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Senate Armed Services Panel OKs $740B Defense Budget for Fiscal 2022; Sen. Jack Reed Quoted
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Senate Armed Services Panel OKs $740B Defense Budget for Fiscal 2022; Sen. Jack Reed Quoted

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 23-3 Wednesday to move the fiscal year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act to the Senate floor for consideration.

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., chairman of the Senate panel, said in a statement published Thursday the FY 2022 NDAA seeks to help the U.S. counter evolving threats and make investments in readiness efforts and “authorizes funding levels and sets policies to equip, supply, and train U.S. forces now and in the future.”

“It provides for military families while strengthening America’s industrial base and the workers who contribute to our national security,” Reed added.

The bill would authorize $740.3 billion in FY 2022 funds for the Department of Defense and a 2.7 percent increase in pay for U.S. troops and civilian workforce at DOD, according to an executive summary of the measure.

The measure includes an increase of more than $1 billion in funds for science and technology initiatives and research in artificial intelligence, 5G, microelectronics, biotechnology and advanced materials and seeks to provide the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) with $500 million in additional funding to advance research in quantum computing and other areas.

The proposed legislation would authorize $268.4 million in additional funding to support cybersecurity efforts across DOD.

Breaking Defense reported the Senate committee added $25 billion to the defense spending bill, reflecting a 3 percent increase from the White House’s proposed defense budget of $715 billion for FY 2022.

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Guy Cavallo Named Full-Time OPM CIO
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Guy Cavallo Named Full-Time OPM CIO

Guy Cavallo, who has been serving as acting chief information officer at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) since March, has been named OPM’s permanent CIO, Nextgov reported Thursday.

He joined OPM in September as principal deputy CIO and transitioned to the role of acting CIO after the Biden administration appointed Clare Martorana as federal CIO in March 2021.

Cavallo will continue to advance the use of technology-focused services in support of government employees and retirees. He unveiled a cloud initiative this spring as part of OPM’s modernization efforts, according to his latest bio shared with the publication.

Prior to OPM, he was deputy CIO at the Small Business Administration (SBA). He joined SBA in 2017 and led information technology modernization efforts at the agency.

Cavallo previously served as executive director of IT operations at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). His industry career included time as a senior government strategist at Microsoft and chief tech strategist at Advanced Systems Design.

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Former Sandia Director Jill Hruby Confirmed as NNSA Administrator; Jennifer Granholm Quoted
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Former Sandia Director Jill Hruby Confirmed as NNSA Administrator; Jennifer Granholm Quoted

The Senate approved Jill Hruby, former director of Sandia National Laboratories, by a 79-16 vote to lead the National Nuclear Security Administration and serve as undersecretary for nuclear security at the Department of Energy.

“Jill is one of DOE’s very best success stories—rising through the ranks at Sandia National Labs to become the first woman to lead a national security lab, and now she’ll lead our efforts to maintain a safe and reliable nuclear deterrent and protect our national security,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a release Thursday.

Hruby started her career at SNL in 1983 as a technical staff member and conducted studies about thermal and fluid, solar energy and nuclear weapon systems.

She held the director position at the multimission laboratory from 2015 to 2017 while serving as president of Sandia Corp., which operated the facility between October 1993 and April 30, 2017.

Following her retirement from SNL, she worked as the first Sam Nunn Distinguished fellow at the Nuclear Threat Initiative and as a member of the Defense Science Board and the NNSA Defense Programs Advisory Committee.

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Senate Bill Would Require CISA to Help Companies With Industrial Control System Security
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Senate Bill Would Require CISA to Help Companies With Industrial Control System Security

A bipartisan group of four senators has introduced legislation that would mandate the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to provide companies technical assistance to identify and fix vulnerabilities in systems used to manage industrial operations.

CISA, a component agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), would be tasked with leading federal initiatives to help public and private sector organizations secure critical infrastructure networks under the DHS Industrial Control Systems Capabilities Enhancement Act.

