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Joint Military Team Demos VTOL-Based Logistics Concept; Thomas Smith Quoted
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Joint Military Team Demos VTOL-Based Logistics Concept; Thomas Smith Quoted

A joint group of U.S. military organizations has demonstrated vertical take-off and landing with REALL, a new technology designed to provide low-cost maritime logistics. An MH-60M Blackhawk helicopter landed on the Improved Navy Lighterage System during the demonstration.

The event took place July 13th at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek in Virginia, with the goal to demonstrate VTOL aircraft landing on a barge platform that stored fuel, the U.S Navy said Tuesday.

Naval Facilities Engineering Command's Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (EXWC), U.S. Central Command, U.S. Transportation Command and Army Engineer Research and Development Center worked together to perform the demonstration.

“As the lead combatant command sponsor and warfighter representative for the REALL project, USCENTCOM’s goal was to demonstrate a littoral logistics sustainment capability for fuel distribution and logistics nodes in support of emerging operational concepts,” said Thomas Smith, J8-ST chief science advisor for advanced concepts at CENTCOM.

The team will further assess REALL's capacity to facilitate maritime logistics via VTOL aircraft.

 

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ManTech Secures $87M Task Order to Provide IT Enterprise Solutions; Andy Twomey Quoted
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ManTech Secures $87M Task Order to Provide IT Enterprise Solutions; Andy Twomey Quoted

ManTech has been awarded a five-year, $87 million task order to provide advanced IT Software Research, Development and Engineering for the Navy Maritime Maintenance Enterprise Solution (NMMES) for the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) ship maintenance mission, the company reported on Wednesday.

“ManTech has supported NAVSEA for 35 years across the full spectrum of engineering requirements, with more than 10 years of direct support to the public shipyards and ship maintenance organizations where NMMES is employed,” said Andy Twomey, ManTech executive vice president and general manager of the Defense Sector.

The NMMES is the IT tool used in the Navy’s ship maintenance and repair at its four public Naval shipyards. ManTech will leverage AI-generated automation and DevSecOps to accelerate software development cycle times. 

The company’s work will advance maintenance activity access with high-technology solutions with greater leverage on an expansive data library. ManTech’s experience in full-spectrum cybersecurity for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) will help ensure that all solutions developed and deployed are protected by military grade cyber.

“By Bringing Digital to the Mission® with innovative solutions ranging from Robotic Process Automation to Agile DevSecOps software modeling and AI-automated cybersecurity, ManTech will improve the quality, integration and efficiency of the NMMES architecture to enhance ship maintenance operations and improve readiness for the Navy’s most critical surface and submarine platforms,” Twomey added. 

ManTech was awarded this contract under the Department of Defense Information Analysis Center’s (DoD IAC) Multiple Award Contract (MAC). DoD IAC MAC task orders are competitively awarded by the U.S. Air Force Installation Contracting Center (AFICC) for work at various U.S. military organizations.

About ManTech

ManTech provides mission-focused technology solutions and services for U.S. defense, intelligence community and federal civilian agencies. In business more than 52 years, we excel in full-spectrum cyber, data collection & analytics, enterprise IT, systems engineering and software application development solutions that support national and homeland security.

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IBM Reports Second Quarter 2020 Results; Arvind Krishna, James Kavanaugh Quoted
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IBM Reports Second Quarter 2020 Results; Arvind Krishna, James Kavanaugh Quoted

IBM has announced the company’s second quarter 2020 results on Tuesday, noting a GAAP EPS from continuing operations of $1.52, operating (non-GAAP) EPS of $2.18 and revenue of $18.1 billion, down 5.4 percent. 

“Our clients see the value of IBM’s hybrid cloud platform, based on open technologies, at a time of unprecedented business disruption," said Arvind Krishna, IBM chief executive officer. "We are committed to building, with a growing ecosystem of partners, an enduring hybrid cloud platform that will serve as a powerful catalyst for innovation for our clients and the world.”

IBM reported that its Cloud and Cognitive Software revenue up 3 percent and the systems revenue was up 6 percent. The company’s total cloud revenue of $6.3 billion, up 30 percent. IBM’s noted a total cloud revenue of $23.5 billion over the past year, up 20 percent. 

The company’s Red Hat revenue up 17 percent and GAAP gross profit margin of 48 percent, up 100 basis points; Operating (non-GAAP) gross profit margin of 49 percent up 160 basis points

Net cash from operating activities of $15.1 billion and free cash flow of $11.5 billion, over the last 12 months. 

