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AFLCMC’s Cloud One Boosts DAF Cloud Migration Efforts
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AFLCMC’s Cloud One Boosts DAF Cloud Migration Efforts

Cloud One, a cloud computing platform launched by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, has allowed the Department of the Air Force to make significant developments to its cloud computing capabilities.

The Air Force Material Command said Thursday the multi-cloud, multi-vendor system enables Department of Defense mission application owners to access fast, secure and reliable cloud computing technologies and other offerings.

The cloud service, which meets defense security requirements and zero-trust compliance, offers secure computing environments, standardized platforms, application migration and data management capabilities.

Cloud One also provides the following features:

  • Data transport services
  • Secure cloud computing architecture
  • Compute and store monitoring
  • Global content delivery service
  • Mobile connect
  • Inheritable risk management framework controls for operational authority
  • Platform operations and sustainment

Cloud One works on Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. Applications migrating to Cloud One are analyzed to determine which cloud service provider is suitable for their needs. 

According to Lt. Col. Beau Brantley, Cloud One lead engineer, 100% of applications managed to migrate to the cloud due to the guardrails that protect them from possible threats.

“We do more than host,” said Brantley. “We also facilitate migrations to ensure applications are set up in the cloud. Cloud One was established for affordability and security, that saves rework by only setting up the platform once.”

Cloud One currently migrates an average of 25 to 30 applications each year. According to Joseph Thorp, Cloud One program manager, there are plans to double that figure and possibly increase to around 150 new systems annually “as the U.S. Air Force optimizes for Great Power Competition.”

In June 2021, former Air Force Chief Information Officer Lauren Knausenberger mandated the use of Cloud One. Current DAF CIO Venice Goodwine, a 2024 Wash100 Award winner, prioritized this effort paving the way for Cloud One to lead cloud migration efforts.

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2024 Microelectronics Commons Projects to Receive $269M in Total Funding
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2024 Microelectronics Commons Projects to Receive $269M in Total Funding

Multiple projects under the CHIPS and Science Act-financed Microelectronics Commons program are set to receive a total of $269 million in funding, according to the Department of Defense.

The ME Commons program is a research and development initiative that seeks to advance U.S. microelectronics technology by accelerating domestic microelectronics hardware prototyping and workforce development, the DOD said Tuesday.

The program was established in 2023 and encompasses eight regional hubs that will receive $2 billion in total funding from fiscal years 2023 through 2027. Just under $240 million was awarded last year to establish those hubs.

For 2024, the funding awards will cover 33 projects spread across six technical areas, namely quantum, secure edge computing, 5G/6G, electromagnetic warfare, commercial leap-ahead technologies and artificial intelligence. A Cross-Hub Enablement Solution award is also being funded.

Commenting on the awards, Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Arati Prabhakar, a past Wash100 Award winner, said, “These CHIPS and Science Act investments through the Microelectronics Commons will advance innovation for components that enable the most sophisticated defense systems, strengthening our national security.”

Dr. Dev Shenoy, who serves as principal director for microelectronics in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and executive director of the Microelectronics Commons, said, “These awards will also upskill America’s workforce, thus helping keep America both secure and prosperous.”

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House Bill Aims to Improve Federal Acquisition Council’s Ability to Protect Supply Chain
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House Bill Aims to Improve Federal Acquisition Council’s Ability to Protect Supply Chain

Four House lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill that seeks to enhance the ability of the Federal Acquisition Security Council, or FASC, to safeguard the federal supply chain from entities controlled or owned by a foreign adversary.

The House Oversight and Accountability Committee said Tuesday the FASC Improvement Act of 2024 would move the council into the Executive Office of the President to strengthen its governing structure and authorize it to issue binding removal and exclusion orders when asked to do so by Congress.

Such orders would exclude or remove nefarious entities from the federal procurement system.

The bipartisan measure would expand FASC’s scope to include acquisition security, direct the council to proactively assess certain covered articles for risks and reallocate appropriations to set up a FASC program office within the Office of the National Cyber Director.

The legislation seeks to integrate best practices from national security exemptions, second-order prohibitions, case-by-case waiver processes and other governmentwide procurement prohibitions that have been made into law.

“This bipartisan bill provides the Federal Acquisition Security Council with the teeth and resources it needs to protect the federal supply chain from technology companies and products owned or controlled by a foreign adversary. We look forward to moving this bill through the Oversight Committee this week to ensure protections for the federal supply chain and agency information systems,” said Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House panel.

