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Air Force Eyes Ethical Hacking Procedures for Satellites, Components; Will Roper Comments
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Air Force Eyes Ethical Hacking Procedures for Satellites, Components; Will Roper Comments
Will Roper
Will Roper

The U.S. Air Force plans to launch a bug bounty competition as part of its “Hack the Air Force” program to fortify the security of its satellites and supply chain, Federal News Network reported Wednesday. 

The service branch wants to select teams for its “Hack-a-Sat” competition focused on infiltrating a military satellite at next year’s DEFCON hacking conference in Las Vegas. Last year, the Air Force provided ethical hackers with access to a data transmission system for F-15 aircraft and ground-based platforms.

Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics and 2019 Wash100 Award winner, said during an Atlantic Council event that the service needs to shift its focus on protecting aircraft components and other parts manufactured at the supply chain level. He also wants to eventually test technologies through ethical hacking procedures before they are installed into an operational system.

“My hope is that we can bring the ethical hacker community into our design process, that we can do bug bounties when we’re designing things and building prototypes, and that people can make a living just hacking Air Force systems before they go to production,” he noted.

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Norfolk Island Telecom Awards Speedcast, Blue Arcus $3M to Modernize Network; Erwan Emilian, Alistair Innes-Walker Quoted
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Norfolk Island Telecom Awards Speedcast, Blue Arcus $3M to Modernize Network; Erwan Emilian, Alistair Innes-Walker Quoted
Norfolk Island Telecom Awards Speedcast, Blue Arcus $3M to Modernize Network; Erwan Emilian, Alistair Innes-Walker Quoted

Speedcast has received a $3 million contract to collaborate with Blue Arcus Technologies and provide Australia’s Norfolk Island Telecom with a modernized network infrastructure, Speedcast announced on Thursday.

"Our customers' data requirements are growing significantly and to ensure business continuity it is critical that we deliver faster, reliable internet connections and advanced mobile services at a competitive price," said Alistair Innes-Walker, manager of Commercial Services at Norfolk Island Regional Council.

Speedcast will provide 4G LTE network infrastructure and satellite backhaul solutions, allowing Norfolk Island Telecom to deliver faster broadband speeds as well as enhanced mobile services. 

Blue Arcus will utilize it’s turnkey network solutions. In addition, the companies will install the associated support systems with these technologies, and a Public Switched  Telephone Network (PSTN).

“Thanks to the partnership between Blue Arcus Technologies and Speedcast, two companies with extensive 4G LTE network deployment experience, we are confident we will complete this project in record time and deliver an industry-leading service to Norfolk Island Telecom customers,” said Erwan Emilian, executive vice president of Enterprise and Emerging Markets at Speedcast. 

About Speedcast International Limited

Speedcast is uniquely positioned as a strategic partner, tailoring communications, IT and digital solutions to meet customer needs and enable business transformation. The company provides managed information services with differentiated technology offerings, including cybersecurity, crew welfare, content solutions, data and voice applications, IoT solutions and network systems integration services. 

With a passionate customer focus and a strong safety culture, Speedcast serves more than 3,200 customers in over 140 countries in sectors such as Maritime, Energy, Mining, Enterprise, Media, Cruise, Humanitarian and Government. Learn more at www.speedcast.com

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Boeing OKC Campus Sold for $124M to California Investors; Richard Tanenbaum, Brett Price Quoted
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Boeing OKC Campus Sold for $124M to California Investors; Richard Tanenbaum, Brett Price Quoted
Boeing OKC Campus Sold for $124M to California Investors; Richard Tanenbaum, Brett Price Quoted

Richard Tanenbaum, CEO of Gardner Tanenbaum Holdings (GTH), has announced the sale of the Boeing Oklahoma City campus to OKC Aerospace 1, LLC for $124.7 million, the company reported on Thursday. 

The sale was put in effect on Jan. 7, 2020, and marks one of the largest commercial real estate transactions in Oklahoma City history. The transaction comprises the entire Boeing OKC campus, which includes three office buildings. 

