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DARPA Announces Securing AI for Battlefield Effective Robustness Program
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DARPA Announces Securing AI for Battlefield Effective Robustness Program

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has issued a special notice informing the public of a new program that intends to establish an exemplar artificial intelligence red team to assess AI-enabled battlefield systems.

What Does SABER Intend to Do?

According to a notice published Wednesday, the Securing Artificial Intelligence for Battlefield Effective Robustness, or SABER, program wants the AI red team to have the technical competency and be equipped with counter-AI tools and techniques to operationally evaluate AI-enabled autonomous aerial and ground systems that could be fielded within the next one to three years.

DARPA said the program also seeks to establish a sustainable model for an operational AI red teaming process.

To help the AI red team, DARPA will look for vendors that can assist in evaluating, surveying, selecting, building and employing physical, adversarial AI, cyber and electronic warfare techniques and tools to facilitate the operational assessment of AI-enabled system development and deployment pipelines.

The contractor should serve as an integration lead that could help integrate the technologies into an interoperable operational toolkit that could be used by the AI red team.

DARPA expects the toolkit to enable future AI red teams in support of the Department of Defense and other government agencies.

Register now to attend the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 20, to hear more about cutting-edge AI innovations from industry and government experts.

POC - 2025 Artificial Intelligence Summit
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Sergio McKenzie Named NASA Goddard Space Flight Center CIO
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Sergio McKenzie Named NASA Goddard Space Flight Center CIO

Sergio McKenzie, a 25-year IT veteran, has been appointed as chief information officer at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, according to a LinkedIn post published Wednesday.

“[I’m] truly honored for the opportunity to serve GSFC and NASA HQ advancing scientific discovery and space exploration,” McKenzie wrote.

McKenzie’s Background

He was previously with NASA GSFC for over 10 years, serving as associate division manager of CSSD for the Information Technology and Communications Directorate and as chief information security officer until April 2020.

McKenzie was most recently the assistant chief information officer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Earlier in his career, he served as chief information security officer and chief technology officer at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

He has expertise in cybersecurity, program management, systems engineering and integration.

MITRE Paper Discusses Role of IC in Quantum Computing Race
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MITRE Paper Discusses Role of IC in Quantum Computing Race

The U.S. intelligence community should take steps to ensure that the U.S. is the first country to achieve quantum computing, according to a recent Intelligence After Next paper released by MITRE.

Achieving Quantum Computing First

In the paper, titled “Quantum Computing—Quantifying the Current State of the Art to Assess Cybersecurity Threats,” MITRE recommended that, if needed, the IC should classify information related to hardware for quantum computing and work to prevent adversaries from obtaining resources or information about how to build a quantum computer by putting in place controls on imports and relevant intellectual property.

Even if the U.S. builds a quantum computer ahead of its adversaries, the advantage will last only for a short time so the IC should look into how the U.S. might be able to maximize the capability as quickly as possible, the not-for-profit organization said.

Securing Data Against Quantum

At present, the paper asserts the IC should work to secure its classified data from the threat posed by quantum computers while monitoring developments in the field especially since, if an adversary were to achieve quantum computing first, it would likely not announce such a breakthrough and instead use the technology secretly to its advantage.

What If Adversaries Overtake the US?

And if it becomes known that the U.S. has indeed been overtaken by an adversary, the IC should strive to determine which of its information has not been shielded by post-quantum cryptography and deem that data as compromised. The IC would also have to determine what the adversary would do with its technology and what steps the U.S. should take to mitigate against and catch up.

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INL, 2 Universities to Advance R&D on Energy, Cybersecurity
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INL, 2 Universities to Advance R&D on Energy, Cybersecurity

Idaho National Laboratory has partnered with Boise State University and the University of Idaho to enhance research and development on advanced energy and cybersecurity.

