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DOD ManTech Program Announces Appointment of Stephen Recchia, Stephen Luckowski to Key Roles
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DOD ManTech Program Announces Appointment of Stephen Recchia, Stephen Luckowski to Key Roles

The Department of Defense has appointed government program managers Stephen Recchia and Stephen Luckowski to new leadership roles to drive the future efforts of DOD’s Manufacturing Technology program, or ManTech.

The department said Wednesday Recchia succeeds Luckowski as program manager of the DOD Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, or MIIs.

Meanwhile, Luckowski will take on the role of director of the Technology Transfer, Transition and Commercial Partnerships Office, or T3CP.

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Stephen Recchia

In his new role, Recchia will manage nine department-led MIIs, provide strategic guidance and facilitate collaboration with the government, industry and academia to advance DOD’s manufacturing capabilities and portfolio of critical technologies.

The former engineer within the U.S. Army most recently served as a program manager within the Office of the Secretary of Defense Manufacturing Science and Technology Program.

The DOD MIIs seek to reinforce the country’s domestic manufacturing capability by advancing research and development, building up manufacturing systems and promoting education and workforce development.

Stephen Luckowski

As head of T3CP, the former MII program manager will leverage his experience in technology transition and public-private partnerships to drive innovation, develop commercialization pathways and transition capabilities to the warfighter.

Luckowski has over three decades of Army civilian service.

He previously served as a ManTech program manager for the Army and DOD, director of the Prototype Integration Facility at the Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey and chair of the metals processing and fabrication subpanel within the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel.

Register now for the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 23, and hear from leading defense researchers, experts and decision makers about the cutting-edge technologies shaping the future of the U.S. military.

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DCAA Appoints Jennifer Desautel as Director
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DCAA Appoints Jennifer Desautel as Director

Jennifer Desautel, former assistant director of policy and quality at the Defense Contract Audit Agency, was appointed DCAA director, effective Oct. 20.

DCAA said Thursday she brings to the role more than two decades of experience in accounting, auditing and management.

As the DCAA director, Desautel has decision making authority on agency policy, resources and operations. She also manages an annual operating budget of approximately $650 million for DCAA whose mission is to deliver contract audit and advisory services in support of the DOD.

Jennifer Desautel’s Career

Desautel held several director and assistant director positions, including director for the Boeing Honeywell Corporate Audit Directorate, at the agency before assuming her recent role as policy and quality assistant director.

In the said position, the DCAA leader drove the development and release of contract audit policy and quality assurance for the agency. Desautel was responsible for audit procedures, standards and guidelines and for oversight of the quality control system.

Desautel also served as associate director for air, space and intel within the Investment Directorate, where the audit professional worked to ensure that air, space and intelligence programs funded by Department of Defense investments were properly priced and financed. She completed a detail with the Office of the Secretary of Defense Comptroller from May 2023 to June 2024.

According to the DCAA announcement of Desautel’s leadership appointment, she has a track record in leading transformative and strategic change, as well as in strengthening coalitions with internal and external partners.

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White House Releases National Security Memorandum on AI
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White House Releases National Security Memorandum on AI

The White House has issued a memorandum directing the U.S. government to implement measures to harness artificial intelligence technologies in support of the national security mission.

Harnessing AI for National Security

According to a fact sheet published Thursday, the national security memorandum directs agencies to propose streamlined procurement approaches and practices to facilitate collaboration with nontraditional vendors and requires the creation of a framework to promote AI governance and risk management in national security.

The document also aims to achieve national security objectives while safeguarding democratic values and human rights.

The memo also proposes actions to ensure the country’s leadership in the development of safe, secure and trustworthy AI tools and drive international consensus and governance around AI.

Advancing US Leadership in AI

To maintain U.S. leadership in trustworthy AI development, the memo calls for actions to improve the diversity and security of chip supply chains and directs U.S. government entities to provide AI tech developers with counterintelligence and cybersecurity information to ensure the security of their inventions.

The new policy officially designates the AI Safety Institute as industry’s key point of contact in the U.S. government and advances the National AI Research Resource.

Fostering International AI Governance

The memo directs the U.S. government to work with allies and partners to establish a stable governance framework to ensure that AI tools are developed and used in ways that protect human rights and fundamental freedoms while adhering to international law.

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Pentagon Issues Cost Analysis Guidance
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Pentagon Issues Cost Analysis Guidance

The Department of Defense has issued a document establishing policy and outlining the procedures for conducting cost analysis, cost estimation and cost data collection within DOD.

Susanna Blume, the department’s director of cost assessment and program evaluation or DCAPE, approved the latest DOD Instruction, which took effect Thursday, Oct. 24.

The issuance states that independent and sound cost estimates are key to acquisition oversight and support effective resource allocation decisions throughout the planning, programming, budgeting and execution process.

