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Brig. Gen. Douglas Schiess to Take Director Role at Space Operations Command
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Brig. Gen. Douglas Schiess to Take Director Role at Space Operations Command

Brig. Gen. Douglas Schiess, commander of the U.S. Space Force’s 45th Space Wing, has been appointed director of space and cyber operations at the military branch’s Space Operations Command.

Schiess concurrently serves as director of the Space Force’s Eastern Range at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, the Department of Defense (DoD) said Tuesday.

In his current role, Schiess manages over 15,000 DoD personnel, civilians and contractors responsible for satellite launch operations at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. He also oversees range infrastructure for missile testing and other applications under NASA and commercial entities.

Throughout his more than 26-year career at the Air Force, Schiess held various commander roles and served in overseas deployments in support of operations Inherent Resolve, Resolute Support and Enduring Freedom.

He was first commissioned to the service branch in 1992.

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Hon. Ellen Lord on DoD’s 5G Prototyping, Microelecrtonics Reshoring Efforts
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Hon. Ellen Lord on DoD’s 5G Prototyping, Microelecrtonics Reshoring Efforts

Hon. Ellen Lord, the defense acquisition chief and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, has said the Department of Defense (DoD) is focusing on prototyping 5G technologies and driving domestic microelectronics production, DoD News reported Tuesday.

Lord, who serves as undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said at a recent briefing that the DoD intends to conduct large-scale 5G experiments at five testbed locations.

She noted that the DoD must establish close relationships with traditional and nontraditional defense contractors to ensure the security and reliability of 5G systems as well as microelectronics technology.

"Tomorrow's warfighters will use local and expeditionary 5G networks to move massive amounts of data to connect distant sensors and weapons into a dense, resilient battlefield network,” said Lord.

5G will support a range of applications in line with the National Defense Strategy while also promoting industry innovation, she added.

Hon. Ellen Lord on DoD's 5G Prototyping, Microelecrtonics Reshoring Efforts

Join Potomac Officers Club for its 5G Summit on Jan. 7th, 2021 to learn about the impact that innovative technologies and 5G integration have on the private and public sectors, the steps the federal agencies have taken to remain up to speed with the rapid advancement of technology, and the future programs, plans and priorities as the nation aligns with emerging technology.

Hon. Ellen Lord, undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment at the Department of Defense (DoD) and four-time Wash100 Award recipient, will be featured as the keynote speaker.

Don’t miss out on this must see event! Register here for Potomac Officers Club's 5G Summit on Jan. 7th, 2021. 

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Boeing Donates Grants Package to Support Veterans Globally; Dave Calhoun Quoted
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Boeing Donates Grants Package to Support Veterans Globally; Dave Calhoun Quoted

Boeing has announced a $14.2 million charitable grants package that will support 97 veterans organizations worldwide by funding veterans workforce transition services, recovery and rehabilitation programs, the company reported on Wednesday. 

"During this challenging time, Boeing is proud to partner with leading veterans organizations to provide our global veteran communities and their families with essential workforce transition support, and recovery and rehabilitation programs that address mental health," said Boeing president and CEO Dave Calhoun.

The package includes a previously announced $1 million investment in The Mission Continues and a new $500 thousand investment in U.S.VETS. Organizations receiving funding will direct Boeing dollars to programs that increase the number of underserved and minority veterans receiving support.

Boeing also announced a $4.5 million partnership with the Institute for Veterans & Military Families (IVMF) to establish Future Force, a workforce training, recruitment and placement program for veterans. 

The program will provide certification and training courses focused on the aerospace and defense industry, as well as networking and employment opportunities for qualified transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses. Since 2017, Boeing has donated $41.6 million in support of veterans programs globally.

"Boeing has a strong and storied history of supporting veterans during and after their time of service," said Boeing's director of Veterans Outreach Jason Pak. "Through our new, industry-leading workforce training program, we will help thousands of veterans and military spouses transition into better jobs, which in turn creates better opportunities for them, their families, Boeing and the entire aerospace industry."

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US Navy Awards BAE Systems Two Contracts to Support CANES; Mark Keeler Quoted
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US Navy Awards BAE Systems Two Contracts to Support CANES; Mark Keeler Quoted

BAE Systems has been awarded two task orders, with a total value of more than $30 million, to produce and integrate a mission-critical information warfare platform for U.S Navy vessels, the company reported on Tuesday. 

