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Airgility Selected for the AFWERX Revolutionizing USAF Flight Line Operations Challenge
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Airgility Selected for the AFWERX Revolutionizing USAF Flight Line Operations Challenge

Pramod Raheja, chief executive officer and co-founder of Airgility, announced on LinkedIn that the company has been selected to attend the AFWERX Revolutionizing USAF Flight Line Operations Challenge. 

Airgility was selected to attend under the Flightline Security Subtopic, where the company will be showcasing its MS-1 Kampe™, which features on-board autonomy & artificial intelligence.

The Flightline Security Challenge aims to improve flightline security for both permanent and temporary bases as each possesses unique challenges and distinct needs regarding flightline protection and location-specific threats.

Airgility emerged as one of only 34 companies that were selected for the pitch and showcase out of the 208 companies that submitted technologies to solve Air Force flight line security problems.

The AFWERX Revolutionizing USAF Flightline Operations initiative is made up of three challenges targeted at leveraging the best technology and services to create an integrated flightline while maintaining security, being resilient and increasing agility.

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NNSA Seeks to Connect With Nuclear Tech Industry via New Website
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NNSA Seeks to Connect With Nuclear Tech Industry via New Website

The National Nuclear Security Administration has launched a new web portal that contains guidance for commercial nuclear industry, information about U.S. export control regulations for civilian nuclear technology, and other features that support nuclear nonproliferation efforts.

The U.S. Nuclear Nexus also provides training, tools and recommendations from NNSA and the Department of Energy’s National Laboratory to promote understanding of understand export control compliance, nonproliferation and security standards, DOE said Tuesday.

In addition to supporting NNSA’s nuclear nonproliferation efforts, the platform is designed to help boost U.S. nuclear technology competitiveness within the global market.

Nexus will also include material and resources for academics working in nuclear technology, according to future plans. Argonne National Laboratory maintains Nexus in collaboration with NNSA.

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NASA OKs IMAP Mission’s Transition to Implementation Phase
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NASA OKs IMAP Mission’s Transition to Implementation Phase

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Princeton University and their partner institutions have received approval from NASA to start implementing a mission meant to help analyze the flow of particles from the sun and understand the interactions between the solar wind and the interstellar medium.

The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission is scheduled to launch in February 2025 and will involve a solar-powered spacecraft that will be located at the first Lagrange point or about 1 million miles away from Earth to monitor how the solar wind interacts with the interstellar medium, APL said Tuesday.

The IMAP mission will carry 10 scientific instruments to help researchers further study the heliosphere’s boundary and how this magnetic barrier filters cosmic rays.

The IMAP team conducted a preliminary design review of mission requirements, spacecraft design, science plans, costs and schedule in May and received NASA confirmation on July 12th to advance the program to the next development phase that includes final mission and spacecraft design efforts.

NASA announced in July that the mission achieved Key Decision Point C, marking IMAP’s transition from formulation to the implementation phase. In September 2020, SpaceX secured a potential $109.4 million contract to provide launch services for the IMAP mission.

IMAP is the fifth mission in the space agency’s Solar Terrestrial Probes program, which is managed by the heliophysics program office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

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U.S., UK Defense Labs Host ‘Capture the Flag’ Competition for Autonomous AI Agents; Mick Hitchcock Quoted
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U.S., UK Defense Labs Host ‘Capture the Flag’ Competition for Autonomous AI Agents; Mick Hitchcock Quoted

The U.S. Air Force's research organization and the U.K.'s defense science and technology laboratory are set to conduct the final round of a collaborative challenge that features autonomous artificial intelligence agents designed to control small drone swarms and compete against each other in a simulated game of capture the flag.

The 2021 Swarm and Search AI Challenge kicked off in early May and is scheduled to culminate with a single-elimination event among five teams on Friday, the Air Force Research Laboratory said Tuesday.

For the showcase event, finalists will present technical approaches they used to win the head-to-head matches using AI algorithms.

“The goal of this annual challenge is to attract the best and brightest minds to solve autonomy and AI problems and to spark innovation," said Mick Hitchcock, AFRL’s program manager for the Swarm and Search Capture the Flag Challenge.

Hitchcock noted that the event seeks to highlight collaboration among AFRL, DstL, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and participants from the small business community.

“It’s all about the power of these groups coming together on a common problem and generating innovative ideas that can yield real-world solutions.”

GTRI built a multiagent simulation platform for the competition, while developers trained AI agents on speed, stealth, attack and defense strategies.

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DOD’s Lloyd Austin, Canadian Counterpart Issue Joint Statement on NORAD Modernization
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DOD’s Lloyd Austin, Canadian Counterpart Issue Joint Statement on NORAD Modernization

Lloyd Austin, secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2021 Wash100 Award winner, and Harjit Sajjan, Canada’s defense minister, have released a joint statement to guide collaborative efforts to advance the modernization of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) as part of a push to strengthen the defense and security of the U.S. and Canada against aerospace and maritime threats.

The joint statement cites situational awareness, modernized command and control systems and capabilities to deter and counter evolving aerospace threats to North America as priority areas for investments to advance NORAD modernization, DOD said Tuesday.

The U.S. and Canada recognize the need to deploy new capabilities, including next-generation radar systems, to complement or replace the North Warning System, to enhance persistent surveillance of North American airspace.

