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Army Research Lab Seeks to Build Autonomous Drones, Robots for Electronic Warfare
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Army Research Lab Seeks to Build Autonomous Drones, Robots for Electronic Warfare


Army Research Lab Seeks to Build Autonomous Drones, Robots for Electronic WarfareThe Army Research Laboratory will fund new projects to develop autonomous drone and robotic technologies intended for electronic warfare operations, Defense One reported Tuesday.

ARL aims to equip autonomous platforms with onboard tools that will work to counter anti-access/area denial systems as part of the Distributed and Collaborative Intelligent Systems and Technology program.

The laboratory also seeks to leverage discoveries from commercial research on distributed sensors and other connected devices for military use through the Internet of Battlefield Things program.

Philip Perconti, ARL director, said the laboratory wants to create battlefield communications and sensing networks to support operations against adversaries that utilize EW systems.

Perconti added the laboratory could award contracts under both programs later this year.

House GOP Releases 10-Year Budget Plan to Ramp Up Military Spending, Cut Medicare
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House GOP Releases 10-Year Budget Plan to Ramp Up Military Spending, Cut Medicare


House GOP Releases 10-Year Budget Plan to Ramp Up Military Spending, Cut MedicareHouse Republicans released a 10-year budget plan Tuesday morning that dramatically increases military spending while cutting Medicare and benefit programs like food stamps.

 The GOP budget, authored by Budget Chairman Diane Black (R-Tenn.) promises to balance the budget within 10 years by way of sweeping reforms and cuts to several mandatory auto-pilot spending programs, which make up two-thirds of the federal budget.  It cuts $5.4 trillion over the next 10 years, including almost $500 billion from Medicare, $1.5 trillion from Medicaid and Obamacare, and massive cuts to federal employee pensions, food stamps, and the earned income tax credit.

Black’s plan would turn Medicare into a voucher-like program, the AP reports, “in which future retirees would receive a fixed benefit to purchase health insurance on the open market.”

“The status quo is unsustainable. A mounting national debt and lackluster economic growth will limit opportunity for people all across the country,” Black said in a statement. “But we don’t have to accept this reality. We can move forward with an optimistic vision for the future and this budget is the first step in that process. This is the moment to get real results for the American people. The time for talking is over, now is the time for action.”

Black announced that the plan would be put to the committee for a vote on Wednesday. The plan as it stands is likely to be delayed and has little to no chance of implementation. President Donald Trump is on the record as against cuts to Medicare, and planned legislation to replace Obamacare stalled in the Senate Tuesday.

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White House Appoints Allison Brigati as GSA Associate Admin for Office of Government-wide Policy
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White House Appoints Allison Brigati as GSA Associate Admin for Office of Government-wide Policy

 

White House Appoints Allison Brigati as GSA Associate Admin for Office of Government-wide Policy
Allison Brigati

Allison Brigati, a former general counsel and director of strategic initiatives at the National Academy of Public Administration, has joined the General Services Administration as associate administrator for the Office of Government-wide Policy.

GSA said Monday President Donald Trump picked Brigati to help guide strategic policymaking for the federal government on areas such as property, transportation, information technology and regulatory information, among others.

Brigati most recently worked as an associate broker at Virginia-based real estate firm McEnearney Associates before her appointment to GSA.

She served as senior counselor for U.S. affairs then senior quality assurance officer with the Department of Institutional Integrity at the World Bank between 2004 and 2008, and was deputy counsel of the Republican National Committee from May 1994 to January 1998.

GSA said Brigati brings experience as an expert legal adviser in contracting, employment and financial matters.

The Office of Government-wide Policy is in charge of maintaining the policy framework for government management of property, technology and administrative services.

 

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Christopher Painter to Depart Role as State Dept Cyber Coordinator
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Christopher Painter to Depart Role as State Dept Cyber Coordinator


Christopher Painter to Depart Role as State Dept Cyber Coordinator
Christopher Painter

Christopher Painter, coordinator for cyber issues at the State Department, will step down at the end of the month after six years in the job, Nextgov reported Monday.

Painter was one of the officials who urged nations to comply with rules regarding the cyberspace such as agreements to not hack other countries’ cyber emergency responders and critical infrastructure.

