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Report: Navy Introduces Laser Weapon Tech Program Under Rapid Prototyping Initiative
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Report: Navy Introduces Laser Weapon Tech Program Under Rapid Prototyping Initiative


Report: Navy Introduces Laser Weapon Tech Program Under Rapid Prototyping InitiativeThe U.S. Navy has launched an effort to pursue laser weapons integration as part of the service branch’s Rapid Prototyping, Experimentation and Demonstration project, USNI News reported Wednesday.

Rear Adm. Mike Manazir, deputy chief of naval operations for warfare systems, said at the 2017 Directed Energy Summit that the Surface Navy Laser Weapons System program seeks to increase laser weapons’ power, beam quality and capacity to modularize, Megan Eckstein wrote.

Eckstein reported the program also explores ways to integrate available laser weapons into the Aegis Combat System.

“What we’d like to do is be able to integrate [laser weapons] so that when you have an effect in competition, in war, in a maritime environment, you know how to put those together with the kinetic systems we already have in the field,” Manazir told audience at the summit.

He added the Navy seeks to deploy new technologies in the field, mitigate risks and manage costs through the RPED initiative.

Rear Adm. Jon Hill, deputy director of the Missile Defense Agency, said MDA can work with the Navy on prototyping efforts for emerging technologies such as directed.

Hill told USNI News that MDA and the Navy are currently conducting technical exchanges to identify ways to collaborate.

White House Proposes Additional $3B for DHS Under Fiscal 2017 Supplemental Request
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White House Proposes Additional $3B for DHS Under Fiscal 2017 Supplemental Request


White House Proposes Additional $3B for DHS Under Fiscal 2017 Supplemental RequestPresident Donald Trump’s supplemental budget request for fiscal year 2017 would allocate $3 billion in additional funds for the Department of Homeland Security to support immigration enforcement and border security programs in his executive orders, Federal News Radio reported Thursday.

Amid the funding increase, DHS’ budget for the Financial Systems Modernization program would be reduced by $41 million since the initiative failed to provide “a timely, stable financial system” for the department’s domestic nuclear detection office, according to budget documents obtained by the station.

Nicole Ogrysko writes several federal civilian agencies would see budget reductions in the White House’s FY 2017 supplemental request and among them are the departments of Education, State, Energy and Housing and Urban Development.

The Education Department would see a budget cut of approximately $2.9 billion, while HUD would lose $1.6 billion from its topline budget.

Budget documents also showed that the Trump administration proposed to slash $1.5 billion from the State Department’s foreign aid and assistance programs and $1.4 billion from DOE, Ogrysko reported.

The White House unveiled the FY 2017 supplemental request the same day it proposed a $1.1 trillion budget for FY 2018.

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OMB’s Grant Schneider: US Digital Service, 18F Should Support Other Agencies’ Cybersecurity Efforts
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OMB’s Grant Schneider: US Digital Service, 18F Should Support Other Agencies’ Cybersecurity Efforts


OMB’s Grant Schneider: US Digital Service, 18F Should Support Other Agencies’ Cybersecurity EffortsGrant Schneider, acting federal chief information security officer at the Office of Management and Budget, has said the U.S. Digital Service and the General Services Administration’s 18F organization should continue to support other agencies in their efforts to address data breaches and other cybersecurity issues, MeriTalk reported Tuesday.

Morgan Lynch writes Schneider told audience at the Akamai Government Forum Tuesday that 18F and USDS could also help develop tools that work to provide front-end security to agencies.

He also cited his goals for OMB and those include the need to assess cyber risks each agency faces, manage the government’s cybersecurity workforce and explore ways on how to update information technology systems.

Schneider noted that agencies should seek help from the private sector to build agile and easy-to-use tools designed to facilitate information sharing to protect data infrastructure from cyber threats.

OMB also started the High Value Asset program that aims to ask agencies to identify the location of their high-value systems and assess why they are essential, he added.

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GAO: DHS Launches Multiple Efforts to Strengthen Federal Cybersecurity Posture
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GAO: DHS Launches Multiple Efforts to Strengthen Federal Cybersecurity Posture


GAO: DHS Launches Multiple Efforts to Strengthen Federal Cybersecurity PostureThe Government Accountability Office has found that the Department of Homeland Security implemented multiple initiatives to protect federal systems from cyber intrusions and attacks.

