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Raft Exhibits Advanced C2 Capabilities at USAF Exercise
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Raft Exhibits Advanced C2 Capabilities at USAF Exercise

Defense tech firm Raft has demonstrated the capabilities of its Raft Data Platform, or [R]DP, during the Air Combat Command and the Shadow Operations Center-Nellis’ Capstone 24B exercise.

At the event, [R]DP was deployed as a command and control platform and facilitated the identification and integration of new technology into the kill chain for enhanced battle management and tactical operations, Raft said Wednesday. The exercise tests new command, control and communications capabilities that could improve warfighters’ situational awareness.

Enhanced Battle Management for Modern Warfare

The exercise showcased new technologies to increase the speed, accuracy, and scale of battle management, according to Raft Chief Product Officer Trey Coleman. “We look forward to our continued collaboration with the U.S. Air Force as we continue to leverage automation and artificial intelligence to perform battle management functions that previously required an entirely human workforce,” he added.

During the exercise, Raft integrated [R]DP into the Air Force’s existing systems to exhibit its ability to function as a C2 data transport layer that can support different applications throughout the kill chain process. The ACC used the platform to collect and merge data from multiple sources into a single dashboard.

Providing Forces With Actionable Insights

Raft also delivered a battle management prototype called StarSage. The artificial intelligence-enabled system is designed to deliver actionable insights enabling military forces to make faster and accurate operational decisions.

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Michael Kratsios Nominated by White House for OSTP Director
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Michael Kratsios Nominated by White House for OSTP Director

Michael Kratsios, a two-time Wash100 Award winner, has been nominated to be director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the White House announced Wednesday.

Kratsios’ Career 

Kratsios is currently serving as managing director of Scale AI, a position he has held since 2021. Prior to that, he was the acting under secretary of defense for research and engineering, making him the third highest ranking official at the Department of Defense.

He was also the chief technology officer of the DOD, where he led research, development and prototyping efforts. Kratsios also supervised the activities of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Defense Innovation Unit, Space Development Agency, Missile Defense Agency and the DOD Laboratory enterprise.

Kratsios was unanimously confirmed by the Senate as CTO of the United States, serving from 2017 to 2021. He was the principal technology policy advisor to the president, advising on issues regarding technology policies and driving technology priorities and strategic initiatives. 

During his time, Kratsios spearheaded numerous initiatives involving artificial intelligence, quantum computing, autonomous vehicles, commercial drones, 5G and broadband communications, STEM education and advanced manufacturing. He played a vital role in major projects including the American AI Initiative, National Quantum Coordination Office and the COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium.

Before his stint in the White House, he spent seven years at Thiel Capital holding positions such as principal, chief financial officer and chief compliance officer. He was also an analyst at Barclays Investment Bank.

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NAVAIR Issues RFI for COCO ISR Services
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NAVAIR Issues RFI for COCO ISR Services

The Naval Air Systems Command Program Executive Office, Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons, or PMA-263, has started seeking feedback on potential contractors that will provide Contractor Owned Contractor Operated Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, or COCO ISR, services for Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office.

COCO ISR Services

According to the notice issued on SAM.gov, PMA-263 intends to procure services supporting domestic and coalition forces in combat and contingency plans in both land-based and sea-based operations. These UAS ISR services will also support the DOD and other government agencies, or OGA.

The contractor will provide the resources necessary to deliver the required sensor data, which includes qualified personnel, non-developmental UAS equipment, certifications and licenses, operation and maintenance support and spares and product support. In addition, the vendor should provide ISR services around the clock.

Interested vendors should send their responses to the request for information by Feb. 5.

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CISA, FBI Address Cloud Service Threats With Advisory
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CISA, FBI Address Cloud Service Threats With Advisory

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the FBI have unveiled an advisory regarding vulnerabilities in the Ivanti Cloud Service Applications, or CSAs.

Responding to Critical Ivanti CSA Threats

CISA said Wednesday the Threat Actors Chained Vulnerabilities in Ivanti Cloud Service Applications advisory was released to address the active exploitation of numerous vulnerabilities, including administrative bypass, SQL injection and remote code execution.

The two government agencies strongly urge organizations, particularly network administrators and defenders, to safeguard their networks by upgrading to the latest supported version of Ivanti CSA. They should also regularly conduct a thorough search for malicious activities on their networks using detection tactics and indicators of compromise, or IOCs.

