//
Commerce Department to Provide $400M for Amkor’s Advanced Packaging Facility in Arizona
Published on
Commerce Department to Provide $400M for Amkor’s Advanced Packaging Facility in Arizona

The Department of Commerce has agreed to provide Amkor Technology with up to $400 million in proposed direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act.

Under a preliminary memorandum of terms signed by the two parties, the federal funding would support Amkor’s $2 billion advanced packaging project in Arizona, the Commerce Department said.

According to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, the funding would improve the country’s supply chain security and generate thousands of jobs in Arizona.

“The leading-edge chips that will be packaged right here in Arizona are foundational to technologies of the future that will define global economic and national security for decades to come,” Raimondo said.

The PMT will also give Amkor access to $200 million of proposed loans from the CHIPS Program Office and up to 25 percent of tax credit from the Department of the Treasury.

When it becomes operational, Amkor’s Arizona facility will package and test leading-edge chips for autonomous vehicles, 5G/6G smartphones and large-scale data centers.

The company will also support around 2,000 jobs in the state and establish a pipeline for skilled jobs by collaborating with leading universities across the U.S.

The Commerce Department noted that the upcoming Amkor facility will enable companies such as TSMC, Apple and GlobalFoundries to package and test their essential chips locally.

/
Valiant Wins 3 Education Department Contracts to Provide Data, Cyber Services
Published on
Valiant Wins 3 Education Department Contracts to Provide Data, Cyber Services

The Department of Education has awarded Valiant Solutions three contracts to deliver data, cyber and secure IT services supporting the agency’s programs and operations.

Work on the potential five-year, $28.3 million ED Data Security and Services Operations Contract, or EDSSOC, began in June, involving program management, security operations center support, incident management, forensics and malware analysis, and threat management services, Valiant Solutions said Monday.

The period of performance under EDSSOC will run through June 20, 2029.

Valiant also won a position on the five-year, $98.1 million Cyber Data Innovation and Services blanket purchase agreement and was awarded the first CDIS call order.

Under the BPA, the company will perform various tasks, including project and contract management, compliance and risk management support, security information and event management, ED cyber data lake support, integration support services and information security continuous monitoring.

The third award is a five-year subcontract supporting T-Rex Solutions in developing the ED’s Portfolio of Integrated Value-Oriented Technologies-Hosting programs designed to provide integrated and secure IT services for various programs and locations.

“Valiant is honored to have this opportunity to support the Department of Education and we look forward to a successful partnership,” said Matt Raydo, CEO and president at Valiant.

/
Raytheon Tapped to Mentor Anacapa Micro Products & Nara Logics Under DOD Initiative
Published on
Raytheon Tapped to Mentor Anacapa Micro Products & Nara Logics Under DOD Initiative

Raytheon has agreed to mentor technology businesses Anacapa Micro Products, a secure supply chain solution provider, and cloud-based synaptic intelligence platform developer Nara Logics.

The RTX business said Monday that it will collaborate with Anacapa and Nara Logics to develop operational artificial intelligence to support Department of Defense platforms and missions.

The partnership is part of the DOD Mentor-Protege Program, which matches small businesses with larger defense companies to expand their capacities and work on major government programs. Raytheon has been participating in the oldest continuously operating federal mentor-protege program since 1991.

According to Colin Whelan, president of advanced technology at Raytheon, the Mentor-Protege Program plays a critical role in the company’s overall supplier diversity small business strategy.

As a mentor, Raytheon will assist Anacapa and Nara Logics in areas of developing operational AI, software architecture, systems integration, digital security and authority-to-operate requirements.

“Through this partnership, we’ll leverage commercial innovations that can make meaningful contributions to our defense capabilities and ultimately, the success of our servicemen and women,” said Whelan.

The collaboration is sponsored by Naval Air Systems Command and the Office of Naval Research.

In May, Raytheon also entered into a strategic partnership with test and measurement equipment supplier TEVET under the Mentor-Protege Program.

Bipartisan Senate Bill Seeks to Reform Federal Document Classification System
Published on
Bipartisan Senate Bill Seeks to Reform Federal Document Classification System

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., has proposed a bipartisan bill that would create a presidential task force to streamline the federal government’s document classification system and reduce the declassification backlog.

“We are facing an overwhelming backlog of hundreds of millions of pages awaiting declassification and experts telling us that 50 to 90 percent of classified materials could be made public without risk to our national security,” Peters said in a statement published Monday.

“My bipartisan bill will address this issue by updating the classification system to enhance our ability to safeguard critical information, while promoting the transparency that is so vital to our democracy,” added Peters, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

The Classification Reform for Transparency Act would direct federal employees to present a written justification of classification decisions stating national security risks that could stem from the disclosure of specific information.

The proposed legislation would require government agencies to respond to congressional members’ declassification requests in a timely manner and ensure that employees are not routinely overclassifying information.

The measure establish a “drop-dead date” of 50 years from the time of original classification, at which point the document’s classified status would expire, and allow the public to submit declassification requests when potential national security risks are outweighed by the public interest in disclosure.

