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DoD/News
Reuters: Obama Administration Offered $115B Military Equipment, Training to Saudi
by Ramona Adams
Published on September 8, 2016
Reuters: Obama Administration Offered $115B Military Equipment, Training to Saudi


Barack ObamaThe U.S. government has offered approximately $115 billion in weapons, military equipment and training to Saudi Arabia since President Barack Obama took office in 2009, Reuters reported Wednesday.

Yara Bayoumy writes a report by William Hartung of the Center for International Policy stated that 42 separate deals contained the offers which include small arms and ammunition, tanks, attack helicopters, air-to-ground missiles, missile defense ships and warships.

The offers are reported to Congress and could become formal agreements, amended or abandoned and the report did not specify how many of the offers were agreed upon, Bayoumy wrote.

Hartung’s report gathered data from the Defense Department‘s Defense Security Cooperation Agency which provides figures on arms sales proposals and foreign military sales deals, Reuters stated.

DoD/News
Motherboard: NSA’s Iraq War Documents Detail Surveillance Expansion in Counterterrorism Efforts
by Ramona Adams
Published on September 8, 2016
Motherboard: NSA’s Iraq War Documents Detail Surveillance Expansion in Counterterrorism Efforts


ArmyChopperInternal National Security Agency documents on the Iraq war have revealed that former NSA director Michael Hayden called for cooperation within the agency to support surveillance efforts as part of an “intelligence-driven” initiative against terrorism, Motherboard reported Tuesday.

Jason Koebler writes a 2008 Freedom of Information Act request led to the publication of approximately 70 documents called WARgrams that Hayden sent to select NSA employees in 2003 and 2004 to provide updates on the war against al-Qaida.

Hayden detailed a “Iraq Battle Bridge” plan to provide access to NSA’s surveillance operations center for personnel involved in the war, Koebler reports.

“The lessons we learned from the Iraq Battle Bridge will help shape and inform our response to the next crisis,” the former NSA director wrote, according to the report.

The report said the WARgrams also indicate a shift in NSA’s focus from battlefield support to an expansion of the agency’s surveillance infrastructure in efforts to prevent future operations by al-Qaida.

DoD/News
GAO Wants DoD to Establish Comprehensive Plan for Readiness Goal Implementation
by Jay Clemens
Published on September 8, 2016
GAO Wants DoD to Establish Comprehensive Plan for Readiness Goal Implementation


PentagonThe Government Accountability Office has called on the Defense Department to develop a comprehensive plan and related metrics to implement readiness recovery goals.

GAO said Wednesday the military services reported that their readiness levels continue to decline due to what they described as “emerging and continued demands on their forces, reduced force structure and increased frequency and length of deployments.”

“The [DoD] recognizes that more than a decade of conflict, budget uncertainty and force structure reductions have degraded military readiness,” according to GAO.

GAO examined data on reported readiness rates and departmental readiness rebuilding efforts and found that those efforts are at risk because the DoD has yet to adopt key elements of sound planning.

“Key elements of sound planning for results-oriented outcomes include a mission statement supported by long-term goals, strategies for achieving the goals, metrics and an evaluation plan to determine the appropriateness of the goals and effectiveness of implemented strategies,” GAO noted.

GAO also concluded that the plan developed by each military service, based on the force elements that experienced high rates of deployments and readiness recovery challenges, were incomplete.

The government watchdog noted that the DoD ordered the military services to develop a plan on rebuilding readiness in 2014 and the services submitted the plans to DoD in 2015 without defining comprehensive strategies.

“Without DOD incorporating key elements of sound planning into recovery efforts, and amid competing priorities that the department must balance, successful implementation of readiness recovery plans may be at risk,” GAO said.

Government Technology/News
Navy Evaluates Strike Group Capacity at 2016 USS Dahlgren Demo Event
by Scott Nicholas
Published on September 7, 2016
Navy Evaluates Strike Group Capacity at 2016 USS Dahlgren Demo Event


U.S. NavyThe U.S. Navy has evaluated a strike group in various areas such as gun weapon systems, combat systems and interoperability with surface and air assets at the 2016 USS Dahlgren demonstration.

