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GAO: Civilian Agencies Spent $661M on Federally-Owned Aircraft in FY 2015
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GAO: Civilian Agencies Spent $661M on Federally-Owned Aircraft in FY 2015


AirplaneThe Government Accountability Office has found that civilian agencies spent $661 million to use and maintain federally-owned aircraft in the government’s 2015 fiscal year.

GAO said Monday 11 civilian agencies own 924 aircraft as of July 2016 and that figure includes 495 airplanes, 414 helicopters, 14 unmanned aircraft systems and one glider.

The State Department owns the most number of aircraft at 248 units while the National Science Foundation has the least at three, GAO added.

Auditors noted 88 of 924 aircraft were non-operational as of July and can be used for parts, displayed or destroyed.

Civilian agencies spent approximately $652 million on operational aircraft which were flown at an average of 275 flight hours in FY 2015, GAO said.

Agencies usually report costs in categories such as maintenance, overhead, fuel or oil and crew, the report stated.

GAO sought comments on its report from NSF, NASA, Tennessee Valley Authority and the departments of State, Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice and Transportation.

GAO: DoD Needs Guidance for AoA Processes on Military Construction Projects
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GAO: DoD Needs Guidance for AoA Processes on Military Construction Projects


constructionThe Government Accountability Office has recommended the Defense Department to develop guidance that mandates the use of best practices when analysis of alternatives processes are performed on future military construction projects.

A GAO report published Monday says auditors found five criteria drive the DoD’s AOA process including impact on intelligence operations, bilateral and multinational intelligence collaboration, international agreements and relationships, community quality of life and the business case for consolidation.

DoD has decided to consolidate and relocate its Joint Intelligence Analysis Complex to a U.K. air force base in Croughton because of the deteriorating condition of JIAC facilities and the department’s criteria for AOA guidance.

The auditor said that DoD officials did not follow best practices when it commenced the JIAC consolidation AOA process because the department does not possess guidance that outlines such practices for military construction decisions.

GAO added that DOD’s JIAC consolidation work has partially met four characteristics that the auditor believes will help boost the quality and reliability of the AOA process including “well documented”, “comprehensive”, “unbiased” and “credible”.

DoD believes that the best practices do not apply to military construction project decision-making processes and did not agree with GAO’s recommendations.

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UK Seeks to Invest $2.3B in Cybersecurity Initiatives Through 5-Year Strategy
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UK Seeks to Invest $2.3B in Cybersecurity Initiatives Through 5-Year Strategy


cyberThe U.K. government has unveiled a new strategy that will invest approximately $2.3 billion over five years in programs that seek to safeguard businesses and citizens from potential cyber attacks.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond introduced the National Cyber Security Strategy that outlines plans on how the government will use automated defense methods to protect industry and citizens from cyber threats, the U.K. government said in a news release published Tuesday.

Under the new strategy, the British government will establish international partnerships and build up its law enforcement capabilities in order to prevent threat actors from causing cyber attacks.

According to the release, the U.K. has begun to recruit at least 50 technical specialists and cyber crime investigators as part of the National Cyber Crime Unit that works to pursue domestic and international cyber criminals.

The strategy also includes plans to develop a cyber workforce through the establishment of a cybersecurity research institute, launch of a cyber innovation fund in 2017 and creation of the country’s first cybersecurity-focused innovation center in Cheltenham, England.

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Robert Work: DoD’s Third Offset Strategy Eyes New Tech to Support Conventional Deterrence Efforts
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Robert Work: DoD’s Third Offset Strategy Eyes New Tech to Support Conventional Deterrence Efforts


Robert Work
Robert Work

Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work has said the Defense Department‘s Third Offset Strategy seeks to bolster U.S. conventional deterrence and pursue new technologies and concepts to meet military superiority goals, DoD News reported Monday.

Cheryl Pellerin writes Work discussed the Pentagon’s plans to achieve military superiority alongside other defense leaders such as U.S. Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, Joint Chiefs of Staff vice chairman, at a Center for Strategic and International Studies forum.

Work noted the Strategic Capabilities Office established by Defense Secretary Ash Carter was a motivation to produce the third offset that has focused on the development of strategies to match or surpass “pacing competitors.”

“The pacing competitors — not adversaries — are Russia and China, because they’re developing advanced capabilities that potentially worry us … China and Russia now have theater-wide battle networks that are approaching parity with us,” Work noted.

Work added that competitors have invested a lot of money in counter-network operations as well as cyber and electronic warfare systems in a push to address the U.S. battle networks’ capacity.

“We have to experiment with the right tactics, techniques and procedures … and figure out how to offset this capability that all of our competitors are bringing to the conventional battle space, which is, in simple terms, long-range precision strike at volume in space, in cyber space, in the air, on land and at sea,” added Selva.

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Army Space, Missile Defense Command Awarded Small Firms $300M in FY 2016 Contract Funds
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Army Space, Missile Defense Command Awarded Small Firms $300M in FY 2016 Contract Funds


ContractSigningThe U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command organization gave small businesses approximately 39.3 percent or $300 million out of $762.5 million in contract funds over fiscal year 2016.

The U.S. Army said Friday USASMDC/ARSTRAT exceeded its Small Business Program goal to award 36 percent of contract funds to small companies.

The command awarded 7.3 percent of contract dollars to small disadvantaged businesses; 0.3 percent to historically underutilized business zone small businesses; 4.1 percent to woman-owned small businesses; and 7.6 percent to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.

