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Michael Sulmeyer Becomes Pentagon’s 1st Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy
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Michael Sulmeyer Becomes Pentagon’s 1st Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Michael Sulmeyer as the first cyber policy chief of the Department of Defense.

In this new role, Sulmeyer will lead the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy, established in March as mandated by the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. He will oversee cyber policy development across the DOD.

The confirmation comes just two days after the Senate Armed Services Committee advanced Sulmeyer’s nomination to the Senate floor for a vote.

Sulmeyer most recently served as the principal cyber adviser for the U.S. Army, where he gave counsel to military leaders on all matters of cyber such as readiness and capabilities. He also held the position of director of the rapid vulnerability review at the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Defense and senior adviser to the head of the U.S. Cyber Command.

Before entering the government sector, Sulmeyer led the Cybersecurity Project at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He also taught at the University of Texas School of Law.

In July, Republican Sen. Mike Rounds, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s cyber panel, said Sulmeyer has the “character, competence and experience” needed to address cyber threats the nation will face in the future.

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Air Force Looking for Sources of Intelligence Production Advisory, Assistance Services
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Air Force Looking for Sources of Intelligence Production Advisory, Assistance Services

The U.S. Air Force is seeking potential sources of advisory and assistance services to support the National Air and Space Intelligence Center’s activities involving research, development, and sustainment of new and existing hardware, systems and software capabilities enabling scientific and technical intelligence production.

The Air Force intends to award a $480 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a one-year base and four one-year optional ordering periods, according to a notice posted on SAM.gov on Thursday.

A draft performance work statement indicated that the potential contract would also support technical intelligence collection, analysis, planning, processing, dissemination and archiving for NASIC, the Air Force, the Department of Defense and national-level intelligence efforts.

Other responsibilities include deploying program management and systems acquisition experts who will provide assistance, advice or training for all phases of intelligence R&D, systems, acquisition and production program execution.

The contract requirements align with NASIC’s mission to discover and characterize air, space, missile, forces, and cyber threats to enable multi-domain operations, drive weapon system acquisition and inform national defense policy.

Responses to the notice are due Aug. 15.

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Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall Speaks on USAF Modernization at LCID 2024 Keynote
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Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall Speaks on USAF Modernization at LCID 2024 Keynote

Frank Kendall, secretary of the Department of the Air Force and 2024 Wash100 Award winner, gave updates on DAF modernization strategies during a keynote address at Life Cycle Industry Days on July 30.

Kendall discussed numerous topics, including space security and optimizing USAF resources as the global operational ecosystem continues to transform, the U.S. Space Force announced Friday.

“The strategic environment we’re in today is the toughest that I’ve ever seen,” the secretary said.

Kendall emphasized that as the military prepares to address the great power competition, or GPC, the Air Force has recently authorized the Integrated Development Office and Air Force Information Dominance Systems Center to gain a leg up on adversaries.

GPC is the impetus for Kendall’s seven operational imperatives, about which he revealed, “We’d like to go faster. We’d like to get a wider spectrum of capabilities out there.”

Kendall noted his appointment of Brig. Gen. Luke Cropsey as Air Force integrating program executive officer for command, control, communications and battle management and how it has paid dividends for the USAF. Cropsey is working on manufacturing joint capabilities for the USAF and Space Force to hopefully strengthen ties with international programs and partners.

Kendall then highlighted the challenges faced with integrating technology.

“Information systems are possible vulnerabilities that can be tapped and it’s no mystery that they’re being attacked,” he said.

“We have to grow our people,” Kendall urged, adding, “We’re going to make sure they get the right training, and we’re going to need more people who are as proficient as possible and have a really good set of experiences to do effective management.”

Kendall closed his remarks by highlighting the importance of space funding. One of the most significant efforts in GPC is in outer orbit operations.

“If you are targeted in space, you’re not going to survive,” Kendall explained. “And we have got to do something about that. And if we can’t target from space, we will not be successful. It’s as simple as that.”

