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Lockheed Martin Wins USAF Contract to Support Strike Weapon Platforms; Scott Callaway Quoted
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Lockheed Martin Wins USAF Contract to Support Strike Weapon Platforms; Scott Callaway Quoted

The U.S. Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation (SDPE) Office has awarded Lockheed Martin a $25 million contract to support the fourth phase of the U.S. Air Force’s Palletized Munitions Experimentation Campaign, the company reported on Wednesday.

“The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) contracting and Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation (SDPE) offices, and Lockheed Martin teams established this new contract in a record time of 30 days, supporting faster prototyping and a shorter timeline to bring this advanced capability to the warfighter in the field," said Scott Callaway, Lockheed Martin Advanced Strike Systems director.

Under this phase of the program, Lockheed Martin will deliver a system-level demonstration in 2021 and assess the potential to deliver large volumes of air-launched weapons via airlifters. Airlifters have the potential to deploy large quantities of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER) missiles, which will provide an increase in long-range standoff scale.

JASSM is a long-range, conventional, air-to-ground, precision standoff missile for the U.S. and allied forces designed to destroy high-value, well-defended, fixed and relocatable targets.

In addition, the capabilities can be integrated into traditional strike and bomber aircrafts to enable warfighters to launch offensive operations from a greater number of airfields and engage a larger number of near-peer adversary targets.

Lockheed Martin will work to develop a modular system that will  deliver air-launched weapons. The company will utilize standard airdrop procedures and operations. The system will have the ability to be rolled on and off multiple types of aircraft, including the C-17 and C-130. 

Lockheed Martin successfully accomplished five high-altitude airdrops from an MC-130J and a C-17 earlier this year using simulated weapons, under Phase I of experimentation. The U.S. Air Force also tested the suitability of launching JASSM-ERs from an airlifter. 

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Christopher Krebs: US Cloud Leadership Key to Winning 5G Race
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Christopher Krebs: US Cloud Leadership Key to Winning 5G Race

Christopher Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, said the U.S. has the edge over China in the development of 5G networks due to the country’s existing infrastructure in the cloud, FedScoop reported Tuesday.

“Really, when you think about the advantage of 5G, it’s all about moving data. It’s all about massive communication, which really translates to cloud,” Krebs said Tuesday during a panel at ACT-IAC’s annual ELC conference. “And who does cloud better than the United States of America?”

He commented on U.S. regulations banning the use of technologies from Huawei and other tech companies that have ties to the Chinese government and the role of the country’s cloud leadership in winning the 5G race.

“We really own the cloud space. So we should be able to have that next generation of technology that is going to be just built on top of cloud to get us the diversity in an open, competitive global market of trustworthy, dependable componentry,” Krebs added.

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Ajit Pai on FCC’s Proposed Orbital Debris Rules, Rural Digital Opportunity Fund
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Ajit Pai on FCC’s Proposed Orbital Debris Rules, Rural Digital Opportunity Fund

Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), told SpaceNews in an interview published Tuesday that FCC is in the process of reviewing comments from federal agencies and stakeholders in the private sector on the proposed orbital debris mitigation rules.

“With some of the new innovations in space it’s important to ensure that the orbital debris rules can protect the space environment,” Pai said. “What we’re looking to do is to strike a balance, as we do when it comes to terrestrial-based innovation, to encourage innovation in a reasonably safe way.”

He responded to a question about the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund and its use by some companies to help fund their broadband networks in low-Earth orbit.

“When it comes to RDOF, one of the things we tweaked compared to the Connect America Fund Phase 2 is that we are putting our thumb on the scale in favor of faster speeds and lower latency while still maintaining that principle of technological neutrality,” Pai said. “If any company, including the LEO constellation companies, want to compete at a certain service threshold and have demonstrated that they are able to do so, we want them to have a full and fair chance to compete.”

Pai discussed FCC’s preparation for the C-band auction in December and explained the commission’s ruling on Ligado Networks’ application.

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Katie Arrington on Pentagon’s New Agreement With CMMC Accreditation Body
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Katie Arrington on Pentagon’s New Agreement With CMMC Accreditation Body

Katie Arrington, chief information security officer at the office of assistant secretary of defense for acquisition and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, said the Department of Defense (DoD) is close to signing a new agreement with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Accreditation Body responsible for training auditors for the CMMC program, Nextgov reported Tuesday.

“They have come light years. We have done two provisional training classes—they're actually in the middle of the third,” Arrington said of the CMMC AB during a webinar Tuesday.  “We in the Department of Defense, are, I think today we finalize the statement of work with them. We had a [memorandum of understanding] previously. We've been working on a SOW with the no-cost contract to the AB for five years plus.”

She also cited the need for the CMMC AB to spin off ISO-certified accreditation bodies under the new statement of work.

“We needed the AB to be able to spin off and create competition to ensure that we were able to keep the competitive nature of the marketplace itself viable for an enduring capability,” Arrington said. “So it's, it's not that they're not a part of it. They're at the core of it.”

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NSWC Crane Technologies Picked for DoD Accelerator Effort; Jenna Dix Quoted
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NSWC Crane Technologies Picked for DoD Accelerator Effort; Jenna Dix Quoted

The National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) evaluated technologies from Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane’s portfolio as part of an effort that seeks to address the needs of the Department of Defense (DoD) and other commercial clients.

Eight technologies from NSWC Crane have passed the initial phase of the Defense Innovation Accelerator program, while four technologies were cleared for Phase II, the Naval Sea Systems Command said Monday.

One of the NSWC Crane technologies selected for DIA is a software tool designed by a team called FORCYTE, to calculate sending wireless power across long distances. NAVSEA noted the team licensed two technologies and signed a cooperative agreement with NSWC Crane.