//
Ron Keesing Named CAIO of Leidos
Published on
Ron Keesing Named CAIO of Leidos

Ron Keesing, former senior vice president of technology integration at Leidos, has been named the company’s chief artificial intelligence officer.

In his new role, Keesing will leverage over two decades of experience in AI, machine learning and advanced analytics to further implement Leidos Trusted Mission AI systems throughout all customer operations, the Reston, Virginia-based company announced Tuesday.

Tom Bell, CEO of Leidos, said, “Ron Keesing’s appointment as chief AI officer marks a pivotal moment for Leidos.”

“As we navigate a landscape shaped by rapid technological advancements, his leadership will be instrumental in ensuring that AI remains at the forefront of our solutions,” Bell emphasized.

Keesing has been part of the Leidos team since March 2004, during which time he served as the founding director of the company’s AI accelerator and vice president of AI. Before Leidos, he was VP and senior program manager at SAIC.

Keesing said he is honored to continue to aid Leidos AI systems as the company’s CAIO.

“Over the years, we have focused on developing AI solutions that not only improve efficiencies but also uphold the highest standards of quality and trust,” Keesing stated. “Our approach is rooted in anticipating technological trends and leveraging AI’s potential to solve complex challenges across our customers’ missions.

//
Navy’s RADM Kurt Rothenhaus Wants to Bolster Connectivity With DIB
Published on
Navy’s RADM Kurt Rothenhaus Wants to Bolster Connectivity With DIB

RADM Kurt Rothenhaus is a decorated sailor with extensive deployment experience and technological acumen. But he is also deeply versed in the research and acquisition worlds. He has worked tirelessly as chief of naval research for the Department of the Navy since May 2023 and has big ideas about how to make acquisition processes easier to manage for the defense industrial base.

ExecutiveGov spoke with RADM Rothenhaus ahead of his keynote address at the upcoming 2024 Navy Summit, from Potomac Officers Club. We explore some of his exciting vision for the future of Navy and Department of Defense contracting here, but if you want his extended insights, be sure to save a spot at the GovCon-targeted event now.

Navy’s RADM Kurt Rothenhaus Wants to Bolster Connectivity With DIB
Photo by DVIDS

Who Is Kurt Rothenhaus?

Military Service & Honors

Rothenhaus is a career Navyman with over 30 years in the service. He has completed stints on multiple major vessels, including the USS Harry S. Truman, the USS O’Brien (where he was chief engineer) and the USS Fife.

Additionally, Rothenhaus finished an individual augmentee tour in Baghdad, Iraq and has earned the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal and a series of unit and sea service recognitions.

Leadership Roles

Prior to his current role as the 27th chief of Naval research leading the Office of Naval Research, Rothenhaus spent three years as program executive officer for command control computers communications and intelligence for the Navy. The latter organization is a critical one for its mission to procure the tech to match the information warfare needs of the fleet.

Deeper into his career, the RADM served as program manager for the Navy’s Tactical Networks Program Office, commanding officer of Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific and deputy program manager for the Navy Communications and GPS Program Office. The first two are considered acquisition tours and Rothenhaus has significant interest in improving the acquisition process.

Rothenhaus’ Acquisition Ideas

Navy’s RADM Kurt Rothenhaus Wants to Bolster Connectivity With DIB
Photo by U.S. Naval Academy

At an event last year, Rothenhaus shared that as ONR commander, he is committed to working against unnecessary complexities in the contracting process and called for those in the industrial base to flag if something is “artificially hard,” according to Defense One.

“If you have that thing that’s going to even give them .0002 percent more potential gain than our adversaries, potential adversaries, we want it, and we want to get it into their hands,” Rothenhaus said. “And it’s not just attack, but we also want to learn the how, how you do business, how you approach problem solving, how you interact, how you work with capital, how do you think through your problem space, so that we as a naval team, Navy-Marine Corps team, can also benefit.”

Rothenhaus also said he and his team are “dedicated” to putting a small business focus on contract awards.

He offered some key potential solutions to common complaints about the process, including the Small Business Innovation Research initiative, broad area announcements, an improved user experience for internet portals and clearer advertising.

“I think the best thing we can do oftentimes is…give industry a little bit more time to prep for when that broad-area announcement or other engagements are available so that they can prep a little bit better, so that when the time comes, the announcement lands, they got what they need to be able to have an effective proposal in front of the government,” according to the RADM.

Kurt Rothenhaus to Keynote 2024 Navy Summit

Rothenhaus will expand on this outreach to the contracting community at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Navy Summit on Aug. 15. POC events are the most productive spaces for GovCon dialogues, project-building and networking in the Capitol region.

“I look forward to meeting with and addressing the Potomac Officers Club. As we strive to deliver advanced capabilities to the sailors and Marines we have the privilege of serving, we are operating with a sense of urgency to adapt in an era of rapid technological change and increasingly dynamic battlespace,” Rothenhaus told us.

