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DHS, Metropolitan Transportation Authority to Assess COVID-19 Spread in Public Vehicles
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DHS, Metropolitan Transportation Authority to Assess COVID-19 Spread in Public Vehicles

The Department of Homeland Security and New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority have teamed up to explore how COVID-19 aerosol agents travel through public transit systems.

DHS said Tuesday its science and technology directorate freed an airborne coronavirus simulant into train cars and buses operated by MTA to examine how COVID-19 spreads through coughs and sneezes.

The team will incorporate airflow and dispersion models into a software tool to forecast the simulant's spread and determine where MTA can install sensor systems. DHS will also implement environmental data into the models to validate response efforts in the event of an airborne health hazard.

The partnership seeks to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 as well as other potential terrorist threats as part of DHS S&T's Urban Security Initiative.

"We are developing capabilities, tools and resources in New York City that other states, cities and localities can use to better prepare for, respond to and recover from the pandemic or other emergency," said Don Bansleben, a program manager at DHS S&T.

DHS plans to conduct a large-scale iteration of the study in various areas within New York to trace and observe the movement of a simulated coronavirus agent. 

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NASA’s Perseverance Rover in Transit to Martian Surface; Jennifer Trosper Quoted
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NASA’s Perseverance Rover in Transit to Martian Surface; Jennifer Trosper Quoted

NASA's Perseverance rover is on the way to Mars, as the space agency expects the vehicle to land on martian ground this Thursday, Space News reported Tuesday. NASA reported that the Mars 2020 spacecraft, which contains Perseverance, is operating as expected in transit to the Jezero Crater, SpaceNews reported on Tuesday. 

“Perseverance is operating perfectly right now, and all systems are go for landing,” Jennifer Trosper, deputy project manager for the mission, said at the briefing. 

Perseverance is designed to collect rock samples and data on possible signs of life on the crater. The rover will utilize a landing system based on the one used by its predecessor, 2012's Curiosity rover.

“The targeting is on the bull’s-eye, and we are headed exactly where we want to be for Mars,” added Trosper. “If all goes well, we could potentially see some images by the end of the day. If not, it’s possible that something happened that maybe caused the vehicle to go into a safing mode after landing.”

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Tim Maurer Assumes Senior Counselor Post at DHS
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Tim Maurer Assumes Senior Counselor Post at DHS

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has appointed Tim Maurer, former director for the Cyber Policy Initiative at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to serve as senior counselor for cybersecurity to Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and a 2021 Wash100 winner, CyberScoop reported on Wednesday. 

He recently finished up work on a project with the World Economic Forum that concluded the global financial system was vulnerable to severe disruption from cyberattacks.

Maurer handled geopolitical topics in cybersecurity, internet and other areas such as influence operations and financial systems during his tenure at Carnegie. Maurer served as director of New America's Global Cybersecurity Norms and Resilience project.

He also worked with refugees and humanitarian personnel from the United Nations and served as a mentor under Harvard University's First Generation Mentorship initiative. Maurer authored a study published by Cambridge University that explored the proxy relationships between hackers and states.

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Lt. Gen. James Slife: AFSOC May Procure New ISR Aircraft in 2022
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Lt. Gen. James Slife: AFSOC May Procure New ISR Aircraft in 2022

Lt. Gen. James Slife, who leads Air Force Special Operations Command, said his group may push through with its planned purchase of a new intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft in fiscal year 2022. 

The new Armed Overwatch aircraft would replace the existing U-28A Draco in FY 2022 if tests this 2021 go as planned, National Defense Magazine reported Tuesday.

The command initially wanted to commence purchases of Armed Overwatch in the current fiscal year, but pushed the plan to a later date as a result of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.

Slife said at a virtual event hosted by Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies that FY 2021 funds allow for the aircraft's continued research, development, test and evaluation, prior to the final procurement decision.

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Tyto Athene Partners with Tellabs to Deliver ACUITY LAN Solution
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Tyto Athene Partners with Tellabs to Deliver ACUITY LAN Solution

Tyto Athene has partnered with Tellabs, a leader in Passive Optical Network (PON) solutions, to launch Tyto Athene’s ACUITY LAN Solution. The company’s ACUITY Micro Data Center was created to provide mission-critical edge processing, analytics and unified communications in a turn-key solution. 

“We see a lot of potential for this secure, quickly deployable LAN solution. Whether it is being able to enable localized communication and running applications in DIL bandwidth environments, or empowering first responders to have maximum capabilities at their disposal, the ACUITY LAN is the right solution,” said Fabian Plath, VP of Sales and Business Development at Tyto Athene.

Under the partnership, Tyto Athene will add Tellabs’ Optical LAN (OLAN) to enable the ACUITY LAN Solution to scale its tactical transportable network. The ACUITY LAN is an edge solution that will utilize Tellabs OLAN to ensure network readiness in a two person carry form-factor. 