The agencies said it is important for the cybersecurity community to visit CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog. It’s designed to enable them to mitigate vulnerabilities and address emerging threats.

CISA also encourages cybersecurity professionals to visit its Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals to learn more about different methods of protection against threats.

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DOD OIG Finds Deficiencies in Mgmt. of Contract Actions Supporting Ukraine
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DOD OIG Finds Deficiencies in Mgmt. of Contract Actions Supporting Ukraine

The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General has released a report regarding an audit it had conducted to determine whether contracting officials within the U.S. Army properly managed undefinitized contract actions, or UCAs, awarded in support of Ukraine. UCAs make it possible for the Army to rapidly deliver equipment and services in response to urgent operational needs, DOD OIG said Tuesday.

UCA Management Issues

Twenty-four UCAs were sampled for the audit and of that total, 18 were found to have not been properly managed by Army contracting officers. Qualifying proposals were not obtained by the required dates, UCAs were not definitized within the required timelines and UCAs did not comply with DOD requirements concerning profit adjustments.

The audit attributed the deficiencies to failure by contracting officers to establish realistic definitization timeframes, use their authority to unilaterally definitize or withhold payments and consistently interpret guidance regarding the start of the definitization period. The officers also prepared an outdated form to calculate the profit objective of the government.

Unnecessary Financial Risk

The effect of the deficiencies identified by the audit is that the DOD was subjected to unnecessary financial risk. DOD OIG offered 14 recommendations to address the issues.

Commenting on the matter, Inspector General Robert Storch said, “Undefinitized contract actions require particularly diligent oversight to protect taxpayer resources and maintain accountability. This sort of contracting serves an important purpose, but the Army needs to establish additional procedures and oversight to ensure it is reducing unnecessary financial risk and potential for wasted taxpayer dollars.”

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GAO Says DOD Must Improve Modular Open Systems Use in Weapons Development
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GAO Says DOD Must Improve Modular Open Systems Use in Weapons Development

The Government Accountability Office has called on the Department of Defense to improve its use of the modular open systems approach, or MOSA, in developing weapon systems to save time and money.

In a Wednesday report, GAO said the Pentagon failed to consistently employ the approach for design decisions across weapon programs, noting that by overlooking the benefits of MOSA, the agency missed opportunities to cut costs and implement faster upgrades.

Squandered Benefits of Proper MOSA Use

According to GAO, its review of 20 DOD programs showed that none conducted a formal analysis of costs and benefits for MOSA because it’s not a requirement. However, the agency’s decision to skip the approach reportedly led to wasted benefits, such as increased innovation, enhanced interoperability, lower prices due to higher competition and faster repairs and upgrades.

While the DOD is preparing regulations and guidance to address MOSA use, the office said that gaps still exist, which could hamper its implementation. The GAO report stressed the urgency of using MOSA more efficiently as it enables weapon programs to better respond to changing threats and address high weapon system sustainment costs.

GAO Recommendations

In conclusion, the GAO review submitted 14 recommendations to the DOD, including that the agency develop a process to analyze MOSA costs and benefits and resolve the identified issues in MOSA policy and guidance. The Pentagon concurred with the suggestions.

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Blue Abyss, NASA Ink Collaboration
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Blue Abyss, NASA Ink Collaboration

Blue Abyss and NASA’s Glenn Research Center have forged a partnership through a Space Act Agreement to advance commercial space training, research and infrastructure development.

Forging the Future of Space Exploration

The company said Wednesday the collaboration will focus on the development of innovative human spaceflight capabilities, including training and simulations of various extreme environments. The partnership aims to drive scientific discovery, foster innovation and enhance the commercial space sector.

The two organizations will work to develop advanced methods of selecting and training future space travelers, evaluate the effects of extreme gravity and develop advanced infrastructure. NASA will leverage its decades’ worth of technical expertise in space exploration for the project while Blue Abyss will perform an in-depth market analysis to identify infrastructure requirements over the next 10 years. The data will help determine how commercial facilities will be utilized for future space missions.

John Vickers, Blue Abyss CEO, said, “As we develop next-generation infrastructure, including our proposed facilities in the U.S. and U.K., it helps develop the international space sector, supporting industry growth, training and infrastructure development that will support international clients and foster innovation.”

