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NNSA Makes New Communications Network for Emergency Responders
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NNSA Makes New Communications Network for Emergency Responders

The Department of Energy's (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has adopted a new network designed to facilitate communications for emergency response personnel. DOE said Wednesday that it stood up the Emergency Communications Network (ECN) to help responders communicate in an encrypted network and coordinate with partners.

ECN is made to support information-heavy workloads related to radiological detection, geographic information system maps, data telemetry and other similar applications. NNSA hosts the network from a Las Vegas-based facility. The agency completed ECN under budget with an estimated migration cost of $7.8 million.

“Our emergency responders deserve the fastest and most reliable communications available to effectively respond to nuclear or radiological incidents or accidents,” said Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, NNSA Administrator, who also attended the ECN facility's ribbon-cutting ceremony.

NASA, GPO Officials Talk Agency Efforts to Address Telework Needs
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NASA, GPO Officials Talk Agency Efforts to Address Telework Needs

Sam Musa and Emma Antunes, the respective chief information officers of the Government Publishing Office (GPO) and NASA, said their agencies are working on approaches to telework following the COVID-19 pandemic., Federal News Network repoted Wednesday. 

Musa told attendees at a FedInsider-sponsored virtual event that GPO deployed laptops and printers in addition to virtual desktops to address operational disruptions amid the global health crisis. GPO also implemented a virtual private network and security tokens to minimize the need for physical presence, he added.

“With respect to COVID-19, one of the challenges we faced recently was the increased telework capacity,” said Musa. “As a matter of fact our telework force almost doubled as a result of this pandemic.”

Antunes noted at the same event that 20 percent of the staff at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center have returned to on-site operations to manage launch windows and space communications.

Goddard staff have also implemented Jabber and Microsoft’s Teams collaboration tools to address telework needs, she added.

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Radiance Technologies Promotes Tim Tinsley as EVP of Defense
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Radiance Technologies Promotes Tim Tinsley as EVP of Defense

Radiance Technologies has promoted Tim Tinsley as executive vice president for the company’s Defense Sector, Radiance reported on Thursday. Prior to his promotion, Tinsley served as senior vice president of the Integration and Prototyping Group.

In his new role, Tinsley will provide executive leadership across the characterization and weaponization of directed energy, development and fielding of hypersonic technologies, the proliferation of military, civilian and commercial space, evaluation of weapon systems and the development of prototype advanced technology solutions.

Tinsley joined Radiance in 2004, and he has held a variety of senior leadership roles across program management, technology development, business development, operations and management. Since joining the company, he has significantly grown and diversified aerospace and defense technology areas for Radiance.

He has focused specifically in aviation, weapon systems, sensor systems, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, and test and evaluation markets. Prior to joining Radiance, Tinsley worked in commercial manufacturing and missile defense industries, and has held positions with Booz Allen Hamilton, Schafer Corporation and International Paper.

Tinsley is a Distinguished Fellow of the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Alabama.

About Radiance Technologies, Inc.

Radiance Technologies is an employee-owned small business prime contractor founded in 1999. Radiance has over 800 employee-owners across the United States serving the Department of Defense, national intelligence community and other government agencies.

From concepts to capabilities, Radiance leads the way in developing customer-focused solutions in the areas of cyber security, systems engineering, prototyping and integration as well as operational and strategic intelligence including scientific and technical intelligence.

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General Dynamics Mission Systems-Dedrone Team to Advance Drone Technology; Chris Brady Quoted
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General Dynamics Mission Systems-Dedrone Team to Advance Drone Technology; Chris Brady Quoted

General Dynamics Missions Systems (GDMS) has made a strategic counter-drone partnership with Dedrone, providing General Dynamics’ global network with access to Dedrone’s complete drone detection and defeat technology.

“The intrusion of private and restricted airspace by unmanned aerial systems is one of the fastest-growing threats facing our customers, and Dedrone’s counter UAS technology platform is the market-leading solution to defeat those threats,” said Chris Brady, president of GDMS and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient.

Under strategic agreement, GDMS will become a value-added reseller for Dedrone’s counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) capabilities, after an equity investment in Dedrone. General Dynamics will exclusively supply Dedrone’s counter-drone technology to their global defense, civil government, intelligence and critical infrastructure customers.

Dedrone has exclusively focused on C-UAS detection, making the company the industry leader, having production systems fielded and in operational use worldwide. The Dedrone C-UAS technology portfolio has migrated machine-learning (ML) software with best-in-class hardware sensors, electronic attack methods such as smart jamming and defeat weapons.

