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Gen. David Berger: Marine Corps Looks to Modeling, Simulation Data for Future Force Structure
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Gen. David Berger: Marine Corps Looks to Modeling, Simulation Data for Future Force Structure

 

Jeff Brody
David Berger

Gen. David Berger, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, said analytics data from simulation and modeling events will help define the service branch’s future force construct, National Defense reported Thursday.

“We have right now I think [an] 80 to 85 percent picture of what the Marine Corps will need a decade out. But this last step [of using data gathered from modeling and simulation events] is so important because now is when we run that force against a peer threat 10 years out, over and over and over again to develop the analytical base,” Berger said Thursday in his speech at the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington, D.C.

“I believe in analytics as a foundation,” he noted. “We’re at that stage now where we’re testing the force that we think we will need, and that will conclude in another month or two.”

Berger cited the service’s efforts to comply with the National Defense Strategy and the importance of experimentation and wargaming in shaping the future force construct.

 

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Jeanette Manfra: Cyber Talent Shortage a Risk to National Security
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Jeanette Manfra: Cyber Talent Shortage a Risk to National Security


Jeff Brody
Jeanette Manfra

Jeanette Manfra, a cybersecurity official at the Department of Homeland Security, said DHS considers the lack of cyber professionals a threat to national security and is now prioritizing the development of a workforce training initiative for such professionals, TechCrunch reported Friday.

“It’s a national security risk that we don’t have the talent regardless of whether it’s in the government or the private sector,” Manfra, assistant director for cybersecurity for DHS’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said at the TechCrunch Disrupt SF event. “We have a massive shortage that is expected that will grow larger.”

She cited the need for critical collaboration between government agencies and tech community to address the cyber talent shortage and suggested the idea of providing scholarships to cyber experts to work for the government for a three- to five-year term before transitioning to the private sector.

“It builds a community of people with shared experience [and] in security we’re all trying to do the same things,” Manfra added.

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NASA Picks 25 Space Tech Platforms Under ‘Flight Opportunities’ Program
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NASA Picks 25 Space Tech Platforms Under ‘Flight Opportunities’ Program


Jeff Brody

NASA has awarded 20 industry and academic organizations funds worth approximately $10M combined to develop their proposed space technology platforms for commercial test flights under the agency’s Flight Opportunities program.

The space agency said Thursday the 25 selected technologies deal with two topic areas meant to support NASA’s lunar exploration objectives through the Artemis program.

“With vibrant and growing interest in exploration and commercial space across the country, our goal with these selections is to support innovators from industry and academia who are using rapid and affordable commercial opportunities to test their technologies in space,” said Christopher Baker, program executive for Flight Opportunities at NASA. “These suborbital flights enable researchers to quickly and iteratively test technologies with the opportunity to make adjustments between flights. 

The first topic supports sustainable lunar exploration and economic activity expansion in cislunar space. Topic 1 awardees are:

  • Carthage College
  • Draper
  • Honeybee Robotics
  • IMEC USA Nanoelectronics Design Center
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Masten Space Systems
  • Montana State University
  • North Carolina State University
  • Southwest Research Institute
  • University of Central Florida, Orlando
  • University of Colorado, Boulder
  • University of Florida, Gainesville

The second topic seeks to advance the utilization of suborbital space and low-Earth orbit commercialization. The awardees are:

  • GSSL
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Mayo Clinic
  • Night Crew Labs
  • Purdue University
  • Southwest Research Institute
  • Space Environment Technologies
  • University of Kentucky, Lexington
  • Vanderbilt University

The agency’s space technology mission directorate funds the Flight Opportunities program, which is managed by Armstrong Flight Research Center. Ames Research Center oversees the solicitation and assessment of technologies.

Air Force Research Lab, Carnegie Mellon to Establish Material Research Center
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Air Force Research Lab, Carnegie Mellon to Establish Material Research Center


Jeff Brody

The Air Force Research Laboratory and Carnegie Mellon University have partnered to set up a center of excellence that will focus on addressing materials design challenges through machine learning and data science approaches.

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research will help AFRL launch the Data-Driven Discovery of Optimized Multifunctional Material Systems CoE, which is meant to bring together researchers from the lab and university, AFOSR said Wednesday.

CMU intends to create a pool of PhD holders to support the center’s work for the military service and hold on-site tours for students every summer.

The lab allocated $5M for the establishment of the CoE and intends for facility researchers to explore methods to examine rare incidents and anomalies, design adaptive materials and fuse multimodal data.

AFRL added it looks to boost workforce capability in nine basic research areas, including materials discovery and synthesis, through the new center.

DOE Invests $50M in AI, Nuclear Energy Research
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DOE Invests $50M in AI, Nuclear Energy Research


Jeff Brody

The Department of Energy has earmarked $50 million to fund research and development projects in nuclear energy and artificial intelligence. DOE said Wednesday its Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy office will award a maximum of $35M to entities that can develop technologies to improve the management of nuclear power plants as part of the Generating Electricity Managed by Intelligent Nuclear Assets initiative.

The department’s Office of Science will also provide $13 million to support five AI research projects in collaboration with DOE’s national laboratories. DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions also created an AI portal under its Lab Partnering Service platform designed to streamline partnerships between key stakeholders.

