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Maxar Technologies Providing WorldView Legion Satellite Capacity to International Defense, Intelligence Customers; Tony Frazier Quoted
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Maxar Technologies Providing WorldView Legion Satellite Capacity to International Defense, Intelligence Customers; Tony Frazier Quoted

Maxar Technologies announced on Thursday that the company secured a multi-year $35 million contract for WorldView Legion satellite constellation capacity through an expanded agreement with a key international defense and intelligence customer.

“Maxar is proud to continue our two-decade partnership with this important U.S. ally. Maxar’s commercial satellite imagery and 3D data suite will enhance situational awareness and decision-making for the customer’s critical government missions,” commented Tony Frazier, Maxar Global Field Operations EVP and a five-time Wash100 Award recipient.

The contract will extend the customer’s ability to easily task and download 30 cm-class satellite imagery to its ground station from Maxar’s current constellation under the Direct Access Program.

The Direct Access Program enables defense, intelligence and commercial customers to access highly advanced Earth-imaging satellites with encrypted downlinks, committed availability and data distribution rights that fit mission needs.

The contract also stipulates Maxar will provide direct access to its next-generation WorldView Legion satellites once they enter operations, including Maxar’s 3D data suite, created from the company’s innovative, highly accurate satellite imagery.

Maxar has substantial experience in supporting and providing satellite imagery data to a wide array of customers. In June, the company announced it had provided the Australian defense department with a 3D data suite and satellite imagery intended to inform the military decision-making process and enhance situational awareness supporting national defense and intelligence missions.

The 3D Surface Model for the Australian organizer is designed to show terrain and surface features and textures in high-fidelity, positionally accurate and photorealistic data based on commercial satellite imagery.

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Air Force Puts Hypersonic Missile Warhead Through Detonation Test
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Air Force Puts Hypersonic Missile Warhead Through Detonation Test

The U.S. Air Force set off a hypersonic missile warhead for the first time during a recent Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon test held at Eglin AF Base in Florida.

USAF said Wednesday that its 780th Test Squadron aimed to evaluate the lethality of AGM-183A rocket-powered hypersonic technology via the detonation event.

Lockheed Martin designed the ARRW system prototype under a $480 million contract the military service awarded in August 2018.

The partnership initially tested the weapon on a B-52 Stratofortress aircraft in June 2019 and conducted a second flight test in August 2020.

David Spiker, a test manager at 780th TS, pointed out that the recent test involved various firsts for the program such as the test arena design, novel data collection processes and equipment and new post-test information processing methods.

Biden Administration Mulls Ransomware Attack Response; Press Secretary Jen Psaki Quoted
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Biden Administration Mulls Ransomware Attack Response; Press Secretary Jen Psaki Quoted

President Biden met with his administration's national security team to develop plans addressing the ransomware attacks perceived to be initiated by hackers from Russia, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki did not indicate if the administration is linking the Russian government or criminal actors to the attacks. 

"What they did discuss is the fact that the President reserves the right to respond against any ransomware networks and those that harbor them. That continues to be his policy," Psaki told reporters.

Reuters reported Tuesday that a ransomware incident involving software provider Kaseya affected 800 to 1,500 businesses across the globe and the company's CEO, Fred Voccola, said he was not informed of any critical national organizations affected by the attack.

During the Geneva summit held June 17th, President Biden said he had told Russian President Vladimir Putin that "critical infrastructure," composed of 16 entities, must be forbidden for cyberattacks. Biden noted that responsible countries should deal with criminals within their territory that perform ransomware acts. 

Earlier Tuesday, Psaki said U.S. officials would meet with Russian representatives next week to tackle the emerging cyber threats. "If the Russian government cannot or will not take action against criminal actors residing in Russia, we will take action, or reserve the right to take action, on our own."

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NOAA Eyes Use of Small Satellites for Weather Forecasts; Greg Mandt Quoted
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NOAA Eyes Use of Small Satellites for Weather Forecasts; Greg Mandt Quoted

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is looking to deploy a constellation of small satellites for weather forecast activities in the future, Space News reported Wednesday.

