Peter Highnam, former research director at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, has been named deputy director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

DARPA said Monday Highnam will support the agency’s research projects in areas such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, communications, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, biosecurity and warfighter health.

He succeeds Stefanie Tompkins, who will leave DARPA this month to become vice president for research and technology transfer at the Colorado School of Mines.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence assigned Highnam to his previous role at NGA, where he oversaw the agency’s research organization.

He also worked as the director of ODNI’s Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, as well as held senior adviser posts at the National Institutes of Health and at the Department of Health and Human Services‘ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.

He initially joined DARPA in 1999 as a program manager under the agency’s electronic warfare and airborne communications programs.

Highnam joined the public sector after he served as a director at diagnostics technology company OXIVA.

Sen. John Hoeven (R-North Dakota) has asked Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection agency officials to take advantage of the state’s unmanned aerial systems knowledge to formulate strategies to protect the northern border.

According to a report published Thursday on Hoeven’s website, the senator met with DHS and CBP leaders to discuss how the state supports efforts to integrate UAS platforms into the nation’s airspace without compromising privacy rights and potential misuse of drones.

DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen has committed to utilize UAS for the development of national security and she will visit North Dakota to witness ongoing efforts at the Grand Sky Technology Park, Northern Plains UAS Test Site, CBP UAS facility and the Grand Forks Air Force Base.

Hoeven looks to build on previous efforts to further the UAS industry through work on low altitude beyond-line-of-flight applications, NASA‘s unmanned traffic management platform and the development of UAS detection and counter-UAS technologies.

He also secured $8 million in fiscal year 2017 to keep the CBP UAS operations and training facility in Grand Forks.

U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Millard, former executive officer to the commander at the U.S. Transportation Command, has been appointed as deputy director of strategic plans, requirements and programs at the Headquarters of the Air Mobility Command, the Defense Department said Monday.

Millard held various management and leadership positions across the Air Force including roles within the 89th Airlift Wing, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, 60th Operations Group, Tanker Airlift Control Center, Naval War College and 21st Air Mobility Operations Squadron.

He was a chief operations analyst for the mission analysis branch at NATO Combined Air Operations Center Two and an executive officer to the commander of the Transportation Command.

The brigadier general was a command pilot who recorded more than 3,400 flight house onboard C-17, C-32, C-37, C-5, KC-10 and KC-135 aircraft.

The U.S. Navy has started to implement recommendations from a review of accidents involving the service branch’s surface ships in an effort to boost fleet safety and readiness.

Adm. Bill Moran, vice chief of naval operations, directed Adm. Phil Davidson, head of the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, to conduct the Comprehensive Review of Surface Force Incidents after the Navy faced three ship collisions and one grounding last year, the military branch said Monday.

“The comprehensive review found that over a sustained period of time, rising pressure to meet operational demands led those in command to rationalize declining standards – standards in fundamental seamanship and watchstanding skills, teamwork, operational safety, assessment and a professional culture,” said Adm. John Richardson, chief of naval operations.

The report assessed the Navy’s surface ship mishaps in the last decade and recommended the establishment of “firebreaks” and employment systems that can help prevent a decline in operational safety standards.

The Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific and U.S. Atlantic fleets will work together to lead the implementation of recommended actions and monitor changes across the Navy surface fleet.

The team will include representatives from the Naval Sea Systems Command, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, Naval Personnel Command, Naval Education and Training Command and other relevant commands.

The Navy has adopted 11 recommendations so far and is focused on applying all suggested changes.

Other initiatives that are under consideration include a bridge resource management workshop; a course for junior officers of the deck; evaluations of deck officers; and prospective commanding officer competency checkpoint assessments.

Maj. Gen. John Morrison, commander of the Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon, has said cyber-electromagnetic activities have begun to routinely operate alongside brigades from other domain specialties at combat training centers and home-station training environments.

The U.S. Army said Monday Morrison noted CEMA teams have merged with cyber, electronic warfare, military intelligence, signals intelligence and space specialists to provide capacities for the maneuver commander.

Morrison believes integration of capacities and formations can help establish a combined arms effect within the cyberspace.

George Lewis, vice president of CEMA initiatives at CACI International, suggested CEMA teams to work with the industry and academia to discover procedures, tactics, techniques and technologies that can support operations.

The report noted EW personnel will begin to support the newly established Cyber Branch and mobile training teams will be deployed across the Army to lay the foundations for full integration.

Brig. Gen. Neil Hersey, commandant of the Army Cyber Center and School, said a school at Fort Gordon utilized Soldiers from different CEMA specialties to support its program of instruction as well as help improve the training and education of the students.

The report said the cyber and intelligence centers of excellence have also worked together to develop a recent cyber requirement and the special operations CoE has the potential to work with a CEMA team on the formulation of future requirements.

Defense Secretary James Mattis has said the Defense Department aims to provide details of a national defense strategy by Jan. 19, Defense News reported Sunday.

Mattis told reporters Friday at the Pentagon that DoD will release a shorter and unclassified version of the document to the public.

The department also expects to release findings of its ballistic missile defense and nuclear posture reviews next month.

Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said last month he believes the national defense strategy would help drive allocation of resources throughout DoD.

In late 2017, the White House released a national security strategy that details the Trump administration’s strategies to bolster U.S. border security, economy, homeland defense, military power and trade.

The national security strategy also looks to streamline military modernization activities and supports the development of capacities in the cyber and space domains.