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NOAA Office of Space Commerce Seeks Bids for TraCSS Presentation Layer
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NOAA Office of Space Commerce Seeks Bids for TraCSS Presentation Layer

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has begun soliciting proposals for the Presentation Layer of the Traffic Coordination System for Space, or TraCSS, program.

NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce said Thursday it is asking commercial enterprises for mature capabilities for the TraCSS Presentation Layer, which will be composed of web-based graphical user interfaces, or GUIs, and a data products service to produce formatted human-readable data products.

According to OSC, the contractor should build the program’s website to showcase the data products and GUIs.

The data products, GUIs and the website should use the TraCSS application programming interfaces and gateway business logic as defined by the program’s system integrator to retrieve and store data.

According to a solicitation notice published Thursday on SAM.gov, the acquisition is a total set-aside program for small businesses with a one-year base period and four option years.

Offers are due Aug. 13.

Recent TraCSS Developments

In July, OSC appointed Dmitry Poisik, a U.S. Navy veteran, as the inaugural TraCSS program manager.

In March, the office issued a call for demonstrations for the TraCSS Presentation Layer and awarded Parsons a contract to provide system integration and cloud management services for the TraCSS program.

NOAA’s OSC is building TraCSS as a cloud-based information technology system that will provide space situational awareness and space traffic coordination support services for private and civil space operators.

Senate Panel Approves $852B FY 2025 Defense Appropriations Bill
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Senate Panel Approves $852B FY 2025 Defense Appropriations Bill

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved a package of 11 appropriations bills for fiscal year 2025, including a $852.2 billion defense spending measure.

The committee voted 28-0 to pass the FY 2025 defense appropriations bill, which reflects a 3.3 percent increase from the enacted FY 2024 level.

The proposed defense legislation includes a 4.5 percent pay increase for warfighters and fully funds the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft program, precision fires and next-generation counter-small unmanned aerial system missile development efforts.

The measure supports the continued development of the B-21 Raider and Sentinel programs and includes $37 billion for the construction of seven battle force ships and $1.05 billion in funding for eight additional C-130J planes for the Air National Guard.

The bill provides $500 million above the president’s budget request for Defense Product Act investments in the defense industrial base, including hypersonics, microelectronics and critical chemicals, and $252 million above the requested budget for a nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile program, also known as SLCM-N.

“This bipartisan bill builds on our efforts in the National Security Supplemental to strengthen our defenses in key regions, deter conflict, promote stability, and ultimately, keep our nation safe—with new investments to ensure our military remains the best in the world while supporting our servicemembers and standing with our allies,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

In June, the House Appropriations Committee voted 34-25 to pass a $833 billion FY 2025 defense spending bill.

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DOE Unveils Database Containing Thousands of Tech Patents, Software Packages
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DOE Unveils Database Containing Thousands of Tech Patents, Software Packages

The Department of Energy worked with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory engineers to create a new database that provides access to technologies, methods and software packages.

Launched on July 31, the Visual Intellectual Property Search, or VIPS, database allows researchers to explore and license technologies developed by the various DOE national laboratories, PNNL said.

The system hosts information on over 14,000 patents and more than 6,200 software packages, which are sourced from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the DOE and the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, the laboratory added.

To develop VIPS, the DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions tapped a team of PNNL engineers led by Scott Dowson.

Dawson said his team made sure that the database works for all users interested in DOE’s intellectual property offerings.

The team built the system using PNNL-developed AI software to deliver the most appropriate information to users.

While the DOE aims to provide as much information as possible through VIPS, the database has its limitations as classified technologies were excluded from the system.

VIPS also contains technologies that were previously licensed but the agency normally makes special arrangements to accommodate potential new licensees.

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DSCA Director James Hursch Retires
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DSCA Director James Hursch Retires

James Hursch, a 39-year federal government official and a 2024 Wash100 awardee, has retired as head of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

DSCA said Wednesday Michael Miller, the agency’s deputy director, will assume responsibilities as acting director.

Before taking on the role of DSCA director, Hursch was acting secretary of defense representative in Europe and acting defense adviser for the U.S. Mission to NATO.