NOAA considers using small polar-orbiting satellites for the agency's next constellation, instead of traditional large spacecraft like the existing Joint Polar Satellite System.

Greg Mandt, NOAA's program director for JPSS, said the agency wants to take advantage of how companies are using small satellites to gather and relay information from low Earth orbit.

“If we spend the next five or six years seeing what we could do, that could produce quite an interesting paradigm shift," he said.

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DOD Inspector General: Five Sites Need Better 3D Printing Cybersecurity
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DOD Inspector General: Five Sites Need Better 3D Printing Cybersecurity

The Department of Defense's inspector general (DOD IG) found in an audit that five DOD sites need to bolster the security of their additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing systems.

DOD IG said in a July 1st report that it recommends the involved DOD components to first attain an authority to operate for all their AM systems before use. The AM system users should implement risk-reduction security controls before the ATO is obtained, according to the recommendation.

The IG office also advises the department's chief information officer and the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering to include AM systems in the DOD information technology portfolio and implement corresponding cybersecurity controls.

DOD IG conducted the audit to assess the security of DOD's AM systems and corresponding design data.

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GAO: DOD Must Reduce F-35 Costs to Achieve Affordability, Better Readiness Rates
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GAO: DOD Must Reduce F-35 Costs to Achieve Affordability, Better Readiness Rates

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found in an assessment that the Department of Defense (DOD) has improved the readiness rates of F-35 aircraft but still has more work and cost reduction to meet warfighter requirements.

GAO said Wednesday that it discovered that the U.S. F-35 fleet exhibited a mission-capable rate growth from 59 to 69 percent between fiscal years 2019 and 2020, a result that still falls below the military's objectives.

The fleet also exhibited an insufficient full mission capable rate of 39 percent. This rate refers to the amount of time in which a jet can do all of its tasks.

The U.S. Air Force needs to drive down estimated costs per tail per year by $3.7 million 15 years from now, or else the service might need to pay $4.4 billion beyond the current cost projection, according to GAO. DOD must meet cost requirements to fulfill readiness objectives.

The accountability office also expects that reports on affordability constraints would help DOD demonstrate accountability for sustaining the F-35 program.

GAO conducts assessments on F-35 sustainment efforts as mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020.

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GovConPay Partners With Unanet GovCon ERP to Develop Robust API Integration for Payroll, HR Technology; Gene Gainey Quoted
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GovConPay Partners With Unanet GovCon ERP to Develop Robust API Integration for Payroll, HR Technology; Gene Gainey Quoted

GovConPay announced that the company has partnered with leading Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) compliant ERP provider Unanet.

“We are pleased to have GovConPay as a partner in our Unanet Connect program,” said Gene Gainey, chief sales officer for Unanet.

Through the partnership, Unanet GovCon ERP and GovConPay will work together to provide joint clients a robust API integration to unify our best of breed platforms for government contractors.

“Unanet Connect goes beyond APIs and creates the only platform that automates our client’s business processes by integrating Unanet with best-in-class applications like GovCon Pay,” Gainey added. “These predefined integrations make running their business simpler for our joint customers.”

GovConPay has emerged as the only provider of outsourced payroll and HR technology solutions dedicated solely to servicing the government contractor marketplace.

“We have had the pleasure of collaborating with Unanet to support joint clients across the country for years”, shared GovConPay President Joe Young. “This enhancement to our partnership and offering will strengthen our joint value proposition to government contractors who need to marry leading ERP technology with a feature-rich payroll, HR, and talent management solution.”

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G2 Ops Receives $154M SBIR Phase III Contract to Develop Cyber Resiliency Technology for the U.S. Navy
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G2 Ops Receives $154M SBIR Phase III Contract to Develop Cyber Resiliency Technology for the U.S. Navy

G2 Ops, Inc. has announced that the company was awarded a potential five-year, $154 million contract from the Naval Sea Systems Command’s Cyber Engineering and Digital Transformation Directorate (NAVSEA 03) to develop and implement innovative cyber resiliency technologies for deployment within afloat and undersea platforms.

