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Army, Marines Collaborate to Develop 3D-Printed Drone Tech
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Army, Marines Collaborate to Develop 3D-Printed Drone Tech


Army, Marines Collaborate to Develop 3D-Printed Drone TechThe U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps have partnered to develop unmanned aircraft systems with the use of three-dimensional printing technology.

Eric Spero of the Army Research Laboratory’s vehicle technology directorate leads a team pursuing the UAS development project at Fort Benning in Georgia, the service branch said Friday.

ARL researchers and Marines work to create an application suite designed to help military personnel to 3D-print UAS technology within 24 hours as needed.

The project is based on an idea that Spero and his team had several years ago during a collaboration project with Georgia Tech.

The Army then approached USMC to collaborate on the production of a software catalog meant to help Marines  select and print the type of UAS needed for a specific mission.

Spero’s team unveiled the project during the Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment last year.

https://youtu.be/0erL9bTHvi4

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US Pledges $120M Military Aid Package to Lebanon
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US Pledges $120M Military Aid Package to Lebanon


US Pledges $120M Military Aid Package to LebanonThe U.S. government has offered $120 million in military aid to help increase Lebanon’s capacity to perform counterterrorism and border security efforts.

Gen. Joseph Votel, chief of the U.S. Central Command, unveiled three programs of assistance the Defense Department will provide to Lebanese armed forces as part of DoD’s Building Partner Capacity initiative during his visit to the country, the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon said Wednesday.

The embassy said LAF will receive six new MD 530G light attack helicopters along with related equipment and training services worth approximately $94 million.

DoD will also donate six Scan Eagle unmanned aircraft systems and associated equipment and training support worth more than $11 million to support LAF’s command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations.

The department will also grant more than $16 million in communications equipment, electronics, night vision devices and training services to help increase LAF’s close air and joint fire support capacities.

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White House Plans IT Modernization Center of Excellence
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White House Plans IT Modernization Center of Excellence


White House Plans IT Modernization Center of ExcellenceThe White House has partnered with the Agriculture Department, General Services Administration and the information technology industry to create an IT modernization center of excellence, Nextgov reported Thursday.

The CoE will be established to help federal agencies in efforts to modernize legacy IT systems and will build off of a modernization plan the White House American Technology Council unveiled Wednesday.

Joanne Collins Smee, head of the GSA’s technology transformation service, told NextGov the facility to be housed at the agency will manage function-based talent, service and acquisition vehicles.

The report noted USDA will serve as the center’s testbed with the intent to transform customer services.

USDA plans to implement a two-phase modernization effort that will cover strategy and planning development and implementation processes.

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FCC Votes to Rescind Net Neutrality Rules
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FCC Votes to Rescind Net Neutrality Rules


FCC Votes to Rescind Net Neutrality RulesThe Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 Thursday to overturn net neutrality rules established in 2015, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

Net neutrality rules required internet service providers to guarantee clients equal access to all online content.

The repeal of such rules would allow internet companies to accelerate service for some applications and websites as well as slow or block other sites.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement published Thursday that net neutrality regulations have impacted investments in high-speed networks and forced small internet service companies to delay or cancel upgrades to fiber networks.

Pai noted that the move to repeal such regulations seeks to promote competition among broadband service providers, advance innovation, provide broadband companies incentives to develop networks and help FCC ensure transparency among ISPs.

“Our decision today will also return regulatory parity to the internet economy,” he added.

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New DOJ Guide Urges Prosecutors to Seek Data Access Directly From Enterprise Users
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New DOJ Guide Urges Prosecutors to Seek Data Access Directly From Enterprise Users


New DOJ Guide Urges Prosecutors to Seek Data Access Directly From Enterprise UsersThe Justice Department has released new guidelines advising prosecutors to work directly with businesses when they need access to those enterprises’ data, instead of going through cloud service providers.

Neal Suggs, Microsoft vice president and deputy general counsel, wrote in a blog post published Thursday that the guideline also describes practical considerations on the nature of cloud computing and acknowledges complications that may occur when prosecutors seek access to enterprise customer data from service providers.

Suggs added that the new recommendations help assure businesses that they are in control of their cloud-based data.

The guide builds on DOJ policies introduced in October that limits investigators’ use of secrecy orders when demanding enterprise customer data from cloud companies.

Suggs noted that Microsoft support DOJ’s new guidelines and the company will continue to advocate for legislation that would boost legal protections for digital documents and communications.

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DISA Hosts Symposium on Cloud Technology Applications
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DISA Hosts Symposium on Cloud Technology Applications


DISA Hosts Symposium on Cloud Technology ApplicationsThe Defense Information Systems Agency has administered a symposium made to promote the use of cloud technology to the military and other government agencies.

The symposium was held Tuesday at the DISA headquarters, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, the agency said.

