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Maj. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman to Lead Space Force’s Cyber, Nuclear Operations
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Maj. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman to Lead Space Force’s Cyber, Nuclear Operations

Maj. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman has received a promotion to lieutenant general, becoming the U.S. Space Force's first promoted general officer.

Saltzman will serve as the Space Force's deputy chief of space operations for cyber and nuclear, a role through which he will oversee the service's sustainment, operational, nuclear-related and intelligence aspects, USSF said Friday.

“It’s a historic time in the space community and being given a leadership role and helping stand up the Space Force is truly humbling,” Saltzman said.

The Space Force held a ceremony at the Pentagon to commemorate Saltzman's promotion. He served as deputy commander of Air Forces Central Command most recently where he led air command and control for operations within Southwest and Central Asia.

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Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse Named Senior Military Adviser of National Intelligence Director
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Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse Named Senior Military Adviser of National Intelligence Director

Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse of the U.S. Air Force has been appointed to serve as the military adviser for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. He will advise the director of national intelligence on defense matters relevant to the intelligence community, ODNI said Monday. His advisory contributions will also reach centers and directorates under ODNI.

Most recently, Kruse served as the director of Defense Intelligence for warfighter support at the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. The military officer also held intelligence-related roles for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

“Lt. Gen. Kruse’s previous experience as the director of intelligence and senior intelligence officer in the heavily militarized Indo-Pacific region is especially welcome to ODNI, as that area is home to seven of the world’s largest standing militaries and five of the world’s declared nuclear nations,” said John Ratcliffe, DNI.

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Russell Vought Releases OMB Memo on FY 2022 Gov’t R&D Priorities
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Russell Vought Releases OMB Memo on FY 2022 Gov’t R&D Priorities

Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), has issued a memo detailing the Trump administration’s new budgetary priority for research and development efforts in fiscal year 2022.

Vought said the memo dated Aug. 14 that the new priority area is focused on U.S. public health security and innovation to ensure biotechnology and biomedical preparedness for future pandemics following the COVID-19 crisis.

The memo also details the government’s crosscutting actions and R&D strategies in “Industries of the Future” subject areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum information science, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing and advanced communication networks.

According to Vought, the government will work to invest in early-stage research, workforce education and training, research environment optimization and other efforts to lower administrative barriers as part of its commitment to science and technology programs.

“A foundation of the Nation's ability to respond to COVID-19 is the capacity of government, the private sector, academia, and nonprofits to make substantial and complementary investments in R&D and effectively partner to create the discoveries and innovations,” he noted.

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Space Force Seeks $131M to Continue Weather Imaging Satellite Effort; Col. Russell Teehan Quoted
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Space Force Seeks $131M to Continue Weather Imaging Satellite Effort; Col. Russell Teehan Quoted

The U.S. Space Force is requesting $131 million to support continued efforts to deploy space-based sensor technologies to low-Earth orbit for combat-focused weather imaging operations in fiscal year 2021, C4ISRnet reported Monday.

This summer, the military branch issued contracts to Raytheon Technologies, Astra and General Atomics to prototype space-based sensor systems with cloud characterization elements for LEO weather imaging applications.

Col. Russell Teehan, a portfolio architect at the Space and Missile Systems Center, told the publication in an interview that the Space Force plans to spend $30 million to $50 million for small satellites that will make up a “proliferation LEO” constellation to support theater operations.

“[T]he activities in the past were generally $700 million-plus individual systems, which forced us into architectures that were [made up of less than five satellites] that were significantly vulnerable if we were in a time of conflict,” he said.

The new prototyping initiative builds on the U.S. Air Force’s efforts to replace its legacy Defense Meteorological Satellite Program since 2015, according to the report.

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SAIC Names Nyla Beth Gawel as SVP of Strategy; Dee Dee Helfenstein Quoted
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SAIC Names Nyla Beth Gawel as SVP of Strategy; Dee Dee Helfenstein Quoted

SAIC has appointed Nyla Beth Gawel as senior vice president of strategy to develop the company’s strategy and drive significant organic growth and market leadership, SAIC reported on Tuesday.

“Nyla Beth’s experience and background as a strategy leader will be an enormous asset to SAIC as we drive organic growth and strengthen our capabilities to deliver digital transformation solutions to federal government customers,” said Dee Dee Helfenstein, executive vice president and chief strategic growth officer at SAIC. “She brings to SAIC 20 years of experience and broad consulting expertise focused on technology and innovation advancement for public sector markets.”

Gawel will work with leaders across SAIC to ensure strategic business plans are successfully executed. She has joined SAIC with more than 20 years of experience as a leader of strategy and development throughout the public sector.

Prior to joining SAIC, Gawel served as director of Public Sector Strategy for Verizon Business.  In this role she shaped the Public Sector Business Unit’s approach to technology adoption, 5G edge, and connectivity-centric managed and professional services.

Gawel’s focus included public sector compliance, organic and inorganic growth prioritization, and approaches for new platform and solution focused offerings in areas of remote learning, immersive training, and transportation distribution and logistics.

