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Study Explores Use of Virtual Reality Tech in Pilot Training
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Study Explores Use of Virtual Reality Tech in Pilot Training


Study Explores Use of Virtual Reality Tech in Pilot TrainingStudents from Air University’s Air Command and Staff College have performed an adaptive flight training study on virtual reality technology as part of efforts to help advance U.S. Air Force pilot training and education methods.

The service branch said Friday the study occurred at Columbus Air Force Base from Jan. 9 to Jan. 12 and examined the application of an VR environment to adult learning.

The study tackled the human brain’s behavior with other body parts while subjected to learning processes using VR.

Three groups composed of individuals with no previous T-6 Texan II flight experience were tasked to fly in a T-6 simulator through four simulation tests.

The first test was done as a basic sortie simulation around Columbus AFB to serve as a basis of comparison for the succeeding tests.

Afterwards, subjects participated in three virtual training sessions with corresponding environments, as optical and auditory cues decreased through the progression of tasks.

Participants then went on a conclusive flight with the T-6 simulator to identify any improvements having stemmed from the VR training.

The effort also made use of support from other parties such as bio-machine software company Senseye.

Senseye contributed gear, VR program support and eye movement data collection for the study.

In addition to eye movement, the study also sought to collect data on heart and lung activity.

Data gathered through the study will be analyzed in association with success/failure patterns observed from the simulation tests.

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DOE Eyes Big Data, Computing Tools for Transportation Energy Efficiency Initiatives
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DOE Eyes Big Data, Computing Tools for Transportation Energy Efficiency Initiatives


DOE Eyes Big Data, Computing Tools for Transportation Energy Efficiency InitiativesThe Energy Department‘s Vehicle Technologies Office has earmarked $2.5 million in fiscal 2018 funds for two new programs that seek to address transportation energy management challenges with big data and high-performance computing platforms.

DOE said Tuesday the Big Data Solutions for Mobility initiative looks to create big data tools and algorithms to model urban transportation networks, as well as data science and HPC-based methods to analyze transportation systems.

Four national laboratories will collaborate with industry and academic organizations on the effort.

The HPC4Mobility initiative aims to encourage companies, transportation system operators and cities to identify  energy efficiency measures for mobility systems.

Qualifying participants under that program will have access to machine learning platforms, supercomputing facilities and data science expertise at national laboratories.

DOE VTO has provided $500,000 in total seed funds for separate projects led by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

LBNL partnered with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to develop an HPC-supported method to compute demand models and forecast the energy impacts of emerging mobility technology.

ORNL teamed up with GRIDSMART Technologies to create reinforcement learning-based approaches to manage traffic efficiency and energy use.

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GSA to Update Acquisition Regulation With Data Security, Cyber Incident Reporting Requirements
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GSA to Update Acquisition Regulation With Data Security, Cyber Incident Reporting Requirements


GSA to Update Acquisition Regulation With Data Security, Cyber Incident Reporting RequirementsThe General Services Administration has announced plans to amend the GSA Acquisition Regulation to integrate new information security and cyber incident reporting requirements for government contractors and contracting officers as part of its unified regulatory agenda.

A Federal Register notice posted Friday says GSA plans to require contractors to protect agency-related data and information systems from cyber threats and other vulnerabilities in compliance with the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014  and other cyber regulations.

Under this proposed rule, the agency will require contracting personnel to integrate into the statement of work GSA-related cyber requirements that will cover contractor systems, mobile devices and cloud platforms.

GSA plans to release the notice of proposed rulemaking for information security requirements in April with plans to conclude the comment period in June.

The agency also plans to issue in August its proposed rule for cyber incident reporting and accept feedback through October.

The proposed measure would require contractors to report any incidents that appear to compromise GSA’s information systems and data and would specify the timeframe for reporting such threats.

The rule would also call for the agency’s contracting staff to incorporate reporting requirements into contracts and task orders and establish requirements for incidents that involve personally identifiable information.

GSA also plans to set requirements for employee training and collection of images associated with hacked systems under the proposed cyber incident reporting rule.