The document outlines the responsibilities of the DCAPE, deputy director for cost assessment and DOD component heads and provides details on cost estimation requirement and procedures.

DOD also added a section for cost analysis activities covering major capability acquisition, middle tier of acquisition, defense business systems, acquisition of services and software acquisition.

Users can also learn about the policies for independent cost estimates and those conducted for acquisition decisions, policies for DOD cost estimating and analysis activities and timelines for cost analysis activities.

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TechFlow Awarded Two Success Memos for EV Charging Prototypes
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TechFlow Awarded Two Success Memos for EV Charging Prototypes

TechFlow has been awarded two new success memorandums from the Defense Innovation Unit for its electric vehicle charging infrastructure prototypes.

The success memos recognize TechFlow’s delivery of self-sustaining EV charging prototypes through an open system design that allows Department of Defense customers to minimize costs, advance operations and strengthen energy resilience, the technology company announced Thursday.

Michael Genseal, vice president of energy and mobility solutions at TechFlow, said, “Scaling the federal government’s EV charging infrastructure is about more than just adding chargers – it requires fast, effective deployment that meets demanding mission readiness standards, and TechFlow is up to the challenge.”

During the evaluation periods at Naval Base San Diego and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, TechFlow’s prototype system showed a driver availability uptime exceeding 98 percent.

This most recent success memo builds off a previous memo authorized in November 2023. TechFlow’s EV charging infrastructure has now received a total of three DIU success memos, and the company aims to continue meeting the growing demand for zero-emission non-tactical vehicles.

“We’re proud to have developed our methodology in close collaboration with our DoD partners and DIU to help the federal government achieve its zero-emission goals while enhancing energy resilience, reducing costs and gaining the operational advantages that EVs deliver,” Genseal stated.

TechFlow is also reportedly nearing completion of a prototype project with the U.S. Air Force. If successful, it will be the fourth DOD service to issue a success memo for the company’s autonomous EV charging infrastructure prototypes.

The two new success memos recognize TechFlow’s continued work in the EV space. In September, TechFlow announced a $95 million contract from the U.S. Army Reserve to develop electric vehicle charging and microgrid infrastructures.

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NASA Kicks Off PTD-4 Spacecraft Solar Array Tech Demo
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NASA Kicks Off PTD-4 Spacecraft Solar Array Tech Demo

NASA has begun fielding the central boom structure of a deployable solar array, marking the start of the demonstration of a new power and communications system on the Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator-4 spacecraft.

The agency said Wednesday the PTD-4 spacecraft seeks to demonstrate the power generation and communications capability of the payload called Lightweight Integrated Solar Array and anTenna, or LISA-T.

“The LISA-T experiment is an opportunity for NASA and the small spacecraft community to advance the packaging, deployment, and operation of thin-film, fully flexible solar and antenna arrays in space. The thin-film arrays will vastly improve power generation and communication capabilities throughout many different mission applications,” said John Carr, deputy center chief technologist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

“These capabilities are critical for achieving higher value science alongside the exploration of deep space with small spacecraft,” added Carr.

LISA-T’s central boom has four solar power and communication arrays, also called petals.

NASA has confirmed proper checkout of the PTD-4 spacecraft’s on-board electronics and support systems, including a small onboard camera that will capture images of the tech demonstration during the mission.

PTD-4 Spacecraft

On Aug. 16, SpaceX’s Transporter-11 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California to deploy the small spacecraft with the LISA-T technology to low Earth orbit.

The Marshall Space Flight Center designed and developed LISA-T and its supporting avionics system, while Terran Orbital developed the PTD-4 spacecraft bus, called Triumph.

NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program funds and oversees the PTD-4 mission and the overall Pathfinder Technology Demonstration mission series.

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Astra Secures DIU Contract on Third Demo for Space Cargo Delivery Project
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Astra Secures DIU Contract on Third Demo for Space Cargo Delivery Project

The Defense Innovation Unit announced that it has awarded Alameda, California-based company Astra the third contract under its Novel Responsive Space Delivery, or NRSD, project to prototype commercial solutions for space cargo deliveries. 

Astra’s contract calls for prototyping flexible point-to-point cargo deliveries from Earth to space, vice-versa and between orbiting spacecraft, DIU said Wednesday.

Astra’s Flexible Launch Options Demo

According to Astra, its DIU contract, which has a $44 million ceiling, calls for advancing the capabilities of its Launch System 2 to send its Rocket 4 to orbit or sub-orbit through launches from the United States, Australia or other locations. The company added that the award will also demonstrate the automated welding capabilities in the Rocket 4 production and the advanced ground concepts of the Launch System 2 infrastructure. 

As of March 2022, Astra has sent 22 satellites into orbit after its first commercial launch of a low Earth orbit spacecraft in 2021.

