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Col. Timothy Lawrence Retires as AF Research Lab Information Directorate Head
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Col. Timothy Lawrence Retires as AF Research Lab Information Directorate Head

Col. Timothy Lawrence, who has led the Air Force Research Laboratory’s information directorate since July 2018, retired Thursday with the rank of colonel after a 33-year military career.

AFRL's May 27th retirement ceremony for Lawrence brought together military and civilian members to celebrate his accomplishments and contributions to the service branch, the laboratory said Thursday.

In his most recent capacity, he managed the $1.6 billion annual budget of the information directorate and its research and development programs in the command, control, communications, computers, cyber and intelligence area.

He previously oversaw several FalconSAT microsatellite design projects during his stint as director at the USAF Academy's Department of Astronautics Space Systems Research Center.

The Rome, New York-based Innovare Advancement Center named its Quantum Lab after Lawrence, according to AFRL.

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University Professor Susan Margulies to Serve as Head of NSF Engineering Directorate
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University Professor Susan Margulies to Serve as Head of NSF Engineering Directorate

The National Science Foundation has appointed Susan Margulies, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, to lead the agency's engineering directorate, effective Aug. 16.

She will be the first biomedical engineer to serve as head of the directorate that aims to help drive innovation through partnerships, grants and training and development initiatives, NSF said Thursday.

Margulies, who is also chair of the Georgia Tech and Emory's Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, is known for her research work about traumatic brain injury in children and ventilator-induced lung injury.

In her next role, she will aim to help the agency expand the country's engineering workforce through integrated national and international approaches.

“We can see the nation is turning to NSF to address some of the most pressing challenges facing science and engineering,” Margulies said.

“To do that, we must forge partnerships with industry, agencies, foundations, institutions of higher learning, communities, and countries.”

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John Sherman: Cloud Computing Key Element in Global DOD IT Modernization Strategy
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John Sherman: Cloud Computing Key Element in Global DOD IT Modernization Strategy

John Sherman, acting chief information officer at the Department of Defense, said DOD considers cloud computing as an important part of its strategy to modernize information technology infrastructure that supports U.S. military operations across the globe, DOD News reported.

He told a House subcommittee hearing Wednesday that cloud technology works to help warfighters access data faster as digital platforms are becoming prevalent in battlefield missions.

“While data management is not directly tied to specific program elements in the fiscal 2022 budget request, we are identifying, assessing and tracking our data-related investments as part of the budget certification process that I lead,” Sherman added.

President Biden’s proposed $715 billion DOD budget supports cloud-based software projects that, according to the acting department CIO, will drive technology process integration and next-generation capability delivery work.

At the hearing, Sherman also pointed to enterprise cybersecurity platforms as key to the Pentagon’s zero trust and digital risk management initiatives.

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SDA Launches Experimental Satellites, Payload for National Defense Space Architecture Goals; Derek Tournear Quoted
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SDA Launches Experimental Satellites, Payload for National Defense Space Architecture Goals; Derek Tournear Quoted

The Space Development Agency (SDA) confirmed the deployment of its two satellite sets built to demonstrate optical communications in low-Earth orbit and a payload intended to test space data fusion.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida carrying the Mandrake II and Laser Interconnect Networking Communications System satellites along with the Prototype On-orbit Experimental Testbed (POET) payload as part of the company’s Transporter-2 rideshare mission, the Department of Defense said Wednesday.

Derek Tournear, director of SDA and a 2021 Wash100 Award recipient, said the agency expects its initial on-orbit experiments to generate real-world information that can facilitate space qualification of emerging technology and spiral development approach for the National Defense Space Architecture.

SDA intends to assess pointing, acquisition and tracking tools that support Optical Communication Terminals through the Mandrake II mission, with the help of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

The agency will work with General Atomics’ electromagnetic systems business to gather optical communications data through the LINCS platform and to demonstrate optical bandwidth connections using spacecraft and an OCT pod.

For the on-orbit POET demonstration, the agency expects a third-party data fusion application to lodge with a battle management command, control and communications software suite created for DARPA’s Blackjack Pit Boss processor.

DOD said these agency-led missions will support new technology implementation work in every tranche of the NDSA development initiative.