He collaborated with government agencies, the National Security Council, the private sector and other State Department branches to help establish an open and inter-operable internet and information infrastructure.

The cyber diplomat represented the U.S. at multiple meetings with cyber officials from other nations including Germany, Japan and South Korea.

Painter and his team worked to implement various regional capacity building programs designed to address cyber challenges around the world and defend networks against operational threats including distributed denial of service and other cyber intrusions.

He also served as deputy assistant director of the FBI‘s cyber division where he co-authored the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace as well as other national and homeland security directives on cyber challenges.

The cyber expert was also a senior director for cyber policy in the National Security Council and principal deputy chief at the Justice Department.

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Internet Association Asks FCC to Maintain Net Neutrality Rules
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Internet Association Asks FCC to Maintain Net Neutrality Rules


Internet Association Asks FCC to Maintain Net Neutrality RulesThe Internet Association has called on the Federal Communications Commission to retain net neutrality rules, The Hill reported Monday.

The move to undo the 2015 net neutrality rules “will create significant uncertainty in the market and upset the careful balance that has led to the current virtuous circle of innovation in the broadband ecosystem,” IA said in a document filed with FCC Monday.

The trade group submitted the comments in response to the proposed rule-making notice that seeks to overturn the rules.

The organization conducted research and found that net neutrality rules do not have a negative effect on investments in broadband infrastructure and that network operators’ investments have continued to increase yearly since 2009.

IA also found an annual increase in cable broadband speeds between 2014 and 2016 as a result of the implementation of net neutrality rules.

The association represents internet firms such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook, the report noted.

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Air Force Conducts F-22 Imagery Collection Challenge With High School Robotics Team
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Air Force Conducts F-22 Imagery Collection Challenge With High School Robotics Team


Air Force Conducts F-22 Imagery Collection Challenge With High School Robotics TeamThe U.S. Air Force hosted a challenge on July 10 that called on engineers from Edwards Air Force Base to work with members of the Desert High School’s robotics team to create better ways to collect ground-based images of the F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft.

Three teams developed concepts to address issues associated with a repair verification radar system that the Air Force uses to gather ground-based radio frequency imagery of F-22 planes, the service branch said Monday.

Engineers need to move the 500-pound RVR to 25 places around an F-22 aircraft to conduct a full 360-degree analysis of the platform — a process that the Air Force deems time-consuming and costly.

Challenge participants used Lego robotics kits to build models of mobile platforms that could help engineers to maneuver the RVR.

The teams also outlined the specifications and implementation costs of their designs.

A panel of judges from various organizations within Edwards AFB selected Team 2’s mobile platform design that includes omni-directional wheels to allow the RVR to pan and tilt as well as lasers to boost the accuracy of the radar system’s locations.

The F-22 Combined Test Force will evaluate the winning concept further and discuss a possible implementation.

T.J. Wuth, a member of the 412th Test Wing’s Experimentation Center for Ideas/Technology Exploration team, said the 412th TW held the event to help Air Force participants gain experience on rapid technology development.

Wuth added that the challenge also gave students an opportunity to apply their knowledge in science, technology, engineering and mathematics as well as learn about government contracting.

DOE Allocates $40M Initial Funds for 4 Bioenergy Research Centers
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DOE Allocates $40M Initial Funds for 4 Bioenergy Research Centers


DOE Allocates $40M Initial Funds for 4 Bioenergy Research CentersThe Energy Department has awarded $40 million in total grants to four bioenergy research centers that will aim to produce fuels and products from nonfood biomass.

DOE said Monday each center is led by a university or a national laboratory and will receive the initial funds during fiscal 2018.

The department could also provide funds to support operation of the facilities for a total of five years.

“The revolution of modern biology has opened up vast new opportunities for the energy industry to develop and utilize products derived from biomass as a sustainable resource,” said Energy Secretary Rick Perry.

He added the centers will work to streamline the development of basic science and technological systems required to help the local industry utilize a bio-based economy.

The awards build on the DOE’s Bioenergy Research Centers program that created agricultural practices as well as developed feedstock deconstruction and fuel production processes over the past 10 years.

DOE chose the new BRCs through an open competition that used methods other than the peer review process.

