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White House Forms New Select Committee to Coordinate Federal AI R&D Initiatives
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White House Forms New Select Committee to Coordinate Federal AI R&D Initiatives


White House Forms New Select Committee to Coordinate Federal AI R&D InitiativesThe White House has created a select committee on artificial intelligence that will operate as part of the National Science and Technology Council.

The establishment of the new committee comes as the Trump administration makes AI as a research-and-development priority and works to maintain the country’s technological leadership, the White House said Monday in a summary report of the AI for American Industry summit.

The panel will advise the administration on interagency R&D priorities related to AI; consider the formation of federal partnerships with academia and industry; set up structures to build up government coordination and planning related to AI R&D efforts; and determine opportunities on how to use federal computational resources and data in support of the country’s AI R&D ecosystem.

The select committee will be led by senior R&D officials from several agencies such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, National Science Foundation and the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The committee “will align interagency R&D priorities and improve planning and coordination of federal AI investments,” Michael Kratsios, deputy assistant to the president for technology policy, said at the event.

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USAF, NSF Partner for National Security R&D Effort; Heather Wilson Comments
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USAF, NSF Partner for National Security R&D Effort; Heather Wilson Comments

 

USAF, NSF Partner for National Security R&D Effort; Heather Wilson Comments
Heather Wilson

The U.S. Air Force and the National Science Foundation have signed a letter of intent to jointly conduct research and development efforts supporting national security.

The NSF said Wednesday the partnership will focus on studies in the areas of space and geosciences, advanced materials sciences, information and data science and the development of the scientific workforce.

Under the agreement, the Air Force will gain access to NSF’s research network, while the company will receive support for the technical maturation of R&D projects.

“We will simultaneously benefit from the research done together with a focus on the areas most vital to the future of the U.S. Air Force and the security of our nation,” said Heather Wilson, secretary of the Air Force and a 2018 Wash100 recipient.

The efforts will seek to address the Air Force’s technological needs through NSF-supported research and contribute to the common areas of interest between the two parties.

 

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DOT Names 10 Participants for UAS Integration Pilot Program
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DOT Names 10 Participants for UAS Integration Pilot Program


DOT Names 10 Participants for UAS Integration Pilot ProgramThe Transportation Department has chosen 10 state, local and tribal governments to participate in a program to accelerate the integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace.

Participants will collaborate with the Federal Aviation Administration and multiple companies to collect UAS data in the next two and a half years as part of the UAS Integration Pilot Program, DOT said Wednesday.

The selectees will work to gather collect information about UAS applications in the areas of night operations, beyond-line-of-sight flights, package delivery, detection and data link security.

“Data gathered from these pilot projects will form the basis of a new regulatory framework to safely integrate drones into our national airspace,” said Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

The program participants are:

  • Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Durant, Okla.
  • City of San Diego, Calif.
  • City of Reno, Nev.
  • Kansas Department of Transportation, Topeka, Kan.
  • Lee County Mosquito Control District, Ft. Myers, Fla.
  • Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority, Memphis, Tenn.
  • North Carolina Department of Transportation, Raleigh, N.C.
  • North Dakota Department of Transportation, Bismarck, N.D.
  • University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska
  • Virginia Tech – Center for Innovative Technology, Herndon, Va.

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International forecasts that UAS-airspace integration efforts will create 100,000 jobs and add $82 billion to the U.S. economy in less than a decade.

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DARPA Tests Multi-UAS Hard Dock, Recovery System
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DARPA Tests Multi-UAS Hard Dock, Recovery System


DARPA Tests Multi-UAS Hard Dock, Recovery System
DARPA image

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has tested a hard dock and recovery system as part of a program that aims to demonstrate an airborne platform to launch and recover multiple unmanned aerial systems.

DARPA said Wednesday the separation and captive flight tests occurred at Yuma Proving Ground and marked a key step for the agency’s Gremlins program.

Dynetics received a $32.5 million contract for the production and demonstration of an in-flight launch-and-recovery system under the program’s third phase.

The agency aims to conduct flight tests of the platform in late 2019 and looks to test multiple sensor packages before the project concludes.

DARPA’s program team also explored risk reduction methods through modeling and simulation activities, as well as examined how current aircraft platforms could leverage “gremlins” in high-risk missions.

Gremlin UAS is designed to accommodate up to 150 pounds of sensors and function for up to 20 uses during its lifetime.

Scott Wierzbanowski, program manager at DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office, said the C-130 military transport aircraft will serve as the Gremlins demonstration platform.

Wierzbanowski added that service branches could modify the Gremlin system for potential use with another transport aircraft platform or a weapons system.

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House Armed Services Panel OKs $716B Defense Policy Bill for Fiscal 2019
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House Armed Services Panel OKs $716B Defense Policy Bill for Fiscal 2019


House Armed Services Panel OKs $716B Defense Policy Bill for Fiscal 2019The House Armed Services Committee on Thursday voted 60-1 to approve the House panel chair’s markup of a defense policy bill that would authorize $716 billion in funds for fiscal 2019, Defense News reported Thursday.

The proposed fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act would allocate at least $35 billion in funds to update military aircraft; $25.5 billion for equipment replacement and maintenance parts; and $18.5 billion for Army equipment replacement efforts.

The measure would support the Trump administration’s plans to buy 77 new F-35 fighter aircraft, modernize approximately 3,400 joint light tactical vehicles and purchase two more Virginia-class submarines and littoral combat ships.