Before her tenure at Verizon, Gawel served as vice president with Booz Allen Hamilton. She drove increasingly complex and strategic initiatives for the company, ranging from standing up new accounts to developing game-changing market entry strategies focused on emerging technology adoption.

Gawel also led the firm’s efforts to diversify its portfolio and expand its technology market footprint with new solution-oriented and platform-focused (-aaS) offerings. She also spearheaded Booz Allen’s Futures strategy, Internet of Things (IoT) programs/investments, and helped establish the firm’s digital practice.

Gawel began her career in 2000 as a contracted program analyst for the National Institute of Justice, before moving into a homeland security director position at G&H International Services LLC.

“I’m excited to take on this new role with the SAIC team and to leverage my experience to help the company grow and expand on its success in helping government customers achieve their goals for digital transformation and accelerated technology adoption,” said Gawel. “I look forward to collaborating with SAIC’s leadership to develop and orchestrate the company’s growth strategy.”

About SAIC

SAIC® is a premier Fortune 500® technology integrator driving our nation’s digital transformation. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, civilian, and intelligence markets includes secure high-end solutions in engineering, IT modernization, and mission solutions. Using our expertise and understanding of existing and emerging technologies, we integrate the best components from our own portfolio and our partner ecosystem to deliver innovative, effective, and efficient solutions that are critical to achieving our customers’ missions.

We are 25,500 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has pro forma annual revenues of approximately $7.1 billion.

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Summit 7 Systems Recognized for Economic Growth; Scott Edwards Quoted
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Summit 7 Systems Recognized for Economic Growth; Scott Edwards Quoted

Summit 7 Systems has been named to Inc. Magazine’s annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies, recognized as one of the most successful independent small businesses within the nation, the company reported on Monday.

“We have an outstanding team committed to securing the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), and this award is validation of our strategy to help companies move to the Microsoft Cloud platforms and implement cybersecurity controls for the modern threat landscape,” said Scott Edwards, president and co-founder of Summit 7 Systems.

Summit 7 Systems has been recognized for the company’s competitiveness within its markets, as well as the company’s exponential growth within 2020. The 2020 Inc. 5000 achieved a three-year average growth of over 500 percent, and a median rate of 165 percent. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue was $209 billion in 2019, accounting for over 1 million jobs over the past three years.

“It’s an honor to return to the Inc. 5000 and be ranked alongside so many unique and innovative businesses,” Edwards added.

Summit 7

About Summit 7 Systems 

Summit 7 Systems is a national leader in cybersecurity and compliance for the Aerospace and Defense industry and corporate enterprises. Summit 7’s Microsoft Cloud solutions have led the way in meeting compliance regulations for the DIB regarding CMMC, DFARS, NIST 800-171, ITAR, and CUI. Summit 7 Systems was recently named the 2020 Microsoft US Partner Award winner for Security and Compliance and is headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama.

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DOE Develops First Five Consortium to Improve Decision Making With AI; Nand Mulchandani, Cheryl Ingstad Quoted
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DOE Develops First Five Consortium to Improve Decision Making With AI; Nand Mulchandani, Cheryl Ingstad Quoted

The Department of Energy’s (DoE) Artificial Intelligence and Technology Office (AITO) has developed the First Five Consortium, which was formed in response to the White House Executive Forum focused on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response, the department reported on Tuesday. 

“AITO is proud to lead on getting near real-time information into the hands of our First Responders,” said Cheryl Ingstad, director of AITO. “This will allow them to save more lives and protect assets and our nation’s resources.”

DoE’s First Five Consortium has been co-chaired with Microsoft Corporation, to unify industry, government, non-profit and academia to develop solutions that will improve the impact mitigation of natural disasters within the nation. 

Microsoft recently established a critical infrastructure team to help advance systems, services, and functions essential to the operation of society and the economy. Comprehensive data collection together with modeling hold huge promise for forecasting and detecting early signs of coming disasters. 

The company’s team will explore avenues to use AI, confidential computing, modernized communications, distributed systems and cybersecurity to improve disaster resilience. Microsoft will collaborate with DOE and DoD.

The First Five Consortium will apply artificial intelligence and deep learning methodologies to address a variety of research and development areas, including: Wildfire prediction and fire line containment; Damage assessment, ingress and egress routes for impacted areas; Search and rescue; and Natural disasters including hurricanes and tornadoes.

DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has reported the creation of a prototype initially developed by the Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) that will integrate deep learning algorithms. 

The prototype will provide near real-time data to improve the decision making of First Responders. Since 2019, the JAIC has led the development of AI capability through its National Mission Initiatives.

“We are delighted to work alongside our partners in government and private industry to advance the role of AI in battling natural disasters," said Nand Mulchandani, acting director of the DoD JAIC. "We’d like to thank the White House for identifying and encouraging the broader use of government-built technology to directly benefit the American people when disasters strike.”