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Deloitte Report: Agencies Accelerate Digital Journeys in 3 Aspects to Meet Demand for Digital Services
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Deloitte Report: Agencies Accelerate Digital Journeys in 3 Aspects to Meet Demand for Digital Services

A report from The Deloitte Center for Government Insights says the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated governments’ digital transformation efforts with agencies advancing their digital journeys by scaling their digital infrastructure, investing in citizen connectivity and establishing a more digital workforce.

Agencies seeking to meet the increasing demand for digital services have scaled their digital capabilities by using cloud platforms, advancing the use of artificial intelligence and automation and establishing a “whole of government” digital architecture, Mike Canning, government and public services leader at Deloitte Consulting, and others wrote in an an article published Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal.

Canning and his colleagues at Deloitte said federal agency leaders should work together to come up with a strategic approach to digital modernization and one of the components of that approach is embracing operational adaptability by expanding the business models that could help the agency adapt in evolving conditions and breaking down silos that may hinder optimization.

Other components agency officials should consider are the establishment of intelligent workflows through the use of AI and automation; enhancement of infrastructure resilience by providing cyber response and resilience; creation of a scalable infrastructure by leveraging cloud; and development of digitally savvy, open talent networks by upskilling and training the workforce and backing human-machine collaboration.

“With the Biden administration’s addition of $1 billion to the Technology Modernization Fund for shared IT and cybersecurity services across government, agency leaders including CIOs, CFOs, and chief risk officers should be working hand-in-hand to ensure their agency makes the right investments and adopts a cohesive approach to modernizing digital capabilities,” they wrote.

Manning co-wrote the article with William Eggers, executive director at The Deloitte Center for Government Insights, Deloitte Services; Dave Mader, chief strategy officer for the civilian sector, Government and Public Services at Deloitte Consulting; and Meghan Sullivan, principal, Government and Public Services, Deloitte Consulting.

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BigBear.ai and UAV Factory Form Partnership To Develop AI/ML Capable Unmanned Systems; GovCon Expert Dr. Reggie Brothers Quoted
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BigBear.ai and UAV Factory Form Partnership To Develop AI/ML Capable Unmanned Systems; GovCon Expert Dr. Reggie Brothers Quoted

BigBear.ai announced on Thursday that the company has entered into a memorandum of understanding agreement with UAV Factory to develop artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities for its unmanned systems and components for use in autonomous operations in the defense and commercial markets.

Dr. Reggie Brothers, BigBear.ai’s CEO and GovCon Expert, commented, “BigBear.ai is proud to have been exclusively selected by UAV Factory to support the technological enablement of its proven unmanned aerial platform.”

“BigBear.ai is one of the few companies with a track record of delivering AI-enabled solutions to the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and commercial sector for many years, and our proven capabilities in this area will assist UAV Factory and its global customers with a critical need,” added Dr. Brothers, a 2021 Wash100 Award recipient.

Through the partnership, UAV Factory will incorporate BigBear.ai’s highly innovative AI/ML technology and expertise into its systems which enables cutting-edge autonomous ISR capabilities to UAV Factory’s clientele.

BigBear.ai has strong experience in delivering the Department of Defense advanced AI/ML technologies. For example, the company provides direct support to the Defense Intelligence Agency in developing patterns of life analysis from imagery and SIGINT data collected by manned and unmanned platforms.

Joshua Stinson, UAV Factory senior vice president, stated, “BigBear.ai is a recognized global leader in the AI/ML industry and this partnership will allow us to deliver greater platform autonomy to the DoD and the IC in support of processing, exploitation and dissemination, and pattern of life analysis.”

“Not only will this partnership aid in bringing advanced technologies to the defense market, it also will bring groundbreaking applications to support the energy, logistics, and infrastructure market to support U.S. interests at home and abroad,” concluded Stinson.

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CSA Acquires Capstone LLC, Blue Delta Capital Partners Invests; CEO Amy Bleken Quoted
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CSA Acquires Capstone LLC, Blue Delta Capital Partners Invests; CEO Amy Bleken Quoted

Client Solution Architects (CSA), a leading digital transformation consulting firm, announced on Thursday that the company has acquired Capstone LLC for an undisclosed amount to strengthen its presence across all federal enterprise information technology service areas.

“Combining with Capstone, we immediately establish a broader set of strategic digital transformation services that better support our combined Navy, Army and Joint DOD client base, as well as create a unified team of like-minded and culturally aligned professionals,” said Amy Bleken, CEO of CSA.

