Report: DIUx Obligates $100M to Fund Pilot Programs
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Report: DIUx Obligates $100M to Fund Pilot Programs


Report: DIUx Obligates $100M to Fund Pilot ProgramsThe Defense Department‘s Defense Innovation Unit Experimental organization has so far awarded approximately $100 million to fund 45 pilot programs in multiple technology areas, Defense News reported Friday.

The report said DIUx issued contract awards approximately three months after the agency collected responses to solicitations and collaborated with service branches interested to support various projects.

Chris Kirchhoff, managing partner at DIUx, said the organization was created to validate the Pentagon’s capacity to establish closer ties with members of the technology sector through technological hubs such as Silicon Valley.

Raj Shah, head of DIUx, said that the organization looks to disseminate its capacities and processes to other organizations within the Under Secretary of Defense, Research and Engineering team.

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Air Force, SOFWERX to Collaborate on UAV Battle Experiment
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Air Force, SOFWERX to Collaborate on UAV Battle Experiment


Air Force, SOFWERX to Collaborate on UAV Battle ExperimentThe U.S. Air Force has partnered with SOFWERX to conduct a “rumble-style” battle experiment on unmanned aerial vehicles to collect information for potential drone operations, National Defense reported Thursday.

Heather Wilson, secretary of the Air Force, said the service branch will hold the ThunderDrone rapid prototyping event at a rented warehouse in Tampa, Florida, to evaluate the forms, platforms, effects and data science needed for small UAV operations.

Wilson pointed to the experiment as an example of the branch’s efforts to rapidly innovate and explore acquisition strategies in response to the modernization of adversaries.

Air Force leaders have urged experienced multi-rotor and fixed-wing aircraft pilots to help the ThunderDrone Squadron build, test and fly prototype and proof of concept vehicles.

SOFWERX also plans to conduct ThunderDrone-related events between September and November, including a technology exposition and a prototype rodeo.

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NAVSEA Highlights Defense Contracting Processes at Small Biz Industry Event
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NAVSEA Highlights Defense Contracting Processes at Small Biz Industry Event


NAVSEA Highlights Defense Contracting Processes at Small Biz Industry EventThe Naval Sea Systems Command drew more than 200 representatives from the small business community to an industry day held Tuesday at the Washington Navy Yard.

The event aimed to increase small businesses’ awareness of the defense contracting processes and featured a discussion among multiple U.S. Navy offices and industry partners, the service branch said Thursday.

Event participants expressed an interest in learning the methods to accelerate the contract funding process as well as to win indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts.

“Our mission is to expand the advantage,” said NAVSEA Executive Director Jim Smerchansky.

“We do that by including the views, expertise and talent employed by small business.”

The Navy noted that the command buys goods and services worth more than $2 billion each year from small businesses.

Cindy Shaver, director of NAVSEA contracts, also advised vendors to explore prime or subcontracting opportunities and review the command’s Long Range Acquisition Forecast document.

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Bill Newhouse: NIST-Led Initiative Unveils Updated Cybersecurity Workforce Framework
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Bill Newhouse: NIST-Led Initiative Unveils Updated Cybersecurity Workforce Framework


Bill Newhouse: NIST-Led Initiative Unveils Updated Cybersecurity Workforce FrameworkA National Institute of Standards and Technology-led program has issued a special publication on the updated framework to label information technology and cyber positions ahead of a December deadline to comply with the Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act of 2015, Federal News Radio reported Friday.

The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education’s new cyber workforce framework aims to convert work roles into codes in an effort to help the Office of Personnel Management monitor the recruitment and training of cyber professionals.

Bill Newhouse, deputy director of NICE, said the framework seeks to help agencies identify and address gaps in their cyber workforce as well as make staff decisions.

“Up to three work roles can be coded into a position,” Newhouse told the station in an interview.

“The framework has 55 work roles.”

Newhouse noted the framework’s potential advantages to the Department of Homeland Security’s position description tool and NICE’s plan to update its publication on role-based training for IT and cyber personnel through the use of the framework.

NICE will also tackle the new framework at its annual conference to be held in November in Ohio, he added.

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Matthew Donovan Starts in Air Force Undersecretary Role
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Matthew Donovan Starts in Air Force Undersecretary Role


Matthew Donovan Starts in Air Force Undersecretary Role
Matthew Donovan

Matthew Donovan, a 31-year U.S. Air Force veteran, took the oath of office to become undersecretary of the military branch during a ceremony held Friday at the Pentagon.

The Air Force said Friday he will oversee efforts to organize, train, equip and deliver welfare services to approximately 660,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve, civilian airmen and their families worldwide.

He will also manage human resource management, risk management, strategy and policy development, technology investments and weapons acquisition functions in his new role.

“I look forward to helping Secretary [Heather] Wilson and [Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein] meet their goals, and to ensuring we sustain the world’s greatest air, space and cyberspace force,” Donovan said.

President Donald Trump nominated Donovan to the Air Force’s no. 2 civilian position in June.

The retired colonel was confirmed for post on Aug. 1 and administratively sworn in Aug. 3.

He logged more than 2,900 flight hours aboard F-15 and F-5E as a command pilot and previously served as majority policy director for the Senate Armed Services Committee as well as a senior defense policy analyst at Science Applications International Corp.

