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GAO: FAA Should Provide Stakeholders With More Info on Drone Traffic Mgmt System Implementation
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GAO: FAA Should Provide Stakeholders With More Info on Drone Traffic Mgmt System Implementation

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provide public and industry stakeholders in the unmanned aircraft systems market with additional data about its efforts to help the latter better align their activities with FAA plans for implementing a drone traffic management system.

FAA should also come up with performance goals and measures for its implementation of the UAS traffic management system or UTM, GAO said in a report published Thursday.

According to the report, FAA is working with NASA and other stakeholders to advance UTM development. FAA is now working on an implementation plan for UTM after completing a pilot program in November.

GAO made the recommendations after interviewing UAS industry and public stakeholders, who said that “they face planning challenges because FAA provides limited information on timing and substance of next steps, such as areas of UTM technology that FAA will focus on during testing,” the report reads.

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Army to Launch Third Version of Cyber Training Platform in Q2
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Army to Launch Third Version of Cyber Training Platform in Q2

The U.S. Army plans to release the third version of a cyber training platform in the second quarter of 2021 to provide Department of Defense cyber professionals with repositories of previous training scenarios, C4ISRNET reported Thursday.

The updated Persistent Cyber Training Environment (PCTE) includes a content database to enable Cyber Command users to conduct quicker mission rehearsals and streamline training managers' upload of new capabilities or items.

In addition to the ability to undergo individual or collective cyber training online, the third version of the platform opens feedback channels for cyber forces and gives training managers information about their network status.

The second update to the PCTE includes training content cataloging and previous training event search features as well as enhanced ability to manage teams and schedule events.

Lt. Col. Thomas Monaghan, program manager of PCTE, said the update is intended to provide a set of training content on the platform that can be used by several military service branches. "They pull it down out of the library either use it as is or make some updates to it, tweak it,” he added.

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Ken Corbin to Take IRS Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer Role
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Ken Corbin to Take IRS Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer Role

Ken Corbin, wage and investment commissioner at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), will assume the position of chief taxpayer experience officer at the agency.

Corbin will report directly to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig and work with the agency’s national taxpayer advocate, the independent office of appeals and the chief counsel to identify opportunities that could enhance the taxpayers’ experience, IRS said Tuesday.

He will also help IRS disseminate information on industry trends, taxpayer expectations and customer service practices. Corbin manages over 35,000 employees and oversees annual tax filing activities in the U.S. in his current capacity as W&I commissioner.

He also held various roles at the agency’s account management, taxpayer advocate and compliance services segments. Corbin’s new role is the first position created under the Taxpayer First Act.

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CACI Reports Q2 FY21 Results; John Mengucci Quoted
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CACI Reports Q2 FY21 Results; John Mengucci Quoted

CACI International has reported the financial results for the company’s second fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2020, CACI announced on Thursday. CACI’s Revenue in Q2 FY21 increased 5.2 percent year-over-year as reported and 4.3 percent organically.

“We delivered solid organic growth, and our focus on delivery and operational excellence again drove strong profitability and robust cash flow,” John Mengucci, CACI’s president and CEO and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient said. 

CACI reported that the year-over-year increase in operating income was driven by higher revenue, strong operating performance, favorable fixed-price contract performance and lower indirect costs. The company’s year-over-year increase in net income was due to higher operating income and lower interest expense, partially offset by a higher effective tax rate. 

The company announced that contract awards in Q2 FY21 totaled $2.1 billion. “We also won a healthy level of contract awards in what is typically a seasonally light quarter. We are confident in our ability to continue to deliver value to our customers and shareholders,” Mengucci added. 

Of the contract awards, CACI received a potential $160 million task order from the U.S. Air Force Central Command’s (AFCENT) Network Operations and Security Center (NOSC) to provide enterprise expertise including networking, technical, and cyber support to multiple deployed AFCENT NOSC sites through U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

The company was also awarded a five-year single award contract, with a ceiling value of $447 million, to provide acquisition mission technology, and a potential $376 million task order to deliver mission technology to modernize a web-based supply chain system.