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Raytheon Technologies Donates to ASCTE, Supporting Cybersecurity Careers; Roy Azevedo, Wes Kremer Quoted
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Raytheon Technologies Donates to ASCTE, Supporting Cybersecurity Careers; Roy Azevedo, Wes Kremer Quoted

Raytheon Technologies has contributed a $4 million grant to the newly formed Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE) to support cybersecurity careers across the private and public sectors, the company reported on Tuesday. 

"Raytheon Technologies' partnership with ASCTE, Huntsville and the state of Alabama will help our nation meet the demand for a future cyber and engineering workforce, while providing students with the education and skills they need to thrive in these careers," said Roy Azevedo, president of Raytheon Intelligence & Space and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient. 

ASCTE is Alabama's only fully public, residential high school for students from across the state's 137 school districts seeking advanced studies in engineering and cyber technology. The curriculum will address the shortage of qualified cybersecurity and engineering development talent.

The permanent facility will open in August 2022, but an interim site at Oakwood University launched on Aug. 17, 2020 to ASCTE's first cohort of 75 students. The school expects to grow to over 350 students by 2024. 

Raytheon Technologies has also invested in other STEM programs including, Support of FIRST, a mentor-based global robotics competition; Sponsorship of 22 Boys & Girls Clubs of America STEM Centers of Innovation in military-focused communities; Partnership with NAF to establish engineering academies in under-resourced public high schools across the U.S.

"Advanced cybersecurity capabilities are critical to our national defense today and in the future," said Wes Kremer, president of Raytheon Missiles & Defense. "Through collaborative partnerships like ASCTE, we will grow our capacity in cyberspace to ensure its security for generations to come." 

About Raytheon Technologies

Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. With 195,000 employees and four industry-leading businesses ― Collins Aerospace Systems, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Intelligence & Space and Raytheon Missiles & Defense ― the company delivers solutions that push the boundaries in avionics, cybersecurity, directed energy, electric propulsion, hypersonics, and quantum physics. The company, formed in 2020 through the combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses, is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.

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Guidehouse Appraised at CMMI Level 3; Scott McIntyre, Jasjit Singh Quoted
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Guidehouse Appraised at CMMI Level 3; Scott McIntyre, Jasjit Singh Quoted

Guidehouse has been appraised by Quality Point Integrating Systems at level 3 of the CMMI Institute’s Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) for its Advanced Solutions, the company reported on Tuesday. 

“Being appraised as a CMMI Level 3 organization is a critical milestone for our young business and an important credential for our clients. This designation recognizes that Guidehouse Advanced Solutions consistently deliver solutions using repeatable processes and it signifies our commitment to continuous improvement,” said Scott McIntyre, CEO of Guidehouse and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient. 

CMMI is a process improvement approach that provides organizations with the essential elements of effective processes that ultimately improve their performance. Guidehouse’s appraisal at maturity level 3 has proven the company’s processes are well characterized and understood. 

Additionally, the recognition has certified Guidehouse’s offerings are described in standards, procedures, tools and methods.

“This is the highest form of third-party validation we can receive for our work and we are extremely proud of this accomplishment,” added Jasjit Singh, partner with Guidehouse. “It is further demonstration of our ongoing commitment to our clients as a trusted partner delivering superior, innovative solutions.”

About Guidehouse

Guidehouse is a leading global provider of consulting services to the public and commercial markets with broad capabilities in management, technology, and risk consulting. We help clients address their toughest challenges with a focus on markets and clients facing transformational change, technology-driven innovation, and significant regulatory pressure. Across a range of advisory, consulting, outsourcing, and technology/analytics services, we help clients create scalable, innovative solutions that prepare them for future growth and success. 

Headquartered in McLean, VA, the company has more than 8,000 professionals in more than 50 locations. Guidehouse is a Veritas Capital portfolio company, led by seasoned professionals with proven and diverse expertise in traditional and emerging technologies, markets, and agenda-setting issues driving national and global economies. 

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Adm. Michael Gilday on Navy’s Unmanned Surface Vessel Program
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Adm. Michael Gilday on Navy’s Unmanned Surface Vessel Program

The fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) directs the U.S. Navy to come up with a working prototype of a large unmanned surface vessel (LUSV) equipped with fully integrated and tested systems before procurement funds could be used for such vessels, Defense News reported Monday. 

Adm. Michael Gilday, chief of naval operations, said he agreed with Congress that clear-cut and sound requirements for the LUSV program should be established upfront.

“The approach has to be deliberate,” Gilday told the publication. “We have to make sure that the systems that are on those unmanned systems with respect to the [hull, mechanical and electrical system], that they are designed to requirement, and perform to requirement. And most importantly, are those requirements sound?”

He said he urged the service to develop an “unmanned campaign plan” to establish a pathway for the development and deployment of unmanned systems across maritime and aerial domains.

“What I’ve found is that we didn’t necessarily have the rigor that’s required across a number of programs that would bring those together in a way that’s driven toward objectives with milestones,” Gilday said.

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