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Marine Corps Tests Amphibious Combat Vehicle Along California Coast
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Marine Corps Tests Amphibious Combat Vehicle Along California Coast


Marine Corps Tests Amphibious Combat Vehicle Along California Coast

The U.S. Marine Corps has conducted testing activities for the Amphibious Combat Vehicle at Camp Pendleton in Southern California.

The Marine Corps said Friday its Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch evaluated the ACV’s performance and maneuverability during the three-day exercise, including the amphibious vehicle’s capacity to operate in low light along the surf and in the ocean.

In June 2018, the Marine Corps selected a team comprised of BAE Systems and Iveco Defence Vehicles to build 204 ACVs to replace the Amphibious Assault Vehicle as part of a $1.2 billion contract.

USMC plans to deploy ACVs that come in recovery, command-and-control, up-armed and armored personnel carrier variants. The vessel will contain weapon systems for fire support and be used to traverse high surf as well as sloped terrain.

The service branch plans to deploy ACVs starting late 2020.

USAF Conducts Air Operations Center Contingency Planning Exercise
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USAF Conducts Air Operations Center Contingency Planning Exercise


USAF Conducts Air Operations Center Contingency Planning Exercise

The U.S. Air Force facilitated a 24-hour exercise focused on ensuring that the  618th Air Operations Center continues support activities despite degraded communications that may result from power outages or cyberattacks, C4ISrnet reported Saturday.

The Air Force unit, also known as the Tanker Airlift Control Center, handles over 134 daily sorties and mobility aircraft used for aerial refueling as well as cargo and personnel transport. TACC also manages weather data, maintenance information and diplomatic clearances.

Brig. Gen. Jimmy Canlas, commander of the 618th AOC, said the Air Force may prepare for instances of widespread outage by investing in backup technologies such as fax machines, walkie-talkies and high-frequency radios.

Lt. Col. Benjamin Carroll, deputy director of the strategy directorate, said the service branch may consider authorizing other AOCs to issue diplomatic clearances in the event that TACC experiences disrupted operations.

“There is going to be a ripple effect,” noted USAF Master Sgt. Samantha Lanier. “I think the biggest impact will be tomorrow — how we recover, how easy it is to recover.”

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DHS Extends Feedback Period for Vulnerability Disclosure Program
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DHS Extends Feedback Period for Vulnerability Disclosure Program


DHS Extends Feedback Period for Vulnerability Disclosure Program

The Department of Homeland Security will be seeking feedback until Jan 10 on how to formulate the draft vulnerability disclosure program designed to provide federal agencies with a structured way to report cybersecurity issues, The Fifth Domain reported Friday.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released a draft binding operational directive on Dec. 2 that would require federal agencies to disclose the vulnerabilities of their public websites.

Adam Bernstein, information technology manager at the Office of Inspector General Department of Housing and Urban Development, wrote that legacy IT platforms should be excluded from the disclosure requirement because they are underfunded. He received a response saying that disclosures could help highlight the lack of funding for legacy IT systems.

CISA also received feedback on its proposed 90-day time frame between vulnerability disclosure and repair, as well as a suggestion for the agency to hold an industry for technical, legal, industry and government personnel to discuss the program.

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US Launches Airstrikes in Iraq, Syria Targeting Iran-Backed Group; Mark Esper Comments
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US Launches Airstrikes in Iraq, Syria Targeting Iran-Backed Group; Mark Esper Comments


Mark Esper
Mark Esper

The U.S. has facilitated airstrikes on five facilities in Iraq and Syria that were linked to an Iranian-backed militia, CNN reported Monday.

U.S. forces used F-15 fighter jets for the attack and targeted three locations in Iraq as well as two in Syria. The facilities involved with the Kataib Hezbollah group include command-and-control facilities and weapon storage locations.

Kataib Hezbollah reportedly conducted attacks on military facilities operated by joint U.S.-Iraq forces. There were at least 25 fatalities in the recent U.S.-led airstrikes, according to the report.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper, a 2019 Wash100 Award recipient, said he met with President Trump, Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss the airstrikes.

Esper noted that the meeting sought to ensure that the U.S. would “take additional actions as necessary to ensure that we act in our own self-defense and we deter further bad behavior from militia groups or from Iran.”