“Ensuring effective awareness ultimately requires a system-of-systems approach including a network of Canadian and U.S. sensors from the seafloor to outer space,” the statement reads.

DOD and its Canadian counterpart also highlighted the need to advance collaboration on research and development efforts to address the threats facing North American defense and security.

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Shawn Skelly on Pentagon’s Move to Strategic Readiness
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Shawn Skelly on Pentagon’s Move to Strategic Readiness

Shawn Skelly, assistant secretary for readiness and force management at the Department of Defense, said DOD is shifting its focus from near-term priorities to strategic readiness to help maintain its competitive edge against near-peer competitors, Federal News Network reported Tuesday.

“The department recognizes that they need to broaden its aperture to a more strategic view of readiness. Yet organizational incentives and processes are currently optimized to focus operationally,” Skelly said at an event Tuesday.

“The focus on fight tonight or operational readiness permeates beyond simply how we prepare forces and influences how we measure them. That introduces risk and we may lose sight of the future challenge we’re charged to be prepared for,” she added.

Skelly said focusing on data use is also part of DOD’s transition to strategic readiness.

“We are using data to balance the readiness of today with requirements to develop and field forces and capabilities for the challenges of tomorrow. That will enable better decision-making with a clearer understanding of the risk acceptance being undertaken,” she said.

Skelly’s team is working on a Readiness Decision Impact Model, a tool that will use data to determine the impacts of operations decisions and policy resources.

“We envision it will allow us to trace how a particular senior-level decision about a deployment could impact the unit, the service combatant commands and our ability to modernize other capabilities,” she said of the tool.

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Ligado Names Former NASA Head Charles Bolden as Board Member
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Ligado Names Former NASA Head Charles Bolden as Board Member

Charles Bolden Jr., a former administrator of NASA, has been named a board member at Reston, Virginia-based satellite communications company Ligado Networks.

The retired Marine Corps major general said in a statement Tuesday that he is “committed to helping Ligado leverage its technology and spectrum resources for the benefit of all Americans and the enterprises that serve them.”

Bolden led NASA through its establishment of a space technology mission directorate, expansion of the agency's Earth observation satellite network and its planetary exploration missions with the Curiosity Rover and Juno probe.

He became the second astronaut to serve as head of the space agency when former President Obama appointed him to the position in 2009.

The highly decorated naval aviator supported more than 100 combat missions during the Vietnam War and he also worked as a test pilot for the Naval Air Test Center’s Systems Engineering and Strike Aircraft Test Directorates.

Prior to his retirement from the military, Bolden was commanding general of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, California.

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DHS S&T Conducts Market Study for Laser-Protective Eyewear
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DHS S&T Conducts Market Study for Laser-Protective Eyewear

The Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology (DNS S&T) Directorate seeks market information on eyewear that can protect law enforcement personnel and emergency responders from laser pointer attacks.

DHS S&T said Friday it is conducting a market survey for laser protective goggles, glasses, films and face shields that may protect the wearer from lasers across violet, blue, red, green and near-infrared spectrums.

Laser-protective eyewear can shield personnel from laser pointers during protests and civil unrest situations. The directorate's National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) handles the market survey, which will remain open for responses through Sept. 10th.

NUSTL will post the survey's results online as part of the System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders or SAVER program. Federal, state and local agencies may use the results to inform future procurement decisions.

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Shanna Webbers: Expanded IRS Procurement Workforce Focuses on IT Priorities
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Shanna Webbers: Expanded IRS Procurement Workforce Focuses on IT Priorities

Shanna Webbers, chief procurement officer of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), said IRS's recently expanded procurement workforce is working to understand the agency's information technology direction, Government Matters reported Sunday.

Webbers told Government Matters that her team is analyzing the agency's IT modernization plan so they can inform industry partners and simplify the procurement process.

This development comes as the White House advises IRS to modernize networks in response to a growing number of unpaid taxes.

The chief procurement officer also said IRS is sharing its agile procurement vehicle, known as Pilot IRS, with other agencies. IRS launched the procurement vehicle in 2019 to address the agency's data needs.

IRS collects taxes for the U.S. government and administers federal tax law.

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John Somplasky Named VP of Program Excellence for DSA; Chairman Fran Pierce Quoted
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John Somplasky Named VP of Program Excellence for DSA; Chairman Fran Pierce Quoted

Data Systems Analysts announced on Tuesday that John Somplasky has received a promotion to become the company’s new vice president of Program Excellence and Quality Management. 

Somplasky concurrently serves as DSA’s chief information security officer (CISO). He brings a strong depth of technical knowledge to the role as well as first-hand experience in the company’s cybersecurity program and information security management system. 

“John’s leadership in the management of DSA’s ISO and CMMI certifications and our cybersecurity program enables us to effectively serve our customers and expand our opportunities for growth and continued success,” said Fran Pierce, DSA’s chairman and CEO.  

Somplasky joined DSA in 2015 as the director of Quality Management and Program Excellence and was eventually promoted to senior director and named chief information security officer in 2016. 

Prior to his tenure with DSA, he served as a program director at Lockheed Martin specializing in program management, software development, systems engineering and troubled program recovery for over 23 years. 

About Data Systems Analysts

DSA provides solutions to its customers to achieve mission critical goals and is ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001:2013 registered and appraised at CMMI Maturity Level 3 for Service Projects and for Development.

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