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USAF, Boeing Agree to Accelerate T-7A Aircraft Delivery
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USAF, Boeing Agree to Accelerate T-7A Aircraft Delivery

The U.S. Air Force and Boeing have agreed to update the T-7A Red Hawk acquisition plan to meet the Air Education and Training Command’s operational requirements.

Under the modified agreement, USAF would acquire four production representative test vehicles, or PRTVs, which will be delivered in 2026 and paid for using fiscal year 2025 funds, AETC said Wednesday. The procurement would accelerate AETC’s test plan and curriculum development efforts, advancing its goal to achieve a timely initial operational capability for the Red Hawk aircraft.

To Improve T-7A Manufacturing Readiness

According to Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, the PRTV procurement would allow the USAF and Boeing to improve manufacturing readiness and reduce the possibility of costly aircraft retrofits.

“Acquisition programs cannot be stagnant, even when they are fixed-price. This is why I’ve directed the T-7A team to implement updates to reduce risk and increase our confidence in the aircraft design, all to ensure we can deliver the T-7A to the warfighter when needed,” the Wash100 Award winner explained.

Accelerated Procurement Program

The updated acquisition approach would support expanded test capacity for AETC, enabling the command to start its curriculum development activities. The adjustment would also incentivize Boeing to address emergent issues not covered in the original contract and expedite elements of the program.

The Air Force awarded Boeing a contract in 2018 to develop the T-7A and procure 350 operational units of the aircraft. The two parties’ existing acquisition plan supports the purchase of seven production aircraft under the 2025 budget submitted to Congress. The service said it is working with lawmakers on the needed adjustments to the current T-7A budget request to execute the new plan.

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NIST Issues New Document on Mitigating AI Risks
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NIST Issues New Document on Mitigating AI Risks

The U.S. AI Safety Institute within the National Institute of Standards and Technology has published the second public draft of its Managing Misuse Risk for Dual-Use Foundation Models guidelines, which aims to establish best practices for the identification and mitigation of public safety and national security risks associated with artificial intelligence. 

The US AISI said Wednesday that the updated guidelines incorporate feedback from over 70 industry, academic and civil society experts from the document’s first draft issued in July 2024.

New Draft Addresses Dual-Use Foundation Model Misuse Risks

The second draft of the guidelines adds information to support open model developers and identifies vulnerabilities across the AI supply chain. According to the federal group, although the target audience of the guidelines remains to be model developers, the US AISI expanded the document’s scope to include different players within the supply chain. The guidelines now include resources and risk management practices for all aspects of the AI supply chain. 

The updated document also comes with new appendices for measuring and managing chemical, biological and cyber misuse risks. 

In addition, US AISI made clarifications on the meaning and importance of a marginal risk framework for evaluating the potential impact of foundational models. 

Industry stakeholders and experts are encouraged to read the guidelines and submit their comments by March 15. 

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Department of Commerce Invests $70M in MACOM Facilities
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Department of Commerce Invests $70M in MACOM Facilities

The Department of Commerce has invested $70 million in MACOM Technology Solutions to enhance semiconductor supply chain resilience.

MACOM Facilities Expansion and Modernization

The department said Tuesday the two parties have signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms on a proposed CHIPS investment that will provide MACOM with the funds for the expansion and modernization of its facilities in Lowell, Massachusetts and Durham, North Carolina. The project is expected to generate 350 manufacturing and 60 construction jobs.

The facilities, designated by the Department of Defense as Category 1A Trusted Foundries, aims to boost the production of compound semiconductors, particularly 100mm Gallium Nitride and Gallium Arsenide. The proposed project is also intended to enable the facilities to produce 150mm GaN and meet potential domestic demands for radio frequency and microwave GaN technology.

These semiconductor materials are crucial in manufacturing high frequency defense systems such as airborne and ground-based radar, as well as commercial systems like telecommunications.

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, said “Today’s announcement with MACOM is another example of how CHIPS for America is making targeted and strategic proposed investments across the semiconductor industry.”

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Danielle Rowell Appointed Acting CISO at OPM
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Danielle Rowell Appointed Acting CISO at OPM

The Office of Personnel Management has appointed Danielle Rowell as its acting chief information security officer, bringing over a decade of IT and cybersecurity experience to the post.