According to a report published by the Navy’s information technology magazine, the USS Dahlgren cybernetic laboratory tested engagement coordination with virtual and hardware representations of systems on the USS John C. Stennis, USS Bunker Hill and USS Independence.

The report noted that the live fire engagements demonstrated the successful integration of currently fielded systems including MH-60R and MH-60S Seahawk helicopters with new technologies such as the Virtual Automatic Scoring System.

“This demonstration integrated capabilities across multiple laboratories, utilizing unmanned and manned sensor platforms, engaging a hostile swarm threat of surface craft attacking a virtual naval battlegroup consisting of a Nimitz class aircraft carrier, an Aegis class cruiser and an Independence class Littoral Combat Ship,” said Neil Baron, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division scientist for combat control.

“Combining live, virtual and constructive assets such as the Roadhawk, virtualized and hardware-in-the-loop ship simulations, and the LCS 30 millimeter gun here at Dahlgren, make it possible to evaluate how multiple Navy assets will work together,” said Amy Markowich, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Integrated Battlespace Simulation and Test Department director.

DoD/News
Reports: Pentagon Lays Down Strategy to Undermine Paul Ryan’s Defense Spending Plan
by Jay Clemens
Published on September 7, 2016
Reports: Pentagon Lays Down Strategy to Undermine Paul Ryan’s Defense Spending Plan


Capitol_BuildingThe Defense Department plans to hinder the fiscal year 2017 defense spending plan proposed by House Majority Leader Paul Ryan through a set of strategies outlined in an internal strategy memo, Defense News reported Tuesday.

Joe Gould writes the May 13 memo uncovered Pentagon’s plan to tap lawmakers to vote against Ryan’s defense spending proposal and the department’s attempt to influence legislators in their decision whether to add $18 billion in wartime Overseas Contingency Operations funding to the bill.

DoD Comptroller Mike McCord and Assistant Defense Secretary for Legislative Affairs Stephen Hedger prepared the five-page memo for Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Deputy Secretary Bob Work, according to the report.

The memo suggests an assault against Ryan’s defense spending plan through a presidential veto threat that Pentagon seeks to boost with support from top Democratic leaders, Politico reported Tuesday.

Defense News reports the memo also recommends an informational campaign through fact sheets, opinion pieces and meetings with lawmakers and think tanks, and meetings with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California), Senate Armed Services Committee Chair John McCain (R-Arizona) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi).

The goal is to raise the argument that the proposal of Ryan, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, would impair the nation’s defenses, Austin Wright and Jeremy Herb report.

Politico reports the White House opposes Ryan’s plan to increase the Pentagon’s budget without raising domestic funding.

News
Defense Logistics Agency Kicks Off Fort Bragg Mapping Operations
by Jay Clemens
Published on September 7, 2016
Defense Logistics Agency Kicks Off Fort Bragg Mapping Operations


mapThe Defense Logistics Agency has kicked off its mapping operations at Fort Bragg with the delivery of the first four topographic maps for mission planning on Aug. 16.

DLA Distribution Mapping warehouse Fort Bragg is a 10,000-square-foot racked bay storage with a staff consisting of a supply management specialist, project manager and supply technician, DLA said Thursday.

The warehouse is located at the U.S. Forces Command Intelligence Readiness and Operations Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and is part of a joint operation between the National Geospatial Agency, FORSCOM, DLA Aviation, DLA Document Services and DLA Distribution.

The mapping operations will also cover the development of unit packs for future exercises and operations.

A co-located Print On Demand facility also provides production for printable items not stocked at the warehouse.

Civilian/News
Anthony Foxx: Transportation Dept Unveils Transit Service Map Open Data Platform
by Ramona Adams
Published on September 7, 2016
Anthony Foxx: Transportation Dept Unveils Transit Service Map Open Data Platform


Anthony Foxx: Transportation Dept Unveils Transit Service Map Open Data PlatformThe Transportation Department has unveiled an open data platform that works to provide a map of transit services in the U.S.

Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx wrote in a blog post published Thursday the National Transit Map features data from 270 transit agencies and covers approximately 400,000 stops and stations from nearly 10,000 routes.

