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FCC Looks to Modernize 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service Rules
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FCC Looks to Modernize 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service Rules

The Federal Communications Commission seeks to make improvements to Citizens Broadband Radio Service rules to benefit current and future 3.5 GHz band users and has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the effort.

The proposed changes to Part 96 of Title 47 within the Code of Federal Regulations include the addition of definitions for the protection of federal “Incumbent Access” users and the modification of other Part 96 rules concerning such definitions, the FCC said Friday.

The commission also seeks to sunset rules concerning the transition of grandfathered 3.65 – 3.7 GHz band wireless broadband services.

Comments are being sought regarding these proposals as well as additional issues, including the alignment of protection methodologies for the 3.5 GHz band with those in adjacent bands, the continued introduction of CBRS in areas outside of the contiguous United States and the revisiting of Environmental Sensing Capability approval procedures.

After the NPRM is posted on the Federal Register, interested parties will have 30 days to submit their comments.

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OMB’s Director of AI Conrad Stosz Moves to NIST to Lead Policy at AI Safety Institute
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OMB’s Director of AI Conrad Stosz Moves to NIST to Lead Policy at AI Safety Institute

Conrad Stosz has joined the National Institute of Standards and Technology as head of policy for the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute. He confirmed his new role in a post on LinkedIn.

“Excited to be working with a team of amazing scientists to push the boundaries of AI testing and evaluation and help ensure that AI is safe, secure, and trustworthy for everyone,” wrote.

Stosz previously served as policy adviser and then director of AI at the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, where he played a role in policy and budget for AI deployment across the government. While at OMB, he co-authored Executive Order 14110 on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of AI and penned the OMB Memorandum M-24-10, which established the role of chief AI officers in federal agencies.

Before joining the OMB, the technologist also advised the secretary of defense on AI policy development related to data, digital infrastructures, privacy and civil liberties and was a staff member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

The NIST’s U.S. AI Safety Institute aims to advance research and promote AI safety and mitigate risks associated with the technology in national security, public safety and civil rights. It is home to the U.S. AI Safety Institute Consortium, a public-private collaboration of over 200 artificial intelligence developers and researchers to develop standards for responsible AI.

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Johns Hopkins APL, Coast Guard Sign MOU to Strengthen National Defense and Maritime Security
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Johns Hopkins APL, Coast Guard Sign MOU to Strengthen National Defense and Maritime Security

The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and the U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center are collaborating to tackle challenges in national defense and maritime security.

The two parties signed a comprehensive memorandum of understanding that builds on a previous agreement from 2019, Johns Hopkins APL said Thursday.

Under the MOU, APL and RDC will work together to develop initiatives in fields such as:

  • Additive manufacturing
  • Autonomous operations
  • Cyber defense
  • Critical infrastructure protection
  • Human factors engineering
  • Humanitarian assistance and disaster response
  • Sensor optimization
  • Supply chain assurance

The two organizations will also conduct joint research and development projects to further bolster maritime security and safety. This will allow APL staff members to observe the practical application of their technical work in the field.

The MOU enables APL to run a yearly workshop with RDC where they can talk about R&D perspectives, share project updates and discuss possible collaborations in the future. The Coast Guard, meanwhile, will provide field support for APL projects and help their staff members understand the maritime operational environment and the possible challenges they may encounter.

Tim Galpin, assistant director of APL, noted the importance of the MOU: “This agreement strengthens APL’s ties with the U.S. Coast Guard, and further enhances our ability to address critical maritime security challenges for the nation. We expect this continued collaboration with the Coast Guard RDC to drive innovation and enable a range of resourceful ideas and technical solutions to their pressing challenges.”

Capt. Michael Chien, RDC commanding officer, highlighted the longstanding relationship between the two organizations, describing it as one of the strongest links to the expansive national security enterprise.

“Renewing our MOU with APL is a cornerstone of our external partnership network. RDC has actively engaged with APL on a wide range of projects from cybersecurity, autonomous vessel operation and critical infrastructure protection to participation in Coast Guard Evergreen, our service’s strategic foresight program,” Chien said.

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s annual Homeland Security Summit to learn more about the country’s most significant threats and what’s being done to thwart them. Register here.

Johns Hopkins APL, Coast Guard Sign MOU to Strengthen National Defense and Maritime Security
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Navy Installs New MQ-25 Ground Control Station Aboard USS George HW Bush Carrier
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Navy Installs New MQ-25 Ground Control Station Aboard USS George HW Bush Carrier

The U.S. Navy has completed installing a new control room for the MQ-25 Stingray onboard the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier.

Called the Unmanned Air Warfare Center, the ground control station—a.k.a. GCS—features software and hardware systems and will be used to control the MQ-25 during refueling operations for strike fighters, the Naval Air Systems Command said a in press release.

Air vehicle pilots will use the UAWC to control the Stingray’s airborne operations moving forward.

According to Unmanned Carrier Aviation Program Manager Capt. Daniel Fucito, the GCS will support the MQ-25 and upcoming unmanned systems, including the collaborative combat aircraft that the U.S. Air Force is developing.