Announcing her new role in a Tuesday LinkedIn post, Rowell noted she is “honored to embark on this extraordinary journey.” Before the promotion, the new acting CISO has served as chief of cyber engineering at OPM since November 2022.

Rowell’s Professional and Academic Credentials

Per LinkedIn, Rowell is an International Coaching Federation-certified career and leadership coach, helping professionals unlock their capabilities and address challenges. She is a co-owner and director of life coaching at Mental Health CPR and worked with the Servant Coach for more than three years.

Earlier, the new appointee held several leadership roles in the federal government, such as IT portfolio manager and deputy chief information systems security manager. She was an information assurance engineer at Booz Allen Hamilton, a risk analyst at Technical and Project Engineering and a project analyst at JPI.

Rowell earned a master’s in cybersecurity policy from the University of Maryland Global Campus and her bachelor’s degree in communications from Old Dominion University.

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Army Introduces Regulation on Small Business Programs
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Army Introduces Regulation on Small Business Programs

The Department of the Army has released a new regulation to implement regulatory and statutory requirements for the military branch’s small business programs, or SBPs.

The department said Tuesday the Army Small Business Programs policy will take effect on Feb. 14.

Responsibilities of Army Officials

The regulation directs the secretary of the Army to establish an Office of Small Business Programs within the department and ensure that the director of SBP has sufficient resources to oversee the Small Business Program.

The department’s principal officials should ensure that all requirements sent to contracting are free of restrictive requirements that hinder small vendors from performing as prime contractors. They should also solicit advice from small business professionals when conducting market research and identifying companies that can perform the work.

Under the new regulation, the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology should oversee the execution of the Small Business Innovation Research, or SBIR, and Small Business Technology Transfer, or STTR, programs; coordinate with the SBP director regarding the two programs; and share information on procurement opportunities, prize competitions and industry engagements.

The director of SBP will serve as the principal adviser to the secretary of the Army and other senior leaders within the service branch on matters regarding SBPs; develop, execute and oversee programs and policies for small business functions throughout the Army; and provide reports and assessments required by statute and regulation.

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Frank Kendall on Nuclear Deterrents, Need for AI Capabilities
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Frank Kendall on Nuclear Deterrents, Need for AI Capabilities

Frank Kendall, secretary of the Air Force and a five-time Wash100 awardee, highlighted the importance of maintaining a nuclear deterrent and the need for the Department of the Air Force to expand the use of artificial intelligence and cyber capabilities, Space Force reported Tuesday.

Kendall told the audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Monday that the effort includes the development of collaborative combat aircraft, a.k.a. CCAs.

What Are CCAs?

CCAs are unmanned combat systems that could be paired with the F-35 fighter jet and other crewed aircraft.

“We are committed to fielding these and at scale,” the secretary said of CCAs. “This is not an experiment or a prototype. We’re going to put these in our force structure. Let’s get going and that’s where we’re headed.”

More Capable Space Force

Kendall stressed the need to strengthen the U.S. Space Force to meet the security challenges in 2050.

“We’re going to need a much bigger, much more capable, much more powerful Space Force,” he noted. “… That’s a transformation that’s already started and we’ve made some pretty good progress. … We also need a lot of counter-space capabilities. … We’re going to have to do something to counter the militarization of space that China has embark upon largely to target our joint force and largely to deny us the capabilities to do the same things to Chinese forces.”

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EO to Direct Agencies to Lease Federal Sites for AI Data Centers
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EO to Direct Agencies to Lease Federal Sites for AI Data Centers

President Joe Biden has signed an executive order that directs agencies to make federal sites available for artificial intelligence data centers and clean power facilities as part of efforts to accelerate AI infrastructure development.

DOD, DOE to Select Sites for AI Data Centers

The White House said Tuesday that the EO directs the departments of Defense and Energy to select sites where industry can establish AI data centers and clean power facilities based on the sites’ accessibility to high-capacity transmission infrastructure and minimized adverse effects on the natural environment and communities.

By Feb. 28, the secretaries of DOD and DOE should each identify a minimum of three sites on federal lands that may be suitable for them to lease to nonfederal entities for the construction and operation of AI data centers and clean energy facilities by the end of 2027.

By the end of March, the DOD and DOE secretaries should coordinate to launch competitive solicitations for proposals to lease the identified sites for building, owning and operating large-scale AI infrastructure.

