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DSCA Appoints Mike Miller as Director
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DSCA Appoints Mike Miller as Director

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency has appointed Mike Miller as its new director, replacing Jim Hursch, a 2024 Wash100 awardee, who retired effective July 31. 

Formerly deputy director and initially named acting director immediately following Hursch’s retirement, Miller will lead the agency’s tasks on national security support and engagement and cooperation with allies and partners, the DSCA said in a LinkedIn post. 

In his former deputy director role, Miller oversaw the DSCA’s security cooperation programs and worked with external stakeholders to synchronize the agency’s activities with U.S. national security and foreign policy goals.

Before he joined the agency, Miller worked for more than 24 years at the Department of State, with his last post as deputy assistant secretary of state for defense trade in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.

He started his State Department stint in 1998 as a presidential management fellow and subsequently moved to several other positions, including as office director for regional security and arms transfers and program manager for the anti-terrorism assistance program. 

Miller was also posted overseas for two years as economic and commercial attaché of the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Libya.

He holds a degree in Bachelor of Arts in International Politics, graduating with honors at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Miller also holds a Master of Arts in International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

DSCA Appoints Mike Miller as Director

Register here to attend the Potomac Officers Club’s GovCon International Summit on Oct. 10 and listen to Miller and other speakers discuss how international partnerships, coalition warfare and emerging technologies are reshaping the defense landscape.

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GovCon Index Declined Last Week
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GovCon Index Declined Last Week

Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Index ended last week with an average of $5,256.32, a 1.07% drop from the previous week.

GovCon Index is an aggregate index that displays real-time data on the stock market performance of 30 notable government contracting companies. Users can leverage this information to evaluate the financial status of each organization and deepen their understanding of key trends in today’s GovCon market.

Multiple companies were able to break through last week’s decline with significant gains, most notably Palantir, which soared to the top of the ranks with an increase of 14.78%. In second place was The Carlyle Group (+7.04%), and Aerovironment followed with gains of 6.58%. Parsons (+6.44%) and V2X (+6.33%) secured fourth and fifth place, respectively.

GovCon Index’s daily performance was mixed last week, with frequent shifts between positive and negative territory. Its highest growth day was Monday, in which the average rose by 1.35%.

For a closer look at daily GovCon Index performance, check out last week’s market reports. To access the full list of tracked companies, click here.

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Vahid Majidi Resigning as SRNL Director
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Vahid Majidi Resigning as SRNL Director

Vahid Majidi has announced his intention to step down as the director of Savannah River National Laboratory.

Majidi’s resignation goes into effect in January 2025 but the official will stay on until a new director is selected, SRNL said Thursday.

“My decision to step down has not come lightly but I know instinctively that now is the right time for new leadership to take SRNL to another level,” Majidi, who has led the national laboratory since 2018, said regarding his upcoming departure.

In 2021, the SRNL director headed the establishment of Battelle Savannah River Alliance, of which he has served as president. BSRA has since handled the management and operation of SRNL as an independent national laboratory.

“With the establishment of Battelle Savannah River Alliance, I pledged to serve a three-year term and ensure a methodical transition to new leadership. I feel SRNL is positioned for successful further expansion and now is the time for me to announce my departure from SRNL and BSRA,” Majidi explained.

BSRA is working with SRNL to identify candidates who can succeed Majidi.

Regarding his work at the national laboratory, the outgoing director said, “Working together as one team, we succeeded in establishing SRNL’s independence – a monumental effort – and today I am proud to say we have a better laboratory in almost every aspect.”

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DARPA Awards BAE Systems R&D Contract for AI Air Combat Modeling
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DARPA Awards BAE Systems R&D Contract for AI Air Combat Modeling

BAE Systems announced that its FAST Labs research and development organization has received a $4 million contract under Phase 1 of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Artificial Intelligence Reinforcement, or AIR, program to develop autonomy solutions in air combat. 

Under the contract, FAST Labs will develop machine learning-based simulation models of sensors, weapons and electronic warfare systems currently used in air combat missions, BAE said Tuesday.

The contract’s work also includes FAST Labs using ML to establish combat aerial physics for input to the processes required in the rapid development and delivery of future AIR software products. The work will be performed at BAE Systems facilities in Arlington, Virginia, and Burlington, Massachusetts.

Michael Planer, FAST Labs scientist and principal investigator, pointed to the vast data and complex testing cycles needed for air combat performance to be reliable and consistent. “Using machine learning, we will train the models used to make dynamic decisions – ensuring that the artificial intelligence pilot is tested and trusted by human pilots,” he said.

The AIR program, which DARPA launched with a proposal solicitation in November 2022, is divided into two technical areas: model development and multi-agent AI agent training. Each area has a Phase 1 as the base period and a Phase 2 option for system design, development and testing.

In June, the agency awarded EpiSys Science and PhysicsAI an 18-month, $6 million Phase 1 AIR contract to develop tactical algorithms for team-based air combat missions. 

Other industry players under contract in the program include Lockheed Martin, which received a $4.6 million award in July, and Northrop Grumman, which secured a $28.9 million contract in February.

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White House Outlines Steps to Advance US Leadership in AI
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White House Outlines Steps to Advance US Leadership in AI

The White House has announced several initiatives to promote public-private sector collaboration and maintain U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence.

The White House said Thursday initiatives include the launch of an interagency Task Force on AI Datacenter Infrastructure to streamline coordination on policies in alignment with national security, economic and environmental goals and effort to scale up technical support to federal, state and local agencies responsible for data center permitting.

