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Christopher Copeland, Kyle Michl Appointed to AFS Technology Innovation Leadership; John Goodman Quoted
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Christopher Copeland, Kyle Michl Appointed to AFS Technology Innovation Leadership; John Goodman Quoted

Accenture Federal Services (AFS) has appointed Christopher Copeland as managing director and chief technology officer and Kyle Michl as managing director and chief innovation officer to  strengthen the company’s technology and innovation capabilities, AFS reported on Tuesday.

In his new role, Copeland will be responsible for developing AFS’ future-looking technology vision and strategy and for overseeing AFS’ focus on the CIO agenda. He will bring deep experience throughout the government and industry to grow the company’s ecosystem of partners and help clients reinvent their agencies as intelligent enterprises that innovate at scale.

Previously, Copeland served as lead director for AFS’ Platform Business Group. With AFS, he has led multiple large-scale transformational programs, including leading solution and technical architecture for AFCE, Accenture’s first rapidly scalable cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) software program; serving as the technology and operations lead on Accenture’s HealthCare.gov team; and leading the substantial growth of AFS’ cloud assets and capabilities.

“I am energized to serve as AFS’ CTO during this unprecedented time,” Copeland said. “I am completely focused on helping our federal customers further their modernization journeys to enable core mission capabilities in cloud, DevSecOps, applied intelligence and cyber.”

Michl, in the newly created role of CIO, will drive new growth opportunities and develop innovation strategies that focus on emerging technology incubation, rapid prototyping and co-creation of innovative solutions. Michl will also develop new technology ventures within the AFS partner ecosystem.

“I’m extremely excited to take on this new role and look forward to helping our clients innovate and transform their organizations to meet rapidly changing mission requirements during these challenging times,” Michl said.

Previously, Michl has developed and delivered large-scale digital transformation programs throughout the commercial, civilian and defense sectors with AFS. With Accenture and AFS, Michl has led multiple large innovation-driven opportunities, including the recent Air Force EITaaS Compute and Store contract award. He has helped the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) transform mission operations by integrating cloud, cyber and analytics technologies.

John Goodman
John Goodman

“Chris is an entrepreneurial leader who can help our clients achieve meaningful advances as they step up to the challenges of modernization. Kyle is laser focused on bringing commercial capabilities and emerging technologies to solve government’s most complex challenges. We welcome them both to their new roles,” said John Goodman, AFS chief executive officer and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient.

“As our clients look to modernize their IT systems, these seasoned executives will be instrumental in helping federal agencies innovate and move their missions forward,” Goodman added.

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Gen. Jay Raymond: Space Force Establishing Digital Service, Strategic Roadmap
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Gen. Jay Raymond: Space Force Establishing Digital Service, Strategic Roadmap

Gen. Jay Raymond, chief of space operations at the U.S. Space Force and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, wrote in a commentary published Monday on Defense News that the service branch is establishing a digital service that leverages the latest technology platforms to provide economic stability and security to the U.S. and its allies.

He said the military branch is also working on a strategic roadmap called Space Force Planning Guidance.

The Space Force Planning Guidance “will involve things like streamlining the over 60 offices responsible for elements of space policy, oversight and force structure to creating a new ‘Technology and Innovation Office’ to sustain our competitive advantage,” Raymond wrote.

He cited the need for the service to act with a sense of urgency to implement the National Defense Strategy and stay ahead of peer competitors like Russia and China.

Raymond said future conflicts will be “wars of cognition” in which forces will strive to have a comprehensive view of the battlefield and gain access to real-time intelligence.

“Advantage will go to the side that augments human command and control with automation and artificial intelligence to enable commanders to decide and forces to act at machine speeds,” he added.

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VA Data Breach Compromised Info of 46K Veterans
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VA Data Breach Compromised Info of 46K Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that a data breach involving an online application used to handle medical payments compromised the personal data of approximately 46,000 veterans.

VA’s Financial Services Center (FSC) discovered that unauthorized users used social engineering techniques and authentication protocols to access the online app in order to alter financial information and divert payments from the department to community health providers, VA said Monday.

The department’s Office of Information Technology will conduct a comprehensive security assessment before restoring system access to prevent data modification and unauthorized access.