In addition, CACI won a three-year task order, with a ceiling value of $96 million, to provide engineering and logistics expertise for the U.S. Army’s Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care (MC4) Program, as well as an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract, with a ceiling of $1.5 billion, to continue providing automated litigation support services to federal agencies.

Total backlog as of December 31, 2020 was $22.4 billion compared with $20.3 billion a year ago, an increase of 10 percent. Funded backlog as of December 31, 2020 was $2.9 billion compared with $2.8 billion a year ago, an increase of  three percent.

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Report: State Department Suspends Foreign Sales of U.S. Weapons Pending Biden Administration Reviews
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Report: State Department Suspends Foreign Sales of U.S. Weapons Pending Biden Administration Reviews

President Biden has halted U.S. weapons sales to foreign nations on a temporary basis to allow time for administrative assessments, Reuters reported Thursday.

A State Department official told the publication that the department is temporarily suspending foreign military sales as well as direct commercial sales agreements on U.S.-built weapons pending reviews by the incoming administration.

In January 2021, Reuters reported that the United Arab Emirates entered into an agreement with the U.S. to purchase $23 billion worth of Lockheed Martin-built F-35 aircraft and a maximum of 18 drones. 

Equipment associated with the F-35 jets include technologies from General Atomics and Raytheon Technologies.

Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE’s ambassador to the U.S., said through the Embassy’s Twitter account that the nation will “work closely with the Biden administration “ on Middle East peace efforts.

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President Biden Directs Establishment of S&T Advisory Council
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President Biden Directs Establishment of S&T Advisory Council

President Biden has issued an executive order directing the creation of an interdisciplinary group of experts that will provide advisory support on science and technology.

The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology will be co-chaired by the “science adviser” or the assistant to the president for S&T and have up to 26 members including engineers, scientists and other professionals.

The science adviser, if also holding the Office of Science and Technology Policy director role, may appoint the U.S. chief technology officer as part of the council. According to the EO, PCAST is responsible for advising the president on S&T and innovation matters to help inform the development of policies.

The group will also provide advisory support to the National Science and Technology Council and collate key information from stakeholders such as national laboratories, universities, the private sector, nonprofit organizations and research entities.

Funding for the group will come from Department of Energy allocations, according to the notice. The council's creation comes in compliance with the presidential memo on scientific integrity and evidence-based policymaking. 

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JAIC Hosts Second AI Dialogue Event; Stephanie Culberson Quoted
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JAIC Hosts Second AI Dialogue Event; Stephanie Culberson Quoted

The Department of Defense's (DOD) Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) held a two-day event that sought to help the participants address gaps, policies and approaches in adopting artificial intelligence technologies.

The second Partnership for Defense dialogue event tackled the relevance of data and the application of ethics and safety measures within the AI product lifecycle, JAIC said Wednesday.

Participants discussed their data readiness practices and analyzed various scenarios to validate key concerns and come up with approaches that could drive AI-based interoperability.

"The second Partnership for Defense dialogue focused on the necessary conditions for AI readiness, beginning with AI-ready data," said Stephanie Culberson, head of international AI policy at JAIC.

The attendees are composed of military and defense delegations from South Korea, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Israel, Japan, Norway, Australia, Sweden and the U.K. JAIC plans to host meetings regularly within the year to continue discussions on AI interoperability, readiness and responsibility.

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CISA Releases Analysis of ‘Supernova’ Malware Linked to SolarWinds Cybersecurity Breach
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CISA Releases Analysis of ‘Supernova’ Malware Linked to SolarWinds Cybersecurity Breach

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has issued a report on the “Supernova” malware that threat actors used to impact SolarWinds’ Orion information technology management tool and breach critical user data.

CISA said Wednesday that the new malware analysis includes indicators of compromise to help IT teams study malicious artifacts related to the malware.

SolarWinds previously reported that hackers placed the Supernova attack into systems housing the Orion tool and that the malware is not embedded on the product’s supply chain, according to CISA’s guidance.

