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Perspecta Labs Receives $2.9M Prime Award from CMG to Provide Modular Radio Frequency Communications Solution for U.S. Army; Petros Mouchtaris Quoted
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Perspecta Labs Receives $2.9M Prime Award from CMG to Provide Modular Radio Frequency Communications Solution for U.S. Army; Petros Mouchtaris Quoted


Jeff Brody

Consortium Management Group (CMG) awarded a 12 month, $2.9 million prime award contract to Perspecta Labs, an innovative applied research arm of Perspecta, to work on a modular radio frequency (RF) communications solution for the U.S. Army, Perspecta announced on Thursday. 

The objective of the program is to provide an efficient, agile and modular RF communications capability to the warfighter to enable successful mission execution in congested and contested environments. 

Perspecta Labs will develop, deliver, integrate and demonstrate an automated Primary, Alternate, Contingency and Emergency (PACE) communications solution. The Perspecta Labs solution will use automation and intelligence to optimally route data among available RF and networking technologies and provide continuity of operations under rapidly changing environments and threats.  

“Perspecta Labs will leverage its extensive expertise in tactical networking, RF communications and machine learning to design, implement and test this intelligent communications solution for the warfighter,” said Petros Mouchtaris, Ph.D., president of Perspecta Labs. “We are excited to combine our breadth of capability to create a solution that meets tactical requirements for enhanced network awareness and improved communications resilience and efficiency, while also lowering operational burden for the warfighter.”

Perspecta Labs’ automated PACE solution will feature an intelligent decision engine to select from and switch to diverse transport mechanisms, as well as a data model to collect and process critical information to inform the decision engine. The solution will also use an automated initialization processes, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual configuration.

About Perspecta Inc.

At Perspecta (NYSE: PRSP), we question, we seek and we solve. Perspecta brings a diverse set of capabilities to our U.S. government customers in defense, intelligence, civilian, health care and state and local markets. Our 270+ issued, licensed and pending patents are more than just pieces of paper, they tell the story of our innovation. 

With offerings in mission services, digital transformation and enterprise operations, our team of 14,000 engineers, analysts, investigators and architects work tirelessly to not only execute the mission, but build and support the backbone that enables it. Perspecta was formed to take on big challenges. We are an engine for growth and success and we enable our customers to build a better nation.

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GAO Urges NASA to Take More Action in Major Program Scheduling
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GAO Urges NASA to Take More Action in Major Program Scheduling


Jeff Brody

The Government Accountability Office has assessed the scheduling of NASA’s efforts to manage major human space exploration systems. GAO said Wednesday that it’s looking into the space agency’s development activities of the Orion spacecraft, the Space Launch System rocket and Exploration Ground Systems.

Orion and SLS will serve as vehicles for lunar and Martian exploration missions, and EGS will facilitate the processing and launching of spacecraft and rockets. The federal watchdog found that NASA has made progress since GAO’s last report in June. The earlier audit identified significant occurrences of schedule delays, with setbacks that may push the systems’ launch date to June 2021 despite the schedule’s revision to June 2020.

GAO also discovered an understatement of over $750M in the SLS program’s cost growth calculations. NASA has so far addressed seven of 18 recommendations that GAO has issued over eight previous reports. The accountability office urges NASA to take up more action and comply with the remaining recommendations.

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Unmanned Ship from Leidos Reaches Historic Milestone; Nevin Carr Quoted
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Unmanned Ship from Leidos Reaches Historic Milestone; Nevin Carr Quoted


Jeff Brody

Leidos announced on Thursday that the company’s unmanned ship, Sea Hunter, was recently featured in a major demonstration using an advanced senor less than a year after the ship was transited from San Diego to Hawaii with no personnel on board.

“This exercise offered valuable lessons learned on how to take full advantage of a medium unmanned surface vehicle, with no personnel on board,” said Nevin Carr, Leidos Navy strategic account executive. “Autonomous vessels, especially when combined with artificial intelligence, have the potential to impact naval warfare in ways yet to be discovered.”

The Office of Naval Research project was supported by the Naval Information Warfare Center – Pacific, Naval Undersea Warfare Center-Newport, and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory to explore how unmanned vehicles can be used as a naval force multiplier, and allow warships to be available for other missions. 

The exercise also showcased the open architecture and flexibility of Sea Hunter, which has previously hosted a variety of mission payloads, including airborne sensors.