Sens. Mark Rubio, R-Fla.; Gary Peters, D-Mich.; Rob Portman, R-Ohio; and Mark Warner, D-Va. and three-time Wash100 Award winner, are the bill's sponsors.

The bill would also require CISA to brief members of Congress about the agency's ability to protect operational technology and share cyber threat information with ICS users. The House of Representatives has unanimously approved a companion bill introduced by Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are scrambling to pass stronger cybersecurity measures due to sophisticated threats aimed at the country's critical infrastructure assets, such as the ransomware attack that halted fuel pipeline transport encompassing more than 5,500 miles.

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Navy Plans Hypersonic Missile Tests With Zumwalt Ship; Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener Quoted
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Navy Plans Hypersonic Missile Tests With Zumwalt Ship; Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener Quoted

Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener, commander of Naval Surface Forces, said the U.S. Navy wants to perform on-ship tests of hypersonic missiles and other new weapon systems, National Defense Magazine reported Thursday.

Kitchener said the same day there are plans to test the Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic boost-glide missile's performance from the USS Zumwalt guided-missile destroyer.

The CPS missile is a non-nuclear weapon designed to strike targets at hypersonic speeds. Lockheed Martin develops the missile and has already run live-fire tests for the system. 

Kitchener added that the Navy plans to have Zumwalt-class destroyers also test other new systems. He said the Navy is currently interested in unmanned vessels and anti-surface warfare technologies.

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Cynthia Mendoza: DOD Needs to Modernize IT Systems With Basics-Based Approach
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Cynthia Mendoza: DOD Needs to Modernize IT Systems With Basics-Based Approach

Cynthia Mendoza, the Department of Defense’s deputy chief information officer for special access program information technology, said the military needs to modernize its IT systems to meet battlefield intelligence requirements, DOD News reported Thursday.

She said the department must follow the basic principles of understanding mission results, forming partnerships and applying lessons learned.

Mendoza noted that DOD must consider IT modernization partnerships with other stakeholders, including the public, aside from just the private sector, universities, Congress and international entities.

“We leverage lessons learned from our colleagues who are doing similar things,” she said. The deputy CIO also noted that using lessons learned would help the military avoid technological redundancies.

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Prometheus Federal Services, Atlas Research Awarded VA Contract to Optimize Women’s Healthcare; Susanne Larkins Quoted
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Prometheus Federal Services, Atlas Research Awarded VA Contract to Optimize Women’s Healthcare; Susanne Larkins Quoted

Titan Alpha, a joint venture between Prometheus Federal Services (PFS) and Atlas Research, was awarded a new task order to evaluate, analyze, and improve women’s healthcare across the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare Systems (HCSs) and for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Women’s Health.

“Titan Alpha brings a wealth of experience in evidence-based quality improvement for women’s health, said Susanne Larkins, research principal for Atlas. “Our team is passionate about this opportunity to improve the quality of comprehensive care, services, and experiences for our nation’s women Veterans.”

Atlas Research partners with federal health organizations to drive mission-critical innovation and transformation. Atlas’ work positively impacts vulnerable populations, tests interventions to support special populations, and energizes communities to help address social determinants of health.

“VHA’s commitment to providing best-in-class health care for women Veterans is a mission we are proud to stand behind,” said Carl Fortune, principal for PFS. “We look forward to working with VHA leaders to develop and apply quality improvement interventions within VA HCSs.”

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Anthony Iasso Named Xator CTO; CEO David Scott Quoted
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Anthony Iasso Named Xator CTO; CEO David Scott Quoted

The Xator Corporation announced on Friday that Anthony Iasso,  currently a Xator vice president, has been appointed the company’s new chief technology officer. 