The company’s integrated systems will provide early warning, classification of and mitigation against drone threats. Dedrone’s capabilities have been leveraged by the U.S. military, allied and coalition forces, correctional facilities, airports, utilities and corporations.

“We’re excited to partner with Dedrone to provide counter-drone capabilities to our global customer base,” Brady concluded.

About General Dynamics Mission Systems

General Dynamics Mission Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), provides mission critical solutions to those who lead, serve and protect the world we live in. We are a technology integrator and original equipment manufacturer with deep domain expertise in ground, sea, air, space and cyberspace. Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, General Dynamics Mission Systems employs more than 12,000 people worldwide.

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CISA Issues Directive on Cyber Vulnerability Disclosure; Bryan Ware Quoted
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CISA Issues Directive on Cyber Vulnerability Disclosure; Bryan Ware Quoted

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is directing federal agencies and contractors to report cybersecurity vulnerabilities in systems and technologies to prevent potential exploitation by adversaries.

CISA said Wednesday that agencies must implement a Vulnerability Disclosure Policy (VDP) to ensure the resiliency of the U.S. government’s online services and simplify the public’s reporting of cyber vulnerabilities.

The VDP is based on a “bug bounty” concept of incentivizing public action and covers the federal government's internet-accessible information systems. The effort is also meant to support the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) “Improving Vulnerability Identification, Management, and Remediation” directive, according to CISA.

In a blog post published Wednesday, CISA Assistant Director Bryan Ware said the agency’s Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 20-01 reflects its “renewed commitment to making vulnerability disclosure to the civilian executive branch as easy conceptually as dialing 911.”

“This directive is different from others we’ve issued, which have tended to be more technical – technological – in nature,” he said. “At its core, BOD 20-01 is about people and how they work together.”

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Bob Work, Former Deputy Secretary of Defense, Comments on JAIC’s AI Race; LTG Jack Shanahan Quoted
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Bob Work, Former Deputy Secretary of Defense, Comments on JAIC’s AI Race; LTG Jack Shanahan Quoted

Bob Work, former deputy secretary at the Department of Defense, recently stated that the DOD is at risk of losing the artificial intelligence race and should create a department-wide development model to combat competition, FedScoop reported on Thursday.

Work has addressed the Joint AI Center (JAIC), noting that the DoD’s unit should increase coordination between services and components that will develop a centralized architecture lead for AI across the defense department. Work also suggested JAIC’s scope could be broadened to expand the center to the Joint Automation and Artificial Intelligence Center (JAAIC).

“I would recommend that we adopt a naval reactors-type model,” said Work. The U.S Navy has leveraged nuclear power for its submarines and ships to rapidly field the emerging source of power.

Former director of the JAIC and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, retired LTG Jack Shanahan, stated that Work’s theory is “apt in some ways… But that was [a] singular focus on one issue,” Shanahan added. “AI [is] much more like electricity or networks…an enabling capability.”

Work has continued to promote AI-powered networks of information within warfare. The application can be paired with human operators to rapidly make battlefield decisions. It’s the core pillar of his “Third Offset Strategy,” a document Work authored during his tenure with the DoD.

Work stated that the methodology will expedite the defense department’s network-of-networks concept within the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2). Work also added that the DoD should strengthen public-private partnerships to compete with the Chinese civil-military fusion. The partnerships would develop a bridge between the sectors, driving change for simplified collaboration.

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Intelligent Waves Names Brian Brennan SVP of Client Operations; Tony Crescenzo Quoted
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Intelligent Waves Names Brian Brennan SVP of Client Operations; Tony Crescenzo Quoted

Intelligent Waves has appointed Brian Brennan as senior vice president of Client Operations, the company reported on Thursday. Brennan will be responsible for leading and growing the company’s client operations performance.

“We recruited Brian to help us elevate the company’s client operations with a strategic focus on maximizing quality of delivery, optimizing program management, and helping scale our exceptional record of operational excellence as we continue to grow,” said Tony Crescenzo, president for Intelligent Waves.

Brennan brings to Intelligent Waves his extensive successful experience in managing high-level Federal IT government customer relationships, consistent business growth, and proven ability to exceed revenue and profit targets.

In his new role, Brennan will focus on maximizing delivery, optimizing program management and scaling Intelligent Waves’ IT Services in support of operational excellence. He has over 20 years of leadership roles in executing and positively impacting federal IT programs throughout his career in the public sector. 

Prior to joining Intelligent Waves, Brennan served with Pyramid Systems, where he led successful Client Delivery Operations. Brennan has also served as vice president of InfoZen. With the company, Brennan provided Agile/DevOps transformation and IT Infrastructure Operations as well as Cloud Architecture/Engineering, among others. 

