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GAO Reports Rise in Pentagon’s Use of OTAs for Prototype Programs
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GAO Reports Rise in Pentagon’s Use of OTAs for Prototype Programs


GAO Reports Rise in Pentagon's Use of OTAs for Prototype Programs

The Government Accountability Office found a significant increase in the use of other transaction agreements by the Department of Defense for prototype projects from fiscal year 2016 to FY 2018.

GAO said Friday DoD awarded 618 OTAs in FY 2018 valued at $3.7B, up from 384 OTAs in FY 2017 worth approximately $2.1B and 248 transactions in FY 2016 valued at $1.4B.

The U.S. Army awarded the most OTAs and 88 percent of such agreements awarded during the period involved companies that do not usually do business with the Pentagon.

The congressional watchdog’s review of 11 OTAs showed that two of the transactions were not reviewed by DoD agreements officers prior to award. Those two transactions were awarded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Army Contracting Command-New Jersey.

DARPA and ACC-New Jersey plan to initiate measures to address issues related to OTA reviews.

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DARPA Introduces Optical Microsystems Dev’t Program
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DARPA Introduces Optical Microsystems Dev’t Program


DARPA Introduces Optical Microsystems Dev't Program

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has unveiled an effort that will help address challenges in the development of optical microsystems.

Established under the Electronics Resurgence Initiative, the Lasers for Universal Microscale Optical Systems program aims to build photonics systems that will incorporate optical gain, high-speed modulation and detection as well as low-loss passive capacities into a single chip, DARPA said Thursday.

LUMOS eyes to implement various technologies such as waveguides, modulators and amplifiers into a substrate to support navigation, timing, quantum sensing, communications and computing functions.

The program will also cover the creation of high-speed and near-infrared photonics tools that can support various applications including defense, critical sensing and quantum information. DARPA noted that each research area will tackle photonic integrated circuits and on-chip gain integration techniques.

The agency intends to conduct tests on DoD systems to highlight performance changes brought by complete component integration within the duration of the program.

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Air Force Plans to Develop Next-Gen Tech Under ‘Vanguard’ Programs
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Air Force Plans to Develop Next-Gen Tech Under ‘Vanguard’ Programs


Air Force Plans to Develop Next-Gen Tech Under 'Vanguard' Programs

The U.S. Air Force plans to work on three “vanguard” programs encompassing technologies such as next-generation munitions, navigation satellites and unmanned aircraft, National Defense Magazine reported Thursday.

The Golden Horde program will focus on using precision-guided munitions for teaming operations, while Navigation Technology Satellite 3 will serve as a spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit that will handle position, navigation and timing functions. The Skyborg effort will revolve around the deployment of a large number of artificial intelligence-based unmanned aircraft for future missions.

“We believe they can dramatically change the way that we fight and the way that we employ air power,” said Gen. Arnold Bunch, commander of Air Force Materiel Command, at a press briefing in Washington, D.C. “We’ve funded those for the next couple of years to make sure we’ve got all the efforts for the prototyping and experimentation that we want to move forward.”

Bunch’s comments come after former Air Force Secretary and 2019 Wash100 winner Heather Wilson announced plans to resume vanguard programs in line with the Air Force’s science and technology strategy in April.

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Department of State Prepares to Stand Up IT Procurement Office
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Department of State Prepares to Stand Up IT Procurement Office


Department of State Prepares to Stand Up IT Procurement Office

The Department of State is establishing a new office for the data-driven procurement of enterprise information technology services, Fedscoop reported Thursday.

A new IT Acquisitions Office within the department will operate by spring 2020, according to the official in charge of managing the future organization.

Ken Rogers, acting deputy chief information officer of business management and planning at the Bureau of Information Resource Management, leads the future office’s creation.

The new organization’s establishment stems from an inspector general review that recommended IRM to realign strategies. IRM is the state department’s IT management agency.

IAO will consist of four main units: IT acquisition, a contracting technology office, service execution and vendor performance management.

Rogers is now working to transition contracting personnel into IAO, with updated policy and professional functions.

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VA Eyes Deployment of Cerner-Built Electronic Health Record System in March
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VA Eyes Deployment of Cerner-Built Electronic Health Record System in March


VA Eyes Deployment of Cerner-Built Electronic Health Record System in March

The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to deploy a Cerner-developed platform that will handle the processing of electronic health records starting March 28, Nextgov reported Thursday.

Robert Fischer, director of Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center, said at a hearing with the House Veterans Affairs subcommittee on Technology Modernization that the augmentation plan is “under execution” and the facility is continuing to recruit personnel ahead of the launch.

Fischer noted that the center has recruited around half of the required 108 full-time personnel ahead of the launch at the Spokane, Wash. facility.

According to John Windom, executive director of the VA Office of Electronic Health Records Modernization, officials from the department’s headquarters, medical centers and technical units are in constant communication to support the initiative.

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Winter Casey, Lynne Parker Assume Deputy CTO Roles to White House
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Winter Casey, Lynne Parker Assume Deputy CTO Roles to White House


Michael Kratsios
Michael Kratsios

Michael Kratsios, U.S. chief technology officer and deputy assistant to the President at the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, has appointed Winter Casey and Lynne Parker as deputy U.S. CTOs.