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Capt. John Rucker: Navy Takes Incremental Approach Toward Unmanned Maritime Systems Devt
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Capt. John Rucker: Navy Takes Incremental Approach Toward Unmanned Maritime Systems Devt


Capt. John Rucker: Navy Takes Incremental Approach Toward Unmanned Maritime Systems DevtThe U.S. Navy is working to build a range of unmanned maritime vessels through an incremental development approach, National Defense Magazine reported Thursday.

Capt. Jon Rucker, Navy program manager for unmanned maritime systems, said at the Surface Navy Association’s national symposium in Arlington, Virginia that the service branch develops modular and open systems architectures to support the insertion of new technologies into unmanned systems as they become ready.

Rucker noted that the Navy and its industry partners addressed technical challenges facing the Knifefish unmanned minehunting system in 2017, and that the vessel is slated to complete sea acceptance trials in February.

Last year, the Navy also initiated efforts to develop the Orca extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle for mine warfare and the Snakehead large displacement UUV, which is designed to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

The military branch will begin testing the Garc optionally-manned armed coastal patrol vehicle as well as the Adaro man-portable ISR platform later this year.

Rucker added that the Navy seeks to acquire unmanned surface vehicles larger than 160 feet in one or two years.

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GAO Recommends VA to Update Risk Mgmt Policies to Meet Current Security Standards
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GAO Recommends VA to Update Risk Mgmt Policies to Meet Current Security Standards


GAO Recommends VA to Update Risk Mgmt Policies to Meet Current Security StandardsThe Government Accountability Office has urged the Department of Veterans Affairs to reevaluate and update its risk management policies to comply with prevailing security standards.

GAO said in a report published Thursday it also recommends VA to create an oversight strategy that can validate the effectiveness of risk management initiatives implemented at Veterans Health Administration locations.

The government watchdog agency discovered multiple VA risk management policies did not include all Interagency Security Committee-established elements of standards including some guidelines on facility security level measurement and facility assessment.

The report noted VA risk management oversight activities also failed to meet aspects of the Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government and the Office of Management and Budget‘s Circular A-123 regulation which directs agencies to maintain the accountability and effectiveness of programs.

GAO said the lack of a system-wide oversight plan makes variations on medical center approaches unknown and such gaps will prevent VA from knowing if medical centers have enough protection or if opportunities to leverage resources are fulfilled.

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Robert Jackson, Hester Peirce Assume SEC Commissioner Roles
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Robert Jackson, Hester Peirce Assume SEC Commissioner Roles


Robert Jackson, Hester Peirce Assume SEC Commissioner Roles
Robert Jackson

Robert Jackson, a law professor at New York University, and Hester Peirce, a senior research fellow at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center, have been sworn in as commissioners of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SEC said Thursday Jackson will serve at the commission through June 5, 2019 and Peirce through June 5, 2020.

Both new commissioners were nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate in late 2017.

Jackson previously taught law classes and served as director of the Program on Corporate Law and Policy at Columbia Law School.

Robert Jackson, Hester Peirce Assume SEC Commissioner Roles
Hester Peirce

He also served as an adviser for the Troubled Asset Relief Program at the Treasury Department‘s Office of the Special Master for TARP Executive Compensation.

Peirce worked as director for the Financial Markets Working Group for George Mason University’s Mercatus Center in addition to her previous role as senior research fellow there.

She previously worked on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee with Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama), counsel to then-SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins and staff attorney in the commission’s investment management division.

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Army Looks to Field Secure Wi-Fi Tech for Battlefield Command Posts
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Army Looks to Field Secure Wi-Fi Tech for Battlefield Command Posts


Army Looks to Field Secure Wi-Fi Tech for Battlefield Command PostsThe U.S. Army continues efforts to field a National Security Agency-accredited Wi-Fi tool designed to provide secure wireless network connectivity for command posts on the battlefield.

The Army said Thursday the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division piloted the Secure Wi-Fi technology during an action training mission performed at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California.

