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NREL Completes Kestrel Supercomputer Build With Installation of NVIDIA-Powered GPU Nodes
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NREL Completes Kestrel Supercomputer Build With Installation of NVIDIA-Powered GPU Nodes

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has installed 132 graphics processing unit nodes to its Kestrel supercomputer, completing the system and boosting its computing power to 44 petaflops.

The additional Nvidia GPUs will combine their power with the existing 2,314 central processing unit nodes, powered by Intel Sapphire Rapids processors, to advance ongoing research efforts on renewable energy, NREL said.

The GPU nodes will enable artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities to support the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s research programs, the laboratory added.

With the Hewlett Packard Enterprise-built Kestrel completed, numerous projects started using the system’s GPU muscle, which Derek Vigil-Fowler, principal investigator of the Beyond-DFT Electrochemistry with Accelerated and Solvated Techniques project at NREL, described as “extremely powerful.”

Vigil-Fowler noted that the GPUs have demonstrated excellent efficiency and scaling for simulating electrocatalytic systems, which aims to design better catalysts for water electrolysis, fuel cells and carbon dioxide reduction.

According to Kristin Munch, Kestrel’s project manager, the high-performance machine gives researchers the computing capabilities to perform research at a pace and scale that could support the envisioned energy transition for the United States.

NREL said Kestrel delivers more than five times the computing power and over two times the efficiency of its previous supercomputer, Eagle.

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NASA Launches 2 CubeSats on New Missions for Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator Series
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NASA Launches 2 CubeSats on New Missions for Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator Series

Two CubeSats on commercial rideshare in SpaceX’s Transporter-11 were launched from Vandenburg Space Force Base, California, on Friday to continue NASA’s Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator mission series.

The series, the first mission of which was launched in January 2021, now focuses on CubeSats PTD-4 and PTD-R sent into low Earth orbit to test and demonstrate new technologies and small spacecraft capabilities, NASA said.

PTD-4 will demonstrate a new solar panel system, while PTDR-will conduct the first tests on ultraviolet and short-wave infrared optical sensing through advanced telescopes.

The contractors for the two CubeSats’ launch, sought through NASA’s Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare — or VADR — award, include L2 Solutions’ Space Systems division and Terran Orbital, which provided the spacecraft bus and avionics platform. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory provided the optical payload for PTD-R.

SpaceX secured three task orders in the PTD mission series under the VADR contract vehicle, which helps cut launch costs and broaden space access.

The two CubeSats launched aboard the recent SpaceX flight are six-unit spacecraft, called Triumph, which is uniform for all PTD satellites.

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SAFECOM, NCSIS Release White Paper on Incorporating GPS Into P25 LMR Systems
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SAFECOM, NCSIS Release White Paper on Incorporating GPS Into P25 LMR Systems

SAFECOM—a public safety communications advisory body to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency—and the National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators have released a white paper that provides information about the possibility of integrating global positioning system capabilities into Project 25 land mobile radio systems used by public safety practitioners.

The two organizations said in the white paper, which was released Friday, that while GPS was once a source of concern regarding privacy, it has since demonstrated its capabilities in life-saving situations, providing situational awareness during planned activities and emergency scenarios.

The paper, titled “Global Positioning System for Public Safety Location Services: Use Cases and Best Practice,” describes case studies that illustrate how GPS can be made to work with P25 LMR systems.

SAFECOM and NCSWIC do put forward a few considerations organizations should address before acquiring GPS capabilities for integration into LMR. These considerations include determining the type of GPS service one’s system can accommodate and ensuring the protection of GPS data.

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Matt Stevens Named Deputy Associate Administrator at SBA Investment & Innovation Office
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Matt Stevens Named Deputy Associate Administrator at SBA Investment & Innovation Office

Matt Stevens has been appointed the new deputy associate administrator of the office of investment and innovation at the Small Business Administration, according to the executive’s LinkedIn post shared Monday.

Stevens has been with SBA for almost 10 of the last 12 years. He first joined SBA in 2012 as presidential management fellow before becoming the manager of strategic initiatives. He returned to the agency in 2021 and served as director of shuttered venue operators grant program, office of disaster assistance and later director of MySBA, office of the administrator.

