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Raytheon Awarded $6M CAML Contract by DARPA for Machine Learning; Ilana Heintz Quoted
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Raytheon Awarded $6M CAML Contract by DARPA for Machine Learning; Ilana Heintz Quoted

Raytheon Awarded $6M CAML Contract by DARPA for Machine Learning; Ilana Heintz Quoted

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded a $6 million contract for the Competency Aware Machine Learning (CAML) program to Raytheon, the company announced on Monday.

The contract is to facilitate communication conditions where machine learning systems from CAML can communicate to human operators what they have learned about a situation, under what conditions the machines absorbed information the best, and the situations when the learned strategies are most appropriate. This could  address the problem of Machine Learning systems needing human decision assistance in combat situations.

“The CAML system turns tools into partners…Once the system has developed these skills, the team will apply it to a simulated search and rescue mission. Users will create the conditions surrounding the mission, while the system will make recommendations and give users information about its competence in those particular conditions,” said Ilana Heintz, principal investigator for CAML at Raytheon BBN Technologies.

According to DARPA, in addition to contracting with Raytheon, CAML will continue to seek expertise in machine learning, artificial intelligence, pattern recognition, knowledge representation and reasoning, autonomous system modeling, human-machine interface, and cognitive computing.

CAML began in Feb. 2019 with an initial term of four years.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2018 sales of $27 billion and 67,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions.

With a history of innovation spanning 97 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I®  products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Follow us on Twitter.

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LexisNexis Agrees to ID Analytics Acquisition; Rick Trainor Quoted
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LexisNexis Agrees to ID Analytics Acquisition; Rick Trainor Quoted

LexisNexis Agrees to ID Analytics Acquisition; Rick Trainor Quoted

LexisNexis Risk Solutions has agreed with NortonLifeLock to acquire ID Analytics to boost its Fraud and Credit Risk Assessment departments, LexisNexis announced on Monday.

Procuring ID Analytics will galvanize LexisNexis in Fraud and Identity Management, offering analytic models and verification solutions to help customers identify consumer risk; and Credit Risk Decisioning, utilizing data attributes to give organizations a better understanding of consumer risk and credit worthiness to promote financial inclusion. Both have been designated as strategic growth areas by the acquiring company.

“ID Analytics is widely recognized in the fraud and identity and credit risk space for its differentiated contributory data assets and advanced analytics capabilities,” said Rick Trainor, CEO of LexisNexis Business Services.

Such assets include patented analytics and near real-time cross industry consumer identity behavior. When this is combined with LexisNexis’ large trove of data, technology, as well as their own analytics it could deliver actionable insights to customers that result in better business outcomes.

“Combined with our strengths of verifying and authenticating physical and digital identities, our customers will benefit from an even more comprehensive approach to detecting and preventing fraud and managing risk,” Trainor added.

The acquisition is for undisclosed financial terms pending regulatory review, with an expected close date in the first quarter of 2020.

About LexisNexis Risk Solutions 

LexisNexis Risk Solutions harnesses the power of data and advanced analytics to provide insights that help businesses and governmental entities reduce risk and improve decisions to benefit people around the globe. We provide data and technology solutions for a wide range of industries including insurance, financial services, healthcare and government.

Headquartered in metro Atlanta, Georgia, we have offices throughout the world and are part of RELX (LSE: REL/NYSE: RELX), a global provider of information-based and analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers across industries. For more information, please visit www.risk.lexisnexis.com and www.relx.com.

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Lockheed Martin Receives 3rd Installment of $3B Multiyear Award from U.S. Government to To Deliver 50 C-130Js; Rod McLean Quoted
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Lockheed Martin Receives 3rd Installment of $3B Multiyear Award from U.S. Government to To Deliver 50 C-130Js; Rod McLean Quoted

Lockheed Martin Receives 3rd Installment of $3B Multiyear Award from U.S. Government to To Deliver 50 C-130Js; Rod McLean Quoted

The Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded Lockheed Martin its third multi-year award, with a total value of $3 billion, for the delivery of 50 C-130J Super Hercules, the company announced on Monday.

The U.S. government finalized the award on Dec. 27, 2019. The award comes as a delivery order under an existing Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract awarded in August 2016. The Department of Defense awarded more than $1.5 billion in funding for the first 21 C-130J aircraft on the multiyear award.

