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Pentagon Issues New Directive on Military Intelligence Program
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Pentagon Issues New Directive on Military Intelligence Program

The Department of Defense has issued a new directive establishing policy and assigning responsibilities for the Military Intelligence Program, or MIP.

The updated DOD directive issued by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security took effect Wednesday, Nov. 27, and was approved by Deputy DOD Secretary Kathleen Hicks.

The Defense Intelligence and Security Integration Council or other oversight organizations as directed by the defense under secretary for intelligence and security, or USD(I&S), will review MIP capabilities, resources and issues.

Decisions related to MIP planning, programming, budgeting and execution will reflect all elements of guidance documents issued by Congress, the Office of Secretary of Defense, the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Responsibilities of DOD Officials

The USD(I&S) will serve as the MIP executive, provide MIP oversight for DOD intelligence, counterintelligence and intelligence-related activities through a structured business process and approve proposed resource changes affecting MIP programs, capabilities and projects through the PPBE process, among other functions.

The document also outlines the responsibilities of the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the heads of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency and Defense Information Systems Agency, secretaries of military departments, commander of U.S. Cyber Command and the head of U.S. Special Operations Command.

The DIA director, for instance, should prepare programmatic guidance, oversee annual program budget development for combatant command intelligence directorates and joint intelligence operations centers capabilities and activities and coordinate annual budget requests for MIP resources.

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DLA Exploring Use of Digital Twins for OT Systems Security
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DLA Exploring Use of Digital Twins for OT Systems Security

The Defense Logistics Agency is integrating artificial intelligence and zero trust into cyber digital twins to help protect operational technology systems from cyberattacks through two Phase 1 contracts under the Small Business Innovation Research program.

DLA said Wednesday the first SBIR contract, which concluded in September, integrated AI into the cyber digital twins to help detect anomalies associated with potential cyberthreats.

“By continuously analyzing this operational data, AI can recognize deviations and alert DLA personnel to unusual activities that may suggest a cyberattack in real time,” said Barry Humphrey, Logistics Technology Research program manager at DLA.

Under the second contract, DLA is combining zero trust with cyber digital twins to mitigate unauthorized data access and improve the overall security of OT systems. This SBIR contract is expected to be completed by September 2025.

“The insights we learn from cyber digital twins can help DLA continuously strengthen security measures for the agency and our partners,” Humphrey noted. “This helps us build a more resilient cybersecurity posture.”

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State Department OKs TECRO’s Potential $65M FMS Deal for IMSE
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State Department OKs TECRO’s Potential $65M FMS Deal for IMSE

The State Department has approved the foreign military sale request of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, or TECRO, for Improved Mobile Subscriber Equipment, a.k.a. IMSE, follow-on support and related items.

TECRO’s IMSE Contract Scope

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Friday the proposed deal is valued at an estimated $65 million with General Dynamics Mission Systems as the principal contractor. The agency had already notified Congress of the possible sale.

Under the potential sale, the TECRO office in the United States will procure an additional two years of support services previously provided under an initial $41.6 million FMS, which included follow-on support for the IMSE and Experimental Force, or EXFOR, system. This involved repair and return of equipment, management services, replacement and repair services, contract engineering and technical support, logistics and U.S. government liaison support.

Furthermore, the proposed deal covers contractor operation and management of the depot, which is outside of the contiguous United States. This includes repair and replacement and other related elements of logistics and program support.

The FMS request is intended to strengthen relations between the U.S. and Taiwan. The latter also expects the proposed sale to modernize its armed forces and enhance its national security, political stability, military balance and economic growth.

The potential deal will require three contractor Technical Assistance Representatives to be assigned in Taiwan to supervise equipment fielding and training.

TECRO’s F-16 Spare Parts and Support FMS

In another FMS request, TECRO asked to purchase spare parts and support for F-16 aircraft and active electronically scanned array radars and related equipment valued at an estimated cost of $320 million and expected to be delivered starting in 2025.

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DCSA to Handle DOD Security Review Process
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DCSA to Handle DOD Security Review Process

The office of the under secretary of defense for intelligence and security has directed the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency to handle the due process and appeals on security review proceedings for access to Sensitive Compartmented Information, or SCI, from the Department of Defense. The agency’s SCI adjudication process, effective starting Dec. 8, will cover contractor personnel, military service members and DOD civilians, DSCA said Wednesday.

