Federal information technology leaders said their agencies are using “low code” software development processes to accelerate the development and updates of client-facing applications, FCW reported Thursday. Low-code methods provide developers with configuration capabilities and graphic interfaces to speed up app development.

Ed Dowgiallo, principal solutions architect at the Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration, said Thursday at ATARC’s conference that FTA used low-code processes with Appian to redesign its case management platforms.

Mia Jordan, chief information officer for rural development at the Department of Agriculture, said a cloud-based app developed by Salesforce for USDA using low-code methods has reduced the application and approval process for the ReConnect rural broadband loan program to nearly four months.

Attorney General William Barr said China’s superiority in the development of 5G networks poses a threat to the U.S. economy and national security, The New York Times reported Thursday.

“Our economic future is at stake,” Barr said Thursday in his speech at a conference in Washington. “The risk of losing the 5G struggle with China should vastly outweigh other considerations.”

He said Chinese telecommunications firms Huawei and ZTE represent approximately 40 percent of the 5G infrastructure market worldwide and that a consortium of U.S. companies might offer financial support to one or two telecom firms to make them more competitive in the 5G market.

Air Force Global Strike Command tested a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile’s flight and reentry to verify the weapon’s reliability. The unarmed missile, also known as Flight Test Unit 2, flew with a reentry vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to the Marshall Islands during the developmental test, U.S. Strategic Command said Wednesday.

“The Minuteman III is aging, and modernization programs such as this are essential in ensuring that our nation has a reliable nuclear deterrent through the rest of its lifespan and beyond,” said Col. Omar Colbert, who commands the 576th Flight Test Squadron.

The test provided data needed to confirm the nuclear deterrent’s sustained security, safety and effectiveness. The test builds on months of collaborative government preparation efforts.

FTU 2 follows the first that underwent testing last year. Two more FTU tests will take place years to come. The departments of Defense and Energy work together as part of the ICBM community to leverage data gathered from these tests.

The U.S. Army is continuing efforts to implement cloud and virtual training capabilities for battlefield missions as part of a pilot project, FCW reported Wednesday.

Ken Lorentzen, chief engineer for the Army’s program executive office for command, control and communications tactical, told the publication that virtualizing operations such as training helps the service cut costs for travel while quickening the pace of procedures.

Portia Crowe, chief data officer for the Army’s network cross-functional team within the Futures Command, noted that the cloud effort is intended to address challenges in data usability, cybersecurity and lifecycle efficiency.

“But the main reason for this tactical pilot is that we wanted to look at the [Department of Defense] cloud strategy as well as the Army cloud strategy and figure out what is the right data, where do we need that data, and when do we need that data,” she said.

The pilot effort is slated to conclude by summer but will continue as part of a multiphase initiative. Results from the project will help inform the integration of new technologies into Army systems, according to Crowe.

Jose Arrieta, chief information officer of the Department of Health and Human Services, said the department’s efforts to implement blokchain-based technology has helped it streamline acquisition procedures.

In an interview with FedTech Magazine published Tuesday, Arrieta said that the department’s HHS Accelerate technology deploys distributed-ledger capabilities and collates information from disparate data sets.

It also works to record vendor interactions to simplify responses to requests for information and uses a neural network to assess personnel capacity to perform work on certain projects.

“We want to lessen the burden on industry partners,” Arrieta said. “We want to enable program officials with the information they need to do their job in real-time. We want to empower contracting professionals with insight into terms and conditions and prices paid.”

According to Arrieta, HHS is also interested in deploying behavioral-based identity and internet-of-things capabilities.