Parker and Casey will help drive U.S. technology efforts under their new roles, the 2019 Wash100 Award recipient said Thursday in a Twitter post.

Prior to her appointment, Casey held the roles of assistant director for international affairs and senior adviser for technology policy at the Executive Office of the President. She also served as a senior adviser for internet policy at the Department of Commerce.

Parker served at the Office of Science and Technology Policy as assistant director for artificial intelligence. She also held the role of division director at the National Science Foundation.

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DoD Looks to Deploy Consolidated Defense Readiness Reporting System
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DoD Looks to Deploy Consolidated Defense Readiness Reporting System


DoD Looks to Deploy Consolidated Defense Readiness Reporting System

Veronica Daigle, assistant secretary for defense for readiness, said the department is planning to consolidate the Defense Readiness Reporting System as an enterprise system to improve data collection functions, FCW reported Thursday.

Daigle said at a Professional Services Council event that her office is working on a reform plan outlining significant changes such as the DRRS integration. The plan is slated for submission to Congress early next year.

Previously, DoD launched efforts to expand its readiness recovery framework to include 92 metrics and 34 major force elements. According to Daigle, DoD’s continued expansion of the framework supports efforts to identify readiness deficiencies through a “transparent, measurable and repeatable process.”

“Through the R2F, my office is looking to improve the quality and utility of our readiness data,” she said. “We want to identify leading indicators to readiness improvements and increase our ability to accurately measure and track readiness recovery.”

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Kathy Nuebel Kovarik Begins Work as USCIS Acting Deputy Director
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Kathy Nuebel Kovarik Begins Work as USCIS Acting Deputy Director


Kathy Nuebel Kovarik
Kathy Nuebel Kovarik

Kathy Nuebel Kovarik, former chief at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Office of Policy and Strategy, has commenced her duties as the agency’s acting deputy director.

She began her new role on Nov. 18, following her tenure of over two years with USCIS’ policy and strategy office, the agency said.

Nuebel Kovarik formerly performed advisory functions in support of John Kelly during his term as DHS secretary in 2017.

Her tenure of work in the U.S. Senate spanned over 17 years of her career, with staff-related roles involving immigration-related legislation, the Senate Caucus on Foster Youth and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

She also worked on a variety of policy-related issues under the office of Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

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Army Looks at Industry for 5G Tech; Col. Schawn Branch Quoted
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Army Looks at Industry for 5G Tech; Col. Schawn Branch Quoted


Army Looks at Industry for 5G Tech; Col. Schawn Branch Quoted

The U.S. Army seeks to modernize its cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and training via application of industry-made 5G cellular technologies, C4ISRNet reported Thursday.

Col. Schawn Branch, who leads the Army’s 5G and enterprise information technology as a service program, told C4ISRNet the service branch is focusing 5G efforts on augmented and virtual reality, global asset management and smart technology depots.

“In order to really use artificial intelligence you’re going to require a lot more bandwidth than we currently have with our 4G network,” the colonel added.

The service branch is getting industry support to implement 5G modernization and achieve related goals. Branch said the Army wants industry parties to demonstrate both commercial and military applications of 5G technologies.

The Army’s other 5G application goals include the development of software-defined networks that allow for high-bandwidth activities, Branch noted.

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Boeing Communications Leader Anne Toulouse to Retire; Dennis Muilenburg Quoted
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Boeing Communications Leader Anne Toulouse to Retire; Dennis Muilenburg Quoted


Boeing Communications Leader Anne Toulouse to Retire; Dennis Muilenburg Quoted

Boeing announced on Friday that Anne Toulouse, senior vice president of Communications, has chosen to retire from her role at the end of the year following 30 years with the company. 

“Over the course of my Boeing career I have been fortunate to know and work with some of the most talented, principled, and impressive people anywhere,” Toulouse said, “This past year has been all-consuming and profoundly difficult for all of us at Boeing – albeit nowhere close to the experience of the families affected by the MAX accidents. As we look ahead, I am confident the hard lessons learned will make Boeing better and that we will deliver on our important commitments. As we move into that next phase, I can best serve the company by turning over the role to someone with fresh perspective and, therefore, made the difficult decision to retire.” 

Toulouse, 61, became interim senior vice president of Communications, reporting to Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing’s President and CEO, in September 2018. She served on the company’s Executive Council and took over the permanent communications role in February of 2019.

“Anne has been an outstanding leader and committed contributor to Boeing over her entire career,” said Muilenburg. “I could not be more grateful for her dedication to this company, her One Boeing leadership style, and her strong commitment to investing in our people and culture. “Above all, I also want to thank her for her tireless efforts as we worked through the challenges of the past year.  I understand her decision to retire and appreciate her commitment to ensure a smooth transition.” Boeing expects to name a successor in the near future.

About Boeing 

Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and leading provider of commercial airplanes, defense, space and security systems, and global services. As the top U.S. exporter, the company supports commercial and government customers in more than 150 countries. Boeing employs more than 150,000 people worldwide and leverages the talents of a global supplier base. 

Building on a legacy of aerospace leadership, Boeing continues to lead in technology and innovation, deliver for its customers and invest in its people and future growth.

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