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House Clears Stopgap Bill to Extend Federal Funding Through December
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House Clears Stopgap Bill to Extend Federal Funding Through December

The House has voted 359-57 to pass a continuing resolution in a push to prevent a government shutdown at the start of the next fiscal year. 

The stopgap bill extends federal agencies’ funding through Dec. 11th and covers provisions related to continuing COVID-19 response programs including food-stamp initiatives and childcare efforts, Roll Call reported Tuesday.

The bipartisan measure also covers extended farm payments and authorizes the U.S. Navy to allocate $1.6 billion in initial spending for Columbia-class submarines in fiscal year 2021.

Other provisions under the bill include $14 billion to support aviation programs and $13.6 billion for transportation initiatives including mass transportation and highway-related efforts.

Earlier this month, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., entered into an agreement to introduce the funding bill. Senators will vote on the continuing resolution early next week.

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HawkEye 360 to Deliver On-Orbit Satellite Constellation Under AFWERX Space Challenge; Rob Rainhart, Brennan Townley Quoted
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HawkEye 360 to Deliver On-Orbit Satellite Constellation Under AFWERX Space Challenge; Rob Rainhart, Brennan Townley Quoted

AFWERX has selected HawkEye 360 as one of the top participating teams in The AFWERX Space Challenge initiative that includes four challenges to develop integrated space operations, leveraging innovative technology and maintaining security.

Additionally, HawkEye 360 has exhibited resiliency and agility across Persistent ISR, Department of Defense (DoD) Commercial Space Partnerships, Global Space Transport and Delivery and Space Asset Resiliency.

“HawkEye 360 is honored to have been selected by AFWERX to compete in the DoD Commercial Space Partnerships Challenge. We are ready to expand on our current work with the U.S. Air Force to provide a revolutionary commercial ISR platform in support of operations globally,” said Rob Rainhart, chief operations officer, HawkEye 360.

HawkEye 360 has competed in the DoD Commercial Space Partnerships Challenge. The DoD challenge has required the company to identify innovative commercial satellite technology and develop new payload ideas, designs and prototypes to expand the DoD’s capabilities.

“The American commercial space industry has become a valued mission partner that is cost effective, innovative and agile, and HawkEye360 is at the forefront of exploiting the opportunities that space offers,” Rainhart added.

The company’s on-orbit satellite constellation will collect, store and transmit shared RF GEOINT to the Air Force and its mission partners. The cost effective ISR platform will augment and collaborate with existing overhead, airborne and terrestrial systems to provide a sharable stream of actionable data to the service branch.

HawkEye 360 plans to extend its existing signals library with new waveforms identified by the Air Force that will exploit systems of interest. AFWERX’s challenges will transform and accelerate the industry and enable government buyers to pursue innovative solutions to space scenarios.

“The solutions submitted for these space challenges represent the bleeding edge of space innovation,” stated Brennan Townley, AFWERX Challenge Collaboration Lead. “We’re excited to highlight these innovators and connect them with opportunities across the Space ecosystem.”

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USAF Selects BlackBerry Spark to Support UEM and UES; John Chen Quoted
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USAF Selects BlackBerry Spark to Support UEM and UES; John Chen Quoted

BlackBerry Limited has been selected by the U.S. Air Force to integrate BlackBerry Spark that will support secure productivity. The Air Force will have access to the company’s Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) and Unified Endpoint Security (UES), under the recent agreement.

“BlackBerry and the United States Federal Government have been trusted partners for over twenty years,” said John Chen, executive chairman and CEO, BlackBerry. “The United States Air Force has a rich history and a critical mission across air, space and cyberspace. We are proud to be their partner and to provide them superior technology that enables their operations.”

BlackBerry Spark will enable the federal government and enterprises to modernize digital infrastructure, for high-performance telework, without any compromise on security. BlackBerry’s secure productivity platform is powered by next-generation artificial intelligence and machine learning and unlocks the potential of connectivity across all deployment and endpoint types.

The announcement has followed BlackBerry Limited’s UEM software has achieved Department of Defense Information Network (DoDIN) approval as a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution.