"GTH has developed more than one million square feet of aerospace real estate in Oklahoma," said Tanenbaum. "I continue to anticipate a bright horizon for the Oklahoma aerospace industry. Substantial investments from the west coast, such as this transaction, show that the nation is taking notice of the aerospace industry's dynamic growth in our state."

Tanenbaum purchased the campus for Boeing in 2007, he developed the three buildings specifically for Boeing between 2007 and 2012. The investment now accommodates over 3,100 Boeing employees and contractors across its 33.25 acres.

Recently, Boeing received the potential 10-year, $14.3 billion contract in April 2019. The company has worked to modify, engineer, test and sustain the aircraft weapons to increase system lethality, responsiveness, supportability and survivability.

”With the $14.3 billion contract awarded by The Department of Defense (DoD) for Boeing to service US Air Force aircraft and the first of 14 maintenance hangars for Boeing's KC-46 Pegasus nearing completion, Boeing's Oklahoma City workforce will continue to rise," said senior vice president of Newmark Grubb Levy Strange Beffort, Brett Price. 

Additionally, Boeing has modernized weapon systems used on the U.S. Air Force’s B-1 Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress bomber platforms and will continue the work on campus after the transaction. 

About Gardner Tanenbaum Holdings

Gardner Tanenbaum Holdings (GTH) a full-service real estate development, design and construction management firm based in Oklahoma City with over sixty years of development and ownership experience. 

The company is one of the largest real estate developers in the region and manages over one million square feet of multifamily properties, six million square feet of industrial and office space and has an inventory of over two hundred and fifty acres of strategically placed land holdings for development. With strong leadership and a diversified portfolio, GTH builds Class "A" properties with long-term value for their clients and the communities they serve.

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U.S. Army CCDC Progressing on Combat Vehicle Weld Automation; Lt. Col. Ryan Howell, Megan Lynch Quoted
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U.S. Army CCDC Progressing on Combat Vehicle Weld Automation; Lt. Col. Ryan Howell, Megan Lynch Quoted

U.S. Army CCDC Progressing on Combat Vehicle Weld Automation; Lt. Col. Ryan Howell, Megan Lynch Quoted

The U.S. Army’s Combat Capabilities Department Command (CCDC) Manufacturing Technology has announced a new manufacturing cell for welding designed to improve the quality of combat vehicle weldments, reduce fabrication time and protect manufacturing workers as well as troops in combat situations, the service branch announced on Tuesday.

The cell is equipped with an advanced welding technology called High Energy Buried Arc Welding, which enables high-quality, thick-plate welds with minimal passes. The cell also contains a high-capacity, multi-axis positioning system that can manipulate multi-ton vehicle structures into ideal welding positions.

It’s automation will lead to higher quality weldments as well as reduce the time it takes to finish welding a new Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) by 80 percent, which will also shorten combat delivery times. The AMPV, by BAE Systems, is the robotic weld cell’s first customer.

Other contemporary welding technologies have reduced the number of weld passes each vehicle hull must undergo, many of them are too dangerous to be performed by hand. Once the cell is fully transitioned, it is expected to take 70 percent of the heavy welds.

“By using the robotic welding cell technology funded by the Army’s ManTech program, we were able to execute and transition the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle program from the Engineering Manufacturing Development phase to Milestone C…the Army’s first new combat vehicle production program in more than 30 years.” said Lt. Col. Ryan Howell.

The next step in the project will be to optimize the use of thicker wire to continue reducing the number of weld passeswhile continuing to improve survivability with improved designs and materials.

“We are still in the learning and debugging phase. Getting to full operational capability will be a process, but we are on track to get there by FY21” said Megan Lynch, ManTech project officer.

About the CCDC

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC), formerly known as the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM), has the mission to lead in the discovery, development and delivery of the technology-based capabilities required to make Soldiers more lethal to win our Nation’s wars and come home safely.

The command collaborates across the Future Force Modernization Enterprise and its own global network of domestic and international partners in academia, industry and other government agencies to accomplish this mission. CCDC is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command.