Interior Department to Identify Lands for Clean Energy Generation

By mid-March, the secretary of the Department of the Interior should identify lands it oversees that are suitable for clean energy generation and can support AI data centers on federal sites while improving permitting processes for geothermal projects.

Lease Obligations for AI Developers on Federal Sites

The EO outlines contractual obligations that the Pentagon and DOE will impose on AI developers on federal sites.

Such obligations include purchasing new clean energy generation resources that could support the data centers, assessing the national security implications of AI models developed on federal sites and procuring an appropriate share of domestically produced semiconductors.

Register now to attend the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 20, to hear more about cutting-edge AI innovations from industry and government experts.

POC - 2025 Artificial Intelligence Summit
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MDA Achieves Second Flight for Hypersonic Test Bed
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MDA Achieves Second Flight for Hypersonic Test Bed

The Missile Defense Agency has completed a flight test of its Hypersonic Test Bed. The agency said Tuesday that a sounding rocket was used to propel a glide vehicle into hypersonic flight during the test, designated as HTB-2. 

“HTB-2 demonstrates our ability to affordably replicate hypersonic capabilities to enable testing of future hypersonic defense capabilities,” commented Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, director of the MDA and a Wash100 awardee.

The test was conducted at Wallops Island in Virginia. 

HTB’s Second-Ever Flight Test

The HTB is a glide vehicle that will serve as a common platform for evaluating hypersonic technology and accelerate the development for military use.

The flight test on Tuesday is the second ever for the HTB. In June, MDA and mission partners conducted the initial flight of the test bed. Dubbed HTB-1, the test enabled the agency to gather data on the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor. 

Collins said data from HTB-2 will be used to guide the development of hypersonic technologies that can operate in dynamic flight environments and pave the way for hypersonic missile defense capabilities.

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OMB Issues RFI for Domestic Chip Manufacturing Supply Chain
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OMB Issues RFI for Domestic Chip Manufacturing Supply Chain

The Office of Management and Budget has issued a request for information for the advancement of the domestic manufacturing of semiconductors in commercial information technology.

Boosting Domestic Semiconductor Manufacturing Resilience

According to the notice posted on the Federal Registry Wednesday, the OMB is seeking industry feedback on methods of enhancing domestic semiconductor manufacturing resilience. It also involves maintaining the domestic supply chain through sustainable procurement of commercial IT end products, including U.S.-fabricated semiconductors. The RFI is also seeking input on possible procurement strategies that lessen supply chain disruptions and boost semiconductor production in the country.

The Made in America Office and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy of the OMB are also requesting information on possible strategies for how the federal acquisition system can utilize domestic sources for semiconductors. The OMB offices intend to determine a safe and secure supply chain for commercial IT products.

According to the RFI, the market segments of interest are telecommunication infrastructure and services, cloud and data center infrastructure and services, ICT devices like mobile phones and laptops and transportation or vehicles.

Interested contractors have until March 17 to submit their responses to the RFI.

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USPTO Unveils Strategy to Promote Responsible AI Innovation
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USPTO Unveils Strategy to Promote Responsible AI Innovation

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has unveiled a new strategy to guide the integration of artificial intelligence capabilities across agency operations.

The AI strategy will promote responsible AI innovation, prepare the technology for the agency mission and ensure that the United States maintains its leadership in AI tech development, USPTO said Tuesday. It will also help the agency address AI’s effect across intellectual property—or IP—policy and the innovation ecosystem.

Promoting AI Innovation

Acting USPTO Director Derrick Brent noted that the strategy is designed to leverage AI power and mitigate its associated risks. “We have a responsibility to promote, empower and protect innovation,” he added.

Strategy’s Focus Areas

Guided by the framework, USPTO will work to realize its AI vision and mission by developing IP policies that promote inclusive innovation and creativity. The agency will also invest in computational infrastructure and data resources to build top-notch AI capabilities.

In addition, the USPTO will encourage responsible AI deployment, develop AI expertise within its workforce and collaborate with other federal agencies, international organizations and the public on shared AI priorities.

USPTO announced the AI strategy as it continues coordinating with various Department of Commerce and U.S. Copyright Office components to provide guidance and recommendations in advancing AI innovation in the United States.

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