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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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Qing Wu: DoD-Funded IBM Chip Tech Could Aid AI-Based Defense Systems
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Qing Wu: DoD-Funded IBM Chip Tech Could Aid AI-Based Defense Systems


Qing Wu: DoD-Funded IBM Chip Tech Could Aid AI-Based Defense SystemsQing Wu, principal electronics engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory, has said a neuromorphic computer chip being developed by IBM could help boost the capacity of artificial intelligence-based defense systems, DoD News reported Thursday.

Wu added the Defense Department-funded TrueNorth chip technology is designed to mimic the function of human neurons and perform advanced computations while dissipating less power than conventional chips.

“This is about building more intelligent machines that will work with humans to make human operators and analysts be more effective and efficient when dealing with data.”

AFRL formed a partnership with IBM in June to develop a supercomputer that would help users discover information and facilitate neural network learning through the use of a 64-chip Neurosynaptic System array as well as sensory processing and pattern recognition tools.

TrueNorth’s interconnected cores are designed to process and store data simultaneously.

Mark Barnell, senior computer scientist at AFRL’s information directorate, said he believes the technology can potentially help human defense analysts make decisions and plan military operations.

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DoD Study Describes Coordination Mechanisms Adopted With NASA for Space Launch Services Acquisition
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DoD Study Describes Coordination Mechanisms Adopted With NASA for Space Launch Services Acquisition


DoD Study Describes Coordination Mechanisms Adopted With NASA for Space Launch Services AcquisitionThe Government Accountability Office has found that the Defense Department and NASA implement collaboration platforms and related processes to coordinate the acquisition of space launch services for cargo capsules and satellites.

The finding is based on GAO’s assessment of a DoD study that examines how the Pentagon and NASA facilitate coordination on space launch procurement efforts, GAO said Wednesday.

GAO conducted the review in compliance with a provision in the fiscal 2015 National Defense Authorization Act.

The congressional watchdog also found that the ongoing interagency coordination mechanisms among agencies for space launch acquisition efforts described in the DoD study reflect GAO’s interagency collaboration practices.

The Pentagon study cited how NASA’s experience with contracting processes for space launch services helped the U.S. Air Force change the way it develops contracts and agreements for such services, according to the report.

“Launch industry representatives also concurred that government agencies coordinate on launch issues, although they pointed out that the process to certify new launch services companies as qualified to compete for government launch contracts could benefit from improved coordination,” GAO noted.

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President Trump Vows Missile Defense Spending Increase
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President Trump Vows Missile Defense Spending Increase


President Trump Vows Missile Defense Spending IncreasePresident Donald Trump has said he plans to increase spending on the country’s missile defense efforts in response to North Korea’s increasing nuclear threats, Washington Examiner reported Friday.

“We’re going to be increasing the anti-missile by a substantial number of billions,” Trump told reporters Thursday.

The White House’s fiscal 2018 budget blueprint includes $7.9 billion for the Missile Defense Agency, up $379 million from the fiscal 2017 MDA funding request.

The Defense Department also currently reviews its ballistic missile defense strategy as DoD aims to establish a framework to defend the U.S. and its interests overseas against ballistic missile threats.

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Air Force Receives 207 Valid Vulnerability Reports, Awards $130K Under Bug Bounty Program
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Air Force Receives 207 Valid Vulnerability Reports, Awards $130K Under Bug Bounty Program


Air Force Receives 207 Valid Vulnerability Reports, Awards $130K Under Bug Bounty ProgramMore than 270 ethical hackers joined the U.S. Air Force‘s “bug bounty” program that ran from May 30 to June 23, 2017.

Participants in the Hack the Air Force event have found 207 valid vulnerabilities in the service branch’s online platforms and received more than $130,000 in combined rewards, the Air Force said Thursday.

HTAF attracted security researchers from U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, making it the first federal bug bounty effort to accept international participants.

“The ideal end-state is that bug bounties become a regular, common tool in securing all [information technology] assets across the Department of Defense,” said Hunter Price, head of the Air Force’s digital service.

The Air Force bug bounty followed DoD’s Hack the Pentagon event and the U.S. Army‘s Hack the Army initiative.

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Report: ‘Bug Bounty’ Participants Hunt Vulnerabilities in GSA Web Devt Tool
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Report: ‘Bug Bounty’ Participants Hunt Vulnerabilities in GSA Web Devt Tool


Report: 'Bug Bounty' Participants Hunt Vulnerabilities in GSA Web Devt ToolThe General Services Administration‘s Technology Transformation Service has challenged ethical hackers to identify vulnerabilities within the agency’s government website development platform as part of a “bug bounty” program, Nextgov reported Wednesday.

Laura Gerhardt, a TTS technical lead, said at FCW’s cybersecurity summit that the organization initially opened the Federalist web tool to a select group of security researchers but did not discover as many vulnerabilities as expected.

The TTS Bug Bounty program was launched in May to offer cash rewards of up to $5,000 to cyber researchers who can spot bugs in TTS-operated web applications.

Gerhardt noted TTS aims to set up bug bounties for other agency tools soon.

She added that federal agencies must have enough personnel to address all reported vulnerabilities if they plan to launch bug bounty initiatives.

GSA awarded HackerOne a contract to deliver a software-as-a-service bug reporting platform and help manage TTS’ bug bounty program.

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