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OSC Requests Public Input on New Critical Technologies Loan Program; Heidi Shyu Quoted
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OSC Requests Public Input on New Critical Technologies Loan Program; Heidi Shyu Quoted

The Office of Strategic Capital has begun accepting public input on upcoming loans and loan guarantees for major technology and supply chain areas.

The office released two requests for information — one for lenders and financial institutions and another for private sector organizations and other stakeholders — to collect comments, the Department of Defense said Wednesday.

“OSC-backed financing can help ensure the resilience and security of critical supply chains by supporting businesses that produce key components and materials,” said Heidi Shyu, under secretary of defense for research and engineering and a 2024 Wash100 Award recipient.

She noted that loans and loan guarantees can “help level the playing field by providing businesses with the financial support they need to bring new technologies to market, expand their operations and create jobs.”

Through the RFIs, the OSC aims to gain an understanding of the current state of the market and capital requirements. It also intends to identify areas in which loans and loan guarantees could best support critical technologies.

Questions for lenders cover finance areas such as fees and credit risks, experience with U.S. government financing and their economic outlook. The RFI for commercial entities asks about finance and their economic outlook and includes specific questions about revenue, supply chain and competition in the market.

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Bridget Bean Named CISA Executive Director
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Bridget Bean Named CISA Executive Director

Bridget Bean, assistant director for the integrated operations division at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, will take on the role of executive director at CISA in August.

The agency said Tuesday Bean will succeed Brandon Wales, who is stepping down after more than 20 years of federal service.

Bridget Bean is confirmed to keynote the 2024 Homeland Security Summit hosted by the Potomac Officers Club on Nov. 13. Register now for your chance to meet, learn from and network with Bean in person! 

In a statement published Tuesday, CISA Director Jen Easterly thanked Wales for his contributions to CISA, including his role in addressing the ransomware attack on the Colonial pipeline and the challenges associated with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

As assistant chief for integrated operations, Bean helps coordinate and execute CISA’s operational activities to facilitate accelerated responses to critical needs.

Her government career has included time as acting deputy administrator for resilience at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and deputy chief operating officer and chief human capital officer at the Small Business Administration.

“With more than three decades of federal government service, Bridget brings extraordinary leadership and experience to the role, which will involve a dedicated focus on operationalizing a fully unified and cohesive team,” stated Easterly, a 2024 Wash100 awardee.

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NSB Releases Policy Brief on Current S&T Landscape, Need for New Approaches
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NSB Releases Policy Brief on Current S&T Landscape, Need for New Approaches

The National Science Board has released a new policy brief that calls for new approaches to ensure that the U.S. maintain its leadership in science and technological progress.

Such new approaches are needed because of a dramatically altered science and technology landscape, which features three fundamental changes, the NSB said Monday.

The first fundamental change is that while federal investment continues to be the foundation of U.S. research and development, business now accounts for a majority share. But while businesses have become an R&D driver, they cannot replace federal R&D.

The second fundamental change is that China has become the largest competitor of the U.S. in S&T leadership. China has even outpaced the U.S. in key areas, including research publications, patents and technology-intensive manufacturing. Even so, China is also the largest collaborator of the U.S. in published research.

The third fundamental change is that the number of jobs requiring science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills is rising but domestic workers and students have not received adequate education.

NSB Chair Dario Gil said he will dedicate his term to determine “how we as a nation can adapt to and seize the potential of the current landscape” noting that “S&T now has the same kind of economic and geopolitical importance as trade or military alliances. It is at the heart of national economic and defense competitiveness.”

Gil, who is also senior vice president and director of research at IBM, said the NSB will begin convening meetings with “cross-sectoral leaders to explore and advance ideas for new and necessary models.”

The soonest meeting is set for July 24.

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NASA to Install 3 New Antenna Dishes to Expand Lunar Communications Capacity
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NASA to Install 3 New Antenna Dishes to Expand Lunar Communications Capacity

NASA is working to add three new antenna dishes to its Near Space Network, which works to provide communication services for space exploration missions, including the Artemis missions to the moon.