“Among other topics, I’m excited to discuss how the Office of Naval Research is increasing its outreach to industry, academic and other partners both home and abroad, and integrate better with the fleet and Force to drive accelerated learning,” he continued.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to speak with and learn from RADM Rothenhaus! The all-day event will feature Navy luminaries in keynote sessions and panel discussions, plus ample windows for Q&A and conversation with GovCon competitors and colleagues. Browse the full lineup and reserve your seat at the Navy Summit now!

Navy’s RADM Kurt Rothenhaus Wants to Bolster Connectivity With DIB
/
GovCon Index Sustained Momentum for 3rd Consecutive Week
Published on
GovCon Index Sustained Momentum for 3rd Consecutive Week

Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Index ended last week with an average of $5,181.95, a 2.53% increase from the previous week. This growth signified GovCon Index’s third consecutive week in positive territory and its highest recorded weekly gain since its launch in December 2023.

GovCon Index is an aggregate index that records stock market data from 30 major government contracting organizations and displays these findings in real time. Users can leverage this information to strengthen their understanding of the current GovCon marketplace and evaluate the financial performance of each tracked company.

Last week, RTX took the lead with gains of 10.84%. Lockheed Martin (+10.50%) came in second, and Northrop Grumman (+9.67%) was third.

GovCon Index kicked off last week with an increase of 1.12% on Monday. This momentum continued until Friday, when GovCon Index experienced a small dip.

Check out last week’s market reports for more information on daily GovCon Index performance. To view the full list of tracked companies, click here.

/
OPM Seeks to Enhance Customer Experience via IT Pilot; Catherine Manfre Quoted
Published on
OPM Seeks to Enhance Customer Experience via IT Pilot; Catherine Manfre Quoted

The Office of Personnel Management has initiated an information technology pilot program with some federal agencies to help improve the customer experience for its retirement systems, Federal News Network reported Friday.

“The initial focus of the pilot is really on the front end of the experience, allowing future annuitants to go through a digital application process,” Catherine Manfre, chief transformation officer at OPM, told FNN’s Federal Monthly Insights in an interview.

“We really want to make sure that we’re thinking about all the people involved. Our customers are a primary input to understanding both their pain points and how the pain points can be solved. But we are also asking how any of our technology changes, whether they’re about our retirement systems or in other places, impact our workforce,” she noted.

According to the report, OPM has been collecting quantitative and qualitative data to gather insights on how to improve the systems and will continue to perform data gathering efforts through the end of 2024.

Manfre stated that the agency is working to gather high-quality data using external dashboards. She also cited the importance of high-quality data when it comes to artificial intelligence.

/
Burst Test Calibrates Orbital Reef Space Station’s Inflatable Habitat
Published on
Burst Test Calibrates Orbital Reef Space Station’s Inflatable Habitat

A full-scale burst pressure test has been completed on the inflatable habitat that Sierra Space is developing as part of the NASA-funded commercial space station of Blue Origin, Orbital Reef.

The structure, the Large Integrated Flexible Environment—a.k.a. LIFE—is made of high-strength, flexible materials that could be launched as payload in a single rocket and designed to be inflated later into a solid habitat once in its low Earth orbit destination.

The pressurization-to-burst test on the LIFE structure for Blue Origin’s Orbital Reef was conducted at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The burst test demonstrated LIFE’s capabilities and provided the Blue Origin and Sierra Space with vital data to support NASA’s inflatable softgoods certification standards, the agency said.

Angela Hart, manager of NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program, described the test as an exciting milestone for the planned low Earth orbit station.

“Every successful development milestone by our partners is one more step to achieving our goal of enabling commercial low Earth orbit destinations and expanding the low Earth orbit marketplace,” she said.

A previous full-scale burst pressure test has been conducted on the LIFE habitat at Marshall in December 2023 after subscale tests also at the NASA Huntsville facility and at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

/
NIST Advances AI Executive Order Implementation With New Guidance Documents, Software Package
Published on
NIST Advances AI Executive Order Implementation With New Guidance Documents, Software Package

The Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology has issued three final guidance documents and a software package in line with its implementation of the October 2023 executive order on artificial intelligence.

The department said Friday NIST’s U.S. AI Safety Institute has released initial draft guidance that provides seven key approaches to mitigating misuse risks for dual-use foundation models.

Public comments on the draft document are due Sept. 9.

Of the three final guidance documents, two are designed to help developers manage the risks of generative AI and serve as companion resources to NIST’s Secure Software Development Framework and AI Risk Management Framework.

The third guidance document presents a plan for stakeholders worldwide to work together to develop and implement AI standards.

The software package seeks to help AI developers measure how adversarial attacks can impact an AI system’s performance.

“AI is the defining technology of our generation, so we are running fast to keep pace and help ensure the safe development and deployment of AI. Today’s announcements demonstrate our commitment to giving AI developers, deployers, and users the tools they need to safely harness the potential of AI, while minimizing its associated risks,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

USPTO’s AI Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance

In mid-July, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office unveiled updated guidance to help USPTO staff and stakeholders determine patent subject matter eligibility for AI-related inventions and other innovations in critical and emerging technologies.

USPTO is soliciting public input on the guidance update through Sept. 16.

1 … 229 230 231 232 233 … 2,604