FireEye, which identified the Supernova attack, found that the hackers used the steganography obfuscation approach as well as token-spoofing to manipulate system communications through Orion, according to a prior report.

CISA has been “aware of compromises” resulting from the Orion attack which reportedly began in March 2020, the agency noted.

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U.S. Space Force Works to Develop Resilient Architecture; Col. Russell Teehan Quoted
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U.S. Space Force Works to Develop Resilient Architecture; Col. Russell Teehan Quoted

The U.S. Space Force will work to develop a more resilient architecture to continue to deliver critical space-based capabilities, C4ISRNet reported on Thursday. 

Col. Russell Teehan, portfolio director at the Space and Missile Systems Center, said that the Force will need to establish a distributed and maneuverable architecture, with a larger focus on satellites operating in low Earth orbit because of the increased vulnerability to anti-satellite weapons. 

The development and testing of various anti-satellite weapons by adversaries was the focus of several Department of Defense (DOD) reports and statements calling attention to the vulnerability of the nation’s satellites. Teehan added that he would like to see the Space Force ensure space-based capabilities can be delivered through multiple channels, so if a satellite is destroyed, warfighters can be resilient. 

“I know exactly how I would go after our architectures. I’ve known for 20 years how I would go after our architectures,” said Teehan. “As the portfolio architect, I spend a lot of time on, where are we vulnerable? Where do we really not want to take a hit?”

The Space Force has focused on shifting to a distributed architecture, maneuverability and LEO constellations to encourage resiliency and maneuverability. The Space Development Agency was established in 2019 to build a new megaconstellation in low Earth orbit made up of hundreds of relatively inexpensive, replaceable satellites. 

Teehan added the agency’s satellites could be used to deliver space-based capabilities, even if constellations are removed. Teehan advocated for a hybrid approach, where simpler satellites will be backed by a distributed, LEO architecture.

“Most of our strategy back at the [Space and Missile Systems] Center — we’re working with [the Space Development Agency, Missile Development Agency] and multiple others — was looking to get into higher rate productions, simpler platforms, distributed [architectures],” said Teehan.

On March 23rd, Potomac Officers Club will host its 2021 Industrial Space Defense Summit, featuring Gen. John Raymond, chief of Space Operations with the Space Force and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, as a keynote speaker. 

Raymond will address space technology, innovation and private-public partnerships that will expand federal space defense capabilities and help defeat adversaires, as space exploration and defense, space research and technology continues to expand. 

To register for the 2021 Industrial Space Defense Summit, as well as view upcoming opportunities, visit Potomac Officers Club’s Event Page. 

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Biden Administration Names Meg Kabat of Atlas Research to VA Role
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Biden Administration Names Meg Kabat of Atlas Research to VA Role

The Biden Administration has appointed Meg Kabat, Atlas Research senior director, as the senior advisor for Families, Caregivers and Survivors at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of the Secretary, Atlas Research reported on Thursday.

“We are thrilled that the administration has called on Meg to advance the care and benefits offered to families, caregivers, and survivors of our nation’s Veterans,” said Mark Chichester, president of Atlas Research.

Kabat has a wide range of knowledge in health care operations. With Atlas Research, she provided valuable insights that supported the company’s clients’ and enabled Atlas research to deliver advanced care solutions. Before joining Atlas Research, Kabat served in a variety of roles, increasing in responsibility, with the VA.

In her more than ten year career with the department, she was most recently the national director of the Caregiver Support Program. In the role, Kabat supervised the implementation of Title 1 of Public Law 111-163, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010.

Previously, Kabat served as an advocate for ill and injured service members enrolled in the Federal Recovery Care Coordination Program at the National Naval Medical Center. She managed the transition of active duty service members’ health care to a Veterans Health Administration facility.

“From supporting the Department of Defense’s Sexual Assault Prevention Office, to facilitating the COVID-19 Nursing Home Commission, we’ve seen Meg’s exemplary leadership at Atlas. We have no doubt that she will be a key asset to the administration,” Chichester added.

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