The new antennas, called Lunar Exploration Ground Sites, or LEGS, will be placed at three locations across the globe to ensure that the moon is always in sight of one dish, thereby ensuring continuous lunar communication coverage, NASA said Monday.

The three new antennas — dubbed LEGS-1, LEGS-2 and LEGS-3 — will each be 66 feet in diameter and possess the capability to communicate using the X-band and the Ka-band.

LEGS-1 will be installed at NASA’s White Sands Complex in Las Cruces, New Mexico, while LEGS-2 will be installed at a location near Cape Town, South Africa, called Matjiesfontein. The latter is expected to be completed by 2026.

As for LEGS-3, possible locations are still being explored in Western Australia.

TJ Crooks, LEGS project manager at the Goddard Space Flight Center, explained that one of the objectives of the new antennas is to relieve the Deep Space Network of its lunar mission duties. The Deep Space Network and the Near Space Network operated in tandem to support Artemis I and will do so again for Artemis II.

“The Near Space Network and its new LEGS antennas will focus on lunar missions while allowing the Deep Space Network to support missions farther out into the solar system — like the James Webb Space Telescope and the interstellar Voyager missions,” Crooks said.

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AFRL Teams With Purdue University to Develop Solid Rocket Engine Fuels
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AFRL Teams With Purdue University to Develop Solid Rocket Engine Fuels

Researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory Regional Network – Midwest and Purdue University are developing an alternative to liquid or gaseous rotating detonation engine fuels.

The team recently filed a patent disclosure for the development of solid fuels for rotating detonation rocket engines, which can pave the way for smaller engines with more efficient and powerful propulsion compared to conventional constant-pressure combustion systems, AFRL said.

According to Eric Paulson, a senior aerospace engineer at AFRL, solid propellants for rotating detonation are a fairly new technology.

“There’s a lot of work that has been done with liquids, but rotating detonation with solid fuel is a pretty new game,” he commented.

The novel propulsion system creates thrusts by instigating a continuous detonation wave to burn fuel.

Terrence Meyer, professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue, explained that the detonative combustion is supersonic, ensuring that the fuel “burns faster and burns at a higher pressure at a constant volume.”

Moreover, solid fuels, which are more stable compared to liquid or gaseous fuels, offer advantages to the military.

Steven Son, also a professor at Purdue, pointed out that solid fuels can be stored on a shelf for five years without issues. Meyer added that solids are less likely to leak and create a safety issue.

The AFRL Regional Network – Midwest is headquartered in Purdue. It is currently working with over 200 businesses and academic institutions across the Midwest region.

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Biden-Harris Administration Launches Investment Initiative to Boost Submarine, Maritime Industry Workforce in Michigan
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Biden-Harris Administration Launches Investment Initiative to Boost Submarine, Maritime Industry Workforce in Michigan

The Biden-Harris Administration has launched the Michigan Maritime Manufacturing initiative, which aims to make strategic investments in the state of Michigan in order to establish programs that will build up and train a skilled workforce for the submarine and maritime industries.

The initiative will see cooperation between the Department of Defense, state and local governments and industrial and academic organizations from within Michigan to achieve its goals and contribute to a broader national security effort to increase submarine production within the U.S., the White House said Monday.

Over $50 million in near-term investments have already been committed for the effort, including educational outreach and engagement programs in Michigan K-12 schools, the implementation of an accelerated welding and computer numerical controlled machining training program and the establishment of an attraction and recruitment campaign focusing on Michigan’s manufacturing history.

The DOD and the U.S. Navy are also in the process of incorporating into the initiative parts of their industrial workforce development programs, projects and investments.

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Bipartisan Senate Bill Seeks to Enhance Cybersecurity in Healthcare Sector
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Bipartisan Senate Bill Seeks to Enhance Cybersecurity in Healthcare Sector

Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, has collaborated with Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Todd Young, R-Ind., to introduce a bill that seeks to advance cybersecurity in healthcare.

The bipartisan Healthcare Cybersecurity Act would require the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services to work together to improve cybersecurity and introduce resources related to cyberthreat indicators and defense measures to non-federal organizations, King’s office said Monday.

