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Rep. Adam Smith: Tax Reform Bill Could Hamper Defense Buildup
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Rep. Adam Smith: Tax Reform Bill Could Hamper Defense Buildup


Rep. Adam Smith: Tax Reform Bill Could Hamper Defense Buildup
Adam Smith

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Washing), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, has said he believes the passage of a tax reform bill does not bode well for future efforts to advance a military buildup and increase defense spending, SpaceNews reported Wednesday.

“I think this tax cut passed today means there is not going to be any significant increases in any spending,” Smith told the publication.

“Even if you repeal the Budget Control Act, which I think we have to do, you then have to live with a more finite world of resources,” he added.

Congress on Wednesday passed the tax reform measure that would authorize a 20 percent cut on business income and reduce corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent.

The legislation is also expected to contribute $1.5 trillion to the $20 trillion national debt over the next decade.

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Report: DHS Eyes ‘Proactive’ Cyber Cooperation With Industry
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Report: DHS Eyes ‘Proactive’ Cyber Cooperation With Industry


Report: DHS Eyes 'Proactive' Cyber Cooperation With IndustryThe Department of Homeland Security plans to become more proactive in delivering cybersecurity support to the U.S. private sector, FCW reported Thursday.

Jeanette Manfra, DHS assistant secretary for the office of cybersecurity and communications, said at a press briefing held Tuesday that the department wants to “move beyond only offering voluntary assistance to more proactively becoming the world leader in cyber risk analysis and intervening directly with companies when necessary.”

Manfra added that DHS will focus on companies that supply critical services such as electricity, financial systems and communications systems.

At the same press briefing, White House homeland security adviser Thomas Bossert said that the U.S. government has identified North Korea as the actor behind the WannaCry ransomware attack that affected  computer systems worldwide in May.

A DHS official told FCW that the department also looks to enter memorandums of agreement with critical infrastructure operators identified in Section 9 of an executive order released during the Obama administration.

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DISA Hosts Symposium on DoD Cloud Migration Efforts
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DISA Hosts Symposium on DoD Cloud Migration Efforts


DISA Hosts Symposium on DoD Cloud Migration EffortsThe Defense Information Systems Agency hosted a symposium Dec. 12 to discuss ways on how to help service branches, combatant commanders, agencies and other mission partners of the Defense Department speed up cloud adoption, DoD News reported Thursday.

The symposium is in response to the Sept. 13 memo Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan issued about the Pentagon’s cloud migration initiatives.

Army Lt. Gen. Alan Lynn, DISA director, said over 1,000 individuals took part in the introductory symposium and mentioned the cloud’s potential benefits to the military across data security, financial areas and virtual space.

DISA officials also provided information on how to select cloud service providers to meet their individual requirements during the symposium.

Terry Carpenter, DISA’s service development executive and program executive officer for the service development directorate, discussed the agency’s role as an infrastructure provider in DoD’s cloud adoption efforts and its capacity to help mission partners procure cloud services.

Other officials who spoke at the symposium include John Hale, cloud portfolio chief at DISA; and Navy Rear Adm. Nancy Norton, vice director of DISA.

 

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Congress OKs 4-Week Stopgap Spending Measure
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Congress OKs 4-Week Stopgap Spending Measure


Congress OKs 4-Week Stopgap Spending MeasureCongress on Thursday passed another continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown and keep federal agencies open through Jan. 19, The Hill reported Thursday.

The Senate approved the stopgap funding measure by a 66-32 vote hours after the House voted 231-188 to clear the bill.

The new CR came a day after Congress cleared a tax reform bill.

The four-week CR will authorize a short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that is set to expire by the end of this month and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

The measure also includes a waiver for pay-as-you-go rules and budget “anomalies” for the Defense Department.

Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said the passage of the new CR that would keep agencies operational at current funding levels is “bad” but would somehow help the department carry out its job, according to a report by Federal News Radio.

“You’re just going to defer as many choices as you can whether it’s military construction, maintenance,” he told reporters Thursday.

“It’s bad, but the other side of this is we will be able to do our job.”

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Arizona) said in a statement the passage of a new short-term funding measure would delay the commencement of 24 production increases and 48 new procurement programs.

McCain also cited CR’s potential impact on military readiness, service personnel’s training and ship maintenance activities, the report added.

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Ben FitzGerald to Lead DoD Strategy & Design Office
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Ben FitzGerald to Lead DoD Strategy & Design Office


Ben FitzGerald to Lead DoD Strategy & Design Office
Ben FitzGerald

Ben FitzGerald, a professional staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has been appointed director of the Defense Department‘s strategy and design office in a move slated to take effect Jan. 2.

DoD said Thursday FitzGerald will lead the reorganization of the Pentagon’s office of the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 mandates DoD to split up the responsibilities of the AT&L office into between an undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment; an undersecretary for research and engineering; and a chief management officer.

FitzGerald will serve for five years as a highly qualified expert, which refers to “individuals who possess uncommon, special knowledge, skills and experience in an occupational field, and judgment that is accorded authority and status by peers or the public,” DoD noted.

In his new role, FitzGerald will aim to identify if current AT&L functions should transition to R&E, A&S, another post within the office of the defense secretary, the military services or be eliminated altogether.