“What inspires us is the opportunity to advance a DoD technology that helps the warfighter and society improve access to energy over longer distances,” said Jenna Dix, technology transfer director at NSWC Crane.

NSIN is slated to hold a demonstration event for the selected technologies on Dec. 3.

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NASA to Stow OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Samples Ahead of Schedule
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NASA to Stow OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Samples Ahead of Schedule

NASA is preparing to transport and stow a large collection of surface samples from the Bennu asteroid to a sample return capsule (SRC). The space agency said Tuesday it wants to move the samples ahead of schedule to avoid further spilling out from the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.

A recently captured space image depicts particles of the samples spilling out of a gap on the spacecraft's Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism, the mission's sample collection system. Large rocks have created an opening on TAGSAM's mylar flap, causing some particles to escape.

"The abundance of material we collected from Bennu made it possible to expedite our decision to stow,” said Dante Lauretta, who leds the OSIRIS-REx effort from the University of Arizona, Tucson.

The OSIRIS-REx team will transmit preliminary commands to the spacecraft before active stowing procedures take place. The spacecraft will return to Earth after the samples are safely sealed inside SRC.

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DoD Tasks Texas A&M University to Manage Hypersonics Consortium Under $100M Award; Michael Kratsios Quoted
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DoD Tasks Texas A&M University to Manage Hypersonics Consortium Under $100M Award; Michael Kratsios Quoted

The Department of Defense (DoD) has issued a five-year, $100 million award to Texas A&M University for the creation and management of an applied hypersonics consortium.

The University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics will serve as an avenue for hypersonics research, development and transition in support of DoD, NASA and other government agencies, DoD said Monday.

The consortium would foster collaboration between government, industry and academia to develop hypersonic technologies, identify efficiencies and accelerate development progress.

“This first-of-its kind Consortium will be critical to advancing hypersonics research and innovation, a key priority of the Department of Defense," said Michael Kratsios, acting undersecretary of defense for Research and Engineering.

Texas A&M University will receive $20 million each year over the award's covered period. The consortium will commence its activity this fall.

Hypersonics researcher Rodney Bowersox will lead UCAH from Texas A&M's Engineering Experiment Station, with the guidance of experts from multiple institutions such as the University of Arizona and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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NASA Eyes Follow-Up Flights for Lunar Observatory to Detect Presence of Water; Jacob Bleacher Quoted
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NASA Eyes Follow-Up Flights for Lunar Observatory to Detect Presence of Water; Jacob Bleacher Quoted

NASA is planning to conduct follow-up missions for its airborne observatory after it discovered water molecules in a sunlit region on the lunar surface.

NASA said Monday its Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) detected the presence of water in the moon’s Clavius Crater, which is located in the southern hemisphere and is visible from Earth.

The agency noted that it plans to launch subsequent flights for SOFIA in efforts to detect water in other sunlit locations on the moon during various lunar phases.

Data from the SOFIA effort is meant to support NASA's future missions to the moon, including the Artemis program and the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER), according to the agency.

“Water is a valuable resource, for both scientific purposes and for use by our explorers,”  noted Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist at NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. “If we can use the resources at the Moon, then we can carry less water and more equipment to help enable new scientific discoveries."

NASA partnered with the German Aerospace Center to manage the SOFIA project. Results of the recent mission are detailed in the Nature Astronomy scientific journal.

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Accenture, NEOGOV, NASCA Release Report on State Gov’t Workforce Transformation
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Accenture, NEOGOV, NASCA Release Report on State Gov’t Workforce Transformation

A new report from Accenture, NEOGOV and the National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA) has found that state governments are prioritizing training, succession planning and performance management in their pandemic-related workforce strategies.

Accenture said Monday the report, titled “JOB ONE 2020: Transforming State Government’s Workforce for Tomorrow”, details the key areas that must be addressed to improve the adaptability and long-term viability of the public sector.

Forty-eight percent of the study's respondents reported satisfaction with their agencies’ support for employees’ career advancement, while 13 percent said training is “a good use of their time.”

The report also details courses of action that agencies can take to address workforce challenges such as developing an enterprise plan, promoting accountability, prioritizing skills refinement and implementing performance evaluations.

“Building, attracting and supporting needed skills and talent for public service are among the most important things state government leaders can do,” noted Ryan Oakes, head of Accenture’s global public sector practice. 

Accenture, NASCA and NEOGOV collated data from NASCA’s 2019 and 2020 conferences as part of the study. The group also conducted a survey of 753 state and local government employees and 63 human resources directors.

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USSOCOM Looks to Expand Autonomous Capabilities for ISR Missions; Col. Joel Babbitt Quoted
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USSOCOM Looks to Expand Autonomous Capabilities for ISR Missions; Col. Joel Babbitt Quoted

The U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is working to integrate autonomous technologies and artificial intelligence concepts into its unmanned systems to enable missions in inoperable environments.

Col. Joel Babbitt, program executive officer for Special Operations Forces Warrior, said at a National Defense Industrial Association event that USSOCOM is specifically looking into expanding autonomy in its unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) activities, National Defense Magazine reported Monday.

He noted that autonomous technologies must also have the capacity to deliver video and imaging data while executing advanced object recognition and target location functions.

“We’ve got loitering missiles, precision strike systems that are helping us to identify targets and strike them themselves when an aircraft can’t necessarily be present,” said Babbitt.

The U.S. Army and Navy are also working to integrate autonomy in their respective combat vehicles and undersea platforms, according to the publication.

The Navy is continuing prototyping efforts for its Overlord vessel as well as the Leidos-built Sea Hunter unmanned platform.

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