His federal government career also included time as director of the Defense Technology Security Administration, special assistant to the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, deputy director of Northern European Policy and deputy chief of the Office of European Policy.

Hursch has served as a faculty member focused on defense economics and international relations at the National Defense University’s Institute of Higher Defense Studies.

Prior to DSCA, Miller spent over two decades at the State Department, where he served as deputy assistant secretary of State for defense trade within the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.

Within the department’s bureau, he led the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Miller’s 24 years at the State Department included roles such as office director for regional security and arms transfers, program manager for the Anti-Terrorism Assistance program and special assistant to the coordinator for counterterrorism. In 1998, he joined the department as a Presidential Management Fellow.

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SBA to Streamline Federal Contracting Certification Process With New Tool
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SBA to Streamline Federal Contracting Certification Process With New Tool

The Small Business Administration plans to launch a new tool in September designed to improve the digital experience for small enterprises when applying for and managing multiple federal contracting certifications.

SBA said Wednesday the tool, called MySBA Certifications, seeks to reduce the paperwork burden for certifying businesses and enable companies to manage all federal contracting certifications in a single place and access resources to help them win contracts.

The SBA programs that could be accessed through the new certifications tool include women-owned small business, veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran owned small business, 8(a) Business Development Program and the Mentor-Protege program.

SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman said the agency has been modernizing product and service delivery and advancing customer experience across its programs under the current administration.

“MySBA Certifications marks the latest investment which will make it easier than ever for more small business owners to get certified and pursue federal contracting opportunities,” Guzman added.

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MITRE Report Offers Recommendations to Advance AI Red Teaming
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MITRE Report Offers Recommendations to Advance AI Red Teaming

MITRE’s Center for Data-Driven Policy has released a report outlining a set of recommendations for the incoming administration to support artificial intelligence red teaming.

According to the report, AI red teaming uses “adversarial thinking to both identify exploitable AI systems’ vulnerabilities and allow the AI community to counter those threats before they occur.”

The nonprofit corporation said Wednesday the first two recommendations in the report are mandating that independent parties perform AI red teaming on high-risk AI systems prior to executive branch acquisition and regularly using AI red teaming to ensure continued security and safety.

Other recommendations are promoting transparency and trust in AI-enabled systems used by the U.S. government through the release of public AI red teaming, assurance and testing reports and adopting an AI science and technology intelligence approach to security.

For the first 100 days, the report recommends that the incoming administration evaluate existing AI red teaming capabilities across the federal government and industry to identify “centers for excellence” and start establishing mandates for industrial and government contractors for AI red teaming during the development and use of AI systems in all U.S. agencies.

For the first six months, the administration should require federal agencies to implement independent AI red teaming and report on their efforts and launch a National AI Center of Excellence, MITRE said.

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US Army’s 1st TITAN Ground Station Prototype Delivered to Base for Testing
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US Army’s 1st TITAN Ground Station Prototype Delivered to Base for Testing

The U.S. Army’s first Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node ground station prototype has arrived at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. 

The military service said on Wednesday that the delivery of the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system will support the rapid multi-domain operations execution. 

TITAN is a ground station powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning for faster decision-making. It promises to significantly reduce the time needed for the system to identify a target and deliver a fire order. 

Col. Chris Anderson, project manager for intelligence systems and analytics, said the delivery of the first prototype marks a major step forward to enhancing warfighter capabilities. 

“TITAN provides game-changing technologies that revolutionize how we collect, process, and disseminate intelligence across the battlefield, giving us a decisive edge,” he stated.

In March, the U.S. Army awarded Palantir Technologies a $178.4 million contract to manufacture 10 TITAN prototypes. The contract also includes the integration of upcoming capabilities for its subcontractor team comprising Northrop Grumman, Anduril Industries, L3Harris Technologies and SNC.

Each of the prototypes will undergo rigorous testing and evaluation to ensure mission readiness. The Army expects the system to undergo changes based on soldier feedback. 

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