The solution will also enable remote powering of Optical Network Terminals (ONTs) and Power over Ethernet (PoE) in a reliable, secure, ruggedized system. ACUITY LAN includes Tellabs FlexSym Optical Line Terminal One (OLT1), Tellabs FlexSym Optical Network Terminal 248 (ONT248) and ONT Power/Splitter.

ACUITY LAN is ruggedized with harsh environment connectors and created in a custom Pelican transport case with backpack mounted fiber spool. The Tyto Athene-Tellabs partnership has ensured that ACUITY LAN can deliver compute, storage, security, communications, and networking power to support teams at the tactical edge. 

“Optical LAN has been deployed by all government agencies because it simplifies the network, eliminates security vulnerabilities and speeds IT productivity. Now through this partnership with Tyto Athene, we are excited to bring these same benefits into the tactical transportable networking,” said Tom Parisi, VP of Government Sales for Tellabs.

About Tyto Athene 

Tyto Athene, LLC is a full service systems integrator focused on helping clients accelerate their ability to make decisions by providing secure access to enterprise information throughout their operating environment. 

We use a wide range of technologies, innovative thinking, and proven processes to deliver successful outcomes for its clients worldwide, including a historically proven track record of success within the Federal marketplace providing turn-key voice, data, networking and UC systems. Tyto Athene is also the inventor and provider of the ACUITY® Micro Data Center product line.

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Gen. Paul Funk on Army TRADOC’s Efforts to Modernize Training Activities
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Gen. Paul Funk on Army TRADOC’s Efforts to Modernize Training Activities

Gen. Paul Funk, commanding general of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), said the command is updating its training organization framework to cover threats from China and Russia, Breaking Defense said Tuesday.

Funk said at an AFCEA event that his office intends to standardize procedures in the FM 7-0 manual and enable online access to related resources. TRADOC is also working to prototype an Army Training Information System which will handle training management functions by the end of fiscal year 2023.

In addition, the command is looking to implement the Army Futures Command’s (AFC) synthetic training environment which is envisioned to consolidate virtual environments through the One World Terrain system.

Funk noted that he seeks to support the Army’s push to prioritize data initiatives by addressing digital mapping challenges in the terrain system's development.

“Each of us has the responsibility to treat data as a weapons system that we manage, secure, and use to our advantage on the battlefield,” he said.

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GSA Launches Updated FedRAMP Website; Ashley Mahan Quoted
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GSA Launches Updated FedRAMP Website; Ashley Mahan Quoted

The General Services Administration (GSA) has redesigned the website for the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) in a move to promote the use of cloud technologies to streamline online operations.

GSA said Tuesday that the updated FedRAMP website is aimed at providing easy access to information on authorization procedures while simplifying the online experience through search and filter functions.

“Meeting the technology needs of the federal government during the pandemic is our priority, and FedRAMP will continue to be an essential part of that effort,” noted Dave Zvenyach, deputy commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service and director of TTS.

FedRAMP, which falls under GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS), is working on plans to continuously update its online procedures through regular feedback and web analytics.

Ashley Mahan, acting assistant commissioner of TTS, said the new website is meant to clearly direct visitors to “digestible information that aligns to where they are within the authorization process.”

“FedRAMP is driven by transparency, increasing adoption of cloud computing and providing a better experience to the many customers and partners,” said TTS Acting Assistant Commissioner, Ashley Mahan. “The original website’s structure did not lend itself to an intuitive user path and was content heavy, making it difficult to find desired information. The new website clearly directs visitors to digestible information that aligns to where they are within the authorization process.”

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Applied Insight Acquires Bridges, Baird Serves as Exclusive Financial Advisor
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Applied Insight Acquires Bridges, Baird Serves as Exclusive Financial Advisor

Applied Insight has acquired Bridges, a portfolio company of The Acacia Group and  provider of cybersecurity, network engineering and big data analytics solutions for the Intelligence Community (IC). Under the transaction, Baird served as exclusive financial advisor to Bridges, Baird’s Global Investment Banking Group announced on Wednesday.

“This is a true game changer because it means we can now deliver end-to-end hybrid and multicloud solutions, from infrastructure to actionable insight,” said Dede Dascalu, CEO of Applied Insight. “[Bridges] shares our commitment to the national security mission and has experience delivering successful innovations to intelligence customers.”

Bridges, founded in 2000, has developed a suite of security and analytics products and applications that are deployed in highly sensitive customer environments. The company’s team is experienced in cross-domain network solutions, network security, custom application development and data analytics.

With the purchase of Bridges, Applied Insight will gain complementary capabilities in network security, cloud engineering, data science, cross-domain solutions and application development. Bridges will also expand Applied Insight’s portfolio of intellectual property to strengthen its position with intelligence customers.