In addition to the acquisition, CSA announced an investment from Blue Delta Capital Partners as a part of the transaction along with a separate senior debt from Atlantic Union Bank. Although none of the financial terms were disclosed, CSA notes that the combined company will have over $100 million in revenue upon the completion of the Capstone LLC acquisition.

CSA Acquires Capstone LLC, Blue Delta Capital Partners Invests; CEO Amy Bleken Quoted
Mark Frantz, general partner for Blue Delta

The combined company will provide robust enterprise IT and mission-centric portfolios in crucial areas such as IT modernization, cybersecurity, automation, data management, DevOps and process improvement.

“We believe CSA’s digital transformation and IT modernization capabilities can scale to new heights at the Navy and the DoD with this acquisition of Capstone they just completed,” said Mark Frantz, general partner for Blue Delta.

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Peraton Supports Rapid SDA Satellite Launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9; Roger Mason Quoted
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Peraton Supports Rapid SDA Satellite Launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9; Roger Mason Quoted

Peraton announced on Thursday that two Space Development Agency (SDA) prototype satellites were successfully placed in orbit due to the company’s work to secure rideshare space on the SpaceX Transporter-2 mission and performance of launch integration activities.

"We are privileged to help SDA accelerate the development and fielding of new capabilities necessary to ensure our technological and military advantage in space for national defense," commented Roger Mason, Peraton Space & Intelligence Sector president. 

"When asked to fill a gap for SDA and quickly acquire commercial launch services, we secured the rideshare and took full responsibility for the launch integration activities. These LINCS experiments will provide data to advance the national defense space architecture,” added Mason, a previous Wash100 Award recipient.  

The Transporter-2 mission, launched by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, exited the atmosphere on June 30th with two SDA 12U Laser Interconnect & Communications System (LINCS) satellites. 

Peraton was required to support the SDA in this mission because of its Mission Systems Engineering and Integration (MSE&I) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract. This contract calls for Peraton to assist in filling gaps where SDA lacks necessary in-agency capabilities.

In the Transporter-2 mission, Peraton identified rideshare opportunities, procured the rideshare slot on Transporter-2 and provided integration services to deliver the LINCS satellites into orbit. The work included mission management, interface definition and production, spacecraft-to-launch vehicle integration at the launch site and flight safety certification. 

The SDA MSE&I contract also requires Peraton to supply full-lifecycle systems engineering and integration services to support development, fielding and operations for SDA's Tranche 0 system. Tranche 0 is a constellation of 28 spacecraft, ground segments, mission planning and command and control capabilities designed to advance warfighter mission scenarios and critical experiments.

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CISA’s Matt Hartman: Government Agencies Commence Zero Trust Planning
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CISA’s Matt Hartman: Government Agencies Commence Zero Trust Planning

Matt Hartman, deputy executive assistant director at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), said many federal agencies are now developing zero trust implementation plans to align with President Biden's executive order on cybersecurity.

Hartman said at an event of the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council that the White House, CISA and other security entities are helping different agencies start and accelerate zero trust implementation, FCW reported Wednesday.

"It's important to consider that many of these tasks [in the executive order] are sprints to develop strategies," he said.

The executive order tasks agencies to turn in zero-trust plans by July 11th and report progress to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The CISA official added that the administration will need years of continued focus and investment to address many existing core issues.

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DHS Taps Professional Engineering Association to Refine PNT Resilience Framework; Kathryn Coulter Mitchell Quoted
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DHS Taps Professional Engineering Association to Refine PNT Resilience Framework; Kathryn Coulter Mitchell Quoted

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has assigned the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) a project to develop global industry standards to manage the resilience of positioning, navigation and timing systems.

IEEE will work to fine-tune the Resilient PNT Conformance Framework the department’s science and technology directorate created with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s National Risk Management Center and industry stakeholders to address global positioning system vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure, DHS said Wednesday.

The non-prescriptive document outlines four resilience levels meant to guide infrastructure owners and operators in determining what PNT equipment to use.

Kathryn Coulter Mitchell, acting undersecretary of the DHS S&T directorate, noted the framework transition effort seeks to transform how PNT systems are designed, acquired and deployed.

The department said PNT information is considered “a national critical function” that supports the electric grid, port, telecommunication and agricultural sectors.

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