In between his two stints with SBA, Stevens was employed by the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation as project manager for more than two years. He also briefly worked as presidential management fellow for the U.S. Department of State.

The executive was previously program manager and then director of business assistance center program at Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. His career also included stops at Milliman, TXU Energy and the Plan Fund.

Stevens graduated from Southwestern University with a degree in economics and spanish. He also earned a Master of Business Administration from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas.

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USAF Unification Effort Advancing, Says Chief of Staff David Allvin
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USAF Unification Effort Advancing, Says Chief of Staff David Allvin

The U.S. Air Force is making progress in its journey to become “one Air Force,” according to USAF Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin.

At a Hudson Institute event on Friday, Allvin said continued success in this effort relies on the use of mission effectiveness rather than functional competence as a foundation for capability development, power projection and mission execution, the Air Force said Monday.

“One Air Force [means bringing the force] back together and integrating to meet the threat and the environment,” said Allvin.

This transformation marks a shift in focus from the global war on terror to great power competition, a major factor in today’s national security landscape.

“We have to make sure we have the Air Force we need so if competition turns to potential conflict, we can either deter that conflict or decisively win it if called upon,” he said.

USAF Unification Effort Advancing, Says Chief of Staff David Allvin

Interested in learning more about how the U.S. is approaching great power competition? Check out the Potomac Officers Club’s GovCon International Summit on Oct. 10, where experts from government and industry will convene to dive into the intricacies of modern geopolitics. To access more information and register to attend the event, click here.

Allvin pointed out that the character of previous national security environments has caused the service branch to become “more diffused.” Though the global landscape has changed, “we really haven’t realigned ourselves because we haven’t had a sort of existential threat against which we should align ourselves,” he said.

Though the USAF still holds a technological advantage, Allvin emphasized that the service branch could “pay for it later” if it resists evolution.

“Whatever we do or don’t do today will impact how well the future fight goes … The environment is here — we have to adapt to it,” he said.

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SPACECOM Officials Discuss Advantages US Enjoys in Space Domain
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SPACECOM Officials Discuss Advantages US Enjoys in Space Domain

The joint nature of U.S. Space Command, along with the increasing space-related competency within the joint force, are a key advantage the U.S. enjoys over adversaries, according to officials from the geographical combatant command.

SPACECOM commander Gen. Stephen Whiting and command senior enlisted leader Chief Master Sgt. Jacob Simmons made this point during the National Defense Industrial Association Space Warfighting Forum, which took place in Colorado Springs on Aug. 15 and 16, according to a news article posted Thursday on the SPACECOM website.

“We benefit from, and are dependent upon, the integration of capabilities from every service as represented by our five component commands,” Whiting, a 2024 Wash100 winner, noted.

Another key advantage the U.S. enjoys is its relationship with responsible, like-minded nations.

“Coming together in teams, partnerships, coalitions and alliances, not only creates and promotes shared understanding and mutual respect in peace time, but also an undivided unity of effort, whenever dared,” Simmons commented.

A third advantage is delivered by the commercial aerospace industry, particularly commercial mission partners, whose “capabilities enhance our effectiveness, expand our capability, and increase our understanding of the space operational environment,” Whiting said.

The SPACECOM chief went on to underscore the fact that all stakeholders have a role in ensuring U.S. success in space.

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US Approves Potential Sale of Northrop-Built Precision Guidance Kits to Finland
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US Approves Potential Sale of Northrop-Built Precision Guidance Kits to Finland

The Finnish government has secured United States approval to procure M1156A1 Precision Guidance Kits and related equipment under a potential $70 million foreign military sale agreement.

Finland requested to purchase up to 5,500 M1156 PGKs manufactured by Northrop Grumman, in addition to the previously approved procurement of PGK spare parts, equipment training, and related elements of logistics and program support under an initial FMS case valued at nearly $1 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Monday.

According to Bernie Gruber, director of guided projectiles at Northrop, the PGK uses GPS technology to guide 155-mm shells to a target and is combat proven to show high accuracy and reliability.

