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News
2017 Defense Bill Includes War Cost Disclosure Provision
by Jay Clemens
Published on December 21, 2016
2017 Defense Bill Includes War Cost Disclosure Provision


2017 Defense Bill Includes War Cost Disclosure ProvisionThe Congress-approved fiscal 2017 defense authorization bill contains a provision that would require the Defense Department and Internal Revenue Service to publish data on U.S.’ war-related expenditures online, Military Times reported Sunday.

Leo Shane III writes Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia) authored the provision in an effort to spark discussions among the public about how much the government spends on combat missions.

The bill would require the defense secretary and IRS commissioner to report the cost of wars that have occurred over the last 15 years in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, according to the report.

The report said the Bureau of Economic Analysis would help compile data before the information is posted on the IRS website.

The $619 billion defense authorization bill for fiscal 2017 awaits President Barack Obama’s signature.

Civilian/News
Michael Johnson Steps Down from Energy CIO Role
by Scott Nicholas
Published on December 20, 2016
Michael Johnson Steps Down from Energy CIO Role


Michael Johnson Steps Down from Energy CIO RoleMichael Johnson, Energy Department chief information officer, has left the agency following an almost two-year stint with the organization, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

Steven Norton writes Robbie Green, principal deputy CIO for enterprise information resources management, has been named interim CIO following Johnson’s departure.

A spokesperson from the DOE told the Journal Johnson, a former assistant director for intelligence programs and national security systems in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, was originally set to end his stint with the agency on Jan. 20, 2017.

Johnson led cybersecurity, cyber enterprise integration, enterprise information resources management, cyber supply chain risk management and DOE-HQ information technology operations of the department.

He has more than 25 years worth of experience on cybersecurity, information sharing and safeguarding, intelligence and national continuity policy from his stints with the Department of Homeland Security, Sandia National Laboratories and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

DoD/News
Defense Dept: China Gives Back Underwater Drone
by Ramona Adams
Published on December 20, 2016
Defense Dept: China Gives Back Underwater Drone


Defense Dept: China Gives Back Underwater DroneThe U.S. Navy has retrieved an unmanned underwater vehicle that Chinese forces seized Thursday in international waters near Subic Bay.

The Defense Department said Monday China’s navy returned the Ocean Glider UUV to USS Mustin near the area where the vehicle was seized while performing routine operations.

DoD added the UUV is a sovereign immune vessel that operated in the South China Sea in compliance with international law.

The U.S. government addressed the incident with Chinese officials through diplomatic and military channels, DoD noted.

The department added U.S. will continue to investigate the incident and share findings with China as part of diplomatic dialogues and the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement Mechanism.

Government Technology/News
IT Alliance for Public Sector Asks Trump to Build Up Govt Cybersecurity Through IT Modernization, Acquisition Reforms
by Jane Edwards
Published on December 20, 2016
IT Alliance for Public Sector Asks Trump to Build Up Govt Cybersecurity Through IT Modernization, Acquisition Reforms


IT Alliance for Public Sector Asks Trump to Build Up Govt Cybersecurity Through IT Modernization, Acquisition ReformsA division of the Information Technology Industry Council has provided President-elect Donald Trump with several recommendations to help build up the cybersecurity posture of federal agencies.

The IT Alliance for Public Sector asked Trump in a letter published Thursday to direct agencies to develop an inventory of information technology systems, software and hardware and determine those that are susceptible to cyber vulnerabilities within 90 days, ITIC said Friday.

ITAPS also recommends for the incoming administration to establish a “tech-savvy workforce” through provision of cyber training opportunities to government personnel.

The organization also called on Trump to work with Congress to facilitate reforms in the federal IT acquisition system, such as the expansion of support for the Section 809 panel, adoption of proposals that seek to create IT funding flexibility and review of procurement regulations.

Trey Hodgkins, senior vice president for public sector at ITAPS, said the federal government spent 80 percent of the total IT expenditures worth $80 billion on the maintenance of “vulnerable” IT platforms in 2015.

“We believe that achieving government-wide cybersecurity is dependent on two other imperatives: IT modernization and acquisition overhaul,” Hodgkins wrote.

“Without them, ‘cybersecurity’ can be no more than a tagline.”

Government Technology/News
Report: FBI, ODNI Agree With CIA Assessment on Russia’s Influence Over 2016 US Election
by Ramona Adams
Published on December 20, 2016
Report: FBI, ODNI Agree With CIA Assessment on Russia’s Influence Over 2016 US Election


Report: FBI, ODNI Agree With CIA Assessment on Russia's Influence Over 2016 US ElectionCIA Director John Brennan has said FBI Director James Comey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper agree with CIA’s assessment that Russia launched cyber intrusions to help Donald Trump win the U.S. presidential election, The Washington Post reported Friday.

Adam Entous and Ellen Nakashima write that Brennan told CIA employees that he met separately with Comey and Clapper and that there was a “strong consensus” among the three officials on the scope, nature and intent of Russia’s intervention in the election results.

The report said CIA and FBI officials think Russian actors intended to help elect Trump and affect the integrity of the U.S. electoral system.

ODNI said the Intelligence Community currently reviews foreign efforts to influence U.S. presidential elections from 2008 to 2016 and plans to publicly release findings of the study.

News
UK Air Force Starts Post-Repair Sentry AWACS Flight Tests
by Jay Clemens
Published on December 20, 2016
UK Air Force Starts Post-Repair Sentry AWACS Flight Tests


UK Air Force Starts Post-Repair Sentry AWACS Flight TestsThe Royal Air Force has commenced test flights of the military branch’s Sentry E-3D aircraft following completion of repairs to the system’s electrical wiring, Defense News reported Monday.