In the second quarter, the company generated net cash from operating activities of $3.6 billion, or $3.0 billion excluding Global Financing receivables. IBM’s free cash flow was $2.3 billion. The company returned $1.5 billion to shareholders in dividends.

IBM ended the second quarter with $14.3 billion of cash on hand which includes marketable securities, up $5.2 billion from year-end 2019. Debt, including Global Financing debt of $21.9 billion, totaled $64.7 billion.

Segment results reflect growing adoption of IBM's hybrid cloud platform while clients continue to shift priorities to preserve cash and maintain operational stability.

Consolidated diluted earnings per share was $2.83 compared to $4.58, down 38 percent year to year. Consolidated net income was $2.5 billion, down 38 percent year to year. Revenues for the six-month period ended June 30, 2020 totaled $35.7 billion, a decrease of 4 percent year to year (down 1 percent adjusting for divested businesses and currency) compared with $37.3 billion for the first six months of 2019.

“Our prudent financial management in these turbulent times enabled us to expand our gross profit margin, generate strong free cash flow and improve our liquidity position," said James Kavanaugh, IBM senior vice president and chief financial officer. "We have the financial flexibility to continue to invest in our business and return value to our shareholders through our dividend policy.”

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Executive Mosaic Launches GovConWire Events; 2020 Business Development Trends Forum Coming on Aug 27th
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Executive Mosaic Launches GovConWire Events; 2020 Business Development Trends Forum Coming on Aug 27th

After almost two decades of success hosting events and keeping the government contracting (GovCon) community woven together and informed on the latest developments in the industry.  Through Potomac Officers Club (POC), Executive Mosaic has launched ‘GovConWire Events’ to continue our mission of connecting executives to each other.

Our mission is to enable GovCon professionals across the country to receive the knowledge and expertise needed to remain current with the evolving GovCon marketplace, technology, and government leaders of consequence as well as build an organization dedicated to teaching and empowering executives across the country.

Beyond that, we want to weave together a fabric of interactive participation and partnering among the smaller and midsize contractors and provide access to some of the very best government speakers and government contracting speakers available in today’s market.

GovConWire hosted its first event on June 30th during the ‘How to Increase Cybersecurity and Return on Investment of Existing PIV Infrastructure for Cross-Agency Encryption’ Webinar.

Our first of many virtual events featured keynote speakers from across the industry, including Dr. Chris Edwards chief technology officer (CTO) of Intercede, Kyle Neuman, managing director of SAFE Identity; Sam Andoni, founder and president of Zeva Inc., Jeff Nigriny, president and founder of Certipath and Mike Horkey, founder and CEO of Tru-Concepts LLC, as the webinar’s moderator.

GovConWire Events also offers the chance to rewatch the webinar in case you missed the initial event on June 30th. Click here to register and watch the ‘How to Increase Cybersecurity and Return on Investment of Existing PIV Infrastructure for Cross-Agency Encryption’ Webinar.

GovConWire will host its next virtual webinar on Aug. 27th with the 2020 GovCon Business Development Forum featuring Stephanie Shutt, director of GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule Program Management Office (PMO) as the keynote speaker.

The webinar will also feature a full expert panel with Frank Kelley, vice president of Defense Acquisition University (DAU), as one of the panelists. GovConWire will announced more expert panelists from across the federal government in the weeks leading up to the webinar.

Click here to register for GovConWire’s 2020 GovCon Business Development Forum on Aug. 27th to dive into current BD trends, tips for securing contracts and FY2021 federal budget projections.

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Kevin Cox: CDM Program Helps Pandemic Response Agencies Improve Network Visibility
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Kevin Cox: CDM Program Helps Pandemic Response Agencies Improve Network Visibility

Kevin Cox, manager of the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program, said the program is working with the federal agencies involved in vaccine research and other COVID-19 pandemic response efforts to help them improve their data protection and network visibility, FedScoop reported Tuesday.

“We’re helping to ensure they have a better understanding of what their networks look like – everything that’s connected,” Cox said. “If they don’t know what’s on their network, they can’t protect it.”

He said the CDM program is helping the Small Business Administration (SBA) and other agencies tasked with administering loans to companies impacted by the health crisis counter cyber issues by enhancing their network visibility.

Cox noted that the program is also aiding agencies to address security gaps related to telework arrangement.