The FSC has started to notify the affected individuals and deceased retirees’ next of kin of the data breach. VA is also offering free credit monitoring services to people whose Social Security numbers may have been exposed.

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Barbara Barrett Discusses Air Force ‘eSeries’ Weapons System Designator
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Barbara Barrett Discusses Air Force ‘eSeries’ Weapons System Designator

Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett announced Monday the service branch’s “eSeries” classification for digitally engineered weapons systems at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference, the service reported.

“To inspire companies to embrace the possibilities presented by digital engineering, today the Department of the Air Force is announcing a new weapons system designator—the ‘e’ series,” Barrett said in her keynote speech. “Aircraft, satellites, weapon systems and more that are digitally engineered will receive an ‘e’ prefix.”

Air Force officials said the digital eSeries acquisition program will help speed up the production of weapon systems by leveraging an end-to-end virtual environment. Boeing’s eT-7A Red Hawk trainer is the first Air Force aircraft to use the eSeries designator.

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Army Launches Competition for Memory Retention Tech Concepts
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Army Launches Competition for Memory Retention Tech Concepts

The U.S. Army has unveiled a competition that invites industry to submit concepts of technologies that can identify and trace learning traits that could optimize memory retention.

The Army said Tuesday it aims to explore the effects of emotion on memory and learning and determine how it can employ brain processing technologies to train warfighters through the xTech Brain Operant Learning Technology competition.

The service branch is specifically looking for neuroimaging technologies such as ear-infrared spectroscopy systems and quantitative electroencephalogram testing methods in an effort to augment military training.

"The xTechBOLT prize is a research topic to help us more fully understand how we can take a novice and turn them into an expert, how an experience turns into a memory, and how that memory is then utilized to perform activities," said Darrin Frye, portfolio manager for the Medical Simulation and Information Science Research Program at the Army Medical Research and Development Command.

Interested parties have until Sept. 15 to submit their concept papers to the Army.

Selected participants will present their ideas at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education virtual event.

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Navy Looks to Leverage MQ-25 Aerial Refueling Drone for Long-Range Missions
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Navy Looks to Leverage MQ-25 Aerial Refueling Drone for Long-Range Missions

The U.S. Navy has completed a force structure assessment and found that the service branch needs to invest in long-range aircraft to support its future carrier air wing operations. 

Rear Adm. Greg Harris, director of air warfare at the Navy, told attendees at a recent virtual event that the service’s procurement of Boeing-built MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial refueling aircraft could help the carrier air wing prevent emerging extended-range threats from adversaries, Defense News reported Sunday.

He added that MQ-25 “adds lethality to the carrier strike group” while supporting teaming operations with fourth- and fifth-generation fighter jets.

“We just finished a future naval force structure study that looked very specifically at the carrier air wing, and throughout that study the folks who were working with us challenged us to operate farther and farther away from the threat, with the assumption that threat systems were going to prevent us from being able to operate from inside certain ranges,” said Harris.

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GSA Issues Field Guide for Cybersecurity Risk Prevention
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GSA Issues Field Guide for Cybersecurity Risk Prevention

The General Services Administration’s (GSA) 18F digital services unit has released a field guide to help federal agencies mitigate cyber risks in their systems. The federal field guide covers various topics related to cyber strategy development including planning, acquisition and execution.

According to the guide, agencies must first ensure product owners’ capacity to monitor control over outsourced platforms and services.

Agencies must also involve more government end-users in the Agile software development process, evaluate tradeoffs in commercial off-the-shelf technology implementation and provide personnel access to a standardized set of remote collaboration platforms, the guide states.

Other recommendations include executing incremental technology deployment and developing a budget strategy for risk mitigation prototyping efforts.

“Instead of making large, risky investments in major software programs years in advance, agencies should apply Agile principles to break up those larger, monolithic projects into smaller, incremental budget allocations,” according to the report.

“Taking a modular approach compartmentalizes failures, reduces the risk of failure, and brings the size of projects below the threshold for greater agency oversight.”

GSA Issues Field Guide for Cybersecurity Risk Prevention

GovConWire Events will host the Winning Business and FY21 Opportunities Virtual Forum featuring keynote speaker Brian Barnes, Associate Administrator of the Office of Small Business Utilization with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), on October 20th.