“The C-130J Multiyear III award represents a joint commitment between Lockheed Martin and the U.S. government in delivering proven capability that meets our operators’ mission and affordability requirements,” said Rod McLean, vice president and general manager of Air Mobility and Maritime Missions at Lockheed Martin.

Lockheed Martin will supply 24 HC/MC-130Js to the U.S. Air Force, 20 KC-130Js to the  Marine Corps and options for six HC-130Js to the Coast Guard.

The aircrafts will provide the U.S. military with versatility and performance to complete any mission. The four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft is an updated model of the company’s C-130 Hercules, including new engines and flight deck.

“Our partnership with the U.S. government provides significant savings through multiyear procurement as compared to annual buys, and provides the best tactical airlifter to crews who fly and support the world’s largest Super Hercules fleet,” McLean concluded.

The aircrafts purchased through the C-130J Multiyear III award will be delivered between 2021-2025, and will be built at Lockheed Martin’s Marietta, Georgia facility.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 105,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

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Accenture Changes Growth Model and Global Management Committee to Anticipate Client Needs and Market Changes; Julie Sweet Quoted
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Accenture Changes Growth Model and Global Management Committee to Anticipate Client Needs and Market Changes; Julie Sweet Quoted
Accenture Changes Growth Model and Global Management Committee to Anticipate Client Needs and Market Changes; Julie Sweet Quoted

Accenture has announced shifts in the growth model, effective March 1, 2020, to extend market leadership, drive significant value for all stakeholders and continue to deliver market-leading growth, the company reported on Monday. 

“The changes we are announcing today will unleash the full potential of the extraordinary capabilities we have built, create greater opportunities for our people, and act as a catalyst for us to again set the new standard in our industry,” said Julie Sweet, Accenture’s chief executive officer.

Accenture's new growth model will place greater focus on the technological field. The change in focus will allow the company to maintain its presence as the market becomes increasingly more digital. Accenture will also organize its market-leading capabilities into four services, including strategy and consulting, interactive, technology, and operations. 

The company will divide its business through three geographic markets instead of operating groups, including North America, Europe, and Growth Markets to expand its global industry presence. Accenture will also make leadership changes and expand its Global Management Committee to include a broader representation of leaders from its services and geographic markets.

Accenture will further increase its ability to provide strategy to operations and digital skills to its clients. The growth model and committee changes will also allow its services to be transformative and innovative within the field. 

“Accenture’s formula for market leadership is enduring: We continually transform our business and embrace change to create value for our clients with incredibly talented people, including our deep bench of experienced leaders,” Sweet concluded.

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions — underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network — Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With 505,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives.

17 Teams Qualify to Compete in DARPA Subterranean Challenge’s Urban Event
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17 Teams Qualify to Compete in DARPA Subterranean Challenge’s Urban Event
17 Teams Qualify to Compete in DARPA Subterranean Challenge's Urban Event

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has selected 17 teams to participate in the second scored event of a challenge that seeks to reduce potential safety risks that may occur in an underground operation.

Participants under the systems category of the Subterranean Challenge Urban Circuit will field autonomous ground and aerial platforms in an effort to locate artifacts that represent objects of potential interest to first responders or warfighters below ground, DARPA said Friday.

Qualifiers for the challenge's virtual segment will be tasked to build esports-style approaches to navigate, identify and track artifacts within austere and dark scenarios.

DARPA will provide $500K to the grand winner of the systems competition, $250K to the second placer and  $100K to the third runner-up. Virtual competition prizes are $250K, $150K or $100K, respectively.

The first SubT Challenge event, called the Tunnel Circuit, occurred in August 2019 at a Pittsburgh research mine.

Urban Circuit's virtual category will take place from Jan. 23 to 30 and its systems category will occur from Feb. 18 to 27 at Satsop Business Park in Elma, Wash.

Click here to view the full list of participants.

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Senate Clears Bill to Form IoT Working Group, Harness Connected Tech
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Senate Clears Bill to Form IoT Working Group, Harness Connected Tech

Senate Clears Bill to Form IoT Working Group, Harness Connected Tech

The Senate has approved a bill that would establish a group of government, industry and academic  professionals to recommend approaches for Congress to further drive the adoption of connected devices.

The Developing and Growing the Internet of Things Act calls for the formation of a working group to explore strategies to encourage IoT development  and implementation efforts nationwide, the office of Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said Thursday.

DIGIT Act would also require the Federal Communications Commission to assess spectrum capacity necessary  to support connected devices and produce a report on findings of the assessment.