He previously served as senior fellow and director of the technology and national security program at the Center for a New American Security.

FitzGerald also worked as a managing director at consulting firm Noetic Group; a solutions specialist at IBM; and an account manager at Unisys.

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Air Force Sets Next F-35A Air National Guard Bases
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Air Force Sets Next F-35A Air National Guard Bases


Air Force Sets Next F-35A Air National Guard BasesThe U.S. Air Force has announced two preferred Air National Guard bases to receive the F-35A conventional takeoff-and-landing aircraft.

The military branch said Thursday it expects the Truax Field base in Wisconsin and the Dannelly Field base in Alabama to begin accommodating F-35A jets in 2023.

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, said the service branch will use aircraft currently stationed in the two installations to replace F-16s at other ANG facilities upon arrival of the fifth-generation fighter platform.

F-35A is built to eventually replace many of the Air Force’s fourth-generation aircraft.

The branch intends to operate both fourth- and fifth-generation fighters into the 2040s as part of efforts to address combatant commander needs, required training and scheduled deployments.

SecAF will hand down a final basing decision after an environmental analysis of the preferred F-35A locations is complete.

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DHS Establishes Initiative to Address Encryption Challenges
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DHS Establishes Initiative to Address Encryption Challenges

DHS Establishes Initiative to Address Encryption ChallengesThe Department of Homeland Security has launched an effort to collaborate with the technology community, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to stop terrorist abuse of encryption tools.

DHS took action after House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) asked the department to establish an advisory board that will help address security risks from widely available encryption platforms, the committee said Tuesday.

He urged DHS to enlist experts from both the public and private sectors to develop methods to prevent terrorists from exploiting encrypted communications.

“I am pleased the department is taking action to bring together the key players to address this and related security issues so we can find ways to improve cooperation between law enforcement, national security communities, private industry and others,” McCaul noted.

The committee said in a 2016 report that encryption technologies could hinder lawful access to electronic information and evidence deemed vital to the government’s national security efforts.

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Thomas Bossert: North Korea Behind ‘WannaCry’ Ransomware Attack
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Thomas Bossert: North Korea Behind ‘WannaCry’ Ransomware Attack


Thomas Bossert: North Korea Behind ‘WannaCry’ Ransomware AttackThomas Bossert, homeland security adviser to President Donald Trump, has said the U.S. has determined that North Korea was responsible for a ransomware attack that disrupted computer systems worldwide in May.

Bossert said Tuesday in a press briefing the attribution of the ransomware, dubbed WannaCry, to the East Asian country is based on “careful investigation” in collaboration with private companies and other international governments such as the U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

“We do not make this allegation lightly,” he said during a press briefing at the White House.

“We do so with evidence, and we do so with partners.”

Europol discovered in May that the ransomware attack compromised computers of at least 200,000 individuals in over 150 countries.

Bossert cited the efforts of technology firms such as Microsoft and Facebook to patch computer networks and disable accounts of North Korea-backed threat actors.

He also called on the private sector to advance accountability and information sharing in support of the U.S. cyber defense efforts.

Jeanette Manfra, assistant secretary for cybersecurity and communications at the Department of Homeland Security, discussed DHS’ cyber initiatives in response to the WannaCry attack during the press briefing.

She also cited the need for public-private collaboration and efforts to build up partnerships with cybersecurity centers worldwide.

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Congress Passes Tax Reform Bill
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Congress Passes Tax Reform Bill


Congress Passes Tax Reform BillA tax reform bill is now headed to the White House for President Donald Trump’s signature after Congress passed the measure Wednesday, Reuters reported Wednesday.

The House voted 224-201 and the upper chamber voted 51-48 to approve the measure that would reduce the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent and authorize a 20 percent cut on business income.

The legislation would lower the tax rate for high-income earners, introduce changes to the estate tax on inheritances and eliminate a tax penalty on individuals who lack health insurance under the Obamacare law.

The report noted the bill would contribute $1.5 trillion to the $20 trillion national debt over the next 10 years.

Gary Cohn, White House economic adviser, said Trump could sign the measure by Friday if Congress passes this week a spending resolution that would include a waiver on automatic spending cuts that could be prompted by the tax bill.

“If not, most likely we’ll sign it in the first week of the new year,” Cohn added.

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Marine Corps Completes Final Flight of AAI-Built RQ-7B Shadow UAS Platform
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Marine Corps Completes Final Flight of AAI-Built RQ-7B Shadow UAS Platform


Marine Corps Completes Final Flight of AAI-Built RQ-7B Shadow UAS PlatformMembers of the U.S. Marine Corps Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 4 has launched the final flight of an AAI-built unmanned aircraft system during the Exercise Steel Knight event in Twentynine Palms, California.

The Marine Corps said Wednesday the RQ-7B Shadow UAS, which has been in service for more than five years, will be phased out and succeeded by the RQ-21A Blackjack system.

“The flight was our last of the evolution for Steel Knight and also our last Shadow flight in the Marine Corps,” said Capt. Shanna Ream, operations officer for VMU-4 within the Marine Aircraft Group 41 of the Marine Forces Reserve’s 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.

The annual Steel Knight exercise showcases the combined capacities of air and ground assets which will demonstrate various military strategies for ground fires, command and control as well as maneuver warfare tactics.

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