Click here to register for the Winning Business and FY21 Opportunities Virtual Forum.

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Maj. Gen. Michael Groen Nominated to Oversee Joint AI Center
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Maj. Gen. Michael Groen Nominated to Oversee Joint AI Center

Maj. Gen. Michael Groen, deputy chief of computer network operations at the National Security Agency (NSA), has been nominated for assignment as the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center’s (JAIC) next director and promotion to the rank of lieutenant general, the Department of Defense announced Thursday.

If the Senate confirms his nomination, Groen would succeed Nand Mulchandani, who has served as acting JAIC director following Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan’s, a two-time Wash100 Award recipient, departure in June 2020. Shanahan retired Aug. 1 from the U.S. Air Force after more than 35 years of service.

Groen previously led intelligence functions at the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the U.S. Marine Corps.

Maj. Gen. Michael Groen Nominated to Oversee Joint AI Center

On October 22nd, ArchIntel Events will host the ArchIntel – AI in Competitive Intelligence Forum as its first virtual event featuring August Jackson, senior director of Marketing and Competitive Intelligence for Deltek, as the keynote speaker.

Please join ArchIntel for its first virtual event on October 22nd to hear from some of the most esteemed minds in competitive intelligence on the opportunities and challenges arising from AI technology and how CI professionals can adapt and thrive in a post COVID-19 technological world.

Register here to attend ArchIntel’s first virtual event: AI in Competitive Intelligence Forum

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Rep. Elissa Slotkin Introduces Bill on Leveraging Emerging Tech for Border Patrol Operations
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Rep. Elissa Slotkin Introduces Bill on Leveraging Emerging Tech for Border Patrol Operations

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., has introduced a bill mandating the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a strategy for leveraging emerging technologies for monitoring operations at the U.S. northern and southern borders.

Slotkin’s office said Thursday the legislation, known as the Integrating New Technologies to Empower Law Enforcement (INTEL) at Our Borders Act, directs the DHS to create a comprehensive border security strategy to address current gaps in border patrol and situational awareness.

The INTEL at Our Borders Act additionally requires the department to update legacy programs, analyze procurement authorities, report progress on incentivizing industry partners and develop a research and development blueprint.

Slotkin said she is “thankful to have the National Border Patrol Council’s support” for the legislation. The Bipartisan Policy Center also voiced support for the bipartisan bill, according to the press release.

“Emerging technologies present an important opportunity to help secure our border smartly, effectively, and humanely, and we should use them to the fullest extent possible,” she noted.

“In so doing, we’ll also help relieve the strain on understaffed personnel, an issue I heard about directly from border patrol officers during trips to both the Northern and Southern borders.”

The bill’s original cosponsors include Reps. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Xochitl Torres Small, D-N.M., and Van Taylor, R-Texas. 

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Lockheed Martin Awards BAE Systems Contract to Deliver Electronic Warfare Systems
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Lockheed Martin Awards BAE Systems Contract to Deliver Electronic Warfare Systems

Lockheed Martin has awarded BAE Systems a contract to produce and deliver additional electronic warfare (EW) systems for Lot 15, Lot 16 long lead, sustainment spares and retro fit kits for the 5th Generation F-35 Lightning II, BAE Systems reported on Monday. 

“Our goal is to deliver capabilities that provide warfighters with a distinct advantage on the battlefield,” said Deborah Norton, vice president of F-35 Solutions at BAE Systems. “This contract underscores our partnership with Lockheed Martin and our collective commitment to deliver affordable, sustainable, and world-class electronic warfare systems to combat evolving threats.”

Under the contract, BAE Systems will provide advanced situational awareness and threat response capabilities that support critical missions in contested airspace. The contract has followed BAE Systems’ production and delivery of more than 500 EW systems for the F-35 as a key system partner, matching Lockheed Martin’s airframe production. 

BAE Systems will support all stages of the product’s lifecycle, from development and production to sustainment. The company will continue to design and develop new capabilities to enhance the system’s offensive and defensive capabilities, as well as maintain its readiness for warfighters under a performance-based logistics sustainability contract. 

BAE Systems has strategically invested in state-of-the-art manufacturing, workforce development and supply chain excellence to ensure that advanced systems are delivered. 

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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