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Intelligent Waves Partners with Wire to Advance Government Solutions; Tony Lam, John Hammes Quoted
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Intelligent Waves Partners with Wire to Advance Government Solutions; Tony Lam, John Hammes Quoted

Intelligent Waves has entered into a value-added reseller (VAR) partnership with Wire to customize Intelligent Waves’ IT solutions with Wire’s platform, including end-to-end encrypted messenger, voice, video conference calls and file sharing for federal government agencies with mission-critical security requirements. 

“Intelligent Waves has a proven track record in providing robust and secure communications – particularly to the federal sector,” said Tony Lam, VP, Global Systems Integrators and Partnerships at Wire. “This partnership ensures we deliver a customized, comprehensive and security-first solution for even the most complex IT environments.”

Wire has assured that all agency intelligence, sensitive files and other information remain solely in the hands of the government departments. Intelligent Waves will integrate Wire alongside Hypori, its military-grade security, zero-footprint technology, to enhance its secure mobile solutions suite that will support 100 percent separation of personal and corporate data and scalable, security-first infrastructure.

Intelligent Waves’ Federal Solutions Group has consolidated system integration expertise with trusted value-added reseller (VAR) partnerships to offer customized hardware and software-based services to meet the government’s complex IT requirements. 

“Wire will allow us further to leverage our Research and Integration Division (RaID), to rapidly deploy Intelligent Waves’ dedicated team of highly-skilled expert engineers to solve the most complex mobility problems and collaborate with clients at our Innovation Center (IWIC),” John Hammes, senior director of Innovation R&D at Intelligent Waves, LLC, said.

Intelligent Waves’ technical expertise in deployed environments has enabled it to provide cost-effective, turnkey solutions that organizations cannot get from a traditional IT company or equipment reseller.

Hypori will enable secure “bring your own device” (BYOD) an offering for the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Intelligence Community (IC). Hypori, an agentless virtual mobile infrastructure (VMI) solution, will leave no data at rest on an end-user physical device. 

By combining BYOD with “company owned/personally enabled” (COPE) capability, Hypori has been established as CSfC certified for classified usage, as well as addressed security gaps associated with MDM solutions.

“We are excited to add Wire to our highly-secure collaboration solutions portfolio. Our federal agency clients will benefit from our new capability to integrate Wire along with Hypori, to meet the mission-critical security requirements,” added Hammes

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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GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service Seeks Input on Section 876 Authority Implementation
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GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service Seeks Input on Section 876 Authority Implementation

The General Services Administration’s (GSA) Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) is requesting feedback to inform how it will implement an authority in the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act that will evaluate price only at the task order level to improve competition.

Mark Lee, assistant commissioner of the office of policy and compliance at FAS, wrote in a blog posted Tuesday the ASTRO contract vehicle will be the first procurement effort to use the Section 876 authority and “an assisted acquisition on behalf of the Department of Defense.”

GSA issued in late August a solicitation for the ASTRO contract to research, develop, maintain and support manned, optionally manned and unmanned systems and robotics.

Comments on the advance notice of proposed rulemaking for the implementation of Section 876 are due Sept. 19.

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OMB Opens Interim IT Supply Chain Risk Evaluation Rule for Public Comments
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OMB Opens Interim IT Supply Chain Risk Evaluation Rule for Public Comments

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published in the Federal Register Tuesday an interim final rule outlining how the Federal Acquisition Security Council (FASC) will assess risk information and recommend the issuance of exclusion or removal orders for information technology products that pose supply chain security risks.

The rule states that FASC should carry out “due diligence” to determine if the data is credible and consult with the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) to ensure that recommended orders are aligned with federal guidelines and standards.

The secretaries of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the director of National Intelligence (DNI) will assess the recommendation and risk information to determine if issuing an exclusion or removal order is warranted.

The document also designates DHS as the agency for information sharing tasked with establishing a supply chain risk management and information sharing task force as part of the council.

Comments on the interim rule are due Nov. 2.

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Chad Sbragia: China Projected to Double Nuclear Warhead Stockpile Over Next 10 Years
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Chad Sbragia: China Projected to Double Nuclear Warhead Stockpile Over Next 10 Years

Chad Sbragia, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for China, said the nation plans to develop its own “nuclear triad” and is expected to increase its number of nuclear warheads twofold over the next decade, DoD News reported Tuesday.

"The report does contend that there are currently an estimated low-200s in terms of warhead stockpiles, and it's projected to at least double in size over the next decade as China expands and modernizes its nuclear forces," Sbragia said of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) report "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2020” at the American Enterprise Institute.

He noted that China intends to expand its fleet of ballistic submarines, deploy more sea-launched ballistic missiles and mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles and finish the development of its air-launched, nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.

Sbragia added the East Asian country aims to transform its army into a “world-class military” by 2050 and one aspect of advancing that is through power projection.

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AFRL Launches Quantum Tech Accelerator, Innovation Center
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AFRL Launches Quantum Tech Accelerator, Innovation Center

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has opened an innovation hub for quantum research and development in Rome, N.Y., and is partnering with the academe on a competitive program focused on the emerging concept.

AFRL said Monday the Innovare Advancement Center comes as part of a collaborative effort led by AFRL’s Information Directorate and will support the lab’s “Million Dollar International Quantum U Tech Accelerator” program.