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Robert Salesses Named Acting Secretary of Defense
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Robert Salesses Named Acting Secretary of Defense

President Donald Trump has appointed Robert Salesses, a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, as acting secretary of the Department of Defense, DOD News reported Monday.

Salesses will serve as interim DOD secretary until a permanent secretary is confirmed by the Senate. Trump’s current nominee, Pete Hegseth, is still undergoing discussion.

Robert Salesses’ Career Background

Salesses most recently served as deputy director of Washington Headquarters Services, a DOD Field Activity. In this capacity, he was the principal adviser to the director, overseeing a portfolio of integrated operational services to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, military departments, defense agencies, Congress and the Executive Office of the President.

The senior executive service member’s DOD career included time as deputy assistant secretary of defense for defense continuity and mission assurance and deputy assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense integration and defense support of civil authorities, where he served as principal career civilian adviser to eight secretaries of defense.

He started his federal civilian service by serving as the special assistant for the Homeland Security Task Force.

Appointment of Acting Service Secretaries

In addition to Salesses, the White House appointed Mark Averill, head of the Army’s Office of the Administrative Assistant, as acting secretary of the Army and Terence Emmert, most recently principal deputy chief technology officer for mission capabilities at DOD, as acting secretary of the Navy.

The president also named Gary Ashworth, who served as acting assistant secretary of defense for acquisition at DOD, as acting secretary of the Air Force.

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DOD Establishes Policy for Joint Production Accelerator Cell
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DOD Establishes Policy for Joint Production Accelerator Cell

The Department of Defense has released a new directive establishing policy, outlining responsibilities and providing procedures for the function of the Joint Production Accelerator Cell, or JPAC.

William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment and a three-time Wash100 awardee, approved and cleared for public release the new DOD Instruction on JPAC, which took effect on Friday.

What Is JPAC?

JPAC is an office within the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, or USD A&S, that works to establish enduring production capacity, resiliency and surge capability for key defense weapons systems and supplies. It also serves as a key enabler of the National Defense Strategy.

Through JPAC, the department promotes industrial production resilience and ensures capability for defense weapons platforms by assessing and developing optical production strategies.

Strategies for defense weapons systems and supplies include evaluating mitigation strategies for identified production constraints; developing integrated strategies for production surge capability; and assessing global production.

What Are the Responsibilities of the JPAC Executive Director?

The JPAC executive director manages and directs the personnel in executing the roles and responsibilities outlined in the directive and coordinates and exchanges information with the Office of the Secretary of Defense and DOD components that have related responsibilities and functions.

The head of JPAC should communicate directly with DOD component heads to implement the policy, including soliciting advice and assistance.

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DHS Releases Directive on AI Use & Acquisition
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DHS Releases Directive on AI Use & Acquisition

The Department of Homeland Security has issued a directive establishing DHS policy for the use and acquisition of artificial intelligence as part of efforts to advance AI innovation and governance while managing risks.

The directive issued on Jan. 15 states that specifications for technical requirements as required by AI acquisition contracts should address testing and evaluation requirements and risk management considerations.

According to the directive, such specifications should ensure that technical requirements support transparency, performance evaluation and improvement in AI; assess sustainability and environmental efficiency; and address data ownership and management.

What Are the Prohibited Uses of AI at DHS?

The new DHS policy outlines several AI uses that are not allowed within the department, such as relying on outputs of AI as the sole basis for law and civil enforcement actions or denial of government benefits and using data associated with the use of AI to make or back decisions based on improper consideration of race, gender, ethnicity, religion and medical condition, among other factors.

The directive also prohibits the use of AI in unlawful or improper systemic, indiscriminate or large-scale monitoring, surveillance or tracking of individuals.

DHS said improper targeting, profiling or discriminating against any person based on race, general identity, national origin and other individual characteristics is also prohibited.

Responsibilities of DHS Officials

According to DHS, the department’s chief AI officer is responsible for leading governance and oversight processes and structures and establishing strategic priorities for AI deployment efforts.

The directive states that the chief information officer supports the use of AI at DHS through a data management lifecycle framework and data standards and requirements. The CIO should also ensure that AI use complies with cybersecurity requirements and aligns with the department’s customer experience commitment.

Register now to join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 20, to hear more about cutting-edge AI innovations from industry and government experts.

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