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DoD Officials Testify Before Senate Panel Over FCC Decision on Ligado Application
Published on
DoD Officials Testify Before Senate Panel Over FCC Decision on Ligado Application
DoD Officials Testify Before Senate Panel Over FCC Decision on Ligado Application

Officials with the Department of Defense (DoD) appeared Wednesday before the Senate Armed Service Committee to oppose the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) approval of Ligado’s application to use the L-band spectrum to field a 5G network, citing its potential risk to GPS networks, CNBC reported Wednesday.

“Ligado and 5G simply do not go together. It is clear to the DoD that the risk to GPS far outweighs the benefits of this FCC decision and the FCC needs to reverse their decision,” said Dana Deasy, chief information officer of DoD and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner.

Gen. John Raymond, chief of space operations within the Space Force and a 2020 Wash100 Awardee, also responded to the Senate panel’s question about the significance of GPS to military operations. “It’s the DNA of our way of war. It’s systemic in everything that we do,” he said.

Michael Griffin, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering and a two-time Wash100 Award recipient, also joined Deasy and Raymond during the Senate committee hearing.

About Wash100

This year represents our sixth annual Wash100 Award selection. The Wash100 is the premier group of private and public sector leaders selected by Executive Mosaic’s organizational and editorial leadership as the most influential leaders in the GovCon sector. These leaders demonstrate skills in leadership, innovation, achievement, and vision.

Visit the Wash100 site to learn about the other 99 winners of the 2020 Wash100 Award. On the site, you can submit your 10 votes for the GovCon executives of consequence that you believe will have the most significant impact in 2020.

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Jennifer Santos: DoD Sees Uptick in Adversarial Capital in US Tech Firms
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Jennifer Santos: DoD Sees Uptick in Adversarial Capital in US Tech Firms
Jennifer Santos
Jennifer Santos

Jennifer Santos, deputy assistant secretary of defense for industrial policy, said the Department of Defense (DoD) has witnessed a rise in “adversarial capital” in U.S. technology companies, including small drone providers, during the coronavirus pandemic, C4ISRNET reported Wednesday.

“In general terms, there has been of an uptick, but it’s always been pretty high,” Santos said Wednesday during the C4ISRNET Conference.

She noted about the dominance of foreign companies in the small unmanned aerial systems sector and said that Chinese companies control 97 percent of the market.

Santos said DoD has seen an increase in the number of shady foreign investments it is monitoring since expanding reviews of such investments in February through the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

“We simply cannot afford during this period of economic uncertainty the loss of American know-how in critical tech,” she added.

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Marine Corps Receives Lockheed-Made Helicopter Training Tool
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Marine Corps Receives Lockheed-Made Helicopter Training Tool
Marine Corps Receives Lockheed-Made Helicopter Training Tool

Lockheed Martin has delivered a new training device for the U.S. Marine Corps intends to use with the CH-53K King Stallion helicopter. The Containerized Flight Training Device is designed to simulate operational environments with a realistic cockpit display, Naval Air Systems Command said Friday.

The program office for H-53 heavy-lift helicopters received the device on April 14. Lockheed partnered with Veraxx to develop the CFTD technology that also allows for integrated use with other simulator systems.

The Center for Naval Aviation Technology Training plans to gather CFTD and other upcoming training devices for the helicopter. Succeeding devices, the Helicopter Emulation and Composite Maintenance Trainers, will follow CFTD as part of a new set of CH-53K training tools this year.

USMC expects the helicopter to achieve initial operational capability in 2023 or 2024.

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DARPA Science Office to Host Proposer’s Webinar in June
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DARPA Science Office to Host Proposer’s Webinar in June
DARPA Science Office to Host Proposer’s Webinar in June

An office within the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will sponsor a webinar event that aims to engage with industry on certain scientific and technical interests.

The Defense Sciences Office (DSO) invites potential proposers to take part in the Discover DSO Day or D3 webinar from June 24 to 25 and learn more about DSO's areas of interest, DARPA said Monday.

“The goal of D3 is to familiarize attendees with DSO’s mission, provide an overview of the latest office-wide broad agency announcement solicitation scheduled for release in June and facilitate dialogue between our program managers and participants,” said Valerie Browning, director at DSO.

DSO's highlighted topics include computation, mathematics, sensor limits, complex social systems and emerging technologies. The science-focused office works to pursue research across a wide range of technical disciplines.

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David Lewis, Ellen Lord Talk DoD Efforts to Ensure Industrial Base Stability
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David Lewis, Ellen Lord Talk DoD Efforts to Ensure Industrial Base Stability
David Lewis, Ellen Lord Talk DoD Efforts to Ensure Industrial Base Stability

Vice Adm. David Lewis, director of the Defense Contract Management Agency and former 2018 Wash100 Award winner, said his office is working to support affected contractors amid the current health crisis, DoD News reported Tuesday.