“Anthony is the right CTO for this time in Xator’s history. Anthony brings more than two decades of experience delivering highly differentiated technology solutions to Military Intelligence, National Intelligence, Civilian, and Defense organizations, said Xator CEO David Scott. “Anthony will continue to spearhead our innovative and mission-focused solutions that are the hallmark of Xator’s offerings and capabilities.”

Scott elaborated that Iasso would take advantage of Xator’s key investments in the company’s acquisitions and tech capabilities to further propel its solution offerings for its customers.

His expertise covers a wide range of technologies including biometrics and identity management, modeling and simulation, intelligence analysis, artificial intelligence and machine learning, software engineering and systems architecture.

Iasso joined Xator following its acquisition of InCadence Strategic Solutions back in April 2020. He served as the vice president of Biometrics at Oberon Association prior to InCadence. As an officer in the U.S. Army, he also supported Operation Allied Force, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom.

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Task Force Offers Recommendations to Help Pentagon Secure Defense Supply Chains; Rep. Elissa Slotkin Quoted
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Task Force Offers Recommendations to Help Pentagon Secure Defense Supply Chains; Rep. Elissa Slotkin Quoted

The Defense Critical Supply Chain Task Force has issued its final report outlining six recommendations for the Department of Defense and one of those is the need to treat the security of supply chains as a strategic priority.

The report submitted to the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) calls for DOD to come up with a departmentwide strategy and system to continuously monitor, assess and mitigate risks in the defense supply chain., HASC said Thursday.

The task force also recommended that the Pentagon develop risk mitigation strategies and understand supply chain-related vulnerabilities by having visibility; reduce dependence on adversaries for manufacturing and resources; and use its influence to facilitate workforce improvement by partnering with industry, local entities and other federal agencies.

DOD should also strengthen its ability to partner with allies through the National Technology and Industrial Base and deploy the full range of U.S. innovation to secure supply chains involving rare earth elements, according to the report.

“Last year, we all saw how the shortages of PPE cost American lives. … It was so clear we could never let that happen again, especially on items that are directly connected to our national security," said Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.

Slotkin said the task force has proposed several measures to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and prevent future shortages and that she will work to integrate the recommendations into the fiscal year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.

Slotkin and Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., are co-chairs of the task force. Other members of the group are Reps. Donald Norcross, D-N.J., Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., Don Bacon, R-Neb., Michael Waltz, R-Fla., and Stephanie Bice, R-Okla.

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XPO Logistics Appoints Karlis Kirsis as Chief Legal Officer For GXO Logistics; Chairman, CEO Brad Jacobs Quoted
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XPO Logistics Appoints Karlis Kirsis as Chief Legal Officer For GXO Logistics; Chairman, CEO Brad Jacobs Quoted

XPO Logistics announced on Thursday its appointment of Karlis Kirsis as chief legal officer for GXO Logistics, the planned spin-off of XPO’s logistics business. Kirsis currently works as senior vice president, European chief legal officer for XPO Logistics Europe. In his new role he will be responsible for GXO’s legal and compliance functions, including corporate governance, litigation and commercial matters.

“Karlis’s extensive experience in world-class corporate and legal environments, and the supply chain industry in particular, will be significant assets to GXO. He will help align the company’s legal functions with its strategic, game-changing goals,” commented Brad Jacobs, XPO Logistics chairman and chief executive officer.

Kirsis first joined XPO in 2016 as vice president, corporate and securities counsel and then worked as senior vice president, corporate counsel. Previously, he spent a decade as a senior corporate associate in New York and London for Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where he performed global M&A and corporate finance transactions.

XPO previously announced its plans to spin off its logistics business as a separate, publicly-traded company in August 2021. GXO is the largest pure-play contract logistics provider in the world and will be well-positioned to capitalize on the big three secular tailwinds of e-commerce growth, customer demand for logistics automation and the burgeoning trend toward supply chain outsourcing. The business already includes approximately 885 logistics locations in 27 countries.

Kirsis holds a juris doctorate from New York University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College

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