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GSA’s Allen Hill on Transition to EIS Telecom Contract
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GSA’s Allen Hill on Transition to EIS Telecom Contract

Allen Hill, acting deputy assistant commissioner at the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), said the transition to the potential 15-year, $50 billion Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) contract for telecommunications and information technology services is now underway at GSA, Federal News Network reported Tuesday.

“We have 208 solicitations that are expected right now,” Hill told the network in an interview. “That’s 45 out of 208 Fair Opportunities, of which 29 have had task orders by large agencies, 14 of those by medium agencies, and two of them are small agencies.”

Hill said GSA wants to be proactive when it comes to addressing agencies’ technology requirements by constantly working with vendors and has seen a wider pool of contractors and an increase in competition as more agencies shift to EIS. He also shared his insights on the EIS transition.

“We need to modernize our network. And if you’re going to use cloud technology, you need to create a network that works with the cloud, Hill said. "So we’re trying to be the enablers for them, to not have to be concerned about what those technologies are and making sure that EIS is continuously able to deliver modernized capabilities for the agencies. EIS is more of the new way of how telecommunications should be done.”

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DoD Legislative Chief Robert Hood to Step Down
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DoD Legislative Chief Robert Hood to Step Down

Robert Hood, assistant secretary for legislative affairs at the Department of Defense (DoD), will step down from his post on Friday, July 24th, Foreign Policy reported Monday.

Hood is responsible for arranging calls between the White House nominees and senators to address issues prior to confirmation hearings, responding to lawmakers’ questions and scheduling nominees for such hearings, according to former Senate aides.

Hood’s resignation will leave the department without a legislative chief to help get eight nominees for civilian positions at DoD through the confirmation process. Anthony Tata, the Trump administration’s pick for the role of undersecretary of defense for policy, is set to appear before a Senate confirmation hearing next week.

Hood previously served as a special assistant to President George W. Bush in the office of legislative affairs, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs, director of congressional affairs at the National Nuclear Security Administration and senior legislative assistant to House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Prior to his current post at the Pentagon, Hood was with CH2M as vice president for government affairs.

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Army NETCOM Pilots Zero-Trust Cybersecurity
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Army NETCOM Pilots Zero-Trust Cybersecurity

Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM) has tested the use of a cloud-based zero-trust environment for boosted cybersecurity.

ETCOM launched a pilot program to demonstrate the zero-trust security approach in Microsoft Office 365, the Army said Monday. The zero-trust approach would require devices to undergo authentication before linking to the Army's network.

“We stood up a team that’s actually trying to implement a zero-trust environment using an MS365 environment that’s going to help inform our zero-trust architecture,” said Patrick Dedham, deputy to NETCOM's commander.

Dedham added that his command would need a zero-trust architecture based on the Department of Defense Information Network to facilitate secure access from anywhere. NETCOM has assumed additional responsibilities with the turnover of daily network operations from Army Cyber Command last month.

NETCOM operates a facility at Arizona-based Fort Huachuca where the Army's DoDIN segment is handled.

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DOE Unveils $64M Funding Opportunity for Hydrogen R&D Projects
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DOE Unveils $64M Funding Opportunity for Hydrogen R&D Projects

The Department of Energy (DOE) has earmarked $64 million in funds to finance 18 projects that aim to explore and drive the wide-scale production and usage of hydrogen in the U.S. 

The projects will focus on the production of electrolyzers and the development of high-strength carbon fiber for hydrogen storage tanks, DOE said Monday.

The efforts will also look to identify durable fuel-cell systems and parts for medium and heavy-duty trucks. DOE seeks to spur demonstrations of large-scale hydrogen usage and develop a training program for fuel cells workforce through the investment.

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U.S. Army Allots New Funds for Tactical Network Prototyping
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U.S. Army Allots New Funds for Tactical Network Prototyping

The U.S. Army plans to use newly allocated funds for prototyping activities in support of the service's tactical network, C4ISRnet reported Monday.

Justine Ruggio, communications director of the Army’s Network Cross-Functional Team, said the CFT secured almost $30 million for prototyping investments in the current fiscal year. The Army seeks low-Earth orbit satellites to boost the bandwidth for certain capability sets.

Michael Breckenridge, an official from a technology-focused office within the Army, said his team is working with industry to determine what future investments can be made in LEO constellations.

Breckenridge is the acting associate director at the Office of Science and Technology within Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Surveillance and Reconnaissance or C5ISR Center.

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