The proposed sale is expected to provide Finland with enhanced artillery and mid-range fire capability to meet current and future threats and enhance its interoperability with U.S. and other allied forces.

Improving the security of a NATO ally supports the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the U.S., the DSCA said.

As the PGK manufacturer, Northrop will be the principal contractor of the potential FMS.

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s first GovCon International Summit on Oct. 10 to hear how international partnerships, coalition warfare and emerging technologies are reshaping the defense landscape. Register here.

US Approves Potential Sale of Northrop-Built Precision Guidance Kits to Finland
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Laura Stanton: GSA Working to Transform Federal Software Procurement Under Better Contracting Initiative Priority 2
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Laura Stanton: GSA Working to Transform Federal Software Procurement Under Better Contracting Initiative Priority 2

General Services Administration official Laura Stanton discussed GSA’s efforts to streamline the federal procurement and management of software assets under Priority 2 of the Better Contracting Initiative.

In a blog post published Monday, Stanton, assistant commissioner for the Office of Information Technology Category at GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service, wrote about the government’s strategic collaboration with original equipment manufacturers and the role of the IT Vendor Management Office, or ITVMO, in advancing the Governmentwide Acquisition Strategy initiative.

Stanton noted that ITVMO works by “developing partnerships with OEMs, conceptualizing solutions for governmentwide challenges, negotiating resolutions, and establishing guidelines that will serve as the benchmark for software procurement across federal agencies.”

According to the assistant commissioner, the agency has initiated efforts to improve cybersecurity measures, enhance software license flexibility and mobility, and implement cost-effective pricing strategies.

The GSA official added that ITVMO is developing a guide specific to critical OEMs to advance the adoption of best practices gained through the Governmentwide Acquisition Strategy implementation.

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USAID to Serve as OpenAI’s First ChatGPT Enterprise Customer
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USAID to Serve as OpenAI’s First ChatGPT Enterprise Customer

OpenAI has announced the first federal agency customer to receive the company’s ChatGPT Enterprise services, FedScoop reported Monday.

The U.S. Agency for International Development plans to use OpenAI’s ChatGPT artificial intelligence services to advance the agency’s operational workflow and improve external partnerships.

Anna Makanju, OpenAI’s vice president of global affairs, said, “I believe that the best way for government officials to understand advanced AI models is to use these tools.”

“These tools can also enable governments to serve more people more efficiently — and already, nearly 100,000 government users across federal, state, and local levels are utilizing the consumer version of ChatGPT,” Makanju added.

USAID is seeking a FedRAMP moderate accreditation for ChatGPT Enterprise, which would authorize the generative AI platform to handle moderately classified federal information. As artificial intelligence applications continue to be implemented throughout government agencies, USAID has put AI at the forefront of the agency’s critical initiatives.

“AI continues to evolve, so we hope to work closely with federal stakeholders to ensure that the FedRAMP security risk evaluation process allows government users to access the latest AI tools as they come online,” Makanju stated.

ChatGPT Enterprise will be accessible through the Microsoft Azure cloud offering the federal government currently uses.

During the Potomac Officers Club’s 10th annual 2024 Intel Summit, you can learn more about the recent implementations of AI systems and other evolving technologies amongst tenured Intelligence Community officials. Secure your tickets now! 

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William Streilein to Step Down as DOD Chief Digital and AI Office CTO
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William Streilein to Step Down as DOD Chief Digital and AI Office CTO

William Streilein, the inaugural chief technology officer of the Department of Defense’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office, is stepping down from his role to return to academia.

In a LinkedIn post published Monday, CDAO said Streilein played a key role in forming the chief technology office within CDAO, helping shape DOD’s thinking on generative AI and communicating the department’s AI progress and priorities to government, industry and academic institutions.

According to CDAO, Streilein is preparing to rejoin MIT Lincoln Labs at the end of the summer.

In 2022, he joined CDAO, formerly the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, from MIT Lincoln Laboratory, where he served as principal staff of the biotechnology and human systems division.

He also served as head of the cyber analytics and decisions group at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and worked as a software engineer for nearly a decade in the private sector.

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