Brennan has advocated for strategic communications, transparency, accountability and continuous measurement and visible improvement of program satisfaction and has worked to develop trusted-advisor relationships with customers and employees. 

In addition, during his tenure in the GovCon sector, Brennan developed, managed and delivered corporate-level Project Management training and CMMi-5 processes and thought leadership to support delivery excellence.

“I’m thrilled to join Intelligent Waves for two reasons: it has a world-class management team and a winning culture of mission-first operational excellence. I am excited about the opportunity to help IW scale its delivery and add value to help support its growth while maintaining and optimizing its core tenets of excellence,” Brennan said. 

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, and operations and intelligence analytics.

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Alion Wins $65M Task Order to Provide NVESD to US Army; Todd Stirtzinger Quoted
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Alion Wins $65M Task Order to Provide NVESD to US Army; Todd Stirtzinger Quoted

The U.S. Army has awarded Alion Science and Technology a five-year, $65 million task order to provide Counter Explosive Hazard Research for the Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD), the company reported on Thursday.

The task order was awarded under the Department of Defense Information Analysis Center (DoD IAC), Multiple Award Contract (MAC) issued by the Air Force Installation Contracting Agency. 

"Alion has assembled a strong Artificial Intelligence (AI), Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), electro-optical infrared (EO/IR) and advanced sensor integration team to provide innovative solutions critical for NVESD missions," said Todd Stirtzinger, Alion SVP and general manager of the Advanced Technology Group. 

The NVESD has developed sensor and sensor suite technologies for air and ground intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and target acquisition under adverse battlefield conditions in day and night-time environments.

Under the task order, Alion will perform advanced technical, scientific research and analysis, and provide recommendations for NVESD's Countermine Division, including development of technologies, systems, sensors, components, algorithms, methods, and approaches. 

Alion’s support will detect, identify and defeat the explosive hazards and battlefield obstacles that pose threats to U.S. forces, platforms, systems, infrastructure and the ability to conduct operations. 

"This team will bring robust technical capabilities to develop advanced threat detection solutions for U.S. troops," added Stirtzinger. 

About Alion Science and Technology

Solving some of our nation's most complex national security challenges, Alion works side-by-side with our Defense and Intelligence communities as we design and deliver advanced engineering solutions to meet current and future demands. 

We go beyond the superficial and dive deep into the root of the engineering complexities and bring innovation to reality. With global industry expertise in Big Data, Analytics, and Cyber Security; Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning; Live, Virtual, and Constructive Training; Electronic Warfare and C5ISR; and Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing, Alion delivers mission success where and when it matters most.

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Catherine Marsh: IARPA Leverages Cloud to Back Telework Environment
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Catherine Marsh: IARPA Leverages Cloud to Back Telework Environment

Catherine Marsh, director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), said IARPA’s cloud infrastructure enabled the agency to support employees who have transitioned to telework during the COVID-19 pandemic, SIGNAL Magazine reported Tuesday.

“One of the major accomplishments at IARPA has really been our seamless transition to a remote working environment in the cloud,” Marsh said. “That’s because, unlike most of the intelligence community, most of our work is not classified, and we were really prepared ahead of time with an approved, secure, cloud-based virtual environment, and we were able to pivot quickly at having everybody work safely in isolation away from the office.”

Marsh offered updates on IARPA’s work on the Little Horned Owl unmanned aerial vehicle program and mentioned the agency’s efforts to hire new office directors, who will help recruit program managers, develop research programs and link program managers to intelligence agencies.

“We look for experts to challenge the status quo and to help shape and structure new programs with metrics and milestones and rigorous testing and evaluation to demonstrate that the proposed solutions will meet intelligence community needs,” she added.

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Army Advances Mid-Range Missile Capability
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Army Advances Mid-Range Missile Capability

The U.S. Army is working on a prototype of a mid-range missile that can home in on moving ground and maritime targets, Defense News reported Wednesday.

Robyn Mack, a command spokeswoman, told the publication the service’s decision to advance the mid-range missile is meant to meet a near-term need aimed at complement other critical platforms in its portfolio of long-range precision fires (LRPF) to support multidomain operations.

The Army’s LRPF portfolio includes hypersonic weapons and the Precision Strike Missile. The service’s move to advance the mid-range capability stemmed from a strategic fires study completed by Army Futures Command’s Research and Analysis Center earlier this year.

Mack said the study sought to “examine future strategic fires capabilities and provide emerging insights to inform procurement options and future materiel capability requirements.”

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