Other AI-related actions announced are the Department of Energy’s move to establish an AI data center engagement team and share with data center developers resources on repurposing closed coal sites.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will help accelerate the establishment of eligible AI data centers through the identification of nationwide permits.

The White House on Thursday convened industry leaders and government officials for a roundtable to discuss steps to ensure that the country maintains its edge in AI technology.

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NIST Updates Cybersecurity, Privacy Learning Program Guidance
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NIST Updates Cybersecurity, Privacy Learning Program Guidance

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s newly released Special Publication 800-50r1 (Revision 1) provides the federal government with updated guidance for developing and managing a robust cybersecurity and privacy learning program.

The first SP 800-50 revision integrates privacy with cybersecurity in the development of organization-wide learning programs; introduces a learning program concept that incorporates language found in other NIST documents; proposes an employee-focused cybersecurity and privacy culture for organizations; and incorporates guidance for using standard instructional design elements, maturity models and assessment approaches, NIST said Thursday.

Other changes include guidelines to integrate learning programs with organizational goals to manage cybersecurity and privacy risks and address the challenge of measuring the impacts of cybersecurity and privacy learning programs.

The SP 800-50r1 was informed by the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014 and the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity.

Federal agencies must have security and privacy awareness and training programs under the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-130.

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DLA Officials Underscore Value of Industry Partnerships
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DLA Officials Underscore Value of Industry Partnerships

The Defense Logistics Agency must take advantage of the opportunities inherent in commercial technologies while working to manage the accompanying risks, according to U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Mark Simerly, the director of the agency.

Simerly made the remarks on Sept. 10 at the fifth annual Industry Collider Day, which underscored the importance of partnerships between government and the private sector, according to a news article posted Thursday on the DLA website.

“Our reliance on industry has always been foundational to our role in joint logistics,” Simerly said, adding that his agency works “as an interlocutor for industry,” translating for commercial providers the warfighting requirements of the military services.

The need for collaborating with industry was echoed by DLA Chief Information Officer Adarryl Roberts, who said it benefits improving the capabilities of the agency.

Roberts nevertheless emphasized the need for industry to understand the DLA’s mission and problem sets “and match the best technology solutions to those challenges.”

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State Department Wants Contractors to Perform More Self-Assessments
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State Department Wants Contractors to Perform More Self-Assessments

Vendor self-assessments have emerged as a potential measure to address the challenges associated with the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System, or CPARS process, but a State Department official said companies rarely submit those assessments, Federal News Network reported Thursday.

Self-assessment is “an incredibly underutilized tool. We would love to see more of it,” said Michael Derrios, the senior procurement executive at the State Department.

Derrios cited the lack of engagement between the government and vendor at the start of the contract performance and stressed the importance of continuous communication throughout the contract period’s duration to avoid surprises when CPARS ratings are finalized.

“The dialog has to be happening throughout the year, and it’s almost like you have to be writing your CPARS the entire time with direct questions like, ‘How do you think this is going to play into CPARS ratings? You have to be that direct about the dialog,” he added.

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US Army Awards BAE Systems $440M Contract to Supply Bradley Fighting Vehicles
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US Army Awards BAE Systems $440M Contract to Supply Bradley Fighting Vehicles

The U.S. Army has awarded BAE Systems a $440 million contract modification to continue manufacturing Bradley Fighting Vehicles. 

Under the contract, BAE Systems will produce more than 200 Bradley A4 variants for the Army to replace some of the vehicles the government has given to Ukraine, the aerospace and security company announced Thursday.

Dan Furber, director of ground vehicle production for BAE Systems Combat Mission System’s business, said, “The Bradley Fighting Vehicle brings game-changing capabilities to the Army and our allied nations.”

The Bradley A4 vehicle is designed to advance mission performance and satisfy numerous functional requirements. The vehicle’s system is designed for optimum situational awareness, network connectivity and communication within the Army’s Armored Brigade Combat Team. 

It is meant to increase soldier safety and the equip with the ability to defeat oppositional forces in any environment.

“Because of the support for additional production of the modern Bradley A4 variant, this enduring capability continues to make a difference for troops all over the world, ensuring they have the firepower, mobility and survivability they need to achieve their missions,” Furber stated.

BAE Systems will continue developing the Bradley A4 vehicle across the company’s broad industrial network in Aiken, South Carolina; Anniston, Alabama; Minneapolis, Minnesota; San Jose, California; Sterling Heights, Michigan and York, Pennsylvania.

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Jennifer Orozco Appointed Department of Air Force Deputy CIO
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Jennifer Orozco Appointed Department of Air Force Deputy CIO

Jennifer Orozco , a U.S. Air Force veteran with a career spanning almost three decades, has been chosen as the new deputy chief information officer for the Department of the Air Force, the DAF Office of the CIO announced on LinkedIn Thursday.

In her new role, Orozco will assist the CIO in overseeing the Enterprise Information Technology, Data and Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity directorates and managing the office’s $17 billion budget and 20,000 personnel worldwide.

As deputy CIO, Orozco will oversee DAF’s information technology investment strategy, including data management, cloud computing and digital transformation. She is also tasked with safeguarding the department’s systems from cyber threats.

Orozco has served in various capacities in her 28 years with the Air Force and the Department of Defense.

Before her appointment, she was the director of security for special program oversight and information protection, in which she was responsible for protecting sensitive information, technologies and capabilities.

Orozco was division chief for security policy and oversight at the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of Air Force and for the Strategy, Readiness and Force Development directorate of Security Forces before that.

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