About Leidos

Leidos is a Fortune 500® information technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world’s toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The company’s 33,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $10.19 billion for the fiscal year ended Dec. 2018.

DHS Plans Data Center Migration Ahead of 2020 Deadline
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DHS Plans Data Center Migration Ahead of 2020 Deadline


Jeff Brody

The Department of Homeland Security has migrated most of its systems and applications to the cloud and is planning to close its data center in Virginia next year, FCW reported Wednesday. The data center in Mississippi, known as Data Center One, will serve as a consolidated and modernized environment for the department’s 153 systems and 8,000 devices supported by the Virginia-based Data Center Two.

“One of the things that was really key for us is to figure out, of the 153 systems, which ones are ready to be moved to the cloud? And what we found was many of our systems were not really IT modernized to do that,” said Carlene Ileto, executive director of DHS’ infrastructure service division, following an American Council for Technology Industry Advisory Council event.

DHS plans to divide the transition of the non-cloud ready systems to DC 1 and the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center in Virginia. The department is also considering letting some systems run within DC 2 after the 2020 deadline to serve as backups for disaster recovery operations.

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Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Jack Reed Introduce Bill to Create Info Warfare ‘Response Center’
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Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Jack Reed Introduce Bill to Create Info Warfare ‘Response Center’


Jeff Brody

Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Jack Reed, D-RI, have introduced a bill directing the establishment of a Malign Foreign Influence Response Center responsible for preventing adversarial interference and threats ahead of the federal elections.

Klobuchar’s office said Wednesday that the Combatting Foreign Influence Act would mandate the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to create the center, and coordinate information sharing and analysis activities across government agencies as well as the intelligence community.

The center will focus on mitigating threats from known adversaries such as Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. In addition, the unit will launch disinformation campaigns and submit an annual report to Congress detailing its activities and impact on privacy matters.

“We know that foreign governments and their agents have executed extensive and sophisticated influence campaigns that are designed to sow division, spread disinformation, and mislead the American people—we need a collaborative, comprehensive approach to protecting our democracy from information warfare,” said Klobuchar.

Congress may opt to re-authorize the center after eight years.

Mark Esper: US Military Needs to Adapt, Implement National Defense Strategy to Fight New Threats
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Mark Esper: US Military Needs to Adapt, Implement National Defense Strategy to Fight New Threats


Jeff Brody
Mark Esper

Defense Secretary and 2019 Wash100 Award winner Mark Esper said the U.S. military should “adapt” to counter cyber attacks and threats in space amid the resurgence of “great power competition,” the Air Force reported Wednesday. He cited the role of the National Defense Strategy in ensuring national security and fighting threats from near-peer competitors.

“If we are to remain the world’s preeminent military power, then we must change course away from the past and face the challenges of the future head on. … Everything we do must be aimed towards achieving the goals and objectives of (the NDS),” he said Wednesday at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber conference.

Esper also discussed the need for the establishment of the Space Force as a separate service branch and the importance of developing the military’s competitive edge in multidomain operations, which he said will demand technical advancements and cultural change.

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Christopher Krebs: Gov’t, Industry Should Be More Realistic in Presenting Cyber Risks
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Christopher Krebs: Gov’t, Industry Should Be More Realistic in Presenting Cyber Risks


Jeff Brody
Christopher Krebs

Christopher Krebs, director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and a 2019 Wash100 Award winner, said government and industry cyber professionals seeking to encourage more people to participate in efforts to counter digital threats should present such threats in a more realistic way, Nextgov reported Wednesday.

“One of the things we’ve got to do a better job of is [to] stop selling fear,” Krebs said in his keynote speech at CISA Cybersecurity Summit. “Fear sells, but we have far too much to offer to just be looking for the next mark. We’ve got to be more straightforward, more measured, more reasonable in how we talk about [threats].”

He also cited how outreach programs could help agencies and industry address the cyber workforce shortage.

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Barbara Barrett, Ryan McCarthy Nominations Advance to Full Senate
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Barbara Barrett, Ryan McCarthy Nominations Advance to Full Senate


Jeff Brody

The Senate Armed Services Committee has approved Ryan McCarthy and Barbara Barrett for the top civilian positions at the U.S. Army and Air Force, respectively through a voice vote, The Hill reported Wednesday. Their nominations will head to the full Senate for a confirmation vote less than a week after they fielded questions from SASC members.