GAO said in a report published Tuesday that DHS introduced the National Cybersecurity Protection System in a move to detect and mitigate malicious network traffic.

DHS also runs a continuous diagnostics and mitigation program to provide agencies with tools designed to identify potential cyber vulnerabilities within a network as well as evaluate and correlate security information and automate network monitoring tasks.

The department also offers CyberStat reviews, monthly operational bulletins and cyber exercises designed to help agencies secure federal systems.

GAO recommended that DHS expand the NCPS’ capacity to detect cyber attacks, notify clients of potential incidents, offer analytic services and disseminate cyber information among agencies.

The congressional watchdog said that the implementation of the CDM program can address cybersecurity vulnerabilities that may expose agency information systems to evolving threats.

“As recent cyberattacks have illustrated, the need for robust and effective cybersecurity has never been greater,” said Gregory Wilshusen, GAO director of information security issues.

Wilshusen added that GAO report utilized information from DHS on actions conducted in response to previous recommendations.

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Rear Adm. Mathias Winter Nominated to Head F-35 Joint Program Office
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Rear Adm. Mathias Winter Nominated to Head F-35 Joint Program Office


Rear Adm. Mathias Winter Nominated to Head F-35 Joint Program Office
Mathias Winter

Navy Rear Adm. Mathias Winter, deputy program executive officer for the Defense Department‘s F-35 joint program office, has been nominated to serve as the next leader of F-35 JPO.

President Donald Trump also recommended Winter for promotion to the rank of vice admiral, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

Defense News reported Winter, if confirmed by the Senate, will succeed Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan when the latter retires this summer.

Lockheed Martin-built F-35 aircraft variants for the U.S. Marine Corps and the Air Force achieved initial operating capability status during Bogdan’s tenure at the program office, according to the report by Valerie Insinna and Aaron Mehta.

Winter previously served as chief of naval research; director of innovation technology requirements, test and evaluation; program executive officer for unmanned aviation and strike weapons; and assistant commander for test and evaluation at the Naval Air Systems Command.

He also held the roles of executive assistant to the F-35 program director and chief engineer for JSF integrated flight and propulsion control.

His assignments have included service aboard aircraft carriers USS Saratoga, USS America, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS George Washington.

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Report: White House Asks Congress to Cut $140M From NASA, NOAA Programs
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Report: White House Asks Congress to Cut $140M From NASA, NOAA Programs


Report: White House Asks Congress to Cut $140M From NASA, NOAA ProgramsThe Trump administration has asked Congress to cut $90 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration‘s weather satellite programs and another $50 million from NASA‘s science programs in fiscal year 2017 spending bills, Space News reported Tuesday.

Jeff Foust writes the White House sent a 13-page document to congressional appropriators requesting $17.9 billion in budget reductions from FY 2016 spending levels.

The cuts would be distributed among NASA’s science programs, including missions that are cancelled in the FY 2018 budget blueprint, Foust reported.

Trump’s FY 2018 budget blueprint proposed to scrap four Earth science missions including the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem satellite; Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory pathfinder; Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 instruments; and the Earth imaging instruments on the Deep Space Climate Observatory.

The document also seeks to decrease funds for NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R and Joint Polar Satellite System weather satellites as well as the Earth Observing Nanosatellite-Microwave mission, according to the report.

Lawmakers must approve spending bills next month since the federal government is currently funded under a continuing resolution that will last until April 28.

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Navy Updates ‘Innovation Cell’ Program to Expedite IT Acquisition Process
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Navy Updates ‘Innovation Cell’ Program to Expedite IT Acquisition Process


Navy Updates ‘Innovation Cell’ Program to Expedite IT Acquisition ProcessThe U.S. Navy has begun to update a program that seeks to accelerate the procurement process for information technology platforms within a year after the service branch encountered challenges in moving pilot programs through the deployment phase, Federal News Radio reported Tuesday.

Jared Serbu writes the Innovation Cell project was launched by the service branch in 2015 as part of the program executive office for enterprise information systems.

Innovation Cell works to present industry with “enterprise challenge” statements that ask vendors on how to refine the Navy’s requirements, acquire and integrate commercially available platforms into the service branch’s networks through an existing contract vehicle.

