costly systems with questionable operational relevance.

"This requires the close attention of you and your national security leadership to ensure the nuclear deterrent is safe, secure, reliable, affordable and is balanced across the full spectrum of integrated deterrence," Smith added.

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Public-Private Collaboration Highlighted in DHS R&D Showcase; Kathryn Coulter-Mitchell Quoted
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Public-Private Collaboration Highlighted in DHS R&D Showcase; Kathryn Coulter-Mitchell Quoted

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)has launched a set of digital resources about research and development programs within its science and technology (DHS S&T) directorate aimed at driving public-private collaboration.

DHS said Monday that its "Building Whole-of-Government R&D Partnerships" series is the final installment of a four-part program designed to showcase innovation investments across the government research community.

Series 4 covers the commercialization of technologies resulting from interagency collaborations, the development of future science and engineering workforce and partnerships with international organizations.

Other content for the series includes a panel discussion on COVID-19 threat characterization and assessment, cybersecurity, infrastructure resilience and public transport security.

"Only working in collaboration with other innovative minds across government, industry, and academia can we stay ahead of evolving threats and deploy the next generation of scientific and technological advancements," said Kathryn Coulter-Mitchell, senior official performing the duties of undersecretary for science and technology at DHS.

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AFRL Receives Quantum Info Science Research Center Designation; Maj. Gen. Heather Pringle Quoted
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AFRL Receives Quantum Info Science Research Center Designation; Maj. Gen. Heather Pringle Quoted

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has received designation as a central hub for exploring the application of quantum computing technologies to the Department of the Air Force. 

John Roth, who served as acting SecAF from January to July 2021, signed off on a memo April 23rd to grant the Quantum Information Science Research Center status to AFRL, the laboratory said Monday.

“This designation allows AFRL to expand its collaborations across government, industry and academia, further accelerating the research, development and deployment of quantum technologies," said Maj. Gen. Heather Pringle, commander of AFRL.

The Pentagon will provide Defense and Quantum Information Science (QIS) Research and Development Program funds to the laboratory's information directorate located in Rome, New York.

Michael Hayduk, the directorate's deputy director, said the Rome Lab will use the money to initiate collaborative work with industry and academic professionals who have knowledge of the QIS field.

"These partnerships are critical in not only accelerating the deployment of QIS technologies but also in developing the future workforce needed to meet emerging national security challenges," Hayduk added.

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FCC Unveils Mobile Broadband Map; Jessica Rosenworcel Quoted
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FCC Unveils Mobile Broadband Map; Jessica Rosenworcel Quoted

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has unveiled a map showing 4G LTE broadband data and voice mobile coverage in the U.S. as of May 15.

“Today’s new map represents progress in our efforts to implement the Broadband DATA Act and build next-generation broadband maps that can help to connect 100 percent of Americans,” Jessica Rosenworcel, acting chairwoman of FCC, said in a statement published Friday.

The commission said wireless communications providers AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and US Cellular voluntarily submitted the data via the FCC Form 477. 

“Using improved systems and data, we can provide better information about where broadband service is and is not across the country,” Rosenworcel added.

The Broadband Data Task Force spearheaded work on the map, which will enable consumers and other users to conduct search and determine locations where they can use wireless data or receive calls.

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Army AI Research Seeks to Mitigate Uncertainty in Combat Decision-Making; Maggie Wigness Quoted
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Army AI Research Seeks to Mitigate Uncertainty in Combat Decision-Making; Maggie Wigness Quoted

U.S. Army researchers have developed a new method that allows neural networks to be more confident in judging potential threats in battlefield environments as part of their artificial intelligence study. 

The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and Army Combat Capabilities (ACC) Development Command worked with university researchers from the Internet of Battlefield Things Collaborative Research Alliance (IoBT CRA) to classify sources of uncertainty, assess frameworks to represent uncertainty and developed platforms to manage uncertainty within systems, the service said Monday.

The researchers derived insights from uncertainty management approaches and turned them into a workflow that maximizes effectiveness in realizing mission goals amid the presence of uncertainty in data inputs. The process enabled the neural networks to be more confident in judging threats in hostile environments.

“A key component of improving automation is to improve machine confidence in understanding its environment so that the machine can exercise ‘good judgment,’” said Maggie Wigness, Army researcher and deputy collaborative alliance manager of the IoBT CRA.