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James Mattis: DoD Should Leverage AI Tech Advancements
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James Mattis: DoD Should Leverage AI Tech Advancements


James Mattis: DoD Should Leverage AI Tech Advancements
James Mattis

Defense Secretary James Mattis wants the Defense Department to further invest in artificial intelligence and harness the technology for military applications, Wired reported Friday.

“It’s got to be better integrated by [DoD], because I see many of the greatest advances out here on the West Coast in private industry.”

“We’ll get better at integrating advances in AI that are being taken here in the Valley into the U.S. military.”

Mattis, an inductee into Executive Mosaic‘s Wash100 for 2017, made the remarks during a visit to Defense Innovation Unit Experimental headquarters in Mountain View, California, as part of the Silicon Valley leg of his West Coast tour.

The report said the White House’s proposed funding increase for DIUx might help the organization accelerate AI-related projects.

A study conducted by Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence suggests AI can help advance military innovation and drive a transformation equal to the impact of nuclear weapons on national security.

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Justin Poole Appointed NGA Deputy Director; Robert Cardillo Comments
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Justin Poole Appointed NGA Deputy Director; Robert Cardillo Comments


Justin Poole Appointed NGA Deputy Director; Robert Cardillo Comments
Justin Poole

Justin Poole, formerly director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency‘s source operations and management directorate, has been appointed to serve as NGA’s seventh deputy director.

NGA said Thursday Poole will succeed Susan Gordon, who was nominated to the position of principal deputy director at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

He started his federal career with the Defense Mapping Agency — an NGA predecessor organization — in 1991 and has since held business management, customer service, operations and strategic oversight responsibilities.

NGA Director Robert Cardillo, an inductee into Executive Mosaic‘s Wash100 for 2017, said Poole’s background will help the agency keep pace with the evolving GEOINT landscape.

Poole previously served as director of the Xperience Directorate; deputy program manager at the National System of Geospatial Intelligence and deputy director for mission management at the National Counterterrorism Center.

He also worked at the National Reconnaissance Office as associate deputy director for NRO’s imagery intelligence systems acquisition directorate.

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Pentagon’s Innovation Offices Obtain Authorization to Streamline Recruitment, Acquisition Processes
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Pentagon’s Innovation Offices Obtain Authorization to Streamline Recruitment, Acquisition Processes


Pentagon's Innovation Offices Obtain Authorization to Streamline Recruitment, Acquisition ProcessesThe Defense Department‘s Defense Innovation Unit Experimental and Strategic Capabilities Office have received authorization to accelerate their recruitment and contracting processes, Defense News reported.

Former Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work approved the authorities for DIUx and SCO in July before his retirement, the report noted.

The authorities include an 18-month renewal of Section 1105 of the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act that permits the two organizations to hire personnel in a non-competitive manner.

Work also directed DoD to propose the inclusion of a mandate in the 2018 NDAA that would allow DIUx and SCO to speed up recruitment for long-term positions.

Other authorities include the permission to award contracts worth up to $5 million without going through DoD’s main procurement system as well as the right to independently post advertisements, notices and proposals.

DIUx and SCO were also given license to approve conference expenses worth up to $500,000 without the need to obtain DoD clearance.

Air Force, University of Texas to Enter Nuclear Forensics Research Partnership
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Air Force, University of Texas to Enter Nuclear Forensics Research Partnership


Air Force, University of Texas to Enter Nuclear Forensics Research PartnershipThe U.S. Air Force will partner with the University of Texas at Austin to research and develop methods that can speed up investigations into nuclear explosions.

The Air Force Technical Applications Center, an organization in charge of nuclear treaty monitoring, was selected by the Department of Homeland Security to work with two UTA graduate students on nuclear forensics research, the Air Force said Wednesday.

“Nuclear forensics is a keystone of AFTAC’s responsibility of assisting the U.S. government in its commitment to hold perpetrators accountable, and also counters the smuggling of nuclear material by helping to identify those responsible,” said Bill Johnson, a senior scientist at AFTAC’s Ciambrone Radiochemistry Lab.

Johnson added that the research effort will boost AFTAC’s analytical capacity and provide students with hands-on experience in a radiochemistry laboratory.

The Ciambrone Radiochemistry Lab supports efforts to identify radiologic or nuclear debris under AFTAC’s Nuclear Debris Collection and Analysis Program and helps evaluate signatory compliance with nuclear weapons testing treaties.

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Former Coast Guard Officer David Pekoske Sworn in as New TSA Administrator
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Former Coast Guard Officer David Pekoske Sworn in as New TSA Administrator


Former Coast Guard Officer David Pekoske Sworn in as New TSA Administrator
David Pekoske

David Pekoske, a former U.S. Coast Guard vice commandant, has sworn in as the seventh administrator at the Transportation Security Administration a week after his confirmation by the Senate on Aug. 3.

The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Department of Homeland Security headquarters in Washington, D.C, TSA announced Thursday.

“I am deeply honored to take on this role as the next TSA administrator and put my experience to use in protecting and securing our nation’s transportation system,” said Pekoske.

The administration announced its intent to nominate Pekoske for the position in June.

He now oversees a workforce of over 60,000 employees, security operations across approximately 450 airports, highways, railroads and ports as well as the Federal Air Marshal Service.

Pekoske’s recent works include his involvement in the government services industry in the areas of counterterrorism, intelligence and security.

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