Under the revised project, the PEO-EIS office has started to draft guidelines and identify ways on how to prioritize IT projects.

Bradley Punch, head of the Innovation Cell project, said the updated process will work to present each enterprise challenge with a “sponsorship agreement” that would establish timelines for the Navy to integrate commercial platforms into its networks.

Punch added that such an agreement seeks to put stakeholders such as resource sponsors and program managers “on the same page” when it comes to the assessment of funds, technology, market and acquisition strategies, the report added.

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Duke Richardson Promoted to Major General, Named PEO for Air Force One Replacement Program
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Duke Richardson Promoted to Major General, Named PEO for Air Force One Replacement Program


Duke Richardson Promoted to Major General, Named PEO for Air Force One Replacement Program
Duke Richardson

Brig. Gen. Duke Richardson, program executive officer for tankers at the U.S. Air Force, has been promoted to the rank of major general and has been appointed PEO to oversee the Air Force One replacement program, Aviation Week reported Tuesday.

Lara Seligman writes Richardson’s appointment came months after President Donald Trump raised concerns about the cost of the Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program and called for the cancellation of the contract with Boeing to build two new 747-8 planes through a Twitter post.

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg soon met with Trump and said that the company will work to build the next pair of presidential aircraft for less than $4 billion.

Ann Stefanek, a spokesman for the Air Force, said Richardson will continue to serve as PEO for tankers until June when Col. Donna Shipton succeeds him in the role.

As PEO for tankers, Richardson oversees planning and implementation of lifecycle activities for the service branch’s fleet of Boeing-built KC-46 Pegasus, KC-135 and KC-10 tanker aircraft.

The 34-year Air Force veteran previously served as director of logistics and sustainment at the Air Force Materiel Command and vice commander of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center.

Richardson was tapped in 2009 to serve as PEO for fixed wing under the U.S. Special Operations Command and became PEO for fighters and bombers in 2011.

His appointment comes nearly a year after the service branch issued Boeing a potential $127.3 million contract modification to continue to provide risk reduction support for the PAR program.

Profile: John Edwards CIO of the CIA, IT Enterprise Director
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Profile: John Edwards CIO of the CIA, IT Enterprise Director


Profile: John Edwards CIO of the CIA, IT Enterprise Director
John Edwards

John Edwards serves as chief information officer of the CIA, where he oversees the agency’s digital transformation and digital mission architecture optimization, and as the director of the Information Technology Enterprise.

Edwards has more than 20 years worth of experience with the intelligence community including almost 15 years at the CIA and stints under advisory and leadership roles at FOUR12, Accenture, Agilex Technologies and Blackbird Technologies.

He also has several years worth of overseas technical operations and engineering support experience with the CIA where he assisted the implementation of the agency’s operational and strategic priorities.

In an interview with ExecutiveBiz in 2009, Edwards noted that recruitment at the speed of need is one of the biggest challenges that businesses encounter.

“The biggest challenge in the intelligence, defense, and security space is finding the right people, with the right clearances,” he said.

The intelligence-vet also holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from ITT Technical Institute – Indianapolis.

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Trump Picks Jared Kushner to Lead New White House Innovation Office
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Trump Picks Jared Kushner to Lead New White House Innovation Office


Trump Picks Jared Kushner to Lead New White House Innovation Office
Jared Kushner

President Donald Trump has announced the establishment of a new White House office that seeks to promote innovation and job creation through the implementation of policies and integration of private-sector models.

A White House memorandum published Monday says the Office of American Innovation will offer recommendations to the president on how to introduce changes to government services and operations in collaboration with the directors of the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The new office will be composed of the president’s senior adviser, chief of staff, assistant to the president for economic policy and assistant to the president for strategic initiatives, among several executives.

Jared Kushner, Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law, will oversee the OAI and report directly to the president, according to a report by Ashley Parker and Philip Rucker for The Washington Post.

The new OAI office plans to update data and technology infrastructure across the federal government, restructure workforce training initiatives and introduce changes to veterans affairs, among its priorities.

Kushner, a former media and real estate executive, also serves as Trump’s senior adviser on domestic and foreign policies and presidential staff decisions, the report added.

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