The event brought together over 800 combatant commands, military men and agency officials who participated in informative sessions on the significance of cloud use to the Defense Department.

John Hale, chief of DISA’s cloud portfolio, conducted talks on the different types of cloud, as well as on three cloud models including Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service and Software as a Service.

He also discussed the responsibilities of DoD associates and related service providers for each model.

“You, as mission partners, have to look at your individual applications and decide which model is best for you,” Hale said to the attendees.

Hale, together with Tanya Lambert, deputy director of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, and Networks Directorate, and Michelle Jacobs, director of the Defense Logistics Agency’s DISA Liaison and Hosting Office, delivered a panel discussion on the costs, best practices and experiences in cloud migration.

Alicia Belmas, deputy chief of DISA’s cloud portfolio, described and discussed the capacities of three the agency’s cloud services including On-Site Managed Services, milCloud 2.0 and Secure Cloud Computing Architecture.

The symposium also held breakout sessions wherein DISA experts would answer participants’ questions on cloud applications.

Presentations and materials used in the event can be accessed here.

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Kenneth Johnson Promoted to Full-Time SEC COO
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Kenneth Johnson Promoted to Full-Time SEC COO


Kenneth Johnson Promoted to Full-Time SEC COO
Kenneth Johnson

Kenneth  Johnson, acting chief operating officer of the Securities and Exchange Commission since February 2017, has been appointed to serve in the COO position on a full-time basis.

He supervises the commission’s human resources, acquisitions, information technology, strategic initiatives, financial management and support operations offices, SEC said Thursday.

Johnson served as chief management analyst within the office of the executive director before he elevated to the chief financial officer role in 2010.

Before he joined SEC in 2003, Johnson was an analyst at the Congressional Budget Office.

Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in American studies from Stanford University and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

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European Commission Aims to Advance Defense Collaboration Via Permanent Structured Cooperation
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European Commission Aims to Advance Defense Collaboration Via Permanent Structured Cooperation


European Commission Aims to Advance Defense Collaboration Via Permanent Structured CooperationThe European Commission has formally launched a European Union Treaty-based framework that seeks to advance collaboration on defense and security initiatives among EU member states.

The commission said Monday 25 EU member states agreed to establish the Permanent Structured Cooperation and work together on 17 proposed projects.

The PESCO projects encompass various areas such as cybersecurity, maritime surveillance, strategic command and control, infantry fighting vehicles, training certification for European forces, military mobility and medical command.

PESCO also aims to encourage member states to build up defense capabilities and military readiness as well as invest in shared programs.

The commission also launched in June the European Defense Fund that seeks to offer incentives to member countries to collaborate on research efforts, prototype development and procurement of defense systems.

The commission expects the initial grant agreements for collaborative projects under the European Defense Fund to be signed before the end of the year.

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DARPA-Hosted ‘Hackfest’ Explores Software-Based Radio Applications
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DARPA-Hosted ‘Hackfest’ Explores Software-Based Radio Applications


DARPA-Hosted 'Hackfest' Explores Software-Based Radio ApplicationsThe Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency hosted a week-long event at the NASA Ames Conference Center in California to explore how software-defined radio technology can help address communications challenges facing the military.

The DARPA Bay Area Software Defined Radio Hackfest ended on Nov. 17 and involved eight teams from academia, industry and the hacker community that participated in “Hackfest Missions,” the agency said Thursday.

The three missions focused on the communications link between ground stations and unmanned aerial vehicles and were developed by DARPA organizers in collaboration with military operators to simulate real-world scenarios involving radio and UAV platforms.

Mission One challenged participants to find a way to facilitate communications between a ground station and a UAV with a blocked communication pathway.

The second mission urged teams to demonstrate the repeated transfer of control over a moving UAV between multiple ground stations, to mimic scenarios where detailed flight work is needed but pilot visibility is limited.

Under Mission Three, participants searched for new applications of SDR-UAV systems through sensor integration and data transfer between a UAV and a ground station.

Some teams released innovations developed during Hackfest to open-source platforms and communities to promote further technology development.

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Bill Calls for Full FY 2018 Defense Funds
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Bill Calls for Full FY 2018 Defense Funds


Bill Calls for Full FY 2018 Defense FundsRep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-New Jersey), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, has introduced a bill that would fund national defense programs through the end of fiscal year 2018 and keep the government funded until Jan. 19.

Frelinghuysen’s office said Wednesday the continuing resolution seeks to prevent a government shutdown when the current temporary funding measure approved by President Donald Trump expires on Dec. 22.

The proposed CR bill would also waive automatic cuts to the defense budget, temporarily lift sequestration cuts to non-defense funds and extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Frelinghuysen noted that the new stopgap funding measure would give leaders of the House, Senate and White House more time “to come to agreement on a topline spending level for this fiscal year.”

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