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Curtiss-Wright’s PacStar Business Wins Contract to Upgrade USMC Combat Data Network
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Curtiss-Wright’s PacStar Business Wins Contract to Upgrade USMC Combat Data Network

Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions’ PacStar business has been awarded a $25 million contract to upgrade a portion of the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Combat Data Network (CDN), Curtiss-Wright reported on Tuesday. PacStar’s solution will enable USMC to extend its advanced network communications to tactical environments.

“We are honored that the U.S. Marine Corps has chosen PacStar equipment to upgrade their CDN,” said Lynn Bamford, president, Defense and Power Segments, Curtiss-Wright Corporation. “We are always proud to support the Marine Corps in their essential communications endeavors.”

PacStar’s small form factor communications modules, including routing, switching and advanced network services, have been designed to maximize capabilities and configuration flexibility. The business’ rugged, lightweight modules simplify secure communication across austere environments, in a variety of applications, and in any unit structure. 

PacStar will upgrade end-of-life legacy 19-inch rack-mounted routers, switches and servers to small form factor modules to reduce size, weight and power (SWaP), improving mobility and speed of deployment, as well as transmission rates and data access.

“As the industry leader in SWaP, we are thrilled to expand our relationship with the Marine Corps by supporting warfighters with small-form factor WAN modules optimized for tactical environments,” said Peggy Miller, senior general manager, PacStar.

About Curtiss-Wright Corporation

Curtiss-Wright Corporation is a global innovative company that delivers highly engineered, critical function products and services to the commercial, industrial, defense and energy markets. Building on the heritage of Glenn Curtiss and the Wright brothers, Curtiss-Wright has a long tradition of providing reliable solutions through trusted customer relationships. The company is headquartered in Davidson, N.C. and employs approximately 8,300 people worldwide. 

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Octo Metric JV Wins KRES Cloud Services Contract; Mehul Sanghani Quoted
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Octo Metric JV Wins KRES Cloud Services Contract; Mehul Sanghani Quoted

The Octo and Metric5 Joint Venture (JV), Octo Metric, has been awarded the U.S. Air Force Kessel Run Enterprise Services (KRES) Cloud Services contract, which is valued at $15 million and will run for 2.5 years, Octo reported on Tuesday. 

“We are pleased that our advanced capabilities, emerging technology, and innovative spirit meet the needs of the Air Force and Kessel Run,” Mehul Sanghani, Octo’s CEO said. “The KRES contract furthers our relationship with the Air Force, and for that, we are grateful to continue to serve. That we can do so alongside Metric5 is an added benefit.”

Under the contract, Octo will deliver software engineering, cloud architecture, site reliability engineering, infrastructure as code, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, test automation, alerting/monitoring strategies and information security engineering.

“Octo and Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC)/Professional Employer Organization (PEO) Digital, Contracting Detachment 12 Kessel Run have a long history dating back to our first award in 2018,” said Samuel Stollar, senior vice president leading Octo’s Intelligence and U.S. Air Force Business Unit. 

KRES serves as the technical Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) backbone of the Kessel Run organization, enabling product teams to develop applications that support the warfighter. 

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Octo to support the Air Force as they meet their critical missions protecting our nation,” said Abu Malik, Metric5 president. “Octo and Metric5 have historically worked well together, and we look forward to continuing the relationship.”

About Octo

Octo challenges the status quo, empowering federal agencies to leap IT hurdles by using emerging technologies to create transformative solutions that enable rapid modernization, enhance citizen engagement, and maximize human impact. We continually explore ways to transform IT, producing results vital to national security, intelligence, health care, and more.

Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Octo is a technology firm dedicated to solving the Federal Government’s most complex challenges with Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Agile DevSecOps, Cloud Engineering, Open Source, Cybersecurity, and Data Science solutions. Octo enables the government to modernize faster and meet the needs of rapidly changing missions with agility. Our approach is collaborative, and our outcomes are superior.

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Intelligent Waves Wins ITES-3S Task Order to Provide VTC Solutions; Erin Horrell Quoted
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Intelligent Waves Wins ITES-3S Task Order to Provide VTC Solutions; Erin Horrell Quoted

Intelligent Waves (IW) has been awarded a task order by the U.S. Army’s Mission Command Training Program (MCTP), under the ITES-3S contract vehicle, the company reported on Tuesday. IW will provide a self-contained Dual-Classification Mobile VTC at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. 