DoT plans to build on the platform to provide data support to all transit agencies and represent every transit service, Foxx said.

Foxx added the data from the transit map can aid application developers, transportation practitioners, advocates and transit users.

The secretary noted that the map can help businesses explore opportunities along transit routes while transit planners can use the platform to identify service issues.

Foxx also called on the public to provide feedback on ways they can utilize data from the transit map.

Profiles
Profile: James Baker, FBI General Counsel
by Dominique Stump
Published on September 7, 2016
Profile: James Baker, FBI General Counsel


James Baker
James Baker

In January 2014 James Baker was appointed the general counsel for the FBI.

He was an associate general counsel for Bridgewater Associates prior to his current appointment.

Under the attorney general’s honors program, Baker joined the Justice Department‘s criminal division in 1990 as a federal prosecutor for the division’s fraud section.

He then joined the Office of Intelligence Policy and Review in 1996 and was appointed as head of the organization in 2001 where he helped develop, coordinate and establish intelligence and counterintelligence national security policies for the department.

He also provided legal and policy advice on national security to the attorney general, the country’s intelligence community and the White House, as well as oversaw the intelligence community, including the FBI, for the attorney general as OIPR head.

He became the assistant general counsel for national security at Verizon in 2008 before he returned to DOJ in 2009 as an associate deputy attorney general for national security issues, such as cybersecurity.

Baker became a fellow at the institute of politics at the John F. Kennedy school of government at Harvard University and a lecturer at Harvard Law School in 2007.

Baker is a recipient of various awards, including the George H.W. Bush Award for Excellence in counterterrorism, National Security Agency‘s Intelligence Under Law Award, the NSA Director’s Distinguished Service Medal and the DOJ’s Edmund J. Randolph Award.

Government Technology/News
DISA to Shift DoD Cyber Threat Detection System to ‘Endpoint Security Solutions’
by Ramona Adams
Published on September 7, 2016
DISA to Shift DoD Cyber Threat Detection System to ‘Endpoint Security Solutions’


cybersecurityThe Defense Information Systems Agency plans to integrate tools into the Defense Department‘s Host Based Security System cyber threat detection platform to support the transition to a new cybersecurity network defense approach.

DISA said Tuesday HBSS will evolve into Endpoint Security Solutions through a multi-year effort that will include product life-cycle updates and the addition of endpoint protection components such application whitelisting, visibility and containment tools.

ESS will also utilize the security features of the Windows 10 secure host baseline, the agency added.

The new approach to network defense will undergo constant review through the Unclassified-but-Sensitive Internet Protocol Router Network/Secret Internet Protocol Router Network Cyber Security Architecture Review process, DISA said.

The agency collaborates with the National Security Agency, the DoD Cyber Range and “red” teams to support DoD’s department-wide endpoint security effort.

Government Technology/News
NASA Seeks In-Space Spacecraft Assembly Concepts From University Students
by Jay Clemens
Published on September 7, 2016
NASA Seeks In-Space Spacecraft Assembly Concepts From University Students


NASA In-Space AssemblyNASA has invited university student teams and their faculty advisers to design and analyze concepts that utilize modular space systems and robotic technology for in-space spacecraft assembly.

NASA’s Game Changing Development Program and the National Institute of Aerospace seek ideas for the development of tugs that are powered by solar electric propulsion and would work to transfer payloads to a lunar distant retrograde orbit from low Earth orbit, NASA said Tuesday.

The quest is part of the 2017 Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-changing Idea Challenge and interested participants are required to submit proposals by Nov. 30.

NASA said a panel of experts will select four finalist teams to submit technical papers on their concepts and prepare a presentation for the BIG Idea Forum in February, for which they will get a $6,000 stipend.

The space agency added it will offer the winning team paid internships with the GCD team at the Langley Research Center to develop and mature their concept.

A few concepts NASA wants participants to use in the challenge include approaches for packaging modules to minimize the loads of launch vehicles, modular solar arrays and ion engines as well as robotic assembly of the modules that constitute the SEP tug.

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