The national laboratory said Wednesday it signed five-year Strategic Understanding for Premier Education and Research, or SUPER, agreements with both universities to collaborate on R&D projects to strengthen the nation’s energy resilience and economic growth while enhancing cybersecurity to safeguard critical infrastructure. The organizations will utilize each other’s facilities, capabilities and expertise to advance R&D projects and develop a system to foster innovations.

Advanced Materials for Extreme Conditions

INL and Boise State will explore the use of advanced materials such as high-entropy alloys, metamaterials, quantum materials, wide band gap semiconductors and radiation-resistant alloys for industrial energy production. The materials will be developed to withstand intense pressure, extreme heat and cold, radioactivity, corrosive chemicals and other challenging conditions for use on reactor components and microelectronics.

Secure and Reliable Energy Systems

The laboratory will also collaborate with Boise State to strengthen energy systems’ security and resilience. They will focus on the use of artificial intelligence and socio-technical system factors in developing innovations to safeguard critical infrastructure from cyberthreats and other disruptions.

Nuclear Materials and Fuel Cycle Engineering

INL will partner with U of I to enhance nuclear power system efficiency, fuel use and fuel production.

Nuclear Integrated Energy Systems

The two organizations will develop nuclear-integrated energy systems by exploring potential uses of nuclear energy outside the U.S. power grid. This includes the use of nuclear heat in hydrogen production and other industrial processes.

Power Systems and Industrial Cybersecurity

The last area of focus for INL and Idaho University is to bolster the security and resilience of industrial control systems overseeing critical infrastructure.

Marlene Tromp, Boise State president, said, “We are committed to collaborating with industry and government partners to educate American workers and set up businesses for success in global markets.”

U of I President C. Scott Green stated, “We are excited to work with INL to build a secure power grid shaped by the next generation of nuclear technology advancements and nuclear-integrated energy systems for a sustainable future.”

INL Director John Wagner remarked, “Research in the areas that we have identified today is critical to accelerating our nation’s energy, manufacturing and technology sectors for the benefit of the American people.”

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Space RCO Program Seeks Rapid Integrated Satellite Deployment
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Space RCO Program Seeks Rapid Integrated Satellite Deployment

Five teams with two members each will participate in the Prime Fusion Pilot Accelerator Program that the Space Rapid Capabilities Office initiated to fast-track integrated satellite development and deployment. Each team is a partnership between innovative U.S.-based small businesses and major integrators, Space RCO said in a LinkedIn post Wednesday.

During the eight-week program, the teams will integrate new technologies through a novel approach for enhancing what the agency calls “own-ship awareness.” The program’s participants will contribute their unique approaches in combining onboard satellite sensors and software with ground-based systems for detecting and reporting glitches, risks and threats on a satellite.

Situational Awareness Goal

The program aims to seamlessly integrate into satellites the innovative and advanced technologies of prime integrators to create adaptable space assets that meet the situational awareness and responsiveness needs of Space RCO and the U.S. Space Force.

The program’s team partnerships are the following:

  • Active Vigilance and Turion Space
  • Digantara and Anduril
  • Geost and Impulse Space
  • Raptor Dynamix and True Anomaly
  • TRL11 and BlackVe

Workshops, Program Presentation

A workshop series will be conducted for coaching and partnership discussions structured based on FedTech’s approach partnering emerging innovators with established counterparts. The program will have a capstone pitch event in March in Albuquerque for participant presentations to Space RCO and industry stakeholders. 

Col. Owen Stephens, Space RCO’s contracting director, expressed optimism that the program will enable acquisition of next-generation satellites heightened for situational awareness to ensure the security and sustainability of U.S. space assets.

“Space RCO is harnessing the ingenuity of a diverse range of small businesses to augment established capabilities,” the official said.

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Navy Officials Call for More Coordinated Approach to DOD’s Replicator
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Navy Officials Call for More Coordinated Approach to DOD’s Replicator

Top Navy officials have called for more coordinated activities surrounding the Department of Defense’s Replicator initiative. 