The proposed legislation would also establish a special liaison to HHS within CISA to facilitate coordination during cybersecurity incidents.

“Healthcare cyberattacks are a growing threat nationwide, and also hit home for Maine, where several major healthcare systems have been compromised in recent years due to cybercrimes,” said King, who also serves as co-chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission.

“These attacks and breaches of data can literally mean the difference between life and death for patients, significantly impact hospital operations, and — with the average hack costing millions to address — increase healthcare prices across the board. The bipartisan Healthcare Cybersecurity Act will take important steps toward protecting patients’ data and healthcare provider capabilities, and bolstering our cybersecurity infrastructure and response,” the senator added.

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NIST to Award $70M Funding to Establish AI-Focused Manufacturing USA Institute
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NIST to Award $70M Funding to Establish AI-Focused Manufacturing USA Institute

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is soliciting concept papers from organizations interested in securing up to $70 million in funding to establish and operate a new Manufacturing USA institute focused on artificial intelligence.

The institute will be responsible for helping manufacturers integrate AI into their processes to boost productivity and increase their resilience against supply chain disruptions, NIST said Monday.

It will mainly focus on advancing technology development, creating an educated and skilled workforce, and developing shared infrastructure and facilities.

Accredited institutions of higher education; U.S.-based nonprofit and for-profit organizations with majority domestic ownership or control; and state, local, U.S. territorial and Indian tribal governments are invited to submit concept papers by Sept. 30.

The application process is split into two phases: the evaluation of concept papers and the selection of applicants qualified to submit full proposals by Jan. 23, 2025.

NIST will hold a webinar on Thursday and an in-person proposer’s day event in August to provide information about the funding opportunity.

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OCR Global Wins $98M Navy Contract for Reduced Range Ammo
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OCR Global Wins $98M Navy Contract for Reduced Range Ammo

OCR Global was selected by the U.S. Navy to supply .50 caliber reduced range ammunition under a $98.5 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract.

The Department of Defense said the company will deliver Ball MK322 Mod 1 and Tracer MK321 Mod 1 ammo to the service branch, and the firm-fixed-price IDIQ contract is expected to be completed by July 2029.

Ninety percent of the project will be done in Sao Paulo, Brazil, while the remaining work will be fulfilled in McLean, Virginia, where OCR is based.

The Navy and Marine Corps will provide the funds for the procurement of the .50 caliber ammunition. The service branches will obligate approximately $3.5 million from fiscal year 2023 procurement of ammunition funds, while fiscal year 2024 allocation will be used to cover the remaining $600,000.

OCR faced competition from two other companies that also submitted their offers through the Federal Business Opportunities website. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, in Indiana is managing the contract.

OCR Global specializes in defense and space manufacturing. The company provides products, projects and services, including ammunition, life support products and law enforcement materials, to the government and military.

In July 2023, the company was named among the 11 companies the U.S. Special Operations Command awarded spots on a $750 million multiple-award contract for small-caliber ammunition products.

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Pentagon Unveils 2024 Arctic Strategy; Kathleen Hicks Quoted
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Pentagon Unveils 2024 Arctic Strategy; Kathleen Hicks Quoted

The Department of Defense has released an updated strategy outlining steps DOD will take to ensure the security and stability of the Arctic region in support of U.S. national security.

The department said Monday the 2024 DOD Arctic Strategy discusses the threats and challenges posed by China and Russia in the region and details the three key lines of effort the Pentagon will advance to improve its ability to monitor and respond to threats in the region.

DOD’s main lines of effort outlined in the strategy are enhancing its Arctic capabilities, particularly in the areas of domain awareness, communications and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; engaging with allies and partners to strengthen defense and deterrence in the region, establish interoperability and improve its understanding of how to operate in the region; and exercising calibrated presence in the region through regular training and routine operations.

“The Arctic region of the United States is critical to the defense of our homeland, the protection of U.S. national sovereignty, and the preservation of our defense treaty commitments,” said Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.

“Our Arctic strategy will guide the Department’s efforts to ensure that the Arctic remains a secure and stable region,” added Hicks, a 2024 Wash100 awardee.

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