The BRCs and lead organizations are as follows:

  • Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Center for Bioenergy Innovation; Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  • Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center; University of Wisconsin-Madison and Michigan State University
  • Joint BioEnergy Institute; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

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Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone: Research, Analysis Key to Deter Military Network Breaches
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Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone: Research, Analysis Key to Deter Military Network Breaches


Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone: Research, Analysis Key to Deter Military Network Breaches
Paul Nakasone

Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone, head of the Cyber Command, has said he believes cybersecurity analysis and research efforts can help the U.S. military thwart potential network attacks.

Cybercom currently works with the U.S. Army and other service branches to establish 133 cyber teams that will be tasked with helping defend military networks against cyber threats, the Army said Monday.

Nakasone told audience during a panel discussion at the 2017 Defense One Summit that the Army plans to recruit 60 second lieutenants for the Cyber Command to serve as mid-grade officers.

The Army Cyber Command also posted an interactive link on its website and YouTube channel in an effort to encourage hackers to participate in a puzzle challenge.

“We wanted to create an excitement (and) an ability for our best talent in the nation to take a look and want to be part of our force,” Nakasone said.

“We are going to need coders, we’re going to need malware forensics analysts.”

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GAO: Products Accounted for 54% of DoD’s FY 2016 Commercial Item Procurements
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GAO: Products Accounted for 54% of DoD’s FY 2016 Commercial Item Procurements


GAO: Products Accounted for 54% of DoD’s FY 2016 Commercial Item ProcurementsThe Government Accountability Office has analyzed data from the Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation database for contracts the Defense Department awarded between fiscal years 2007 and 2016 and found a slight decline in the number of contracts awarded through the use of federal procedures to buy commercial items.

GAO said in a report published Monday that commercial products such as sustainment equipment and supplies accounted for 54 percent of DoD’s commercial item procurements in fiscal 2016.

Technical support, engineering and other services represented the remaining 46 percent of DoD’s contract obligations that used commercial item procedures in fiscal 2016.

Competitive procurements constituted 68 percent of DoD’s commercial contract spending during the previous fiscal year.

GAO also found that DoD has initiated certain measures to comply with recent congressional laws on the procurement of commercial items and those include the introduction of Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement rules and updates to the Guidebook for Acquiring Commercial Items.

The Pentagon also established six centers of excellence to offer advice related to acquisition authorities for commercial items, the report added.

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Army Eyes Soldier Injury Prevention, Cognitive Benefits With Exoskeleton Suit
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Army Eyes Soldier Injury Prevention, Cognitive Benefits With Exoskeleton Suit

Army Eyes Soldier Injury Prevention, Cognitive Benefits With Exoskeleton SuitThe U.S. Army looks to optimize the physical and mental performance of soldiers through the development of an exoskeleton suit.

Scientists from the Army Research Laboratory have been testing the suit since 2014 at the Soldier Performance and Equipment Advanced Research facility at Aberdeen Proving Ground as part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency‘s Warrior Web program, the Army said Friday.

The suit features pulleys and gears designed to mitigate risks of musculoskeletal injuries facing warfighters, the Army noted.

“We’ve been primarily focusing on the physical benefits of these types of suits, but we’re also interested in the cognitive benefits,” said ARL researcher Angela Boynton.

“We’re hoping that by reducing the physical burden, that [soldiers] also have the ability to put more energy into other types of tasks that involve cognitive or perceptual workload,” she added.

Warrior Web is nearing its end but researchers want to find potential collaborators that can build on the program’s achievements.

Maj. Christopher Orlowski, DARPA program manager for Warrior Web, said the exoskeleton suit could take “at least another five to ten years” to be ready for infantry soldiers’ use.

Officials from the Army’s Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center; Maneuver Center of Excellence; Capabilities Integration Center and Military Operational Medicine Research Program met at ARL’s SPEAR facility in June for a soft demonstration of the exosuit and to discuss the future of Warrior Web.

Conor Walsh, head of a research team from Harvard’s Wyss Institute, said the meeting gave his team an opportunity to discuss their progress as DARPA’s Warrior Web program partner.

Walsh noted the latest exosuit prototype that was tested at ARL featured optimized functional apparel attachments, actuation systems and control systems designed to adapt to the wearer.

Henry Girolamo, Warrior Web program manager at NSRDEC, said researchers need additional funds and time to further develop a Warrior Web suit, which he believes could address a range of issues that soldiers currently face.

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