Rear Adm. Christopher Sweeney, director of Integrated Warfare at the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, said in an AFCEA West panel Tuesday that military services need to sync up, especially when it comes to acquiring software. 

Establishing an Enterprise-Wide Strategy for Replicator

“I can’t have every fleet commander buying their software or their robot,” commented Sweeney during the event. “I mean, some of that can happen, obviously, but we do have to settle up.”

He stressed that there should be agreement in buying some of the technologies that will be used as part of the program, whether in autonomous, command and control, and heterogenous software or a fight from the Maritime Operations Center collaborative.

Rear Adm. Elizabeth Okano, commander of Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, also admitted during the panel that military services are “not organized correctly” and not incentivized to cooperate. 

Instead, she explained that certain program managers are lauded for their cost-schedule performance and not for their initiative to unlock and share new information with other DOD components. 

Okano called for an enterprise-level strategy that can be implemented not just within the Navy, but across all military services to coordinate action and make Replicator a multi-domain operation. 

Replicator Program Updates

The Replicator initiative aims to accelerate the development and delivery of advanced capabilities to warfighters. 

In November, former Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, a Wash100 Award recipient, expanded the program to include air and maritime systems and applications. The new capabilities are expected to enable the Pentagon to deliver all-domain attritable autonomous systems to warfighters by August 2025. 

The program entered its second phase, dubbed Replicator 2.0, in October. 

According to former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, also a Wash100 Award winner, Replicator 2.0 will focus on countering small unmanned aerial system threats and providing C-sUAS systems to troops within 24 months after Congress approves funding.

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ICF’s Kyle Tuberson on Successfully Implementing AI
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ICF’s Kyle Tuberson on Successfully Implementing AI

Kyle Tuberson, chief technology officer at ICF, believes fostering a culture of learning is key to the successful implementation of artificial intelligence at various organizations.

Upgrading Skills

Tuberson said in a column published Wednesday on Fast Company that employees must be given the opportunity to upgrade their skills or develop new ones in order to thrive alongside AI.

Cloud Expertise

One skill that the ICF CTO expects to be crucial in the era of AI is expertise in cloud technologies. Cloud platforms offer users the scalability and computing power demanded by AI. The cloud could also deliver AI tools themselves, like ready-to-use machine learning platforms or pre-trained models.

“Investing in cloud proficiency can empower your team to effectively deploy AI solutions and ensure initiatives are targeted and sustainable,” Tuberson said.

Data Literacy & Data Governance

Also crucial to unlocking the potential of AI, the exec said, is data literacy, which must be fostered among employees, and data governance practices, which must be put into effect. Data literacy makes it possible for employees to interpret and make decisions based on insights generated by AI. Data governance ensures the transparency, security and accessibility of AI systems.

Building a Resilient, Tech-Forward Workforce

“As 2025 unfolds, success will be defined not just by the adoption of emerging technologies like AI, but by an organization’s ability to achieve lasting digital modernization,” Tuberson said, adding that success in such an endeavor “lies in building a resilient, tech-forward workforce—one that is equipped with the resources, skills, and knowledge needed to continuously evolve alongside these technologies.”

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HII’s Mission Tech Tests REMUS 620 UUV on Navy Confidence Course
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HII’s Mission Tech Tests REMUS 620 UUV on Navy Confidence Course

HII’s Uncrewed Systems, a business unit of its Mission Technologies division, has completed trials with the REMUS 620, the company’s advanced medium-class unmanned underwater vehicle, or MUUV, in the U.S. Navy UUV Confidence Course in Bangor, Washington.

HII said Wednesday the MUUV was shipped from its Pocasset, Massachusetts facility to Keyport, Washington and went through pre-mission checks and ballasting.

An Industry First

The REMUS 620 is the first industry-made MUUV to go through the Navy’s confidence course, making HII one of the first companies to use the test course. This showcases the collaboration between the service branch’s Unmanned Undersea Vehicles Group ONE, or UUVGRU-1, and industry partners.