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Maxar Technologies Selling MDA for $765M Northern Private Capital; Dan Jablonsky, Biggs Porter Quoted
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Maxar Technologies Selling MDA for $765M Northern Private Capital; Dan Jablonsky, Biggs Porter Quoted


Maxar Technologies Selling MDA for $765M Northern Private Capital; Dan Jablonsky, Biggs Porter Quoted

Maxar Technologies (NYSE: MAXR) has agreed to sell MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA), its Canadian subsidiary, to Northern Private Capital (NPC) for $765 million pending regulatory approval, the company announced on Monday.

Maxar plans to reduce leverage and debts as well as improve its capital structure to prioritize investments for growth in its core areas of Earth Intelligence and Space Infrastructure.

CFO Biggs Porter commented, “This transaction, when combined with the recently completed sale of real estate in Palo Alto, reduces Maxar’s overall debt by more than $1 billion and significantly reduces Maxar’s leverage ratio.â€

The transaction includes all of MDA’s Canadian businesses, encompassing ground stations, radar satellite products, robotics, defense and satellite components, representing approximately 1,900 employees.

Maxar projects the sale will generate $370 million in revenue and $85 million in adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA).

“While the sale of MDA will re-baseline the size of the overall company, we continue to expect significant Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow growth over the next several years,†Porter added.

The completion of the sale is pending review from the Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act (HSR Act) in the U.S. as well as the Radiocommunications Act and Competition Act in Canada.

“After the transaction is complete, Maxar will retain leading capabilities in geospatial data and analytics, satellites, space robotics, and space infrastructure, and we will continue to have strong alignment with our defense and intelligence customers, the evolving requirements of civil governments, and the pursuit of innovation seen in the commercial marketplace,†said Dan Jablonsky, Maxar CEO.

About Maxar Technologies

Maxar is a trusted partner and innovator in Earth Intelligence and Space Infrastructure. We deliver disruptive value to government and commercial customers to help them monitor, understand, and navigate our changing planet; deliver global broadband communications; and explore and advance the use space.

Our unique approach combines decades of deep mission understanding and a proven commercial and defense foundation to deploy solutions and deliver insights with unrivaled speed, scale, and cost effectiveness.

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FMG Earns Top Ranking in GreenBook’s 2019 Market Leaders Report; Ben Garthwaite Quoted
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FMG Earns Top Ranking in GreenBook’s 2019 Market Leaders Report; Ben Garthwaite Quoted


FMG Earns Top Ranking in GreenBook's 2019 Market Leaders Report; Ben Garthwaite Quoted

Fors Marsh Group (FMG) earned its highest rank ever on GreenBook’s 2019 Market Leaders Report, a new and expanded iteration of the venerable U.S. Top 50 Report. Of the U.S.-based companies considered in 2019, FMG ranked 33rd on the list and was placed in the strategic consultancy category.

The Market Leaders Report showcases the biggest full-service market research firms in the United States that have demonstrated growth, impactful work, and research leadership. FMG has been honored as a Top 50 research consultancy firm every year since 2015 and is proud to make the list again at its highest rank to date.

“We are honored to earn this rank from the GreenBook 2019 Market Leaders Report,” said FMG CEO Ben Garthwaite. “This award and our success are due to our investing in talented people, operating at higher standards of business, and delivering researched-backed solutions that create positive social impact. This year, we grew across markets with the most significant expansion coming in our work to improve public health, combat workplace sexual assault and harassment, and attract the best and brightest to public service. Our leadership in the certified B Corporation movement has also been a major contributor and commitment to use business as a force for good – for clients, community and our people – is accelerating this success.”

In 2019, FMG established new offices in Maryland and Chicago and added more than 50 new employees to meet demand for new national-level client engagements. FMG expanded its partnerships with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) while adding a number of new clients including the US Army Marketing and Research Group, Department of Labor (DOL) and the Small Business Administration (SBA). U.S. Army. In alignment with the B Corporation certification, FMG rolled the 2019 business tax savings into a pro bono division called FMG SERV that focuses on activating FMG’s organic capabilities for public good.

