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AFRL Conducts Second Flight Test for Collaborative Small Diameter Bomb
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AFRL Conducts Second Flight Test for Collaborative Small Diameter Bomb

The U.S. Air Force has concluded the second flight test of collaborative small diameter bombs (CSDB) under the Golden Horde Vanguard program, which aims to demonstrate networked collaborative weapons.

Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and prime contractor Scientific Applications and Research Associates had CSDBs communicate with each other to collaboratively engage a target on Feb. 19th, AFRL said Friday.

CSDB uses collaborative autonomy payloads to react to battlespace changes without direct human intervention. The bombs attack targets based on pre-programmed engagement rules.

Boeing performed  technology integration work for the effort, and L3Harris Technologies provided its Banshee 2 software-defined radio for communications. The demonstration also used a radio antenna from Georgia Tech Research Institute.

AFRL and its partners demonstrated collaborative flight between four CSDB units in the second test, doubling the amount of CSDBs demonstrated in the first round. USAF plans to conduct CSDB's final test this spring.

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DOD Chooses Virginia Tech to Lead Acquisition Research Hub
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DOD Chooses Virginia Tech to Lead Acquisition Research Hub

The Department of Defense has tapped Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University along with two other institutions to lead a center that seeks to augment the Defense Acquisition System's efficiency.

The Acquisition Innovation and Research Center (AIRC) will explore approaches in procuring resources and products that could support the U.S. military, Virginia Tech said Thursday.

Georgetown University and Stevens Institute of Technology will device policies while Virginia Tech will create a strategy that focuses on the development of data repositories, simulations and models.

Virgiinia Tech's Hume Center will oversee data strategy and the VT Applied Research Corp. will develop operational procedures. The university's Sanghani Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics will work to obtain insights from intellectual property and award portfolios.

DOD has appointed Laura Freeman, Dinesh Verma, Thomas McDermot and Bill Rouse to serve as members of AIRC's executive team. AIRC is slated to host a forum in April to discuss the center's research efforts on procurement and digital transformation.

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DOE Invests $24 Million to Advance Transformational Air Pollution Capture; Jennifer Granholm Quoted
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DOE Invests $24 Million to Advance Transformational Air Pollution Capture; Jennifer Granholm Quoted

The Department of Energy (DOE) plans to invest $24 million in research projects on carbon capture technologies, as the U.S. continues to address climate change. DOE said Friday it needs technologies that can directly absorb carbon emissions from the air in a way similar to the photosynthesis of plants.

"If we can figure out how to remove polluting emissions directly from the air, it would be a game changer in America's fight against climate change," said Jennifer Granholm, secretary of energy.

Nonprofits, academic institutions, national laboratories and commercial companies may apply to receive part of the funds, which will come from DOE's Office of Basic Energy Sciences. The projects would support President Joe Biden’s objective of achieving net-zero emissions in about 30 years.

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President Biden Names Timothy Wu as Special Assistant for Tech, Competition Policy
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President Biden Names Timothy Wu as Special Assistant for Tech, Competition Policy

President Biden has appointed Timothy Wu, formerly a senior adviser at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as special assistant to the president for technology and competition policy, The Hill reported Friday. Wu, a professor at Columbia Law School, said in a tweet that he will join the White House as part of the National Economic Council (NEC).

He previously served as senior enforcement counsel to the attorney general of New York and held an advisory role at the NEC where he supported competition policy efforts under the Obama administration.

He also handled antitrust enforcement matters during his tenure at the FTC and is recognized as an expert on net neutrality. Beyond his public and private sector experience, Wu has also authored various books on the tech industry and holds a membership with the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Biden is slated to announce his nominees to lead the FTC and the antitrust division at the Department of Justice (DOJ), according to The Hill.

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ICT Supply Chain Task Force Continues Info Sharing, Cybersecurity Studies Under Term Extension
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ICT Supply Chain Task Force Continues Info Sharing, Cybersecurity Studies Under Term Extension

A task force on ensuring the security of the information and communications technology (ICT) supply chain is continuing its initiatives as part of a six-month extension to the group’s charter.

The ICT Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) Task Force is co-chaired by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) National Risk Management Center (NRMC) and the IT and Communications Sector Coordinating Councils (SCC), NRMC said Thursday.

The SCRM task force operates as a public-private partnership that includes industry representatives and subject-matter experts that work to drive the discussion on risks to ICT production.

As part of the extension, the SCRM task force will handle the efforts of working groups focused on information sharing, small and mid-sized businesses, product use acceleration and lessons learned from prior cyber attacks to the software supply chain.

The task force secured the extension in Jan. 2020.

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DIU’s Michael Brown: DOD Needs Spending Flexibility to Remain Ahead on Emerging Tech
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DIU’s Michael Brown: DOD Needs Spending Flexibility to Remain Ahead on Emerging Tech

Michael Brown, the director of the Defense Innovation Unit, has said the Department of Defense needs shorter budget cycles to keep up with China, DOD News reported Friday.