Cleared contractor personnel already verified for confidential, secret and top secret collateral access eligibility are not covered by the new process, the agency added.

Transparency & Courtesy Goals

The DSCA’s security review implements the DOD reforms for the protection of classified national security information. The changes are based on an ongoing transformation of the department’s personnel security review protocols on determining access eligibility to classified information or holding a national security position. The efforts are designed with an eye toward transparency, personal focus and courtesy in the adjudication process. 

With the reforms’ effectivity, recipients of letters of intent to reject or revoke their SCI access eligibility will retain the opportunity to submit a written response and appeal personally before DCSA takes action. 

In April 2023, Lloyd Austin, defense secretary and Wash100 awardee, issued a memorandum directing DOD component agencies to immediately assess their compliance with the department’s procedures and standards for protecting classified national security information and report their findings to the office of the under secretary of defense for intelligence and security for appropriate action.

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NRO to Boost Space ISR Capabilities Further in 5th Mission
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NRO to Boost Space ISR Capabilities Further in 5th Mission

The space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities of the National Reconnaissance Office continue to grow with the launch of its NROL-126 mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Friday. The mission, which took off from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, is also a partnership with the U.S. Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 30, NRO said.  

NROL-126 is the fifth launch under the NRO’s proliferated architecture, described as the U.S. government’s largest constellation in history. It followed the NROL-167 mission sent into orbit on Oct. 24, positioning the proliferated architecture program for about six launches in 2024 and further missions toward 2028. According to NRO, the program’s next-generation ISR systems will help accelerate the delivery of the right data to the right user. 

Commercial Players in the Mix

Commercial space companies have also been venturing into connectivity services on ISR communications for governments and militaries worldwide. In October, the NRO’s Office of Space Launch awarded Cognitive Space, Impulse Space and Starfish Space separate contracts to assess and evaluate advanced space technologies that can solve critical intelligence problems.

On a similar track, Viasat announced in July its Air-IQ offering that provides real-time intelligence access with uplink data transfer speeds of up to 10 megabits per second for improved situational awareness.

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Cyber Command Leader Talks Military, Academia Collaboration
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Cyber Command Leader Talks Military, Academia Collaboration

Lt. Gen. William Hartman, deputy commander of the U.S. Cyber Command, delivered a keynote address at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Nov. 21 and stressed the need for collaboration between government, academia and industry.

The Cyber Command said Thursday Hartman spoke at the first-ever USCYBERCOM Tech Talk and commended UW-Madison for its work on advancing cyber education and its involvement in the command’s Academic Engagement Network. Hartman also emphasized the importance of partnerships in boosting cybersecurity during his speech.

What Is the Academic Engagement Network?

The AEN is a collaboration between the military and over 130 academic institutions that was launched by USCYBERCOM in 2022. It is intended to tackle cybersecurity challenges by narrowing the gap between military and academic research through faculty workshops, the Cyber Research and Education Conference—or Cyber RECon—and other initiatives.

Hartman pointed out the significance of ongoing research and development to defend against emerging cyber threats. He also reinforced the need for recruiting, training and retaining the workforce to stay up-to-date with emerging technologies.

“People and partnerships are the most important assets we have. The talent we are building today in schools like the University of Wisconsin-Madison will shape the future of our cybersecurity workforce,” said Hartman.

“We’re not only building partnerships, we’re building the next generation of cyber leaders,” Hartman added.

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Report on NITRD Budget Requests for FY2025 Released
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Report on NITRD Budget Requests for FY2025 Released

The Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program announced Wednesday the National Science and Technology Council’s release of its Supplement to the President’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget.

What Does the Report Cover?

Prepared in compliance with the High Performance Computing Act of 1991, the Supplement describes the R&D budget requests of NITRD committees and their efforts for FY2025 concerning high performance computing, IT and networking. The Supplement also discusses how the work of NITRD agencies support the administration’s science and technology priorities.

The document was also prepared in compliance with the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020, which calls for the reporting to Congress of budget and program information concerning NAIIA. Consequently, the document includes a summary of the budget from the preceding, current and upcoming fiscal years that would support the National AI Initiative.

What Is the NITRD Program?

