The U.S. Army intends to facilitate a “shoot-off” exercise to determine the capacity of the service’s potential indirect fires protection systems to defeat cruise missiles, unmanned aircraft, rockets and other weapons, Defense News reported Monday.

In a report to Congress, the Army detailed plans to test IFPC Increment 2 capabilities at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. 

The IFPC system is meant to protect semi-fixed or fixed assets against threats like subsonic and supersonic cruise missiles as well as unmanned aerial systems, the report noted. The platform should also be suited for mobility and integration with Sentinel radars and the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System. 

According to the report, the competition will consist of two phases to “reduce program risk, while considering cost and schedule parameters.”

Previously, the Army acquired two Iron Dome batteries jointly built by Raytheon and Israeli firm Rafael to temporarily address needs for cruise missile defense.

The U.S. Navy has commissioned Expeditionary Sea Base Hershel "Woody" Williams as a naval warship, shifting the vessel's role from a Military Sealift Command unit. The recommissioning changes the ship's designation from USNS to USS, the U.S. Marine Corps said Monday.

Hershel Woodrow Williams, a retired USMC officer and the ship's namesake, delivered an address on the ship's potential contributions as a naval ship.

“I’m grateful to all those who have the expertise to put something like this together,” said Williams, who is a Medal of Honor recipient.

As a naval warship, USS Hershel "Woody" Williams may now support a wider range of maritime warfare missions. The U.S. Navy announced earlier this year that it plans to commission all expeditionary sea bases as naval ships.

After the Department of Defense (DoD) released the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification in Jan. 2020, contractors have begun to question the logistics and implementation of the new cybersecurity regulations. The scale and cost of the regulation change has been clouded by uncertainty.

One of the primary concerns is the continued emphasis that the CMMC is a flexible blueprint for effective cybersecurity and will not impose significant compliance or audit costs on smaller contractors and subcontractors. However, contractors have concluded that, at a minimum, the CMMC will require prime contractors to thoroughly assess their existing cybersecurity infrastructure, making it nearly impossible to regulate without cost.

Second, concern has circulated around whether or not CMMC will deter commercial companies and start-ups from participating in DOD contracts. Prior to CMMC contractors have used smaller companies to rapidly contract commercial companies that may prove to have useful military application.

Now, the DD has indicated that CMMC requirements will ultimately be incorporated into OTA contracts, primarily awarded to smaller businesses, raising the specter of increased cybersecurity compliance costs to work under contract. For small, commercially-focused companies that may be unable to readily fund the necessary upgrades.

Third, contractors have asked for clarification on the impact on suppliers that operate further down the DoD supply chain. If the DoD will require downstream suppliers to achieve the same CMMC certification as the prime contractor, that could significantly increase the cost of critical components and drive away potential suppliers.

Potomac Officers Club will host its CMMC Forum 2020 on April 2. Click here to register for the event.

Katie Arrington, chief information security officer at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, will serve as a keynote speaker at the CMMC Forum 2020. She will address the CMMC’s timeline, how the certification process could change and will provide a memorandum of understanding with a newly established CMMC accrediting body.

A full expert panel will include Ty Schieber, senior director of executive education and CMMC-AB chairman of the University of Virginia and Richard Naylor of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) among other members of the federal sector and industry.

Register here to join Potomac Officers Club for its CMMC Forum 2020 on April 2nd to learn about the impact DoD’s CMMC will have on cybersecurity practices, supply chain security and other aspects of the federal market.

In a March 5 letter to agency contractors, Soraya Correa, the Department of Homeland Security's chief procurement officer told her contracting staff to keep advised of the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) using the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines. 

Correa told contractors that "if contract performance is affected due to the COVID-19 situation, such as the need for alternate work locations, or travel or schedule changes, the contracting officer is the authority to discuss this with your company."

Since the COVID-19 outbreak in the nation's capital within the past week, federal agencies have begun preparations for possible restrictions that could be implemented in response to the epidemic. 

"If your employees must travel to affected areas, please have them contact you prior to their return to discuss possible telework or leave options," she advised. She added that managers have their employees contact them if they've been in close contact with a person "known to have COVID-19" or if airport screeners told them to self-quarantine after returning from travel overseas.

The predicted contracting adjustments will continue to change government contracting regulations as COVID-19 remains a prevalent threat. For example, for federal meetings, officials urged contractor attendees to have an alternate representative ready to send, if the primary contractor falls ill.

Correa will serve as a keynote speaker during Potomac Officers Club's 2020 Procurement Forum on Thursday, March 19th. Register here to save your spot for the forum. During her keynote address, she will discuss the short term and long term strategies, acquisition, workforce initiatives, tech modernization and collaboration between government and industry.

Register here to join Potomac Officers Club for its 2020 Procurement Forum on March 19th.