Applied Insight Acquires Bridges, Baird Serves as Exclusive Financial Advisor
Alex Sevilla, managing partner of Baird

“Applied Insight’s acquisitions of Bridges is a great example of two fast growing and IP-rich companies combining forces to further enhance customer missions across the defense and intelligence communities through innovative cyber products, advanced analytics and end-to-end security for hybrid-cloud infrastructures,” said Alex Sevilla, managing director of Baird.

Baird noted that Applied Insight’s acquisition of Bridges has highlighted buyer priorities in Government and Defense mergers and acquisitions (M&A). The acquisition has illustrated the increased focus on cybersecurity and data analytics.

In addition, Baird added that companies look for differentiation through innovative technology that will drive mission outcomes, as well as strong cultural alignment and private equity-backed companies that have executed an inorganic growth strategy.

About Baird 

Baird is a leading middle-market focused global investment bank serving the M&A, equity financing and debt advisory needs of our clients throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Since 2015, Baird has completed almost 580 advisory transactions, representing more than $167 billion in transaction value, and nearly 360 financings, raising more than $112 billion.

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DynCorp International Earns FAA Diamond Awards
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DynCorp International Earns FAA Diamond Awards

DynCorp International (DI) has earned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Diamond Award for Excellence in three programs: CAL FIRE, U.S. Forest Service Firewatch program and U.S. Air Force at Joint Base Andrews-Naval Air Facility Washington program. The awards have recognized the company’s commitment to aviation maintenance training.

DI was recognized for its work with the CAL FIRE program, marking its ninth Diamond award. The company flies and maintains Grumman S-2T air tankers, C-130H training aircraft and OV-10A aircraft. DI also supports UH-1H Super Huey and S-70i Blackhawk helicopters flown by CAL FIRE pilots.

“This award means that every DI maintenance technician has achieved at least 12 additional hours of FAA-approved maintenance training,” said Jeff Cavarra, CAL FIRE’s program director. “I am proud of our team’s dedication to safety and training in maintaining the largest wildland air fleet in the world.”

DynCorp International Earns FAA Diamond Awards
Forest Service Firewatch

The company also received its sixth consecutive U.S. Forest Service Firewatch program award. DI maintains and operates reconfigured Army AH-1/Bell 209 Cobra helicopters. The company has integrated advanced systems into the aircrafts to improve operational efficiency and tactical decision-making.

“We are pleased to be among DI’s Diamond Award recipients again for our sixth year in a row,” said Tamara Skjegstad, Firewatch program manager. “Our maintenance technicians deserve all the recognition for their hard work meeting these commitments.”

DynCorp International Earns FAA Diamond AwardsDI team at JB Andrews has earned the U.S. Air Force at Joint Base Andrews-Naval Air Facility Washington program award over the past 19 years. DI provides services for Executive Airlift and Rotary Maintenance Wing including aircraft maintenance in support of aircraft assigned to the 316th Wing and 89th Airlift Wing.

“Our maintenance technicians are committed to the highest standards of excellence,” commented Craig O’Neal, program director, Andrews Support Division. “It’s an honor to lead the Exec Airlift and Rotary Wing team who’ve earned this award for their nineteenth year!”

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Will Roper Joins Pallas Advisors as Senior Counselor; Tony DeMartino Quoted
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Will Roper Joins Pallas Advisors as Senior Counselor; Tony DeMartino Quoted

Pallas Advisors has appointed Dr. Will Roper, former assistant secretary of Acquisition, Technology and Logistics with the U.S. Air Force and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, as a senior counselor. In the role, Roper will leverage his experiences to deliver his disruptive technology expertise to the private sector.

“Dr. Roper is widely viewed as one of the Department’s most innovative leaders in recent years and we are excited to welcome him to Pallas Advisors,” said Tony DeMartino, a founding partner of the firm. “He is well-versed in the challenges our clients face, and will add immense value to our mission.”

With the U.S. Air Force, Roper established the AFWERX and SpaceWERX programs and spearheaded the adoption of commercial technologies, including the first applications of containerized software, artificial intelligence, digital engineering and predictive maintenance. 

Before his role with the Air Force, Roper was the founding director of the Pentagon’s Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO), which was established in 2012. The SCO imagines new uses of existing government and commercial systems to extend shelf-life and add a competitive edge to the military’s playbook. 

During his tenure as SCO director, Roper served on the Department’s 2018 National Defense Strategy Steering Group, Cloud Executive Steering Group and Defense Modernization Team.

Previously, Roper served as the acting chief Architect at the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), where he developed 11 new systems, including the current European Defense architecture, advanced drones, and classified programs. 

Throughout his career, Roper has facilitated the development and deployment of disruptive technology. He drove the first U.S. hypersonic weapon to production, demonstrated the first use of AI commanding a U.S. military system and built a national space launch program for both the U.S. government and commercial payloads. 

"Fully unlocking private sector innovation for the military was my passion while serving in government,” Roper said. “I am excited to work with the Pallas team to continue this important pursuit."

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