Lewis noted that DCMA is increasing progress payment rates to 90 percent and 95 percent for large firms and small businesses, respectively. The move has generated over $3.3 billion in the defense industrial base, he said.

"There are about 1,500 contracts that [DCMA] pays every couple of weeks based on the progress that they've done," added Lewis. "They don't have to deliver a product. It's such an expensive thing that we pay them incrementally as they build it."

Lewis’ comments come after Ellen Lord, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment and fellow four-time Wash100 Award winner, announced that the Department of Defense (DoD) is monitoring the industrial base to ensure their capacity to “maintain readiness and drive modernization".

According to Lord, the DoD is working with prime contractors in efforts to accelerate supplier payments. She also commended Lockheed Martin in its efforts to expedite $450 million in payments to the company's supply chain.

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DoD Removes CMMC Requirement for COTS Suppliers; Katie Arrington Quoted
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DoD Removes CMMC Requirement for COTS Suppliers; Katie Arrington Quoted
Katie Arrington
Katie Arrington

The Department of Defense (DoD) has revised the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program to remove the certification requirement for suppliers of commercial-off-the-shelf products, FedScoop reported Tuesday.

The CMMC website previously stated that all DoD contractors must achieve certification regardless of whether they process controlled unclassified information or not.

Katie Arrington, chief information security officer for defense acquisition and sustainment and 2020 Wash100 Award winner, told the publication in an email that the revision serves as “a clarification based on the existing rule.”

Arrington’s comments come after the DoD selected the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop requirements for independent assessors responsible for vetting contractors.

The DoD intends to require contractors to meet five levels of cybersecurity maturity as part of the CMMC program. Plans are in place to integrate the framework into all defense contracts by 2026.

According to FedScoop’s report, the recent revision took place between March 19 and April 11.

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CISA, UK Counterpart Release Updated COVID-19 Cybersecurity Advisory
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CISA, UK Counterpart Release Updated COVID-19 Cybersecurity Advisory
CISA, UK Counterpart Release Updated COVID-19 Cybersecurity Advisory

The U.S. and U.K. have issued an updated joint statement warning the public of advanced persistent threat groups seeking to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic to enact cyber crimes.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and U.K. National Cyber Security Centre cited updates to ongoing APT activities that frequently target organizations involved in COVID-19 response including local governments, pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions and international healthcare bodies.

CISA and NCC noted that APT groups tend to collect personal information, intelligence and intellectual property that “aligns with national priorities” including COVID-19 research.

The joint statement comes after both agencies released an advisory in April calling on the public to remain vigilant of malicious actors that conduct crimes such as phishing scams to exploit public anxieties over the pandemic.

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Soraya Correa, DHS Chief Procurement Officer, to Give Keynote Address at Potomac Officers Club’s 2020 Procurement Virtual Forum on June 9th
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Soraya Correa, DHS Chief Procurement Officer, to Give Keynote Address at Potomac Officers Club’s 2020 Procurement Virtual Forum on June 9th
Soraya Correa, DHS Chief Procurement Officer, to Give Keynote Address at Potomac Officers Club’s 2020 Procurement Virtual Forum on June 9th

Soraya Correa, chief procurement officer of the Department of Homeland Security, will serve as the opening keynote speaker during Potomac Officers Club’s 2020 Procurement Virtual Forum on Tuesday, June 9th. Register here for POC’s  2020 Procurement Virtual Forum.

Correa oversees the work of nine heads of Contracting Activity that provide operational procurement services to DHS components, directorates and offices. She has initiated and led several key efforts designed to improve DHS procurement workforce focuses as a team and find the right solutions to enable and support the DHS mission. 

These efforts include the Acquisition Innovations in Motion (AIiM) framework, such as the Procurement Innovation Lab (PIL), Education, Development, Growth and Excellence (EDGE) mentoring program.

Additionally, Correa has continued to grow and enhance efforts including the Homeland Security Acquisition Institute, the Acquisition Professional Career Program, the Strategic Sourcing Program Office, and Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. 

During her keynote address, she will discuss the short term and long term strategies, acquisition innovation initiatives, commercial items acquisition, workforce initiatives, technology modernization and collaboration between government and industry.

Join the Potomac Officers Club for our Procurement Virtual Forum. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to hear public and private sector leaders discuss how procurement has evolved and will continue to change with the times.

Register here for Potomac Officers Club’s 2020 Procurement Forum on Tuesday, June 9th.

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Axiologic Solutions Names Andy Baratta as President to Lead BD and Drive Growth;
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Axiologic Solutions Names Andy Baratta as President to Lead BD and Drive Growth;

Axiologic Solutions Names Andy Baratta as President to Lead BD and Drive Growth;

Axiologic Solutions has appointed Andy Baratta, former vice president of ManTech, as president of the company to lead business development and drive growth, Axiologic reported on Wednesday.