“BlackBerry is extremely proud to be a partner of the United States Federal Government for over twenty years,” said Chen. “DISA is responsible for delivering world-class secure communications and collaboration tools across the DoD and BlackBerry is honored to receive approval to be on the DoDIN APL.”

BlackBerry UEM is the only MDM solution on the DoDIN Approved Product List (APL). The DoDIN APL is a single consolidated list of communication and collaboration products that have completed Cybersecurity and Interoperability certification across the DoDIN.

The approval was released by the Defense Information Systems Agency’s (DISA) chief information assurance executive (CIAE). The approval adds to BlackBerry’s capabilities to provide work to the federal government.

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SOSi Named to 2021 Military Friendly Employer; Julian Setian Quoted
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SOSi Named to 2021 Military Friendly Employer; Julian Setian Quoted

SOS International (SOSi) has announced that the company has earned a spot on the 2021 Military Friendly Employer, marking the second consecutive year SOSi has been designated for this honor. SOSi earned a place on the list based on the company’s  ability to meet thresholds for applicant, new hire retention, employee turnover, and promotion and advancement of veterans and military employees.

“We are proud of the fact that more than 25% of our workforce are veterans.” said Julian Setian, SOSi’s CEO and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient. “Veterans offer above average work ethic, leadership, and technical skills compared to those who have not served, and they make our company better.”

SOSi was evaluated through both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Methodology, criteria and weightings were determined by VIQTORY with input from the Military Friendly Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. 

“Companies that have earned this designation have invested in substantive programs to recruit, retain and advance veterans within their organizations,” said Josh Rosen, Director of Military Friendly. “To them, hiring veterans isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s good for business.”

Earlier this year, SOSi announced that the company sponsored the PenFed Foundation’s launch of the Veteran Entrepreneur Investment Master’s Program. The company donated $200 thousand to support the foundation as it continues its mission to empower veteran entrepreneurs through program, mentorship and networking opportunities.

Additionally, the company has created partnerships with diverse suppliers to give SOSi a competitive advantage, as well as grow opportunities in a wide range of communities. The company offers small business and partner programs to enhance SOSi’s ability to quickly provide high-impact solutions that strengthen and protect national security.

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PAE Wins Contract to Provide COVID-19 Testing Services to NCAA; John Heller Quoted
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PAE Wins Contract to Provide COVID-19 Testing Services to NCAA; John Heller Quoted

PAE has been awarded a contract by the Southeastern Conference (SEC) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to provide COVID-19 testing services for fall sports across 14 university locations, the company reported on Wednesday. 

“Having quickly responded to COVID-19 for customers that include the state of Georgia, we are well positioned to provide critical support to the SEC,” said 2020 Wash100 Award recipient John Heller, president and CEO of PAE. “Our talented workforce will apply expertise gained from our history of providing important medical services to the safety of SEC athletes, staff, referees and officials.”

PAE has partnered with Premier Medical Group to deploy trained and ready test teams to each campus for testing and related logistics. PAE’s efforts will support the safety of scheduled sports through Dec. 2020, with an option to extend services for playoffs and bowl games.

The company’s experience in complex project management and operational logistics will support SEC’s need for a COVID-19 test provider. Having served on the front lines of the Ebola crisis in Liberia, PAE will offer skills, knowledge and capabilities to respond effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

PAE has made additional efforts to support remediation of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company recently announced that it won a $21.5 million contract to operate and deploy a temporary, alternative medical facility in support of COVID-19 patients in Atlanta.

The company said that it will establish Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center as a COVID-19 care site and offer complementary operational, logistical and maintenance services. Georgia’s Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency awarded the contract. PAE partner AMI will also support the delivery of medical work under the effort.

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Michael Kratsios: Agencies Should Conduct Trade-Off Analysis as They Adopt AI
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Michael Kratsios: Agencies Should Conduct Trade-Off Analysis as They Adopt AI

Michael Kratsios, U.S. chief technology officer and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, said government officials should analyze the trade-offs as they push the adoption of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, Nextgov reported Tuesday.

“So, think about the [Food and Drug Administration] approving an AI medical diagnostic, or think about [the Federal Aviation Administration] approving a drone—and what they should be considering in their regulatory approach,” Kratsios said Tuesday during a fireside chat in Pittsburgh.

He cited the need for agencies to perform cost-benefit analysis with regard to AI.