The Boeing-made control system includes capabilities from Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, specifically the MDCX Multi Domain Combat System that powers the command and control functions of the GCS, Lockheed Martin said in a LinkedIn post.

USS George H.W. Bush will take part in the UAWC’s sea testing in early 2025, which will be the first time that AVPs will operate the control room from an aircraft carrier, said Joe Nedeau, head of PMA-268 Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System.

“They will use the actual GCS hardware and software aboard CVN 77 to communicate with a simulated air vehicle in the lab in Pax River,” he noted.

Boeing designed the MQ-25 to refuel combat planes and conduct specific intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

White House & Texas Instruments Agree on Potential $1.6B Semiconductor Production Investment
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White House & Texas Instruments Agree on Potential $1.6B Semiconductor Production Investment

The Biden-Harris Administration has revealed that the U.S. Department of Commerce and Texas Instruments, a global manufacturer of analog and embedded processing semiconductors, have agreed on a potential $1.6 billion investment to boost semiconductor manufacturing in the country.

The Department of Commerce said Friday the two parties signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms that will provide funds for the production of current-generation and mature-node chips. The investment aims to strengthen the domestic supply chain, create jobs and generate investments in the industries.

The $1.6 billion in proposed direct funding will be under the CHIPS and Science Act. The Biden-Harris Administration has long championed the act, which is a major part of Biden’s Investing in America agenda.

The project covers the construction of three facilities — two in Sherman, Texas and one in Lehi, Utah. TI plans to invest over $18 billion by the end of the decade in the facilities, which are expected to boost domestic manufacturing capabilities for mature-node chips and generate over 2,000 manufacturing jobs and thousands more construction jobs.

Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Arati Prabhakar, a previous Wash100 Award recipient, said, “Americans across the country felt the impact of semiconductor shortages during the pandemic—from car and appliance scarcities, to manufacturing lines halted and jobs lost. With the CHIPS and Science Act, President Biden and Vice President Harris took action to strengthen our supply chains, create good-paying jobs, and advance U.S. competitiveness.”

The Assistant to the President for Science and Technology added, “Texas Instruments is a global leader in foundational chip manufacturing, and thanks to the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, TI is investing in our future here at home.”

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo pointed out that shortages of current-generation and mature-node chips during the pandemic resulted in a skyrocketing inflation rate and national security issues.

“With this proposed investment from the Biden-Harris Administration in TI, a global leader of production for current-generation and mature-node chips, we would help secure the supply chain for these foundational semiconductors that are used in every sector of the U.S. economy, and create thousands of jobs in Texas and Utah.”

Haviv Ilan, president and CEO of Texas Instruments, praised the CHIPS Act for enabling more companies to help strengthen the semiconductor ecosystem.

“Our investments further strengthen our competitive advantage in manufacturing and technology as we expand our 300mm manufacturing operations in the U.S.,” Ilan said, adding, “With plans to grow our internal manufacturing to more than 95% by 2030, we’re building geopolitically dependable, 300mm capacity at scale to provide the analog and embedded processing chips our customers will need for years to come.”

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DISA Prepares to Migrate Next Group of DAFAs to DoDNet
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DISA Prepares to Migrate Next Group of DAFAs to DoDNet

The Defense Information Systems Agency announced that eight defense agencies and field activities—known as DAFAs—are set to begin their migration to its updated network, DoDNet, in October as part of the Fourth Estate Network Optimization initiative, which seeks to improve user experience.

DISA said Friday six more DAFAs are expected to kick off the discovery phase by the end of 2024 as part of their transition to DoDNet.

DoDNet Generation 2 Release 1

In June, DISA achieved initial operating capability for DoDNet Generation 2 Release 1, which launched a secure cloud environment to support DAFAs.

“With DoDNet Generation 2 Release 1, we are positioned to accelerate DAFA migrations while meeting operational and cybersecurity requirements,” said Carissa Landymore, DoDNet program manager at DISA.

DoDNet Generation 2 Release 1 comes with several features, including unified endpoint management, virtual desktop-as-a-service, network management and automation and operational support systems and observability.

“We are using a multi-phased approach to accelerate the overall migration process to DoDNet by working in parallel to deploy the networks and user endpoints,” said Landymore.

DISA expects to add 100,000 users to the network over the next 18 months. Once the deployment is complete, the agency expects DoDNet to support up to 370,000 users.

“Pre-installing equipment and updates ahead of each migration ensures a smoother and more efficient transition, as demonstrated by our recent progress,” noted Landymore.

DoDNet Sustainment and Operations Support Task Order

Since 2022, DISA has worked with Leidos to move users from legacy systems to DoDNet.

In July, Leidos received a potential $823 million task order from DISA to provide DoDNet sustainment and operations services. Under this award, the company will provide systems engineering, cybersecurity, network architecture and management and other technical services to help DISA migrate 14 more Fourth Estate DAFAs and their legacy platforms to the consolidated DoDNet environment, expanding support to over 160,000 users.