In addition, DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory and National Energy Technology Laboratory formed partnerships for healthcare and renewable energy efforts. Argonne recently joined the Accelerating Therapeutics for Opportunities in Medicine consortium, while NETL collaborated with Siemens to deploy AI for operating sustainable gas turbines that support energy efficiency goals.

“AI truly will touch every aspect of our lives as it helps predict earthquakes, boost crop yields, and accelerate new medical treatments,” said DOE Undersecretary Mark Menezes.

DOE announced its new efforts during the InnovationXLab Summit in Chicago.

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Bobby Braun to Return to NASA as Planetary Exploration Leader
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Bobby Braun to Return to NASA as Planetary Exploration Leader


Jeff Brody
Bobby Braun

Bobby Braun, a former chief technologist of NASA, has been named leader of planetary exploration programs at the space agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory effective Jan. 15, Space News reported Wednesday.

JPL Director Michael Watkins said NASA will study the feasibility of consolidating parts of the laboratory’s Mars and solar system exploration directorates. The study’s outcome will determine Braun’s responsibilities.

The merge would reflect the integrated approach of the space agency’s planetary exploration efforts, Watkins noted.

“When I get there, the study will be complete and there will be recommendations, and my job will be to implement them,” said Braun who serves as dean of the University of Colorado’s College of Engineering and Applied Science.

Braun supported missions with JPL and other NASA components such as Langley Research Center during his previous tenure at the space agency.

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NASA Taps WVU Research Corp for Katherine Johnson Facility Maintenance; Jim Bridenstine Quoted
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NASA Taps WVU Research Corp for Katherine Johnson Facility Maintenance; Jim Bridenstine Quoted


Jeff Brody
Jim Bridenstine

NASA has issued a potential five-year, $24.9M contract to West Virginia University Research Corporation for finance operations and maintenance efforts at Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility.

The research center will provide the IV&V facility with administration, project management, facilities maintenance, information technology janitorial support and other services under the under the cost-no-fee contract, the space agency said Thursday.

The contract holds a half-year base period, four option years and one half-year option. Work began Oct. 1.

“NASA’s IV&V Program has performed significant work on a multitude of missions and projects, and will provide services to NASA’s highest profile missions including Artemis,” said Jim Bridenstine, NASA administrator.

The Katherine Johnson IV&V Facility works to verify the safety and performance of software systems used in NASA missions.

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Col. Dale White to Lead New USAF PEO on Advanced Aircraft
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Col. Dale White to Lead New USAF PEO on Advanced Aircraft


Jeff Brody
Col. Dale White

The U.S. Air Force has appointed Col. Dale White to lead a new executive office that would focus on advanced aircraft and digital technology programs.

USAF’s new Program Executive Office for Advanced Aircraft stood up Oct. 2 at a ceremony where White also received appointment as program executive officer, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base said Wednesday. WP AFB served as the ceremony’s venue.

PEO Advanced Aircraft would support the service branch’s Digital Century Series initiative that seeks to boost aircraft’s flexibility and speed via digital technologies.

The new program office will offer modular systems architecture, digital engineering and agile software development to help USAF achieve the initiative’s goals.

“I am turning to this program and to Dale in particular to find a way to bring the best technical expertise that we have to bear, to understand industry’s business case,” said Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics.

White currently serves as USAF’s program executive officer for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and special operations forces. He joined the service branch in 1997 and has since contributed to various Air Force components such as the Space and Missile Systems Center and Air Force Materiel Command.

GSA Assessing Industry Suggestions for FedRAMP Operational Improvement
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GSA Assessing Industry Suggestions for FedRAMP Operational Improvement


Jeff Brody

The General Services Administration is in the process of analyzing industry’s recommendations for improving the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program’s vetting procedures, Federal Times reported Wednesday.

GSA received over 60 responses to its “ideation challenge” solicitation released in July, which asked interested entities to identify issues involving FedRAMP scheduling, cost, reciprocity and awareness.

Ashley Mahan, the acting FedRAMP director, told attendees at a VMware event that the suggestions will help inform attempts to automate the program’s cloud security vetting procedures. She noted that the program has over 1,200 test cases for evaluating cloud security, and that the agency intends to consider emerging cybersecurity threats when ensuring a strong security posture and minimal network risk.

“We’re committed to continuously improve and evolve as a program,” she added.

James Murray: Secret Service Planning Cybercrime Task Force Modernization Efforts
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James Murray: Secret Service Planning Cybercrime Task Force Modernization Efforts


Jeff Brody
James Murray

James Murray, director of the U.S. Secret Service, has said that the agency plans to launch a five-year effort to modernize its task forces that specialize in electronic crimes, Nextgov reported Wednesday. He told attendees at the Aspen Cyber Summit in New York City that the Secret Service intends to establish seven more task forces and update its operations focused on “the arrest and prosecution of the highest-value targets.”

The agency also intends to invest in training activities and expand the Global Investigations Operations Center to streamline international collaborations on fighting cybercrime.

“The fight against cyber crime and the effort to defend the country against national security threats are inextricably linked,” he said. “Fighting cyber crime is defending national security.”

According to Murray, the number of cybercrime and financial fraud cases handled by the Secret Service has increased over the past few years. He added that cybercrime investigations should also cover cases in which foreign governments enlist the help of cybercriminals to enact nefarious activities on their behalf.

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