A team from Dyess Air Force Base teamed up with civilian software developers to build a training facility that houses augmented and virtual reality technology capacities.

The C-130 Hercules virtual reality laboratory features an adjacent classroom, 16 training stations and a learning curriculum that will allow airmen to train and become eligible for mission-based tasks, the U.S. Air Force said Tuesday.

Senior Master Sgt. Ronald Cooney, maintenance operations flight superintendent at the 317th Maintenance Group, said the lab employs a direct feedback system that gauges trainees' performance based on their understanding of various concepts.

The 317th MXG is set to incorporate software tools that will help students study Roll Royce-built engines that propel C-130J Super Hercules units. The squadron also eyes training 250 airmen in the facility.

USAF noted it seeks to develop VR and AR training technologies to help aviators and aircraft maintenance personnel.

Brig. Gen. Robert Collins, the U.S. Army’s program executive officer (PEO) for Command, Control and Communications – Tactical (C3T), has said the service branch’s tactical space intelligence program is a “significant focus area” in its modernization goals.

Collins told C4ISRnet in an interview published Tuesday that the Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node (TITAN) initiative is aimed at establishing a scalable and integrated ground station to support multi-domain operations across the battlefield. 

He said he envisions the TITAN system to leverage terrestrial sensors, artificial intelligence and machine learning to generate actionable data and support a multilayered approach to space defense.

According to Collins, the Army has been making progress in related efforts such as the Terrestrial Layer System for missile defense and is looking to continue training activities for the TITAN infrastructure. Speaking on the Army’s acquisition reforms, Collins said that concepts such as other transaction authorities helped the service rapidly scale technologies and apply engineering changes.

"I think there’s a lot of flexibility and we’re starting to do our critical thinking to decide how we approach each acquisition, because each acquisition and capability is unique," he said.

The PEO’s comments come after Derek Tournear, director of the Space Development Agency (SDA), said the Army is the agency’s biggest partner in efforts to establish a multilayered space defense layer.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released a fact sheet on telephony denial of service attacks (TDoS) and how stakeholders can prevent these threats from disrupting public safety operations. CISA said Tuesday that TDoS attacks are meant to overload the networks of emergency communications facilities such as 911 dispatch centers through various attack vectors.

The guide, titled “Cyber Risks to 911: Telephony Denial of Service”, provides details on such vectors including botnets, manipulated landline phones, compromised private messaging and mobile phone-based breaches. The fact sheet additionally covers real-life TDoS scenarios and highlights best practices to help agencies prevent TDoS attacks.

CISA’s guide comes after the release of its white paper titled “Cyber Risks to Next Generation 9-1-1” that focuses on strengthening the security posture of emergency communications centers as well as public safety answering points.

Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Tom Carper, D-Del., have issued a report stating that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should conduct more stringent foreign ownership reviews with a specific focus on Chinese telecommunications carriers. 

Portman’s office said Tuesday that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) report found that FCC had “little to no oversight” of Chinese government-owned telecom providers that operated in the U.S. since the 2000s. Portman is PSI’s chairman while Carper serves as a ranking member.

“Our bipartisan report reveals how little oversight has been done of Chinese telecommunications carriers that operate here in the United States,” said Sen. Carper. “The work Senator Portman and I have done at PSI over the years has revealed how the Chinese government has launched cyber-attacks against our businesses and government agencies and worked to get ahead militarily and economically with stolen American research and intellectual property."

PSI conducted a yearlong investigation of FCC and the "Team Telecom," an informal group comprised of officials from the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Defense, following reports that China routinely enacted cyberattacks and exploited the U.S. education and scientific research sectors.

The Chinese government largely exercises control over its telecom industry and engages in espionage through the firms’ access to U.S. physical and logical network control points, according to Portman and Carper’s report.

The report recommends the FCC to establish clear procedures for revoking authorizations for foreign carriers and the Trump administration to provide sufficient resources and statutory authorities to Team Telecom.

PSI's audit comes two months after FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said that Team Telecom’s creation will help streamline the vetting of foreign telecom carriers.

Rimini Street has announced that The Iyo Bank has switched to Rimini Street for support of its Oracle Database system to reduce cost and resources, Rimini Street reported on Wednesday.

“We were impressed by the cost benefits of Rimini Street’s third-party support, which will allow us to continue to maximize our database system for many years to come with no required upgrades, and as a result, we expect a much higher return on our database software investment,” said Shota Yano, IT department manager at The Iyo Bank.

The Iyo Bank will utilize the savings to accelerate the development of innovation projects to improve their customers’ experience. Rimini Street will help the bank maintain its existing Oracle Database system at a significantly lower cost and avoid system upgrade costs to save costs and internal resources.

“We first started using Rimini Street’s third-party support service for our loan support system, and despite facing complex issues, we were satisfied with their quick and accurate responses, so we decided to expand the scope,” continued Yano.

Rimini Street will provide high-quality support for core systems and mission-critical databases. The Iyo Bank has worked to transform its IT department to enhance system development to one, using ICT technologies. Through the partnership with Rimini Street, The Iyo Bank will increase the satisfaction of existing customers and acquire new members.

The Iyo Bank will formulate and implement a business-driven roadmap through Rimini Street’s ultra-responsive, high-quality support for their current Oracle Database as well as help The Iyo Bank’s drive savings toward the implementation of digital initiatives.

“The cost savings and benefits of using Rimini Street can be achieved in the complex and regulated banking industry, where reliability is essential,” said Yorio Wakisaka, regional general manager, Nihon Rimini Street KK. “We look forward to contributing to The Iyo Bank’s new initiatives, whose management stance is ‘Offering the best service and being worthy of people’s trust,’ through our high-quality support and services.”

About Rimini Street, Inc.

Rimini Street, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMNI) is a global provider of enterprise software products and services, the leading third-party support provider for Oracle and SAP software products and a Salesforce partner.

The Company offers premium, ultra-responsive and integrated application management and support services that enable enterprise software licensees to save significant costs, free up resources for innovation and achieve better business outcomes. Nearly 2,100 global Fortune 500, midmarket, public sector and other organizations from a broad range of industries rely on Rimini Street as their trusted application enterprise software products and services provider