The NITRD Program works to coordinate efforts by various federal agencies that tackle R&D needs, including those concerning advanced information technologies in computing, networking and software. The program was established by the HPC Act of 1991 and has been reauthorized and expanded by Congress three times since then, most recently via the 2017 American Innovation and Competitiveness Act.

The program invests about $11.2 billion annually in R&D. It involves over 100 member and participating agencies.

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Rabi Chitrakar Joins NobleReach as VP of IT
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Rabi Chitrakar Joins NobleReach as VP of IT

Rabi Chitrakar has joined NobleReach Foundation as the company’s new vice president of IT.

In his new role, Chitrakar will leverage nearly two decades of experience in cybersecurity, digital transformation and cloud systems to advance NobleReach’s IT strategies and operational efficiency, the Tysons Corner, Virginia-based company told ExecutiveGov.

Chitrakar’s Prior IT Roles

Before joining NobleReach, Chitrakar served as the director of IT at Revature, where he advanced technological systems to streamline company processes. According to Chitrakar’s LinkedIn, his efforts led to a 20 percent increase in customer satisfaction. Prior to Revature, he was the VP of solutions delivery at Aura, where he elevated customer experiences in cybersecurity audits and managed cloud delivery to promote scalability and cost efficiency. 

NobleReach Expansion Efforts

NobleReach has recently expanded its leadership team by recruiting talent in technology, science and entrepreneurship to continue addressing critical nationwide challenges.

In August, Krishnan Rajagopalan, CEO Emeritus at Heidrick & Struggles, was tapped as a NobleReach board member to grow talent development programs. That same month, the company also unveiled the NobleReach Scholars, a cohort of 19 professionals who earned placements in numerous public and private sector organizations.

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Col. Alexander Rasmussen Named SDA Chief Capability Officer
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Col. Alexander Rasmussen Named SDA Chief Capability Officer

The Space Development Agency has appointed Col. Alexander Rasmussen, most recently chief of the Tracking Layer at SDA, as chief capability officer.

Rasmussen announced his appointment in a LinkedIn post published Tuesday.

In 2021, he joined SDA as program manager for the Tranche 1 Tracking Layer.

What Is SDA’s Tracking Layer?

The Tracking Layer program seeks to detect, identify and track hypersonic missiles and other advanced missile threats through a proliferated constellation of more than 100 satellites in low Earth orbit as part of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.

SDA expects the Tracking Layer to demonstrate missile defense capability by integrating fire control-quality infrared sensors in the constellation.

According to the agency, the Tranche 1 Tracking Layer is the first step toward an accelerated missile warning/missile tracking capability.

Rasmussen’s Army Career

Prior to SDA, he was the product manager for mounted positioning, navigation and timing within the U.S. Army. 

According to his profile on the professional networking platform, he also held the roles of program manager for the joint friendly forces tracking testbed, PM for foreign armored vehicle analysis and brigade current operations officer.

He was deployed in Iraq, where he served as a company commander, battalion civil military operations officer and tank platoon leader.

Rasmussen has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

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Constellation New Energy Lands $120M GSA Deal to Update NCR Buildings
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Constellation New Energy Lands $120M GSA Deal to Update NCR Buildings

The General Services Administration has awarded Constellation New Energy a $119.8 million contract to implement energy-saving measures at five National Capital Region facilities.

Under the agreement, the company will update building systems, enhance energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and convert four NCR buildings to operate solely on electric power, GSA said Tuesday.

More Efficient Federal Footprint

The project, part of the federal government’s efforts to reduce around $450 million in energy costs, will modernize the Elijah Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse, the William B. Bryant Annex, the Orville Wright Federal Building, the Wilbur Wright Federal Building and the Harvey W. Wiley Federal Building.

Set to be implemented through an energy savings performance contract, the project will employ innovative measures to make the federal footprint more efficient, GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan said in a statement. “This project demonstrates how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is helping to achieve a triple win of lower energy costs for taxpayers, more jobs in communities and a healthier future for all Americans,” she added.

Electrification Project

The contract work includes LED lighting retrofits, building envelope enhancements, utility distribution upgrades, water conservation measures and heating and cooling plant electrification, enabling GSA to save $2.2 million in utility costs. It will also implement an electrification project that upon completion would allow the structures to operate on more efficient electric energy.

The project is funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, which allocates $3.4 billion for GSA to build, modernize and maintain cost-efficient facilities.

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