The lab received over 250 proposals for the tech accelerator and selected 36 teams to pitch their concepts involving quantum sensing, timing, computing, information processing, networking and communications during the virtual event. Eighteen teams will compete for over $1 million in prizes during the final selection phase which will take place from Sept. 1 to 3rd.

Will Roper, Air Force Assistant Secretary
Will Roper, Air Force Assistant Secretary

According to AFRL, noncompetitors are also invited to take part in a keynote speech by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and Will Roper, assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics at the Air Force and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner.

The global event includes support from sponsors such as the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).

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Navy Gets New Ship-to-Shore Landing Craft from Textron
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Navy Gets New Ship-to-Shore Landing Craft from Textron

The U.S. Navy has received a new Textron-made landing craft designed to perform amphibious and on-shore transport operations. The new Ship to Shore Connector Landing Craft Air Cushion 101 (SSC LCAC 101) will deploy from amphibious ships and bring weapons, cargo, personnel and other deliverables to shore environments, Naval Sea Systems Command said Friday.

The new landing craft can transport up to 70 tons of payload from ships to the beach. The Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey conducted acceptance trials that preceded LCAC 101's delivery.

“Our next generation surface connectors are going to significantly enhance the Navy and Marine Corps team’s capability to execute missions – from humanitarian assistance to amphibious assault,” said Capt. Cedric McNeal, amphibious warfare program manager at NAVSEA's Program Executive Office Ships.

Textron also designed LCAC 101 to be compatible with older LCACs employed by the Navy.

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Justin Johnson Named Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for DoD’s Space Policy
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Justin Johnson Named Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for DoD’s Space Policy

Justin Johnson, who is a senior member of the staff for Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, has been appointed to serve as deputy assistant secretary of defense for Space Policy on an acting basis, Air Force Magazine said Monday.

Johnson succeeds Stephen Kitay who recently stepped down after three years in the role and 18 years in the public sector.

In his new role, Johnson will help DoD identify military assets that would be transitioned to the U.S. Space Force. The newly appointed acting space policy head advised Esper on defense matters including management and reform.

His DoD career also includes work as a special assistant to the deputy secretary of defense. Johnson also served as a legislative director and defense policy adviser for the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Gen. Charles Brown: Air Force Must Accelerate Partnerships, Joint All-Domain Efforts
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Gen. Charles Brown: Air Force Must Accelerate Partnerships, Joint All-Domain Efforts

Gen. Charles Brown, chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, is urging the service branch to accelerate efforts to exploit the air domain through collaborations with the Department of Defense (DoD), Congress and industry. 

Brown told attendees in a recent media roundtable that his strategic approach, titled “Accelerate Change or Lose”, requires the Air Force to partner with key stakeholders including traditional and emerging companies to “streamline processes and incentivize intelligent risk-taking,” the Air Force said Monday.

He added that the service must take steps to mitigate threats from peer competitors like Russia and China while increasing focus on the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) program.

“While we have made progress, our Airmen need us to integrate and accelerate the changes necessary to explore new operational concepts and bring more rapidly the capabilities that will help them in the future fights,” Brown said in the document.

“To be successful, the U.S. Air Force must continue its future design work and accelerate the evolution and application of its operational concepts and force structure to optimize its contribution to Joint All Domain Operations.”

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NASA Enters Assembly, Testing Phase of Lucy Asteroid Exploration Mission
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NASA Enters Assembly, Testing Phase of Lucy Asteroid Exploration Mission

NASA has completed the requirements needed to move forward with the production and testing of a mission to study the Trojan asteroids near Jupiter. The space agency said Friday its Lucy mission, under the Discovery Program, has reached the Key Decision Point-D milestone and may now move forward to components delivery, assembly, integration and testing activities.

Lucy's spacecraft bus will undergo completion and integration with science instruments under the next phase before delivery to  NASA's Florida-based Kennedy Space Center.

"We now have a spacecraft structure in the Lockheed Martin high bay and a team ready to install the instruments and components," said Donya Douglas-Bradshaw, project manager for Lucy at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

A team at Lockheed Martin's Colorado-based space unit already commenced work on Lucy's assembly, testing and launch operations. Lucy will undergo a mission operation review in October 2020, for NASA to verify the spacecraft's operational readiness.

NASA expects to conclude testing by July 2021, with the launch scheduled for October 16, 2021.

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GAO: SSA Must Determine Clear Roles for Officials Handling ‘Agile’ Software Dev’t Contracts
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GAO: SSA Must Determine Clear Roles for Officials Handling ‘Agile’ Software Dev’t Contracts

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that the Social Security Administration (SSA) should identify clear roles for contracting personnel that handle acquisition activities for software development efforts.

GAO said in a report released Monday that SSA has been executing Agile approaches for information technology modernization programs since 2015.

The GAO Agile Assessment Guide requires agencies to develop acquisition policies that determine clear roles for contracting officials working on Agile-based development projects due to such initiatives’ need for different approaches, according to the watchdog.

SSA needs to revise its acquisition guidance to specify the roles of contracting personnel involved in Agile procedures. Doing so will “better position SSA to achieve its IT modernization goals and provide appropriate levels of oversight,” GAO noted.

 From fiscal years 2015 to 2019, SSA allocated 65 percent of its $8.3 billion contract obligations for IT goods and services, according to the report.

GAO: SSA Must Determine Clear Roles for Officials Handling 'Agile' Software Dev't Contracts

If you missed Thursday’s event, check out Potomac Officers Club’s Event Archive to rewatch Secure IT Modernization in Today’s Environment virtual event right here.

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