The U.S Navy issued the task orders for Consolidated Afloat Network Enterprise Services (CANES) for two Arleigh Burke class destroyers and two Blue Ridge class command ships. BAE Systems’ efforts will help sailors complete missions and remain connected while at sea. 

“These two task orders permit us to continue our high-quality, high volume production and integration service, assembling and delivering CANES to the Navy safely and affordably,” said Mark Keeler, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems’ Integrated Defense Solutions business.

Under the first task order from the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) San Diego, BAE Systems will produce fully integrated CANES racks for two command ships, which are expected to be completed by Feb. 2022. 

Under the second task order, the company will produce fully integrated CANES racks for two destroyers and a submarine, which are expected to be completed by March 2022. Work will be performed at BAE Systems’ production facility in Summerville, South Carolina.

“CANES takes advantage of commercial-off-the-shelf insertion, which brings operational agility to the warfighter and savings to the U.S. Navy,” Keeler added. 

CANES consolidates and enhances five existing legacy network programs and it serves as a single support framework for all command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I) applications that require dedicated infrastructure to operate.

About BAE Systems

BAE Systems is a leading systems integrator supporting militaries, governments, and U.S. intelligence community members across the globe. The company’s advanced technologies and services protect people and national security, and keep critical information and infrastructure secure across air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains.

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Northrop Grumman Wins 2 Missions Under NASA CRS-2 Contract; Frank DeMauro Quoted
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Northrop Grumman Wins 2 Missions Under NASA CRS-2 Contract; Frank DeMauro Quoted

Northrop Grumman has secured two additional missions by NASA under the Commercial Resupply Services contract-2 (CRS-2) with launches occurring in 2023. Northrop Grumman will deliver a combined total of approximately 16,500 lbs. of cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) during these missions.

“With these additional flights to the orbiting laboratory, we will provide services to both NASA and our commercial partners and continue to use Cygnus not as just a cargo delivery and disposal vehicle, but as a platform for science and technology research, and development opportunities,” said Frank DeMauro, vice president and general manager, tactical space systems, Northrop Grumman. 

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft will be carried into orbit by the company’s Antares launch vehicle from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility for the additional missions. 

The company is currently providing resupply services to the station through the CRS-2 contract which began in 2016. Under this contract and the CRS-1 contract, Northrop Grumman has provided more than 150,000 lbs. of cargo logistics for the station.

“As a trusted and reliable partner to NASA, Northrop Grumman has played a critical role in keeping the International Space Station operational since 2014,” DeMauro added. 

About Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman solves the toughest problems in space, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide. Our 90,000 employees define possible every day using science, technology and engineering to create and deliver advanced systems, products and services.

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SPA Receives 2020 HIRE Vets Medallion; Dr. William Vantine Quoted
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SPA Receives 2020 HIRE Vets Medallion; Dr. William Vantine Quoted

The U.S. Department of Labor has recognized Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. (SPA) with the 2020 HIRE Vets Medallion, the company reported on Wednesday. SPA received the Gold Award for large employers, recognizing the company’s commitment to recruit, hire and retain veterans.

“We are grateful to have so many veteran employees as members of the SPA team,” said Dr. William Vantine, SPA president and CEO. “They bring incredible value to our company through their skills, leadership and experience…all of which are essential to the high-quality and high impact solutions we provide to our clients protecting our Nation’s security.”

The Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing (HIRE) American Military Veterans Act is the only federal-level veterans' employment award that recognizes a job creators' commitment to hiring America's veterans. 

SPA has been recognized for their hire and retention of veterans, including the company’s efforts to establish employee development programs and veteran specific benefits to improve retention.

“We are honored that for the third year in a row, the Department of Labor has recognized SPA’s contributions in support of our nation’s veterans,” Vantine added. 

About SPA

Systems Planning and Analysis provides innovative and leading edge solutions integrating technical, operational, programmatic, policy, and business factors in support of important national security objectives. Our capabilities include: Advanced Analytics; Software Tool Development; System Engineering and Safety Analysis; Strategy, Policy and Compliance; Program and Acquisition Management. 

Our employees have expertise in many domains, including: Land, Undersea, Surface and Air Warfare Operations; Radar and Sensor Systems; Unmanned Systems and Counter Systems; Nuclear Deterrence Policy, Safety and Security; Defence Industrial Base; Space Systems; Ballistic Missile Systems; and Hypersonics.