Christine Ryan, assistant director of USASMDC/ARSTRAT’s office of small business programs, said small business prime contractors received more than one-third of SMDC contract funds in FY 2016.

Ryan added the command will continue to support small businesses in FY 2017 for efforts to help create jobs and grow the defense industrial base.

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Report: China to Demo Stealth Fighter Jet at Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition
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Report: China to Demo Stealth Fighter Jet at Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition


China flag_EGovChina plans to conduct a first public flight demonstration of its stealth fighter jet next week at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in the city of Zhuhai, Reuters reported Friday.

Shen Jinke, spokesman of China’s air force, said production of the J-20 fighter jet is on track and the aircraft will support efforts to protect sovereignty and national security, Michael Martina wrote.

China has said the event will serve as the first public appearance of “China’s indigenously manufactured new generation stealth fighter jet,” Martina reported.

China will also demonstrate the Y-20 military transport aircraft at the Zhuhai exhibition, the report said.

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Jeffery Anoka: Energy Dept to Establish Talent Mgmt Office
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Jeffery Anoka: Energy Dept to Establish Talent Mgmt Office


PeopleThe Energy Department plans to establish a talent management office to oversee DOE’s workforce development and recruitment efforts, Federal News Radio reported Thursday.

David Thornton writes that DOE discovered gaps in workforce planning during a study that sought to determine how much money was spent on recruitment and training programs at the department.

Jeffery Anoka, DOE director of corporate recruitment and outreach, said during a webinar that the four primary functions of the new office include talent acquisition, onboarding, workforce development and organizational effectiveness.

“We have to be proactive in engaging the talent pipelines,” Anoka added, according to the station.

“We’re not only competing against the wonderful federal government, we’re competing against private industry.”

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Air Force to Reduce Non-Mission Related Training Courses
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Air Force to Reduce Non-Mission Related Training Courses


Air Force logoThe U.S. Air Force plans to eliminate training courses it believes are not related to uniformed personnel primary missions in efforts to optimize capacities to accomplish core duties.

The service branch said Monday a task force reviewed 42 training courses that are not part of an airman’s primary job and the Air Force looks to remove 15 stand-alone courses and streamline 16 others to reduce training time.

The task force reviewed courses such as total force awareness training, selected force training, event-driven training and basic Airman readiness training.

“We’ll continue to be deliberate about what we cut or streamline, but more is required as we continue to focus our efforts on the business of warfighting, respecting our Airmen’s time, and still meeting the necessary requirements to take care of our mission and our force,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein.

“Computer-based training impacts our Airmen’s time, so we’re looking at what we can eliminate, consolidate or substantially relax to cut the demand,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody.

The initiative will work to address redundant requirements since the review found that many training modules contain duplicated information provided in other trainings, the Air Force said.

The military branch added the initiative will also give Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve personnel more time to focus on core skill set development during drill, unit training assembly and annual tour periods.

Reductions will take effect between January and April 2017 but soldiers are no longer required to complete courses that are slated for elimination.

The Air Force will update instructions to reflect changes on or before Jan. 1, 2017 and the Advanced Distributed Learning Service will be updated by April 1, 2017.

The service branch will also create a screening process to review new policies and identify areas that give additional duties or training requirements for uniformed personnel.

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NASA, National Space Grant Foundation Select 8 Student Space Habitation System Designs
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NASA, National Space Grant Foundation Select 8 Student Space Habitation System Designs


NASA, National Space Grant Foundation Select 8 Student Space Habitation System DesignsNASA and the National Space Grant Foundation have awarded $117,000 in total prizes to eight student teams for their space habitation system designs that could support the Journey to Mars.

The space agency said Tuesday the concepts included approaches to space-based plant growth, astronaut fitness, vehicle integration and air purification as part of the eXploration Systems and Habitation Academic Innovation Challenge series.

Winners include teams from the University of Colorado, Oklahoma State University, Pratt Institute, Utah State University, University of Maryland, University of Puerto Rico and the University of South Alabama.

X-Hab designs can help address the efficiency of growing vegetables in space through updated water distribution methods and mechanisms for microgravity plant growth systems, NASA noted.

The agency has applied student concepts from previous X-Hab challenges such as waste handling, recycling and atmosphere scrubbing as well as fabrication concepts and design factors that affect human psychological and physiological conditions.

The Advanced Exploration Systems division of NASA’s human exploration and operations mission directorate sponsors X-Hab as part of efforts to foster academic, industry and international partnerships to support future human missions beyond Earth orbit.

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Report: OPM Says Personnel Data Breach Victims Need to Sign Up Again for Identity Monitoring Services
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Report: OPM Says Personnel Data Breach Victims Need to Sign Up Again for Identity Monitoring Services


cyber-hack-network-computerOfficials at the Office of Personnel Management have said former and current federal employees whose personal data were compromised in a cyber hack at OPM must register again to retain coverage for identity protection services, the Washington Post reported Monday.

OPM officials noted that employees who were affected by the personnel records breach need to sign up with ID Experts for such services as the agency’s contract with Winvale/CSID is set to expire on Dec. 1, Eric Yoder writes.

The report said ID Experts will start to provide additional identity and credit monitoring services to personnel files hack victims on Dec. 2 through a separate contract that will run through the end of 2018.

Officials told the publication that the expiration of the contract with Winvale/CSID will affect approximately 600 victims of the personnel data breach.

Federal, military and contractor staff who were affected by a breach that targeted records related to background checks and already signed up with ID Experts will not be required to re-enroll for additional monitoring services, Yoder reports.

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