The task order was issued under the 10-year, $11.5 billion Defense Enclave Services contract awarded by DISA to the company in 2022.

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DCMA Establishes Mid-Atlantic Contract Management Office as Part of Operation Consolidation Effort
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DCMA Establishes Mid-Atlantic Contract Management Office as Part of Operation Consolidation Effort

The Defense Contract Management Agency held a ceremony on July 26 to mark the establishment of DCMA Mid-Atlantic, which consolidates the personnel and operations of the agency’s contract management offices in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Manassas, New Cumberland and Pittsburgh.

According to a news article posted Thursday on the agency’s website, CMO consolidation forms part of DCMA Vision, an initiative that seeks to make it possible for DCMA to address U.S. military needs amid budget constraints.

DCMA Mid-Atlantic will be under the command of U.S. Navy Capt. Monica Tate. During the ceremony, she said, “To the Mid-Atlantic team, it will be your leadership, your dedication, your expertise, your energy, your innovation, and your mutual respect, that will build DCMA Mid-Atlantic into the team that it will become.”

For her part, Navy Capt. Nicola Gathright, who presided over the ceremony, described the establishment of DCMA Mid-Atlantic as “a pivotal moment in the history our agency” and underscored the need for the office’s personnel to remain cohesive.

“Let’s continue to stay the course during these changes. We want to continue improving the way we do business,” added Gathright, who took charge of the DCMA Eastern Regional Command last year.

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Brig. Gen. Michael Lalor: Army to Begin Construction Work on Long Range Precision Fires Facility in FY25
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Brig. Gen. Michael Lalor: Army to Begin Construction Work on Long Range Precision Fires Facility in FY25

Brig. Gen. Michael Lalor, head of the U.S. Army’s Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, or TACOM, said the military branch intends to break ground on the Long Range Precision Fires Facility at Watervliet Arsenal in New York, as part of its organic industrial base modernization effort, Breaking Defense reported Friday.

Lalor told the publication the proposed 350,000-square-foot facility will be equipped with new technologies and capabilities.

According to the report, the facility will accommodate the production of 155mm and larger cannon tubes and is expected to be operational for a minimum of four decades.

In addition to the Watervliet project, the brigadier general said that there are a number of projects that have kicked off in 2024 across TACOM’s six depots and arsenals.

“There are planning efforts for component repair facilities, component remanufacturing facilities at both Anniston [Army Depot] and Red River [Army Depot],” Lalor said. “Those [efforts] are all focused on getting those [facilities] in place by the 2028, 2029 time frame.”

According to TACOM’s commanding general, the Army could invest $75 million to $100 million in organic industrial base—or OIB—infrastructure and capabilities in FY 2025.

The Army is advancing its OIB Modernization Plan, which seeks to transform the service’s 23 arsenals, depots and ammunition plants by investing more than $18 billion over 15 years.

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DHS Science and Technology Seeks Software Vulnerability Management Solutions
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DHS Science and Technology Seeks Software Vulnerability Management Solutions

The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology directorate is searching for commercial suppliers of software artifact dependency graph, or ADG, capabilities that lessen software risks to cyber and physical infrastructure.

Each selected company will receive up to $1.7 million funding in a four-phase development and adoption program of the ADG solutions for homeland security uses, DHS S&T said.

The directorate is seeking software ADGs that can monitor all source code files a software integrates and can deliver actionable information on software dependencies.

DHS S&T is conducting the ADG solicitation program under its Silicon Valley Innovation Program, with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency as partner.

“Scaling artifact dependency graph generation will improve open source ecosystems’ secure by design practices and empower network defenders to more easily and more accurately respond to emerging vulnerabilities,” said Aeva Black, CISA’s open source software security section chief.

The solicitation’s deadline for applications is on Dec. 16, during which a virtual and an in-person industry day will be held in Menlo Park, California.

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NIST Posts Documents for Newly Launched 5G Cybersecurity White Paper Series
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NIST Posts Documents for Newly Launched 5G Cybersecurity White Paper Series

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence has released two publications supporting its newly launched white paper series for applying 5G cybersecurity and privacy capabilities.

The series aims to support technology, cybersecurity and privacy program managers tasked by their organizations to identify, understand, assess and mitigate risk for 5G networks, the center said.

Documents published under the series outline best practices and provide ways to execute them, NCCoE added, noting that the white papers feature capabilities that were implemented in testbed on commercial-grade 5G equipment.

The initial publications under the new series include “Applying 5G Cybersecurity and Privacy Capabilities” and “Protecting Subscriber Identifiers with Subscription Concealed Identifier.”

The former contains information, guidance, recommended practices and research findings for a specific technical cybersecurity or privacy-supporting capability found in 5G systems.

Meanwhile, the second paper discusses how Subscription Concealed Identifier, or SUCI, provides security and privacy protections for network subscribers. In the document, NCCoE urges 5G operators to enable SUCI on their systems and to program the identifier to use a non-null encryption cipher scheme for increased customer protection.

The center is calling on the public to provide feedback on the papers by Sept. 16.

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