“I think one of the core underpinnings of the way that the White House is directing agencies to think about this is to do that actual cost-benefit analysis,” Kratsios said. “The same cost-benefit analysis that is required by statute for any other regulation should also be done in the context of AI.”

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a draft of guidance in January 2020 for federal agencies as they develop regulations and policies related to AI technology. Kratsios said the guidelines would provide agencies clarity on how to look at the benefits of those technologies and assess them against some of the potential risks to come up with regulatory measures to facilitate the delivery of such platforms to the public.

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GAO: Congress Should Define Central Leadership Role to Oversee Cyber Strategy Implementation
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GAO: Congress Should Define Central Leadership Role to Oversee Cyber Strategy Implementation

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has called on Congress to consider drafting a bill to designate a leader in the White House to oversee the government’s cybersecurity efforts including the implementation of the National Cyber Strategy.

GAO said in a report published Tuesday that the National Security Council should collaborate with relevant federal agencies to update cyber strategy documents to integrate performance measures, goals and resource information, among others.

An analysis of the White House’s National Cyber Strategy and Implementation Plan showed that the documents met several desirable characteristics of a national strategy, including purpose and organizational roles and responsibilities, but failed to fully address certain factors such as resources and investments and problem definition and risk assessment.

GAO identified 23 federal agencies responsible for cybersecurity improvement efforts and found that some agencies have developed initiatives to collect intelligence data and share information on cyber attacks. The Department of Homeland Security, for instance, has helped coordinate security programs and developed policy to help protect the country’s critical infrastructure.

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DoD, NASA Sign Agreement to Push Space Collaboration
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DoD, NASA Sign Agreement to Push Space Collaboration

The Department of Defense and NASA have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to further advance collaboration in space, DoD News reported Tuesday.

The MOU was announced Tuesday by Gen. Jay Raymond, chief of space operations at the U.S. Space Force and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and a fellow Wash100 Award winner. 

NASA and DoD through the Space Force will facilitate partnerships in human spaceflight, space transportation, space policy and development of best practices and standards for safe operations in space.

Other areas of collaboration are deep space survey and tracking technologies, launch support, space logistical supply and support, interoperable spacecraft communications networks and development of a talent pool of space professionals, according to the document.

Raymond said the service will defend GPS, communications, weather and missile warning satellites, the International Space Station and other assets in space that are key to the operations of the joint force.

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Army Continues Testing of Next-Gen Radio Platforms for NetModX ’20
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Army Continues Testing of Next-Gen Radio Platforms for NetModX ’20

The U.S. Army is continuing assessments of radio technologies as part of this year’s Network Modernization Experiment (NetModX) at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.

As part of NetModX ’20, the Army’s Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center partnered with companies like Persistent Systems and Silvus to test new radios to support teaming operations between manned and unmanned platforms.

Daniel Duvak, head of the Radio Frequency Communications division at the Army C5ISR Center, said the service branch selected “very promising” radio technologies under its current initiatives and funded commercial partners to integrate resiliency features such as anti-jam elements intended for contested environments.

According to Duvak, the Army plans to include the next-generation radio technologies for the service’s Capability Set ’23—a suite of tactical network systems slated for fielding in fiscal year 2023.

He added that the Army and its industry partners need to address challenges such as reducing the radio platforms’ electromagnetic signatures for command-post survivability.

The NetModX event launched in July and is slated to run through October.

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CIA Labs Launched to Conduct National Intelligence R&D
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CIA Labs Launched to Conduct National Intelligence R&D

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has inaugurated a new laboratory dedicated to performing research and development for national intelligence. CIA Labs will host in-house science and technology R&D and collaborate with other federal laboratories, industry and academia for various scientific pursuits, the agency said Monday.

The laboratory will tackle a variety of topics including advanced manufacturing, quantum computing and artificial intelligence; and will offer opportunities for CIA officers to secure intellectual property patents.

Interested individuals may also pursue internship opportunities with CIA Labs.

“Some phenomenal innovations have come from CIA over the years, and with CIA Labs, we’re now better positioned to optimize developments and further invest in our scientists and technologists," said Dawn Meyerriecks, head of the Directorate of Science and Technology at CIA.

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