About Fors Marsh Group

Fors Marsh Group (FMG) applies science and strategy to create positive behavior change in people and program and policy improvements in large organizations and government. This work is conducted within seven core U.S. markets: health, defense, technology, finance, homeland security, policy, and consumer. As a certified B Corporation, FMG uses business as a force for good, creating positive impact beyond our client portfolio, extending into the community through pro bono service to nonprofits aligned with FMG’s corporate values.

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US Space Command Aims to Broaden Mission Through Allied Partnerships
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US Space Command Aims to Broaden Mission Through Allied Partnerships


US Space Command Aims to Broaden Mission Through Allied Partnerships

The U.S. Space Command are working with multiple allied nations at an operational command and control facility in efforts to secure the global space domain.

USSPACECOM said Friday it maintains a strategic defense partnership with Australian, U.K. and Canadian allies through the Combined Space Operations Center.

CSpOC is built to operate 24/7 and allow a multinational space force plan, coordinate, integrate, synchronize and carry out missions.

“The threat is expanding and international collaboration is essential to strengthen deterrence against hostile actors,” said Darren Whiteley, a group captain of the British air force and deputy director of CSpOC.

“Through these partnerships we are able to expand the depth and multiply the effects we can have to those evolving threats,” he added.

Whiteley signed a tasking order for the Combined Force Space Component Command under the multinational Operation Olympic Defender initiative.

Federal Reserve Examines Effect of 2018 Tariffs on Manufacturing Employment, Producer Prices
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Federal Reserve Examines Effect of 2018 Tariffs on Manufacturing Employment, Producer Prices


Federal Reserve Examines Effect of 2018 Tariffs on Manufacturing Employment, Producer Prices

A Federal Reserve study says the U.S. government’s use of import tariffs resulted in higher prices and job losses in the U.S. manufacturing sector, MarketWatch reported Sunday.

“While the longer-term effects of the tariffs may differ from those that we estimate here, the results indicate that the tariffs, thus far, have not led to increased activity in the U.S. manufacturing sector,” Federal Reserve economists Aaron Flaaen and Justin Pierce wrote in the paper.

The top 10 manufacturing industries most affected by foreign retaliatory tariffs were makers of magnetic and optical media; aluminum sheet; leather goods; motor vehicles; iron and steel; sawmills; pesticide; audio and video equipment; computer equipment; and household appliances.

Higher prices also had an impact on the manufacturing sector. Those include the producers of aluminum sheet; steel product; boilers, tank and shipping container; forging and stamping; primary aluminum production; secondary aluminum smelting; architectural and structural metals; transportation equipment; household appliances; and general purpose machinery.

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DHS Seeks New Acquisition Policy & Legislation Branch Director
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DHS Seeks New Acquisition Policy & Legislation Branch Director


DHS Seeks New Acquisition Policy & Legislation Branch Director

The Department of Homeland Security’s office of the chief procurement officer has begun its search for a new director of acquisition policy and legislation branch.

A USAJobs notice published Dec. 18 says the selected candidate will oversee the rulemaking process and delegations related to procurement and determine whether to introduce or eliminate existing acquisition regulations.

The incumbent will also work with contracting activities to assess oversight reports, direct the testing of policies, offer expert analysis of other agencies’ policies and coordinate the review of legislative proposals.

DHS will accept applications for the post through Jan. 1.

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Russia Fields Hypersonic Weapon ‘Avangard’
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Russia Fields Hypersonic Weapon ‘Avangard’


Russia Fields Hypersonic Weapon 'Avangard'

Russia’s defense ministry said the country has fielded its first hypersonic nuclear-capable missiles, Reuters reported Saturday.

Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defense minister, informed President Vladimir Putin of the deployment of the Avangard system, which has a hypersonic glide vehicle sitting on top of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Putin said Avangard could penetrate current and future missile defense platforms. He previously said the country’s new nuclear weapons can evade a U.S.-made missile shield and zero in on any target in the world.

The Department of Defense said in a statement it “will not characterize the Russian claims” about the hypersonic weapon’s capabilities. A Congressional Research Service report issued in July says the U.S. has been working on hypersonic weapons since the early 2000s.

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