McCarthy, current undersecretary of the Army and former vice president of the F-35 sustainment program at Lockheed Martin, vowed to continue readiness, modernization and reform efforts at the service branch if confirmed to lead the Army.

Barrett, who most recently chaired the board of directors at Aerospace Corp., said she will prioritize the establishment of a military branch to focus on space warfare missions if the Senate approves her as USAF secretary.

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TCOM Secures $979M Army Tethered Aerostat Support Contract from DoD; Ron Bendlin Quoted
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TCOM Secures $979M Army Tethered Aerostat Support Contract from DoD; Ron Bendlin Quoted


Jeff Brody

TCOM L.P. has been awarded a $979 million hybrid contract to perform engineering, logistics, operations and program management support for the Persistent Surveillance Systems – Tethered (PSS-T) Program from the Department of Defense, TCOM announced on Thursday. 

“While TCOM has been a world leader in aerostat platforms for decades, we are very proud that the US Army has selected Team TCOM to provide operational support and sustaining engineering to these sophisticated surveillance systems,” said Matthew McNiel, VP of Business Development, TCOM, L.P.

TCOM plans for the associated work to occur at its facilities in Columbia, MD and Elizabeth City, NC as well as Aberdeen, MD; Tobyhanna, PA and Yuma, AZ. The work is estimated to be completed in June 2024. 

The objective of this acquisition is to support PD Aerostats’ mission requirements to support Combatant Commanders and joint agency requirements. The PSS-T aerostat fleet consists of a medium and a large size capable of persistent, integrated, networked, and multi-sensor information collection by operating for long periods of time at an altitude to maximize the line of sight and field of regard of on-board systems.

System modernization will incrementally enhance aerostat systems to mitigate obsolescence, to increase effectiveness and to provide survivability improvements.  Common mooring platforms, improved tethers and varied envelope sizes, will decrease the logistical footprint and address obsolescence while creating an adaptive interchangeable platform to support both short- and long-term missions.

According to defense media reports, PSS-T provides combat-proven capability that addresses two of the current intelligence capability gaps in the collection and intelligence enterprise. PSS-T is a highly persistent low-altitude platform that offers inherent cost savings per flight hour as compared to current manned and unmanned airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets. 

“We highly value the opportunity to be in partnership with the US Army to support this critical mission.  This win results from continuous investment in our corporate strategy and valued employees, further advancing our position as a global leader in delivering integrated ISR solutions to the Department of Defense. We look forward to building on this opportunity to help serve the needs of the U.S. military as well as allied nations with similar needs,” said Ron Bendlin, President & CEO, TCOM, L.P.

About TCOM L.P.

TCOM, L.P. is a global leader of Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) solutions of Lighter-than-Air Persistent Surveillance Tethered Aerostat platforms for Air, Maritime, and Land. Since 1971, the company’s pioneering innovations have defined the persistent surveillance and Lighter-than-Air industries. By blending leading-edge technology, manufacturing and field operation capabilities, TCOM has provided ISR systems for the United States and foreign governments with complete persistent surveillance capabilities. 

TCOM’s headquarters are based in Columbia, MD, and the Manufacturing & Flight Test Facility is located near Elizabeth City, NC. TCOM is the only company in the world devoted to cost-effective LTA surveillance solutions with in-house aerostat and airship manufacturing, assembly, flight test, and training capabilities.

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DLT Solutions Partners with A Cloud Guru to Provide Cloud Technology Training for Public Sector
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DLT Solutions Partners with A Cloud Guru to Provide Cloud Technology Training for Public Sector
Jeff Brody

DLT Solutions has partnered with A Cloud Guru (ACG) to deliver cloud training services to the public sector. The partnership enables DLT's public sector customers to access ACG's state-of-the-art learning platform at preferred pricing rates through the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Marketplace, DLT Solutions reported on Wednesday. 

"Investments in cloud training are critical to overcoming workforce cloud adoption issues and ensuring the public sector continues to modernize in the Cloud Smart era," said DLT Vice President of Enterprise Platforms, Danny Climo. "By partnering with A Cloud Guru, we expect to accelerate growth and speed of cloud adoption for our public sector customers and cement DLT's position as the premier public sector cloud distributor."

The strategic partnership between DLT and ACG includes special pricing offered through the AWS Consulting Partner Private Offer (CPPO) program which allows federal government agencies to invest in employee acceleration and cloud training without a sizable capital investment. This CPPO preferred pricing is available to purchase exclusively through DLT on the AWS Marketplace.

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