“We are excited to support the security mission of MCTP, leveraging the ITES-3S Army’s contract vehicle. We look forward to delivering exceptional service to the US Army,” said Erin Horrell, IW’s chief growth officer.  

Under the task order, IW will support the design, procurement, delivery and installation of self-contained mobile VTC cart solutions for dual-classification video-teleconferencing calls. The company will also custom design a control system that will provide full system control.

The U.S. Army’s Mission Command Training Program is part of the Combined Arms Center. The program supports the training of Army units as directed by the chief of staff of the Army, and is scheduled by Forces Command to provide commanders and leaders the opportunity to train on Mission Command in Unified Land Operations.

About Intelligent Waves LLC

Intelligent Waves LLC is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB). The business provides enterprise systems engineering, cloud computing and managed services, cyber and security architecture, mobility, operations, and intelligence analytics.

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Lumen Launches Edge Compute Platform; Shaun Andrews Quoted
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Lumen Launches Edge Compute Platform; Shaun Andrews Quoted

Lumen Technologies has launched the Lumen Edge Compute platform to enable customers to extend high-bandwidth, data-intensive applications to the cloud edge, the company reported on Tuesday. 

"This is a game changer – real-time application hosting, data processing and storage capabilities for enterprises that need to deliver emerging technologies and applications at the edge," said Shaun Andrews, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Lumen Technologies. 

Lumen Edge Compute will leverage the company’s global fiber network, on-demand networking and integrated security to provide efficient deployment of applications and workloads at the edge. With Lumen’s solution, customers can leverage low-latency, secure and scalable high-performance capabilities through bare metal-as-a-service on the Lumen platform.

The company’s platform will also provide a pay-as-you-go server hardware hosted in distributed locations and connected to the Lumen global fiber network. Lumen’s platform will feature advanced application performance from running on edge nodes designed for single-digit millisecond latency over the Lumen global fiber network.

Lumen has also improved control and performance, enabling customers to run applications and workloads on a unified platform and enhanced security and connectivity with dedicated, single tenancy servers. The servers will isolate and protect data and deliver high-performance networking across the company's global backbone.

"Enterprises around the globe can now leverage highly distributed bare metal on the Lumen platform, giving them more capability to drive new digital experiences for their customers," Andrews added. 

About Lumen Technologies

Lumen is guided by our belief that humanity is at its best when technology advances the way we live and work. With approximately 450,000 route fiber miles and serving customers in more than 60 countries, we deliver the fastest, most secure platform for applications and data to help businesses, government and communities deliver amazing experiences. 

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Australian Space Agency Selects SPA Australia as Supplier to Provide Support Services; William Vantine Quoted
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Australian Space Agency Selects SPA Australia as Supplier to Provide Support Services; William Vantine Quoted

Systems Planning and Analysis Australia (SPA Australia), a wholly owned subsidiary of SPA,  has been selected as a potential supplier to the Australian Space Agency Support Services Panel, the company reported on Tuesday.  

“We are excited to bring our many years of cutting-edge, advanced analytical techniques and sophisticated, proven software tools to help support the Australian Space Agency with their risk management efforts,” said Dr. William Vantine, SPA president and CEO.

Under the agreement, SPA Australia will serve as a potential supplier to support the Australian Space Agency with risk management and specialist support services. The work will be conducted by the SPA Australia office in Canberra with support from its parent company, SPA.

SPA has an extensive history of supporting national security clients including the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). SPA will leverage proven capabilities, including advanced analytics, risk management services and customized software tools development.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to build a strong working relationship with our Australian counterparts, helping them make well-informed decisions that will impact their future operations,” 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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Navy to Name Guided-Missile Frigate as USS Congress; Kenneth Braithwaite Quoted
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Navy to Name Guided-Missile Frigate as USS Congress; Kenneth Braithwaite Quoted

The U.S. Navy has announced its intent to name its second Constellation-class guided missile frigate as USS Congress. FFG 63 will be the seventh vessel to carry the name Congress following ID-3698, the Navy said Friday.

The first Congress vessel is one of the six original frigates built and authorized by the Navy under the Naval Act of 1794.

"To honor and recognize the work [Congress] and your staff do every day to support our Sailors and Marines, I take pleasure in announcing that a future frigate will carry the name Congress," said Kenneth Braithwaite, secretary at the Navy.

