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DOD, Commerce to Support Minority Business Enterprises
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DOD, Commerce to Support Minority Business Enterprises

The departments of Defense and Commerce have signed an agreement to leverage their resources, networks, and expertise to bolster the involvement of minority business enterprises, or MBEs, in the defense industrial base.

DOD said Tuesday the memorandum of understanding it signed with Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency seeks to encourage the participation of MBEs in defense supply chains, foster collaboration, use data-driven insights to help MBEs capitalize on defense procurement opportunities and provide them access to training and development opportunities.

“This MOU represents a significant step in expanding access to defense contracts for minority business enterprises, ensuring that our supply chain is diverse, resilient, and capable of addressing the demands of our national defense,” said William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.

“By working with MBDA, we can tap into a broader talent base of underrepresented businesses that bring unique perspectives and solutions, which ultimately contribute to a more robust and innovative industrial base,” added the 2024 Wash100 awardee.

The agreement will also help connect MBEs to the Mentor-Protege Program, APEX Accelerators and other DOD programs to help them navigate the defense procurement process.

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Hughes Awarded US Army Contract to Deploy 5G Network
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Hughes Awarded US Army Contract to Deploy 5G Network

Hughes Network Systems, a subsidiary of EchoStar, has received a $6.5 million contract to deploy a 5G open radio access network, or ORAN, prototype for the U.S. Army and Department of Defense. 

The 5G ORAN prototype featuring a RAN Intelligent Controller, or RIC, will allow the Army to examine RIC-based applications for military networks and explore communications for mobile command posts, EchoStar announced Tuesday. The project is a collaboration between the U.S. Army, the DOD chief information officer and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. 

Dan Rasmussen, senior vice president of the North American enterprise at Hughes Network Systems, said, “This contract award is an important step forward for the U.S. Department of Defense’s efforts to develop next-generation communications networks that can empower innovative applications.”

The 5G Open RAN Prototype 

As the prime contractor for the 5G Open RAN prototype, Hughes will demonstrate, test and integrate an RIC in the Army’s test network. Hughes will also incorporate ORAN infrastructure, engineering acumen and 5G spectrum from EchoStar company Boost Mobile.

The prototype’s equipment will first be installed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, to operate a temporary network for testing purposes and is expected to be implemented into Hughes’ commercial network following the initial test. 

“The EchoStar team is looking forward to collaborating with the U.S. Army to test and evaluate specific military use cases that leverage 5G ORAN and the RAN Intelligent Controller,” noted Rasmussen. “The Fort Bliss program will pave the way for further RIC exploration, enhancing network performance for both U.S. government and commercial applications.”

The Open RAN prototype is also designed to reach significant strategic milestones that support fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act requirements for DOD efforts to reshape the supply chain.

EchoStar’s Recent Work With the Military

In August, EchoStar companies Hughes Network Systems and Boost Mobile tested a 5G network designed to aid the U.S. Navy’s primary, alternate, contingency and emergency communication plans.

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Clayton Turner Selected as STMD Associate Administrator at NASA
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Clayton Turner Selected as STMD Associate Administrator at NASA

Clayton Turner, former director of NASA’s Langley Research Center, has been named associate administrator for space technology mission directorate at NASA. The appointment, announced by NASA Administrator and Wash100 Award winner Bill Nelson, will take effect immediately.

NASA said Monday Turner, who’s been serving as STMD associate administrator in an acting capacity since July, will resume his responsibility of overseeing the strategic planning, management and execution of the agency’s technology maturation and demonstration programs.

Clayton Turner’s NASA Career

Turner’s NASA career spans 30 years, with more than 16 spent at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. He joined Langley in 2012 as center chief engineer and was gradually elevated to director of engineering, associate center director and deputy center director. The executive was appointed director of the center in 2019 and served in this leadership role for more than five years.

He assumed the acting associate administrator role of the STMD after the retirement of Kurt Vogel. Dawn Schaible, deputy director of the Glenn Research Center at the time, was selected to succeed Turner and lead the Langley Center as acting director.

Turner was instrumental in various NASA projects, including the Earth Science Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation Project and the flight test of the Orion Launch Abort System.

Bill Nelson on Clayton Turner

Nelson stated, “Under Turner’s skilled and steady hand, the Space Technology Mission Directorate will continue to do what it does best: help NASA push the boundaries of what’s possible and drive American leadership in space. I look forward to what STMD will achieve under Turner’s direction.”