The DIU awarded NRSD’s first contract to The Spaceport Company in May. This contract focused on developing a mobile, sea-based space launch system. Stoke Space took the second project award in August to prototype a solution for versatile point-to-point space cargo delivery.

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DOD Picks Hypersonic Infrared Research Team for FY25 ARAP Award Competition
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DOD Picks Hypersonic Infrared Research Team for FY25 ARAP Award Competition

The Department of Defense has selected the proposal of the U.S. Army DEVCOM ARL-led Hypersonic Infrared Target Sensing team, or HITS, as the winner of the Applied Research for the Advancement of S&T Priorities award competition, or ARAP, for fiscal year 2025.

HITS Research Project

DOD said Wednesday DEVCOM ARL, which stands for Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory, will work with the Air Force Research Laboratory, Missile Defense Agency and the Naval Research Laboratory on the three-year, $45 million project.

“Our approach encompasses innovative multi-physics modeling, meta-optical design, advanced fabrication techniques, and infrared optical characterization, with the ultimate goal of improving the precision of these weapons at longer ranges in more agile, lower cost platforms,” said Henry Everitt, senior technologist for optical sciences at DEVCOM ARL and the HITS team lead.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency will also participate in the HITS research project, which will involve more than 50 federal scientists and engineers across the military service labs to help address the challenge of building infrared seekers for hypersonic weapons.

The research team will explore high-temperature infrared materials, locate targets throughout hypersonic flight and address thermal distortion through the seeker window, among other things. It will also work with industry and academia as it develops in-house capabilities through the multidisciplinary effort.

ARAP Award Competition

DOD centers and laboratories seeking to participate in the annual competition must submit applied research funding proposals addressing capability gaps or a specific technology and promoting collaboration across defense agencies and military agencies.

“The S&T Executive Committee received nine high-quality white paper submissions for this year’s competition and narrowed it down to three finalists,” said Aprille Ericsson, the assistant secretary of defense for science and technology and chair of the S&T Executive Committee.

DOD is soliciting white papers for the FY 2026 ARAP competition and will accept submissions through Nov. 13.

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DIA Releases Updated Report on Nuclear Threats to US
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DIA Releases Updated Report on Nuclear Threats to US

The Defense Intelligence Agency has released “Nuclear Challenges: The Growing Capabilities of Strategic Competitors and Regional Rivals,” the second edition of the 2018 report titled “Global Nuclear Landscape.”

Scope of DIA’s Nuclear Challenge Report

Whereas the earlier publication tackled the nuclear programs of China, Russia and North Korea, the newer one offers an updated, unclassified overview of the nuclear programs of the same countries plus Iran, the DIA said Wednesday.

The information contained in the report, considered current as of June 1, includes estimates of the nuclear weapon stockpiles of Russia and China, assessments regarding the extent to which Iran and North Korea have developed nuclear weapon technologies, and descriptions of each of the four countries’ capabilities to deliver nuclear weapons to targets.

Aim of DIA’s Report

The publication of the report contributes to a broader effort to provide information regarding challenges and developments in nuclear security, as well as future projections.

As the publication notes, “The United States continues to face challenges from strategic competitors and regional rivals who have and are developing new nuclear-capable delivery systems. The threats from more advanced cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, hypersonic glide vehicles, and other novel delivery systems, coupled with growing nuclear arsenals, are threatening U.S. military advantages.”

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Army to Build Detachments for Combating Information Adversaries
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Army to Build Detachments for Combating Information Adversaries

The U.S. Army will build three Theater Information Advantage Detachments to strengthen efforts to combat adversaries in the information dimension, according to Lt. Gen. Maria Barrett, head of the Army Cyber Command.

At the annual meeting of the Association of the U.S. Army on Oct. 14, Barrett revealed that the service will build TIADs in the Pacific, Europe and at ARCYBER headquarters in Fort Eisenhower, Georgia.

The newly established detachments will perform missions within their respective theaters, Aaron Pearce, ARCYBER’s director of Information Advantage, explained, adding that the ARCYBER TIAD will focus on national defense strategy priorities.

Pearce noted that in general, the TIADs will have standing teams operating in their environment, providing their commanders opportunities for information effects and standing by for quick action in times of crisis.

He stressed that the new detachments will become a permanent unit of information specialists.

ARCYBER Science Advisor and Chief Analytics Officer Mark Mollenkopf said the TIADs will use a combination of specialists and advanced technologies to counter adversaries in the information sphere. He added the detachments can access artificial intelligence and automation to enhance their capabilities and visualize data trends.

The TIADs will employ data scientists, software developers and intelligence professionals to allow the Army to better process the critical elements of the information dimension, Mollenkopf stated.

The Army targets to establish the first TIAD in 2025.

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