The confidence course is meant to offer repeatable and comparable performance data for capability development. This aligns with the Chief of Naval Operations’ NAVPLAN Project 33 and submarine force objectives, which are intended to bolster warfighting readiness. 

“Getting a chance to put our newest design through its paces on the Navy’s UUV confidence course was a great opportunity for us to validate our design improvements to the vehicle. We also gained a lot of valuable operational data using the KRAKEN MINSAS 120, ” said Adrian Gonsalves, REMUS 620 product manager.

“The confidence course provided us a great benchmark we can use to continue our improvements to this great design and gave us a chance to show UUV sailors in Keyport how much improvement we built into this next-gen MUUV in terms of modularity and maintainability,” added Gonsalves.  

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The Wash100 Class of 2025 Is Here
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The Wash100 Class of 2025 Is Here

The wait is over — Executive Mosaic is proud to announce the winners of the competitive and prestigious 2025 Wash100 Award! 

Each year, the Wash100 Award recognizes the most influential, outstanding and promising executives working in the vast government contracting ecosystem. These individuals are chosen for their consistent and unparalleled demonstration of leadership, innovation, vision, reliability and achievement. 

“The 2025 Wash100 Award shines a spotlight on the leaders who are redefining what’s possible in the GovCon industry, especially during what we’re sure will be a year of major transformation in the sector,” said Jim Garrettson, Executive Mosaic CEO and founder of the Wash100 Award. 

“As always, this year’s recipients embody the qualities that drive progress: bold leadership, inventive thinking and an unyielding dedication to excellence. These 100 visionaries are not only shaping today’s government and industry landscapes but are also laying the groundwork for a more innovative and resilient future. We are proud to celebrate their accomplishments and the transformative impact they will make in the year ahead,” Garrettson added.

The 2025 Wash100 Winners

Executive Mosaic saw a record surge in executive nominations this year, more than doubling the submissions from the previous cycle.

The 2025 Wash100 list highlights a dynamic mix of leaders, with 24 percent serving in the public sector, 69 percent representing the GovCon industry and seven percent coming from other segments of the broader GovCon landscape. Dedicated to honoring visionaries and trailblazers, Executive Mosaic carefully selects recipients who drive meaningful change in the industry. This year, we’re excited to welcome 37 first-time honorees to the prestigious Wash100 list.

Check out the full list of 2025 Wash100 recipients.

Vote Today for Your Favorite Winners

Today marks the start of the 2025 Wash100 popular vote competition! Out of all 100 winners, only one can take the crown as the most popular Wash100 recipient this year. Cast your votes today to participate in GovCon’s most beloved and exciting race!

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Sean Duffy Takes Oath as Transportation Secretary
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Sean Duffy Takes Oath as Transportation Secretary

Former congressman Sean Duffy on Tuesday took oath as the 20th secretary of the Department of Transportation hours after the Senate confirmed his nomination in a 77-22 vote.

Resetting CAFE Standards

Upon arrival at DOT headquarters Tuesday, the department said Duffy, who was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, signed a memorandum directing personnel to kick off the process of resetting Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards as part of efforts to reduce the price of a car and end the electric vehicle mandate.

The new memo directs the Office of the General Counsel, the Office of the Undersecretary for Policy and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to begin a rulemaking process to replace or rescind all existing CAFE standards.

Sean Duffy’s Career Background

Duffy served in Congress for 10 years as the representative for Wisconsin’s 7th District. The Republican served on the House Financial Services Committee and helped address local transportation concerns through his co-chairmanship of the Great Lakes Task Force.

Before serving as a congressman, he spent a decade as the district attorney of Ashland County in Wisconsin.

After leaving Congress, the Wisconsin native hosted the Fox Business show, “The Bottom Line with Dagen and Duffy.”

The newly appointed DOT secretary has a marketing degree from St. Mary’s University and a juris doctorate degree from William Mitchell College of Law.

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