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Space Force Marks 1-Year Operational Milestone for ‘Space Cockpit’ Satellite Visualization Platform
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Space Force Marks 1-Year Operational Milestone for ‘Space Cockpit’ Satellite Visualization Platform

The U.S. Space Force has achieved a one-year milestone for its space situational awareness tool that works to visualize satellite activities in real-time. The “Space Cockpit” platform became initially operational on Nov. 11, 2019, and was developed as part of the Space Force’s Space Commercially Augmented Mission Platform (CAMP) program, the service branch said Thursday.

Space Cockpit, which was originally deployed to the Space Force’s Delta 6 component, is customizable and works to provide operators with access to the Air Force’s Satellite Control Network as well as various cyber defense technologies for space-focused mission systems.

1st Lt. Jacqueline Cromer, a space development lead for Space CAMP, said that Space Cockpit simulates live data to enable operators to identify satellite locations and rapidly execute actions to mitigate threats.

1st Lt. Tory Smith, Cromer’s co-lead for space development, noted that continued development is underway to expand the tool’s features.

Space Cockpit was first introduced at Buckley AF Base in Colorado last year as the Predictive Interactive Groundstation Interface.

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Bob DeLuca to Assume Deputy CIO Role at FDIC
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Bob DeLuca to Assume Deputy CIO Role at FDIC

Bob DeLuca, interim director at the General Services Administration's (GSA) Technology Transformation Service, is slated to return to Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as deputy information chief officer Dec. 21st, Nextgov reported Thursday.

DeLuca served as deputy commissioner at the Federal Acquisition Service during his interim detail at GSA. Before FDIC, DeLuca led GSA's IT modernization centers of excellence as executive director.

Emily Murphy, GSA administrator and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, said FDIC agreed to maintain DeLuca's employment throughout the span of his temporary detail. 

DeLuca took the interim role of director at TTS after Anil Cheriyan departed from FDIC in July. Cheriyan announced that he will return to the private sector following his retirement.

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U.S.-Australia Partnership Aims to Bolster Cyber Defense of Both Countries
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U.S.-Australia Partnership Aims to Bolster Cyber Defense of Both Countries

The U.S. and Australia have formed a partnership that aims to develop a collaborative cyber training platform. U.S. Cyber Command said Friday that it may use Australia-based input to inform the Persistent Cyber Training Environment (PCTE) under a cyber training capabilities project arrangement. 

The partnership, signed Thursday, will provide a shared medium through which the U.S. and Australia may further develop PCTE and boost tactical readiness.

“To counter known and potential adversarial threats, the Army has recalibrated our strategic thinking; we’ve made smart decisions to refocus our efforts to invest in the new, emerging and smart technologies that will strengthen our ability to fight and win our nation’s wars," said Elizabeth Wilson, the U.S. signatory and deputy assistant secretary of the Army for defense exports and cooperation.

PCTE functions as a part of the Department of Defense's Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture that serves as a framework for military-wide cyber systems development.

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Space Force’s Gabriel Mounce: Gov’t Needs New Practices to Meet Industry’s Innovation Pace
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Space Force’s Gabriel Mounce: Gov’t Needs New Practices to Meet Industry’s Innovation Pace

Gabriel Mounce, director of the U.S. Space Force’s accelerator program, has said that the government must modernize its research and development practices to keep up with industry’s efforts to innovate in space programs.

Mounce wrote in an opinion piece published Friday on SpaceNews that while the government’s barriers in space programs increase compliance and ensure proper allocation of taxpayer dollars, these can have an “adverse effect” of hindering innovation in government efforts.

He noted that several defense entities have adopted new approaches that provide an opportunity for startups to connect directly with agencies to ensure their technologies’ viability for missions or discover new uses for such capabilities.

Initiatives such as the U.S. Air Force’s accelerators and incubators, pitch days and the AFWERX Challenge help nontraditional firms partner with the government without having to undergo strict parameters in traditional contracting procedures such as the Small Business Innovation Research program, according to Mounce.

“The commercial market is now driving almost all innovation in space technology, so it only makes sense for the government to pivot its practices to more quickly adopt the best from the market,” he said.

Mounce also serves as head of technology commercialization and economic development at the Air Force Research Laboratory.

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