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GSA Grants MetTel Full Authority to Operate Under $50B EIS Contract; Diana Gowen Quoted
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GSA Grants MetTel Full Authority to Operate Under $50B EIS Contract; Diana Gowen Quoted

GSA Grants MetTel Full Authority to Operate Under $50B EIS Contract; Diana Gowen Quoted

MetTel has received full authority to operate (ATO) under the General Services Administration’s (GSA) 15-year, $50 billion Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) program, the company announced on Thursday.

“Our diverse background in providing IT communications services to both private and public organizations has prepared us to service and modernize the government’s IT communications infrastructure,” said Diana Gowen, senior vice president and general manager, MetTel Federal Program.

MetTel will provide federal agencies with voice, video, data transport, hosting, and cloud services, call centers, cable and wiring, associated labor services, managed network and managed security services as part of the Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions program.

The GSA announced that MetTel has successfully completed business support systems (BSS) functional and security testing, which will enhance GSA’s product management, order management, revenue management and customer management. The company completed the task on Dec. 13, 2019.

Additionally, the EIS contract will allow MetTel to accept and process tasks and service orders, provision and deliver services, and bill for services.

“We look forward to now being able to bring our experience and expertise in providing IT communications services, to the federal government,” Gowen added.

In October 2019, MetTel has received another federal indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract by the Department of Defense (DoD), valued at $994 million, to update wireless devices and services for the U.S. defense and federal civilian agencies.

“Government is always looking for a smarter way to acquire goods and services,” said Gowen. “MetTel’s ability to efficiently provide the newest communication technology in packaged solutions delivered through fully managed services has caught the attention of the Federal agencies,” she added.

About MetTel

MetTel is a leader in communications and digital transformation (DX) solutions for enterprise and government customers. By converging all communications over a proprietary network, MetTel gives enterprises one, unified view and control point for all their communications and advanced network services.

MetTel’s comprehensive portfolio of customer solutions can boost enterprise productivity, reduce costs, and simplify operations. Combining customized and managed communication solutions with a powerful platform of cloud-based software, the company’s MetTel Portal® enables customers to manage their inventory, usage, spend and repairs from one simple, user friendly interface.

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Oracle Introduces Oracle Retail to Target Potential Customers; Cecilia Mao, Jeff Warren Quoted
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Oracle Introduces Oracle Retail to Target Potential Customers; Cecilia Mao, Jeff Warren Quoted
Oracle Introduces Oracle Retail to Target Potential Customers; Cecilia Mao, Jeff Warren Quoted

Oracle has announced a new feature from Oracle Retail to help retailers target potential customers based on the customers’ traits and characteristics, the company reported on Thursday. 

"When it comes to grabbing the attention of potential customers, every second and moment matters," said Jeff Warren, vice president of Oracle Retail. "Armed with intelligent data based on real customer attributes and behaviors, retailers will truly be able to put the needs and likes of shoppers at the center of their new customer acquisition strategy."

Oracle will use data science to pinpoint the characteristics of their most lucrative customers then extend those traits to the public to find similar potential customers among the petabytes of third-party consumer data in Oracle Data Cloud.

Consumer Insights will then gather the attributes and actions to identify new traits within their customer base that would be otherwise unknown. Retailers can then use this information to find similar buyers to target with offers that are highly relevant to their lifestyle and tastes.

Additionally, Consumer Insights will evaluate a "what if" analysis and will find prospects in a continuously iterative process. The process will allow retailers to use the criteria correctly to identify the most appropriate customer demographic. 

Once the customer base correctly identified, retailers will be able to act by launching campaigns, promotions, or advertising, with the option to activate using Oracle Data Cloud's industry-wide connections.

"When you know that your customers are also more likely to buy at the grocery store, brand affinity and hobbies, you can build more accurate models to find your best potential customers, then use multiple channels to reach them at scale,” said Cecilia Mao, vice president of product with Oracle Data Cloud.