Brown said at a Hudson Institute event that China’s development systems enable the nation to accelerate efforts in areas like 5G, biotechnology, artificial intelligence and autonomy. The DOD also needs to have more flexibility on spending authorities, he added.

"It's a completely mismatched system for what the competition with China calls for," said Brown. "You can learn a lot by adapting to what the private sector has already perfected."

China is progressing in efforts to integrate activities between the government, academia and industry, according to Brown.

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Dr. John J. McGowen Becomes a Director for Guidehouse; Scott McIntyre Quoted
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Dr. John J. McGowen Becomes a Director for Guidehouse; Scott McIntyre Quoted

John J. McGowen, Ph.D., has been named a director for Guidehouse, the consulting service provider announced on Monday. McGowen previously worked as deputy director for science management and executive officer at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and US Department of Health and Human Services.

“We are excited to have Dr. McGowan joining our team of healthcare experts. His leadership in government reinvention and process improvement drives really innovative operational systems, and we look forward to applying his outlook and expertise to our work with clients on widespread industry transformation,” remarked multiple Wash100 Award Recipient and Guidehouse CEO Scott McIntyre. 

Dr. McGowan has worked in the NIH for 34 years and served in multiple positions. During his time at NIH, Dr. McGowen aligned offices and capabilities to meet NIH’s mission and address growing health threats, including HIV/AIDs, SARS, bioterrorism, and COVID-19. During the COVID-19 emergency response efforts, he worked alongside NIAID director Dr. Anthony S. Fauci in developing policies to combat the virus' spread. 

Dr. McGowen is an expert in NIH extramural operations and at managing complex issues. He incorporated innovative technology, automation initiatives, data-driven processes, NIH Big Data to Knowledge efforts, Clinical Research Management System, and high-performance computing into complex research programs at NIAID. 

Guidehouse will expect Dr. McGowen to use his years of healthcare-related experience to remodel mission-driven healthcare across the public, provider, payer, life sciences, and state and local government organizations. The emphasis will be to proactively address emerging issues in scientific research and the general sector. 

Dr. McGowan will support Guidehouse’s health plan to identify and deliver cooperation between public and commercial healthcare organizations. “Dr. McGowan will be instrumental in helping create solutions for the critical spaces where science, health, management, and leadership overlap,” concluded Alicia Harkness, Guidehouse partner and health segment leader.

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Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost Named TRANSCOM Commander
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Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost Named TRANSCOM Commander

Jacqueline Van Ovost Commander TRANSCOM

U.S. Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost has been appointed to serve as commander at the U.S. Transportation Command.  Van Ovost is currently assigned to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois as commander of the Air Mobility Command, the Department of Defense said Saturday.

Prior to her current role, Van Ovost held the position of deputy commander at the Air Mobility Command and served as director of staff at USAF.

She served as vice director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and performed duties at the Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate as deputy director for politico-military affairs. She also spent time at the Air Force Expeditionary Center as vice commander.

Van Ovost logged 4,200 mission hours as a command pilot aboard various aircraft such as the C-32A, KC-135R, F-15B and T-38A air vehicles.

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Rep. Adam Smith: House Armed Services Committee Sets Sights on IT Improvement, Acquisition Process
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Rep. Adam Smith: House Armed Services Committee Sets Sights on IT Improvement, Acquisition Process

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he wants the committee to focus on finding new ways for the Pentagon to improve its information technology systems and tech procurement process, FedScoop reported Friday.

Smith said Friday during a virtual Brookings Institute event the House panel will be “scrubbing” older weapons platforms to help pay for new IT and command-and-control systems.

“Our C2 systems have got to become more durable, more resilient and also more replaceable,” he said. He also noted that he wants Congress and the Department of Defense to focus on “outcomes, not process,” especially in the areas of emerging technology and networks.

Smith, and Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., ranking member of the House committee, initiated the Defense Critical Supply Chain Task Force to examine vulnerabilities and threats facing the defense supply chain.

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Gen. Paul Nakasone on CYBERCOM’s Response to SolarWinds Breach, ‘Defend Forward’ Concept
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Gen. Paul Nakasone on CYBERCOM’s Response to SolarWinds Breach, ‘Defend Forward’ Concept

Gen. Paul Nakasone, commander of U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) and a 2021 Wash100 Award recipient, said CYBERCOM continues to play a “key role” in the U.S. government’s ongoing response to the SolarWinds hack, Breaking Defense reported Friday.

Nakasone, also director of the National Security Agency (NSA), highlighted in his keynote speech at the CYBERCOM Annual Legal Conference Thursday the support the command has extended to the FBI, Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). 

He discussed the command’s “defend forward” concept that involves “executing operations outside U.S. military networks” and “persistent engagement” approach that “focuses on an aggressor’s confidence and capabilities by countering and contesting campaigns short of armed conflict."

He also mentioned in his speech the cyber threats posed by Russia, China, Iran and North Korea and the importance of partnerships with the U.S. private sector and foreign allies.

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