Andrew Chuter writes the airborne warning-and-control system aircraft could return to service in January if the unit performs well during the tests.

“This work continues and a return to the normal level of aircraft availability is forecast early in 2017,” the Royal Air Force said.

The U.K’s E-3D fleet ceased operations in October after the service branch discovered electrical wiring and cabin conditioning problems, according to the report.

RAF led the remedial team that includes Northrop Grumman, which secured a nine-year contract extension to support the aircraft, Chuter reports.

Government Technology/News
NASA Renames SSCO as Satellite Servicing Projects Division; Ben Reed Comments
by Jane Edwards
Published on December 20, 2016
NASA Renames SSCO as Satellite Servicing Projects Division; Ben Reed Comments


NASA Renames SSCO as Satellite Servicing Projects Division; Ben Reed CommentsNASA has turned the Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office into a division in response to the growth in satellite servicing demonstrations and projects as well as the need to coordinate servicing missions and implement technology development programs.

The renamed Satellite Servicing Projects Division will be composed of three offices that include the satellite servicing enabling technologies, satellite servicing advanced concepts and the International Space Station payloads office, NASA said Monday.

The SSET office will oversee the development of technology platforms for in-space robotic servicing missions, while SSAC will manage the creation of technologies designed to meet in-space servicing requirements.

IPO will handle in-space servicing hardware development projects on the ISS that include the ISS Robotic External Leak Locator, Raven demonstration, Robotic Refueling Mission and Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer platforms.

SSCO “was the foundation that will allow us as a division to expand our technologies for multiple stakeholders – from on-orbit refueling to large aperture telescope assembly in space, and NASA’s Journey to Mars,” said Ben Reed, deputy division director for SSPD.

The division will also oversee the Restore-L Project that is responsible for the development of robotic platforms for the Restore-L mission, as well as the Asteroid Redirect Mission Capture Module Project that will manage the robotic spacecraft’s front end.

DoD/News
Marine Corps to Acquire Smartphones for Mobility and Tactical Capacity Boost Effort
by Scott Nicholas
Published on December 20, 2016
Marine Corps to Acquire Smartphones for Mobility and Tactical Capacity Boost Effort


Marine Corps to Acquire Smartphones for Mobility and Tactical Capacity Boost EffortThe U.S. Marine Corps will acquire smartphones for fiscal year 2017 in a push to update the service branch’s capacity for fire support in support of efforts to bolster mobility and tactical capacity to address threats, C4ISR & Networks reported Monday.

Mark Pomerleau writes air controllers, forward observers and joint terminal attack controllers will be given an updated portable system called the Target Handoff System designed to help dismounted Marines call for close-air support, locate targets and pinpoint GPS coordinates.

“With the new version, Marines will obtain a lightweight device equipped to provide immediate situational awareness on where friendly and enemy locations are, and the ability to hand off target data to fire support,” said Jesse Hume, Marine Corps Systems Command project officer for THS version 2.

THS version 2 will utilize commercial off-the-shelf smartphones which will reduce the acquisition time for the new technology as well as the entire system weight to approximately 10 pounds.

Government Technology/News
NASA Develops Tracking System for Firefighters Inside Buildings
by Ramona Adams
Published on December 20, 2016
NASA Develops Tracking System for Firefighters Inside Buildings


NASA Develops Tracking System for Firefighters Inside BuildingsNASA‘s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has created a tracking system that works to provide firefighters’ locations inside buildings.

The agency said Tuesday the Precision Outdoor and Indoor Navigation and Tracking for Emergency Responders system works to address tracking problems which occur when firefighters enter buildings that block radio signals.

“To this day, the ability to track and locate first responders is a number one priority for disaster agencies across the country,” said Greg Price, director of the Department of Homeland Security‘ first responder technologies division.

POINTER has been demonstrated for leaders at DHS’ science and technology directorate which provided funds to develop the tracking system.

Representatives from fire departments across the U.S. participated in a demonstration of POINTER at JPL in September, NASA said.

JPL employee Darmindra Arumugam developed POINTER through quasistatic fields that work to get around walls and provide non-line-of-sight functions.

Arumugam’s team works to miniaturize the backpack-sized device so it could fit into pocket or on a belt buckle and become commercialized.

The technology behind POINTER can also be used for industrial, military and space applications, NASA noted.

Civilian/News
Naval Research Lab Flies UAV With Custom-Built Hydrogen Fuel Cell
by Scott Nicholas
Published on December 20, 2016
Naval Research Lab Flies UAV With Custom-Built Hydrogen Fuel Cell


Naval Research Lab Flies UAV With Custom-Built Hydrogen Fuel CellThe U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s chemistry and tactical warfare division has commenced the first flight of an unmanned air vehicle that uses an in-house built custom hydrogen-powered fuel cell.

NRL said Monday the team built and designed the fuel system for the Ion Tiger UAV with a capacity of up to 5,000 watts with the use of formed metal-foil bipolar plates held together with titanium straps to serve as the backbone of the system.

“The decision to move to metal bipolar plates allowed us to leverage a lot of know how from the automotive industry’s large investment in hydrogen fuel cells,” said Benjamin Gould, chief scientist for the fuel cell project at NRL.

“NRL having the know how to build their own fuel cells in house gives (Office of Naval Research) and the U.S. Navy the understanding and tools needed for transitioning fuel cells to the fleet,” added Michele Anderson, a program manager at ONR.

The research laboratory also developed a lightweight air compressor and microcontroller for the system along with a computational fluid design suite to design and validate gas and coolant flow fields.

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