Secure Wi-Fi provided users with untethered network connections that enabled wireless data, video and voice transmission across approximately 160 classified and unclassified computers and mission command systems including the Command Post of the Future command and control software system.

Col. Michael Adams, commander of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, said Secure Wi-Fi helps users and mission command systems set up connections faster than traditional wired command post systems.

“Secure Wi-Fi also speeds our mission military decision making process … With Secure Wi-Fi, I gain an exponential increase in velocity, and the deeper the Wi-Fi capabilities in the formation, the more we are able to do,” added Adams.

Adams noted he also looks to integrate the Secure Wi-Fi technology at battalion-level command posts to further bolster the brigade’s maneuver speed.

The service branch developed a small model of the platform designed to support smaller echelon command posts and the Army aims to demonstrate this version of Secure Wi-Fi at a risk reduction event in the spring.

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GAO: DoD Spent $9.1B on O&M for Overseas Contingency Operations in FY 2016
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GAO: DoD Spent $9.1B on O&M for Overseas Contingency Operations in FY 2016


GAO: DoD Spent $9.1B on O&M for Overseas Contingency Operations in FY 2016The Defense Department spent the $9.1 billion budget that Congress authorized for the operation and maintenance needs of overseas contingency operations to meet base requirements.

The Government Accountability Office said in a report issued Wednesday that DoD obligated funds to cover base programs and activities, including headquarters, maintenance and transportation costs.

Base requirements include operational support for installations; training and education; civilian personnel; maintenance; contracted services; and defense health services.

Congress appropriated $8.6 billion of the $9.1 billion budget as base funds instead of OCO funds, and $500 million was appropriated as OCO funds for base requirements.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 allocated $9.1 billion of OCO appropriations for O&M base requirements.

The bill also directed GAO to report how DoD obligated funds that Congress authorized for base requirements.

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NASA Demos First X-Ray Navigation in Space
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NASA Demos First X-Ray Navigation in Space


NASA Demos First X-Ray Navigation in SpaceNASA has performed the first fully autonomous X-ray navigation in space, which could help future robotic spacecraft to travel to deep space locations.

The space agency said Thursday a team of engineers carried out the experiment called the Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology, or SEXTANT, on Nov. 11.

The demonstration was conducted through NASA‘s Neutron-star Interior Composition Explorer observatory, which studies neutron stars and their rapidly pulsating counterparts, dubbed pulsars.

SEXTANT revealed that millisecond pulsars could be used to identify the location of an object traveling at thousands of miles per hour in space — similar to the way that global positioning systems deliver positioning, navigation and timing data.

A system developed through SEXTANT worked to predict the location of NICER as the observatory orbited the Earth while attached to the International Space Station.

The NASA team will update and fine-tune the system’s flight and ground software to prepare for a second experiment later this year.

The group’s ultimate goal is to create detectors and other hardware to provide pulsar-based navigation for future spacecraft.

The team would need to reduce size, weight and power requirements as well as improve the sensitivity of the navigation technology to make it available for operational use.

Jason Mitchell, SEXTANT project manager, said his team is also studying the potential use of X-ray navigation in human spaceflight.

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SEC Names Timothy Timura Division Deputy Director & Chief Economist
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SEC Names Timothy Timura Division Deputy Director & Chief Economist


SEC Names Timothy Timura Division Deputy Director & Chief Economist
Timothy Timura

Timothy Timura, a faculty member at American University’s Kogod School of Business, has joined the Securities and Exchange Commission‘s Division of Economic and Risk Analysis as deputy director and deputy chief economist.

He will assist DERA Director and Chief Economist Jeffrey Harris in efforts to formulate economic policies, SEC said Thursday.

The three-decade investment management veteran previously worked at Federated Investors, Principal Financial and Newbolds Asset Management.

Timura also served as senior equities manager for Ohio’s State Teachers Retirement System.

Timura holds an M.B.A. from University of Wisconsin-Madison and an education doctorate from University of Pennsylvania.

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