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NIST Names New Communications Technology Laboratory Director
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NIST Names New Communications Technology Laboratory Director

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has appointed Melissa Midzor as director of its Communications Technology Laboratory. Her responsibilities include setting standards and creating precision and simulation instruments to measure capabilities and support emerging wireless technologies’ commercialization.

Immediately before her appointment, Midzor served as chief of the institute’s spectrum technology and research division, NIST said Monday. She joined NIST in 2018 as program manager for the institute’s National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network, a multi-agency partnership of government and commercial testing facilities. 

NAVAIR Experience

Before working at NIST, Midzor was the division director for the Naval Air Systems Command’s Electronic Warfare Integrated Laboratories. 

Laurie Locascio, NIST director and undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology, described Midzor as “an invaluable asset,” with her practical background and academic record. “Her experience is crucial as we promote innovation in advanced communications while working to ensure that our communications systems are reliable, private and secure,” Locascio said.

Midzor has a PhD in physics, specialized in nanotechnology, from the California Institute of Technology and dual bachelor degrees in physics and sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder.

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David Teter to Join Idaho National Lab as COO
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David Teter to Join Idaho National Lab as COO

Idaho National Laboratory has selected David Teter, a nearly three-decade official at Los Alamos National Laboratory, to serve as its chief operating officer and deputy lab director for management and operations.

INL said Monday Teter will assume the position in the spring of 2025, succeeding Juan Alvarez, who stepped down in October to join Battelle Memorial Institute as executive vice president of laboratory operations.

“I am confident that Dave’s proven leadership through decades of work within the Department of Energy enterprise will ensure that we continue to elevate our impact through cutting-edge fundamental and applied research,” said INL Director John Wagner.

Teter brings to INL decades of experience in overseeing large-scale infrastructure projects, strategic planning, managing people, operational leadership and stakeholder engagement.

The newly appointed INL COO most recently served as associate lab director for infrastructure and capital projects at Los Alamos National Lab.

His career at Los Alamos included time as director of the weapons infrastructure and planning office, division leader of materials science and technology and postdoctoral researcher.

He has a doctorate in metallurgical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

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AUKUS Members to Accelerate Hypersonic Development
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AUKUS Members to Accelerate Hypersonic Development

The defense departments of the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have agreed to combine resources and share expertise, technical information and test facilities to accelerate the development of hypersonic vehicles under the second pillar of the AUKUS trilateral security partnership.

Through the Hypersonic Flight Test and Experimentation project arrangement, a series of hypersonic trials will be held, including up to six trilateral flight test campaigns, the U.S. Department of Defense said Monday.

The testing programs, expected to begin by 2028, are supported by a $252 million funding pool.

Indo-Pacific Security

The AUKUS Pillar 2 focuses on strengthening cooperation in advancing critical technologies that enhance integrated deterrence and boost security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Heidi Shyu, the under secretary of defense for research and engineering and a 2024 Wash100 Award recipient, said the collaborative effort will speed up the development of high-temperature materials, advanced propulsion systems, guidance and control, and other key technologies essential to improving the performance and operational capability of hypersonic weapon systems.

AUKUS Export Control Changes

In preparation for the Pillar 2 initiatives, the AUKUS members previously made changes to their export control regulations to remove hindrances to defense trade and technology sharing. The allied countries also invited Canada, New Zealand and South Korea — countries that have close bilateral defense ties with the AUKUS members — to join the Pillar 2 collaboration to improve interoperability and contribute to the development of advanced capabilities.

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GSA to Move Subaward Reporting Functions to SAM.gov
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GSA to Move Subaward Reporting Functions to SAM.gov

The General Services Administration will transfer subaward reporting capabilities to SAM.gov in March as it plans to retire FSRS.gov and deliver improved user experience to individuals who report on subaward information and executive compensation data.

GSA said Monday the agency’s Integrated Award Environment expects the transition to enable users to manage reporting for all their Unique Entity IDs from one account, share reporting responsibilities across their team and exert more control over report management.

Aims of the Transition & Who It Will Affect

With the change, IAE also aims to enhance federal funding transparency, reduce duplicate reporting, streamline systems and minimize the reporting burden by leveraging the power of data in SAM.gov.