About Oracle Retail

Oracle is the modern platform for retail. Oracle provides retailers with a complete, open, and integrated platform for best-of-breed business applications, cloud services, and hardware that are engineered to work together. Leading fashion, grocery, and specialty retailers use Oracle solutions to accelerate from best practice to next practice, drive operational agility, and refine the customer experience.

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UK Pursues Space Partnership With US
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UK Pursues Space Partnership With US
UK Pursues Space Partnership With US

The U.K. government is advancing space collaboration with the U.S. as it pursues new satellite launch capabilities, National Defense reported Friday.

“If the U.K. and U.S. can foster even deeper cooperations, our world-class armed and security forces can work together to withstand the threats of today and tomorrow,” Mark Sedwill, cabinet secretary and national security adviser for the U.K., said in a U.K. defense ministry document.

The U.K. is advancing space capability development efforts and one of those initiatives is Team Artemis, which is composed of U.S. and British defense personnel. The Royal Air Force is spending more than $33M on the program to bring into low-Earth orbit a network of small satellites designed to transmit data and high-resolution video to fighter aircraft.

Gil Klinger, vice president of space and intelligence programs at Raytheon, said the U.K. is addressing the challenges related to space warfighting.

“The U.K. made a conscious decision that it needs to engage in a renaissance of its national space capabilities and it has aggressively moved in that direction in a way that really is sort of stunning in a positive sense,” Klinger said. “It’s 360 degrees of activity and every space sector is based on collaboration."

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OPM Ceases Employee Digital Record Project
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OPM Ceases Employee Digital Record Project
OPM Ceases Employee Digital Record Project

The Office of Personnel Management has decided to drop an electronic records project meant to help facilitate transfer of federal employees to another agency and rehiring of former personnel after retirement, Government Executive reported Wednesday.

A recent update from OPM says the development of Employee Digital Record is “not an active project and that the agency’s “priorities have shifted from” the initiative.

OPM said “foundational activities” that back the Human Capital Information Model and Federal Integrated Business Framework” could help advance EDR development should the agency decide to revive the project.

The EDR project was OPM’s priority goal and was part of the President’s Management Agenda, according to the report.

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Speaker Nancy Pelosi Schedules House Vote on Measure to Restrict Trump’s War Powers Against Iran
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Speaker Nancy Pelosi Schedules House Vote on Measure to Restrict Trump’s War Powers Against Iran
Speaker Nancy Pelosi Schedules House Vote on Measure to Restrict Trump's War Powers Against Iran

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced that the House will vote Thursday on a war powers resolution to limit President Trump’s ability to launch military actions against Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

The resolution would ask the president to cease the use of military force against the Middle Eastern country unless Congress authorized it. Pelosi said the House may also consider a repeal of a 2002 authorization used to green-light military actions against Iraq.

Some lawmakers said the classified briefings presented by administration officials, including Defense Secretary and 2019 Wash100 Award recipient Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to Congress lacked specific details about the threat posed by Iran.

“Our concerns were not addressed by the president’s insufficient War Powers Act notification and by the administration’s briefing today,” Pelosi said. “The administration must work with the Congress to advance an immediate, effective de-escalatory strategy that prevents further violence.”

The resolution was proposed after Trump’s order to launch an airstrike resulted in the death of Qassem Soleimani, a high-ranking Iranian military official.

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52 F-35s Gather in Air Force’s Elephant Walk Demonstration
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52 F-35s Gather in Air Force’s Elephant Walk Demonstration
52 F-35s Gather in Air Force's Elephant Walk Demonstration

The U.S. Air Force held a long-planned "elephant walk" exercise with 52 F-35A aircraft from Hill Air Force Base to demonstrate power, Popular Mechanics reported Tuesday.

The exercise used all combat-ready F-35A fighter bombers within the service branch's fleet, and may have incurred a total of $4.5M in operational expenses, the report noted.

Hill Air Force Base, the exercise's Utah-based venue, holds four operational F-35A squadrons across active duty and reserve wings.

USAF said it did not intend to have the elephant walk coincide with the U.S.-Iran conflict, despite the long-planned exercise's timing.

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