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CISA Unveils Training Guide for Cybersecurity Workforce; Eric Goldstein Quoted
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CISA Unveils Training Guide for Cybersecurity Workforce; Eric Goldstein Quoted

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has issued a guide meant to help cyber and information technology professionals improve their skills and expand their career options in the cybersecurity field.

The Cybersecurity Workforce Training Guide seeks to help professionals discover professional development and training opportunities to further develop skills and understand the tasks, work roles and knowledge, skills and abilities, CISA said Friday.

“The cybersecurity workforce is on the front lines of our nation’s security,” said Eric Goldstein, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA.

“Our objective is to provide the right tools so this critical workforce knows where to find the available training that can help them be well prepared and skilled. This comprehensive guide will help individuals identify a job track and pinpoint areas for growth,” added Goldstein.

The document provides information on the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education Framework and details the seven categories and related specialty areas and work roles under the NICE Framework.

The guide also outlines the five steps professionals should take in charting their career development path in cybersecurity: documenting the categories, work roles and specialty areas; assessing proficiency level for each of work roles; prioritizing work role areas to target for growth; identifying development opportunities that align with target work roles; and building cybersecurity training plans.

CISA also offered information on entry, intermediate and advanced level cybersecurity certifications, certification prep courses and professional development trainings, hands-on and experience opportunities and additional IT and cybersecurity resources from across the federal government.

Supply Chain Cybersecurity: Revelations and Innovations

ExecutiveBiz, sister site of GovConDaily and part of the Executive Mosaic digital media umbrella, will host a virtual event about securing the supply chain on Oct. 26. Visit ExecutiveBiz.com to sign up for the “Supply Chain Cybersecurity: Revelations and Innovations” event.

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Melissa Dalton Nominated as DOD Assistant Secretary for Homeland Defense, Global Security Affairs
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Melissa Dalton Nominated as DOD Assistant Secretary for Homeland Defense, Global Security Affairs

Melissa Dalton, principal deputy assistant secretary for strategy, plans and capabilities at the Department of Defense, has been nominated to serve as DOD’s assistant secretary for homeland defense and global security affairs.

She took on her current role in January 2021 after she served as a senior fellow and deputy director of the international security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the White House said Friday.

In her current capacity, Dalton advises DOD officials on matters associated with national security and defense strategy and policies related to missile defense and security cooperation strategies.

Her research work at the Washington, D.C.-based think tank aimed to strengthen the principled groundwork of the country’s defense strategy and military missions.

Dalton joined CSIS in 2014 after various civil service roles within DOD such as senior adviser for force planning, special assistant to the defense undersecretary and policy adviser to the International Security Assistance Force’s commander in Kabul, Afghanistan.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in international relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

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FCC Announces 2 New Innovation Zones to Advance Open RAN, 5G Tech Research Efforts
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FCC Announces 2 New Innovation Zones to Advance Open RAN, 5G Tech Research Efforts

The Federal Communications Commission has designated new innovation zones near Northeastern University in Boston and North Carolina State University in Raleigh to enable qualified licensees to conduct research and test Open Radio Access Network, 5G technologies and other advanced wireless network and communications platforms.

The Northeastern University Innovation Zone will further support the research community by transitioning the Colosseum network emulator of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to a shared platform, FCC said Thursday.

The North Carolina State University Innovation Zone will accommodate the Aerial Experimentation and Research Platform for Advanced Wireless, which will address new use cases involving unmanned aerial systems and wireless communications.

FCC already has two innovation zones in New York City and Salt Lake City. The commission also announced the expansion of the New York City Innovation Zone or COSMOS with the addition of three Columbia University and City College of New York campus areas. The COSMOS zone will focus on low-latency and ultra-high-bandwidth wireless communications with tightly coupled edge computing. 

The Salt Lake City Innovation Zone, also dubbed as POWDER, serves as a corridor linking several campus areas of the University of Utah.

The Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research project office funded by the National Science Foundation oversees the innovation zones established by the commission. The designation will run for five years.

POC - Fall 2021 5G Summit

If you’re interested in 5G technology and 5G integration’s impact on public and private sectors, then check out Potomac Officers Club’s Fall 2021 5G Summit coming up on Sept. 16. To register for this virtual forum and view other upcoming events, visit the POC Events page. 

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