In addition to FSRS.gov users who report data about subawards, individuals looking for subaward information on SAM.gov and entity administrators will also be impacted by the planned change.

GSA noted that it will provide training, information and materials to prepare users for the upcoming transition.

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DeltaAI Computer Opens New Possibilities for AI-Based Research
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DeltaAI Computer Opens New Possibilities for AI-Based Research

Researchers across the U.S. can now access an artificial intelligence-based computer called DeltaAI developed by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, a unit of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

National Science Foundation grants of nearly $30 million funded the DeltaAI development that included advanced hardware, such as the NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip, NCSA said Monday in its announcement of the computer’s launch.

The center built and operates DeltaAI at the University of Illinois National Petascale Computing Facility. The new supercomputer complements the NCSA’s advanced Delta computing and data resource, which was also established with NSF support.

Computing Capacity Quadruples

With DeltaAI, NCSA said it will quadruple its AI-based computing capacity. The new computer is accessible through the NSF ACCESS program and the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource pilot projects.

NCSA Director Bill Gropp noted the explosion in researchers’ demand for AI-driven computing and data resources. “With the addition of DeltaAI to our suite of AI and machine-learning resources, NCSA is perfectly positioned to usher in a new era of innovative and responsible AI computing,” he said.

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DARPA & Partners Test CANDOR Cyber Capability Platform
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DARPA & Partners Test CANDOR Cyber Capability Platform

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the U.S. Army Cyber Command Technical Warfare Center and Project Manager-Defensive Cyber Operations recently conducted an operational test and evaluation of the Cyber Analytics for Network Defense and Response Options, or CANDOR, platform.

The Need for CANDOR

CANDOR seeks to deliver automated threat hunting and enhanced network monitoring capabilities to cyber operators, DARPA said Monday. With the help of containerization, the platform can be speedily integrated into and deployed on various kinds of infrastructure like data centers or the cloud.

Platform Test Results

During the test, CANDOR was successfully deployed in an operational test environment. Developers were then able to use the platform to deploy cyber analytic applications and detect and analyze malicious activity.

Regarding the results, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Nate Bastian, the DARPA program manager for CANDOR, said, “This test proved CANDOR’s high flexibility and adaptability as an innovative solution designed for deployment across multiple environments.”

Constellation Program

The platform is one of six projects being carried out under the Constellation program, which seeks to accelerate the development of cyber technologies so they can be delivered to users. The Constellation program is a joint effort between DARPA and U.S. Cyber Command.

“Given Constellation’s objective to accelerate the transition of research and development to capability delivery, we were able to drastically shorten the design, development, and testing of CANDOR from months to weeks with consistent user integration with ARCYBER,” Bastian noted.

ACT-IAC White Paper Promotes Framework for Automating ATO Process
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ACT-IAC White Paper Promotes Framework for Automating ATO Process

The American Council for Technology-Industry Advisory Council is calling for the adoption of Open Security Controls Assessment Language, or OSCAL, an open standard framework for automating the authority to operate risk assessment processes for software systems, Federal News Network reported Monday.

ATO-as-Code Maturity Model

In a white paper, ACT-IAC presented a five-level operational maturity model designed to help organizations adopt and scale OSCAL and implement ATO-as-code. The paper noted that the model requires market advancement of security tools and capabilities.

Dan Jacobs, the cloud portfolio manager at the Office of Personnel Management and member of the ACT-IAC Cybersecurity Community of Interest ATO-as-code project team, said the model informs organizations of the step-by-step actions needed to achieve a fully automated ATO risk management process.

Organizations committed to adopting OSCAL must integrate the automated process into their acquisition cycle in a way that vendors will support the new method, which should involve an OSCAL-ready governance, risk and compliance tool, Jacobs added.

OPM’s ATO-as-Code Adoption

OPM has begun implementing the ATO-as-code strategy. According to the cloud portfolio manager, the open standards will enable the agency to assure its federal government customers that their data collected from logging, continuous integration and continuous delivery pipeline, cloud-based application programming interfaces and other tools are treated securely.

ATO-as-code will also support OPM’s development of an integrated risk management and enterprise risk management function. “We recognize we cannot do that using manual means,” Jacobs explained. “It must be automated and that automation is not going to happen through proprietary systems because our customers are the entire federal government and any proprietary solution simply is not going to work.”

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