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DHS to Publish Guidance for PNT Resiliency, Security; Ernest Wong Quoted
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DHS to Publish Guidance for PNT Resiliency, Security; Ernest Wong Quoted

The Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology (DHS S&T) Directorate has developed a framework on the security of position, navigation and timing systems when used to provide timing information for the power grid and communication networks.

The Resilient PNT Conformance Framework is intended to serve as a reference for infrastructure operators in selecting secure PNT equipment, DHS said Tuesday. S&T built the framework on stakeholder input and plans to have it publicly released before the year ends.

PNT systems present more attack surfaces as the number of PNT sources continues to increase. The directorate said isolation between PNT sources would help mitigate attacks.

“A key concept in the conformance framework is recognition that one-hundred percent perfect security does not exist,” said Ernest Wong, technical manager at S&T. “Therefore, while it’s important to prevent threats from entering our systems, it’s just as important to understand what happens when systems fail and how to recover from them," Wong added.

DHS provided an eight-page PDF that previews the framework's levels.

DHS to Publish Guidance for PNT Resiliency, Security; Ernest Wong Quoted

Potomac Officers Club recently hosted its Ensuring PNT Superiority on the Future Battlefield, to showcase the experts across the private and public sectors and how manage the reliance on PNT and how it has created an attractive point of attack which adversaries will increasingly target. 

If you missed the event, you can still register to watch the footage in Potomac Officers Club’s Event Archive.

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DOE-Backed National Institute Seeks ‘Smart’ Manufacturing R&D Projects
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DOE-Backed National Institute Seeks ‘Smart’ Manufacturing R&D Projects

The Department of Energy's (DOE) Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII) has earmarked $4 million for research and development of “smart” technologies that could be applied to real-world production settings and help address operational challenges.

CESMII plans to issue R&D awards with a potential six-month performance period each to industry and estimates selected projects will cost between $50,000 to $200,000, with participants shouldering at least 50 percent of the total cost, DOE said Monday.

The DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy financed the establishment of CESMII in 2016 as part of efforts to help domestic manufacturers adopt data analytics, sensors and control systems platforms.

“DOE's investments in smart manufacturing allow the American manufacturing sector to become more productive, more energy-efficient, and more competitive on a global scale,” said Alex Fitzsimmons, deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency.

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PSC Report Forecasts Continued Rise in Federal AI, Cybersecurity Spending
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PSC Report Forecasts Continued Rise in Federal AI, Cybersecurity Spending

A new Professional Services Council report projects continued rise in federal investments in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence initiatives, including robotic process automation and machine learning, FCW reported Tuesday. 

According to PSC's 2020 Vision Forecast report, federal spending on cybersecurity could increase approximately 3 percent, which could be driven partly by the initial launch of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program. 

The council’s report predicts spending on cloud platforms will remain flat, while DoD could see a 2 percent increase in its topline budgets. 

Greg Lobbin, a contractor who took part in the development of the PSC report, said DoD’s information technology budget could see a year-over-year growth of 2.2 percent through 2026.

PSC Report Forecasts Continued Rise in Federal AI, Cybersecurity Spending

Arrington will serve as the keynote speaker at the Potomac Officers Club’s Fall 2020 CMMC Forum on Nov. 17th. To register for the  Fall CMMC Forum on November 17th, as well as view upcoming events, visit Potomac Officers Club’s Event Page.

During the forum, you will hear from additional federal and industry leaders who will discuss the requirements and priorities of implementing the certification, including scoping of CMMC assessments, supply chain impacts and C3PAOs. 

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Army Seeks to Collect Soldiers’ Initial Feedback on New Tech With Mixed-Reality Environment
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Army Seeks to Collect Soldiers’ Initial Feedback on New Tech With Mixed-Reality Environment

The U.S. Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command has developed a mixed-reality environment to assess soldiers’ interactions with its automated targeting system as part of efforts to integrate their feedback earlier in the development process, C4ISRNET reported Monday. 

The Advanced Targeting and Lethality Aided System is an artificial intelligence-based platform designed to automate threat detection and enable the gunner to zero in on threats. 

“It gives us the opportunity…to get the soldiers in front of this system prior to it being here as a soldier touchpoint or using the live system so we get that initial feedback to provide back to the program, to get that soldier-centric design, to get their opinions on the system, be that from how the GUI is designed to some of the ways that the system would operate,” Christopher May, deputy director of the C5ISR Center’s Modeling and Simulation Division, said of the mixed-reality environment. 

The service has installed an ATLAS prototype at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, and plans to carry out a live-fire exercise to test the system.

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