The NDAA would fund the addition of approximately 16,000 service personnel to the armed forces and authorize a 2.6 percent military pay increase by January 2019.

Lawmakers also approved an amendment to retain the Test Resource Management Center and a plan to establish a new commission to assess physiological episodes and mishaps in military aviation.

The report said the full House is expected to vote on the proposed legislation later this month.

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Trump Announces U.S. Exit from Iran Nuclear Deal
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Trump Announces U.S. Exit from Iran Nuclear Deal


Trump Announces U.S. Exit from Iran Nuclear DealPresident Donald Trump announced Tuesday the U.S. government’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal signed in 2015.

Trump also signed a memorandum that seeks to reinstate nuclear-related economic sanctions on the Middle Eastern country, according to a transcript of his remarks published Tuesday.

“Any nation that helps Iran in its quest for nuclear weapons could also be strongly sanctioned by the United States,” he said.

The president said the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreement, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, failed to stop the country’s nuclear and ballistic missile development efforts and terrorist activities and resulted in a 40 percent increase in Iran’s military budget.

Trump noted that the U.S. will work with allies to find ways to address Iran’s ballistic missile threats and terrorist activities in the Middle East and worldwide.

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Rear Adm. John Palmer Named DLA Land and Maritime Commander
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Rear Adm. John Palmer Named DLA Land and Maritime Commander


Rear Adm. John Palmer Named DLA Land and Maritime Commander

U.S. Navy Rear. Adm. John Palmer, director of logistics, fleet supply and ordnance at the U.S. Pacific Fleet will be assigned as commander of the Defense Logistics Agency‘s land and maritime organization, the Defense Department announced Wednesday.

His previous shore assignments include positions at the the Naval Supply Systems Command, Navy Personnel Command, Naval Air Systems Command, Defense Distribution Mapping Activity and Defense Distribution Depot in Richmond, Va.

He also served as supply officer for USS Harry S. Truman and USS Boone, principal assistant of logistics for USS George Washington and material division officer and aviation support division officer for USS Guam.

DLA Land and Maritime oversees nearly 2 million supply chain items and serves more than 15,000 clients across the military, civil agencies and other Defense Department components.

The organization awards more than 660,000 contracts each year.

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NIST Seeks Public Comments on Draft Update to Risk Management Framework
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NIST Seeks Public Comments on Draft Update to Risk Management Framework


NIST Seeks Public Comments on Draft Update to Risk Management FrameworkThe National Institute of Standards and Technology has released a draft version of its update to the Risk Management Framework designed to help federal agencies and companies safeguard their information systems from cyber threats.

NIST said Wednesday the proposed update to the RMF seeks to help organizations determine and respond to privacy risks such as concerns related to the use of personally identifiable information.

“The update provides cross-references so that organizations using the RMF can see where and how the [Cybersecurity Framework] aligns with the current steps in the RMF,” said Ron Ross, one of the authors of the draft NIST Special Publication 800-37 Revision 2.

“Conversely, if you’re using the CSF, you can bring in the RMF and give your organization a robust methodology to manage security and privacy risks,” Ross added.

The draft RMF update seeks to incorporate privacy and security into systems development; link senior leaders to operations; address supply chain-related concerns; and provide organizations with a process to pick controls from the consolidated catalog for privacy and security controls.

NIST will accept public feedback on the draft update to RMF through June 22 with plans to issue the final version in October.

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NASA Selects 3 Teams for Astrobiology Research Initiative; Mary Voytek Comments
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NASA Selects 3 Teams for Astrobiology Research Initiative; Mary Voytek Comments


NASA Selects 3 Teams for Astrobiology Research Initiative; Mary Voytek CommentsNASA has selected three interdisciplinary research groups to study the formation and future of life in the universe under separate five-year grants worth up to $21 million combined.

The space agency said Thursday it chose the Evolution of Nanomachines in Geospheres and Microbial Ancestors, the Astrobiology Center for Isotopologue Research and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as members of the NASA Astrobiology Institute.

ENIGMA will study prebiotic molecules and ancestral enzymes to see how the evolution of proteins created life on Earth.

ACIR will assess compounds from planetary environments and metabolic systems to demonstrate how molecular elements show the origins and history of organic compounds.

JPL will use data from the Cassini-Huygens mission to find existing and potential life on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon.

Mary Voytek, director of the astrobiology program at NASA, said all three groups will complement the existing research of NAI’s teams in astrobiology, as well as initiate developments in scientific studies.

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Vice Adm. Michael Gilday Nominated Joint Staff Director for Operations
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Vice Adm. Michael Gilday Nominated Joint Staff Director for Operations


Vice Adm. Michael Gilday Nominated Joint Staff Director for Operations
Michael Gilday

President Donald Trump has nominated U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Michael Gilday, commander of the Fleet Cyber Command and 10th Fleet, for assignment as director of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Defense Secretary James Mattis announced Gilday’s nomination in a press release published Tuesday.

Gilday will succeed U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. John Dolan and work with the JCS chairman to advise the president and defense secretary on military operations and plans.

Gilday’s deployments at sea include service onboard the USS Chandler (DDG 996), USS Princeton (CG 59), USS Gettysburg (CG 64), USS Higgins (DDG 76) and USS Benfold (DDG 65).

He served as director of operations at the U.S. Cyber Command in his last tour.

He also worked as naval aide at the White House, executive assistant to the JSC chairman, director of operations at NATO’s Joint Force Command and chief of staff at Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO.

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