Fischer reintroduced the bipartisan bill with Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii; Cory Gardner, R-Colo.; and Cory Booker D-N.J.

Organizations backing the legislation include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Information Technology Industry Council and the Computing Research Organization.

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RAND Study: Air Force Needs Third Domestic Provider as Fallback in National Security Space Market
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RAND Study: Air Force Needs Third Domestic Provider as Fallback in National Security Space Market

RAND Study: Air Force Needs Third Domestic Provider as Fallback in National Security Space Market

An independent study by RAND says the U.S. Air Force should back three local launch providers to ensure continued access to space over the next 10 years, SpaceNews reported Sunday.

Supporting three domestic launch companies until 2023 would be “prudent preparation for a future with only two U.S. providers of [National Security Space]-certified heavy lift launch, at least one of which may have little support from the commercial marketplace” and would provide the firms time “to adapt and position themselves in the launch markets and allows market forces (not the USAF) to determine which firms are strongest, and thus survive, and which should exit,” Rand said in the study.

The Air Force asked RAND to carry out an analysis of the heavy-lift space launch market in response to concerns about the second phase of its Launch Service Procurement program.

The service plans this year to award fixed-price contracts to two domestic commercial service providers that can launch national security payloads through 2027. Northrop Grumman, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin are vying for the two Phase 2 LSP contracts.

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Maj. Gen. John Shaw: Space Force Needs to Focus on ’22nd Century Warfare’
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Maj. Gen. John Shaw: Space Force Needs to Focus on ’22nd Century Warfare’
John Shaw
John Shaw

Maj. Gen. John Shaw, head of Space Force Space Operations Command, said the Space Force plans to form an independent identity that is focused on “22nd century warfare” and builds on lessons learned not just from the Air Force but also from other services such as the Army and the Navy, Breaking Defense reported Friday.

“Congress has asked for additional legislation with regard to Space Force ideas as part of the whole work that we’re going to be doing this year. And I suspect that that will be a topic that will come up,” said Shaw, who also serves as head of Space Command’s Combined Space Force Component Command.

“We have the opportunity to create a new service, from scratch, that can be a warfighting service — and I’ve been telling the team, ‘Don’t even think about a warfighting service for the next decade or even this century; create a warfighting service for the 22nd century,” he added.

Shaw noted that Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett should submit by February a congressional report that lays out plans for the new Space Force.

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House OKs Measure to Limit Trump’s War Powers Against Iran
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House OKs Measure to Limit Trump’s War Powers Against Iran
House OKs Measure to Limit Trump's War Powers Against Iran

The House voted 224-194 to pass a resolution that would require President Donald Trump to request authorization from Congress before initiating military measures against Iran, NPR reported Thursday.

The approval of the war powers resolution, which was sponsored by Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), came a week after the president ordered a U.S. drone strike in Iraq that resulted in the death of Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian general.

The Senate could consider as soon as next week a similar bill that has the force of law.

Robert O'Brien, White House national security adviser, said the president met his War Powers Act obligations to inform Congress about the airstrike and that the administration would “certainly” go to the Capitol Hill in the event of a prolonged conflict, Politico reported.

"Under Article Two of the Constitution, the president is allowed to exercise military power to defend the American people and defend our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines … if it's in the national interest and the action doesn't rise to the level of war," O'Brien said on Fox News Sunday. "That's what we did here, and that's what we'll continue to do in the future."

DLA Energy Engages Academia to Support Career Dev’t; Gabby Earhardt Quoted
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DLA Energy Engages Academia to Support Career Dev’t; Gabby Earhardt Quoted
Gabby Earhardt
Gabby Earhardt

The Defense Logistics Agency's energy arm has partnered with George Mason University to open career opportunities across internship and employment programs.

A memorandum of understanding between the two parties would allow GMU students to pursue careers at DLA Energy and learn about the agency's energy-related programs, DLA said Thursday. DLA Energy will disseminate employment information from an on-campus location at GMU to attract and capture qualified applicants.

“As Head of the Contracting Activity, one of my most important responsibilities is to ensure DLA energy builds a strong and capable acquisition workforce that can continue to provide unparalleled support to the Warfighter,” said Gabby Earhardt, director of DLA Energy supplier operations and a GMU alumna.

The agency provides entry-level training to participants of the DLA Pathways to Career Excellence program across technical, administrative and professional career areas. The PaCE program currently supports the careers of 28 interns.

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