G2 Ops’ Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer Kevin Esser expressed his gratitude to be a part of NAVSEA 03’s mission to address accelerating cyber threats to U.S. Navy control, weapons and combat systems.

Work will build on cybersecurity product developments initiated during earlier phases of G2 Ops’ Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) efforts, leveraging those technologies to assist NAVSEA 03Q explore and incubate new cyber technologies, the company said Monday.

“The innovative cybersecurity analytics, cloud engineering and advanced Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies we’ve developed through the SBIR program put us in position to take on NAVSEA 03Q’s challenge to help them integrate and deliver cybersecurity capability,” said Esser. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to play a role in delivering new cyber tech across the entire surface and undersea warfighting community.”

About G2 Ops

G2 Ops brings decades of experience integrating Systems, Cybersecurity, and Software engineering techniques to provide solutions to a growing list of Government and private customers. G2 Ops combines cutting edge tools with innovative engineering practices, data analytics and risk algorithms that enhance visibility into complex distributed infrastructures, optimizing resiliency in system design and operations.

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DHS, SecureLogix Enter NG9-1-1 Cybersecurity Program’s 2nd Phase; Kathryn Coulter Mitchell Quoted
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DHS, SecureLogix Enter NG9-1-1 Cybersecurity Program’s 2nd Phase; Kathryn Coulter Mitchell Quoted

The Department of Homeland Security has selected San Antonio-based SecureLogix to proceed with the second phase of a cybersecurity architecture designed to protect multimedia content in Next Generation 9-1-1 emergency communication systems.

SecureLogix received the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II award after the software company completed feasibility demonstration work, DHS said Wednesday.

The goal of the project is to secure images, voice and videos using a platform that supports DHS’ emergency communications cybersecurity center concept.

“While NG9-1-1 technologies will enhance the current capabilities of today’s 911 systems by enabling multimedia sharing and connectivity, we must ensure these critical emergency response networks remain resilient and reliably operational,” said Kathryn Coulter Mitchell, acting undersecretary for science and technology at DHS.

At the end of the program’s second phase, SecureLogix must demonstrate its security technology to qualify for potential Phase III funding.

DHS, SecureLogix Enter NG9-1-1 Cybersecurity Program's 2nd Phase; Kathryn Coulter Mitchell Quoted

GovCon Wire — sister site of ExecutiveGov — will feature Kathryn Coulter Mitchell as the keynote speaker for GCW’s Innovative and Emerging Technologies Forum in September. She will discuss how to mitigate risks and promote innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence, Cloud, data modernization.

GCW Events’ Innovative and Emerging Technologies Forum will gather notable federal and private leaders across the federal landscape to discuss how emerging technologies can enhance mission delivery and success. Visit the GCW Events page to register for this virtual forum.

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NIST Seeks First Responder UAS Tech via Prize Competition; Dereck Orr Quoted
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NIST Seeks First Responder UAS Tech via Prize Competition; Dereck Orr Quoted

The National Institute of Standard and Technology has introduced a three-stage prize competition that seeks to explore unmanned aircraft system technologies for potential use by first responders when they conduct search and rescue operations.

NIST said Wednesday it plans to award more than $700,000 throughout the First Responder UAS Triple Challenge, which is composed of three focus areas and slated to occur through June of next year.

Participants will aim to demonstrate optical sensors for image detection and analysis, broadband data relay in degraded cellular areas and UAS cybersecurity technologies.

"These prize competitions are a way for us to find solvers from around the world to help us with this important research," said Dereck Orr, chief of NIST's public safety communications research division.

“Our goal at PSCR is to accelerate the development and adoption of advanced wireless communications for the public safety community." 

PSCR will host the overall challenge, while Kansas State University and Mississippi State University will jointly manage the program. Interested participants can submit their entries to the competition starting Aug. 2nd.

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