Comer proposed the bill with Reps. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., John Moolenaar, R-Mich., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill.

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Gen. Charles Brown Jr. Pushes ‘Integrated Approach’ to Face Logistic Challenges
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Gen. Charles Brown Jr. Pushes ‘Integrated Approach’ to Face Logistic Challenges

Gen. Charles Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, believes that the military must establish a global joint defense ecosystem to be successful in a congested logistics environment.

The 2024 Wash100 awardee expounded on his thoughts alongside logistics leaders, military logisticians and industry partners from other nations at the Worldwide Logistics Symposium held at the Defense Logistics Agency Headquarters, the Department of Defense reported Tuesday.

During his keynote address, Gen. Brown said, “We want to fight with an unfair advantage.”

“We have to act like there is a crisis without the crisis … to make the changes needed now,” Gen. Brown added.

Gen. Brown cited the need for collaboration from all allies and partner domains in today’s warfighting environment, especially globally.

“We must take an integrated approach. Efforts cannot be siloed; we need to communicate and work with each other and share effective solutions,” Gen. Brown emphasized.

“We must bring our allies and partners to the table and ensure the military services are converging as we prepare our operational plans to better balance our capability with our capacity and build consistent demands with the defense industrial base,” he stated.

Steven Morani, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for sustainment, echoed the importance of joint operational planning to organize contested logistics.

“Wars are won through logistics,” Morani said. “Those who are resilient the longest, win the war, nothing one nation can do alone.”

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CDAO Seeking Solutions to Test Gen AI for Defense Use Cases
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CDAO Seeking Solutions to Test Gen AI for Defense Use Cases

The Department of Defense’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office is soliciting solutions to test and evaluate generative artificial intelligence for military applications.

The requirement seeks innovative capabilities to address the novel test and evaluation, risk management and assurance challenges of gen AI and foundation model systems, according to a CDAO solicitation posted Tuesday on Tradewinds.

The solution is envisioned to support the CDAO Assessment & Assurance Division’s mission to test AI and machine learning applications across the DOD.

According to the solicitation notice, the desired capabilities should align with the DOD standards for assessing gen AI effectiveness, robustness and risks in defense use cases.

The solution should also advance the creation of a comprehensive framework for evaluation, risk management and assurance of Gen AI applications.

Notably, the government said that solutions lacking basic research and focused mostly on addressing cybersecurity issues are unlikely to address the solicitation’s requirements.

Interested parties are encouraged to submit papers outlining their expertise in gen AI testing and their ability to deliver the required solutions. Proposals with the highest potential to solve DOD problems will be shortlisted for the next phase of solicitation assessment.

Proposals will be accepted until Oct. 9.

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Space Force Holds 1st Sealed Contract Bidding at Vandenberg Base
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Space Force Holds 1st Sealed Contract Bidding at Vandenberg Base

Vandenberg Space Force Base has adopted sealed bidding in the recent contract solicitation for its Simplified Acquisition of Base Engineering Requirements, or SABER, program with the bids’ opening conducted live and streamed online.   

The California base’s approach on the SABER indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity contract, a first in the U.S. Space Force, aims to promote visibility and transparency, Alyson Kolding, 30th Contracting Squadron contracting officer, said in a base statement Monday.

“We also learned how to incorporate electronic processes into a regulation which has not been updated to consider the new digital landscape.,” noted Jeffrey Grelck, 30th Contracting Squadron contracting officer.

The focus of SABER, one of Vandenberg’s two major construction programs that require expeditious efforts, is on simpler building projects, Kolding added.

The SABER IDIQ contract awards, worth about $60 million, are for construction projects around Vandenberg over the next five years and supports the base’s aspiration to become a “Spaceport of the Future.”  

In August 2023, the U.S. Air Force previewed its SABER contract solicitation approach in a five-year, $200 million contract designed to address engineering requirements at Eglin Air Force Base and associated facilities in Florida.

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CISA, FBI Issue Alert on Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerabilities
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CISA, FBI Issue Alert on Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerabilities

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the FBI have released a Secure by Design Alert concerning cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, or XSS.

CISA said Tuesday that XSS can be prevented and ought not to be present in software products, yet they continue to appear, providing threat actors with exploit opportunities.