“Working together and closely collaborating with our customers and partners, we look forward to leveraging our team’s successful past performance and specialized experience in highly sensitive programs to create more effective and highly secure IT and program solutions for a broader array of customers throughout the intelligence community,” said Tom Stauber, co-founder and managing partner at Axiologic Solutions.

With Axiologic, Baratta will lead business development and drive a continued growth strategy for the company, which has continued to expand over the past decade and will push for future growth into the industry’s mid-tier.

Baratta will bring nearly 25 years of experience in delivering IT and engineering solutions to serve federal customers supporting the national security mission of the nation to Axiologic. He has a deep knowledge of the intelligence community.

“Andy shares our intense commitment to serving our country’s national security mission, and we’re excited to have him join our leadership team as we enter our next phase of corporate growth,” added Stauber.

Most recently, he served as chief operating officer of Data Analytic Solutions Inc. following his eight year tenure with ManTech, where he served as vice president. At ManTech, Baratta led the Intelligence Mission Solutions division. He was also vice president of the national security practice and a former director at Worldwide Information Network Systems (WINS) before the company was acquired by ManTech in 2011.

As director of WINS, Baratta drove business development and the closings of new service engagements. He also managed over $5 million in IT services contracts and thirty personnel on various government contracts. Baratta also coordinated proposals and statement of work and contract compliance monitoring and reports.

He developed the company’s workforce, ensured career development and enhanced performance and appraisals. Baratta managed the delivery of professional services and was responsible for client satisfaction, account revenue growth and overall business profitability.

Prior to WINS, Baratta had a 12-year career at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), where he served multiple roles, most recently as the division chief for the organization’s solutions engineering and infrastructure division. He worked to secure the U.S. national security mission.

Baratta holds two master’s degrees, including a Master of Science in computer science from American University and a Master of Business Administration in management information systems from Duquesne University. He earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.

“I’ve been impressed already by the Axiologic team,” said Baratta. “We have huge opportunities to leverage our internal insights and capabilities to address the critical, time-sensitive needs of federal customers, and I look forward to helping create that success.”

About Axiologic Solutions

Axiologic Solutions provides strategically focused systems engineering and information technology solutions that solve the most challenging problems for defense, intelligence and other federal government communities. Axiologic’s analytical and disciplined approach moves government forward by creating unique solutions that improve current infrastructure and strategic operations, resulting in greater organizational efficiency and effectiveness.

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Amentum, IFS Partner To Optimize Technology Offerings for Mission-Critical Customers; Ronald Hahn Quoted
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Amentum, IFS Partner To Optimize Technology Offerings for Mission-Critical Customers; Ronald Hahn Quoted
Amentum, IFS Partner To Optimize Technology Offerings for Mission-Critical Customers; Ronald Hahn Quoted

IFS has partnered with Amentum to integrate IFS Applications into Amentum's solutions for its clients in the government and aerospace and defense sectors, IFS announced on Wednesday. 

“As extensive users of the IFS suite, we are excited to offer our customers this advanced platform for supply chain management to help them realize similar transformational business benefits,” said Ron Hahn Amentum’s Executive Vice President of Strategic Growth. 

Amentum's federal clients include the Department of Defense (DoD), Air Force, Army, Navy, Department of State (DoS), U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), Department of Treasury (DoT), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in addition to the company’s commercial clients.

Amentum has supported critical programs of national significance in areas including nuclear and environment, mission support and sustainment, threat mitigation, mission assurance and strategic capabilities engineering in critical infrastructures, both in the U.S. and abroad. 

“Through our strategic partnership with IFS, we are bringing new solutions to our government customers in defense and energy, as well as our commercial customers at locations around the world. These capabilities will differentiate us in the marketplace and enable our customers to achieve new efficiencies by applying this powerful technology to solve their unique and complex challenges,” added Hahn.

IFS capabilities will be integrated within the Amentum’s SupplyTRACSM solution. With the integration, Amentum will provide customers with leading-edge functionality for supply chain optimization, asset management, predictive maintenance and procurement. 

Amentum SupplyTRACSM is currently being leveraged as a comprehensive, integrated platform with numerous opportunities with the U.S. Government. Amentum has been using IFS Applications internally since 2018 for supply chain management.

“This new relationship with Amentum will bring the capabilities of IFS and SupplyTRACSM to federal government and private clients globally. IFS has a long and successful track record of supporting organizations to meet stringent industry requirements.  The IFS Applications protect sensitive and classified information and meet complex government contract requirements,” Scott Helmer, president, IFS Aerospace & Defense added.

About Amentum

Amentum is a premier global technical and engineering services partner supporting critical programs of national significance across defense, security, intelligence, energy, and environment. We draw from a century-old heritage of operational excellence, mission focus, and successful execution underpinned by a strong culture of safety and ethics.

Headquartered in Germantown, Md., we employ more than 20,000 people in 48 states and 28 foreign countries and territories. Visit us at amentum.com to explore how we deliver excellence for our customers’ most vital missions.

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