According to the alert, XSS can be brought about by the failure of a software maker to properly escape, validate or sanitize inputs, making it possible for threat actors to inject malicious scripts into web applications.

The alert calls on leaders at technology manufacturers to instruct personnel to conduct a review of such deficiencies and develop a strategic plan to prevent them moving forward.

The alert also recommends that technology manufacturers review the principles of secure by design software as outlined in a previous guidance.

CISA, FBI Issue Alert on Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerabilities

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NOAA, Esri to Build Prototype Ocean & Coastal Data Hub Under Partnership Agreement
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NOAA, Esri to Build Prototype Ocean & Coastal Data Hub Under Partnership Agreement

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Esri have signed a partnership agreement to collaborate and build a prototype open data platform designed to deliver actionable ocean and coastal data to decision-makers and communities.

NOAA said Monday the demonstration project’s end goal is to design an information system that could enable users to access, interpret and use ocean and coastal data to address critical issues.

“Combining NOAA’s ocean and coastal expertise with Esri’s long history of user-centered tools will unlock the true value of these data in the hands of the communities that need them most,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad.

The two institutions will use NOAA’s massive data stores and Esri’s geospatial technical capabilities to develop the prototype, which will serve as a proof of concept for translating the agency’s data into actionable intelligence or issue-relevant information like renewable energy siting or conservation planning.

They also expect the prototype ocean and coastal data hub to serve as a primary component in the development of cross-sector partnerships among nongovernmental organizations, academia, ocean communities and the private sector to help identify gaps. 

“We are happy to collaborate with NOAA to help make their comprehensive and authoritative ocean and coastal data a mapping resource for decision-making, conservation and education,” said Jack Dangermond, president of Esri.

After six months, NOAA and Esri will reassess the agreement to determine how to advance their work.

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Pentagon Releases Instruction on Modeling & Simulation Verification, Validation & Accreditation
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Pentagon Releases Instruction on Modeling & Simulation Verification, Validation & Accreditation

The Department of Defense’s Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering — or USD R&E — has issued a document establishing policy and procedures for the verification, validation and accreditation of models, simulations, distributed simulations and related data.

The latest DOD Instruction, titled DOD Modeling and Simulation Verification, Validation and Accreditation, took effect Tuesday.

The document outlines the responsibilities of the USD R&E director of operational test and evaluation and heads of the Defense Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and Defense Health Agency, among other officials, when it comes to verifying and accrediting models and simulations.

The instruction, for instance, directs the USD R&E to coordinate with the department’s component heads to develop policies, plans and procedures for implementing and managing VV&A for models, simulations and associated data and foster cooperative research, development, investment and application of VV&A technologies.

The document establishes the basis for credible modeling and simulation across the department and includes a section for VV&A documentation requirements.

Heidi Shyu, DOD’s under secretary for research and engineering and a 2024 Wash100 awardee, approved the latest instruction.

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Marine Corps Tests AGM-158A JASSM Integration to F/A-18 Hornet
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Marine Corps Tests AGM-158A JASSM Integration to F/A-18 Hornet

The Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11 and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 tested the AGM-158A joint air-to-surface standoff missile, U.S. Marine Corps’ newest F/A-18 Hornet weapon, on Aug. 27 to 28 at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California.

According to the USMC, the two squadrons were the first to conduct ordnance operations with the new Hornet missile.

During the testing, live AGM-158A JASSM was loaded onto the F/A-18 of the VMFA-232 to assess the loading procedures, including the aircraft loading sequence and post-loading checks, and verify the compatibility of the software.

Maj. Bradley Kirby, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing aviation ordnance officer, pointed out that the integration of the AGM-158A JASSM, with its advanced sensors, range, and precision-strike capabilities, enables the Hornet to strike targets from beyond the reach of enemy air defenses.

“This added capability will greatly increase 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing’s ability to support the joint force and enable greater freedom of maneuver across all operational domains,” stated Kirby.

Warrant Officer Josiah Hood, VMFA-232 ordnance officer, noted that the JASSM validation and verification process will be the basis of checklists for the Marine Corps and the Navy to use against future adversaries.

The Marine Corps plans to add AGM-158B JASSM extended range and AGM-158C long-range anti-ship missiles to F-35B/C’s arsenal to enhance its long-range, maritime strike capabilities.

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