//
DAF & Partners Introduce LaunchPad to Retool Digital Workforce
Published on
DAF & Partners Introduce LaunchPad to Retool Digital Workforce

The Department of the Air Force Digital Transformation Office, in collaboration with Digital Platform as a Service and SAIC, is developing LaunchPad, a cloud-based software tool environment.

The U.S. Air Force Materiel Command said Friday the new enterprise-funded software environment aims to revamp the digital workforce by allowing users to adopt digital materiel management — a.k.a. DMM — methods and accelerate the enterprise’s digital transformation.

The project seeks to leverage strategic initiatives such as providing training to ensure the proper use of digital tools, promoting a digital-first culture, creating digital strategies, structuring and securing data and making DMM tools readily accessible.

LaunchPad utilizes digital tools to bolster the processes by making them faster and more efficient in delivering capabilities from development to support. Available tools include Cameo and Teamwork Cloud for model-based systems engineering software, IBM DOORS for requirements management programs and MATLAB for data analysis.

The software environment offers free, user-friendly and secure access to cloud-based tools, training and other services for more than 2,000 users. LaunchPad is currently supporting engineering programs and collaboration, but plans are underway to broaden the toolset to benefit all functions within the organization. It is expected to grow to 80,000 users by Sept. 2029.

Elizabeth Loiacono, LaunchPad lead at AFMC, emphasized that the objective of the project is to provide access to critical software tools across all functionals.

“Now that we can provide access to the tools, we can provide training to upskill people and make their work processes faster and better,” Loiacono said.

The exec also pointed out that engineering tools are costly and by creating a shared environment and implementing floating licenses, an estimated $120 million of cost avoidance has been recorded since the start of LaunchPad.

“We’re hoping to add program management tools and other tools to support other functional areas,” added Loiacono.

Noah Demerly, lead system safety engineer at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, shared his experience using the software environment.

“With LaunchPad’s tools, I connected over 11,000 artifact types to criteria in the handbook in under ten minutes – work that would have taken over six man-weeks manually. This model can now be used by any Air Force program to trace airworthiness source data,” Demerly noted.

Learn everything you need about Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, or CMMC. Register here to watch the webinar.

DAF & Partners Introduce LaunchPad to Retool Digital Workforce
//
Army PEO EIS Leaders Discuss Digital Transformation Initiatives
Published on
Army PEO EIS Leaders Discuss Digital Transformation Initiatives

Officials from the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems discussed PEO EIS’ digital transformation efforts at a four-day technology conference held in Augusta, Georgia.

During the TechNet Augusta conference, Michael Chappell, chief information officer of PEO EIS, talked about the creation of a new office, called Product Lead Innovate, that will serve as a product delivery unit across technical domains and enable PEO EIS to advance the adoption of innovative technologies in support of warfighters.

According to the CIO, DevSecOps, Neighborhood Watch and the Army Data Mesh are some of the digital transformation programs within PL Innovate’s pipeline and each will have a designated assistant product manager. Chappell said those are the first three initiatives and more will follow.

Sergio Alvarez, deputy project director for enterprise services, noted that PEO EIS intends to unveil a platform, called Digital Market, designed to help the Army and the Department of Defense facilitate the procurement of commercial off-the-shelf IT products and services.

“What we’re really trying to do is make that seamless,” Alvarez said during the event.

“Part of our challenge and what we’re working through right now is exactly that — build a digital marketplace that’s literally a marketplace where you can come in, place your orders, get in, get out and then be able to track that towards processes of when you’re going to receive it,” he added.

/
Jon Kosloski Appointed Director of All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
Published on
Jon Kosloski Appointed Director of All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office

Jon Kosloski, previously with the National Security Agency, has been named director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office within the Department of Defense.

The Pentagon said Monday he will oversee its initiatives to reduce technical and intelligence challenges by utilizing the proper synchronization of scientific, intelligence, and operational processes with the help of the intelligence community. This is necessary to detect, identify and mitigate unidentified anomalous phenomena near national security areas.

Additionally, Kosloski will lead AARO’s efforts to study the U.S. government’s historical records on UAP and continue the declassification and release of UAP-related records to the public.

Before joining AARO, Kosloski served in various technical and executive roles in the research directorate of the NSA. He was responsible for conducting advanced mission-oriented research in networking and computing.

An expert on quantum optics research and crypto-mathematics, Kosloski created an advanced, language-agnostic search engine and advised different DOD agencies about free space optics. He also served in the special communications enterprise office of the DOD.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said, “Jon possesses the unique set of scientific and technical skills, policy knowledge, and proven leadership experience required to enhance AARO’s efforts to research and explain unidentified anomalous phenomena to the department, congress, and the American people.”

Join the Potomac Officers Club as they gather experts from the Intelligence Community, government officials and industry executives at the 2024 Intel Summit to discuss American intelligence’s future. Register now!

Jon Kosloski Appointed Director of All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
/
NASA Assessing Potential Operators for Astrobee Free-Flying Robotic System
Published on
NASA Assessing Potential Operators for Astrobee Free-Flying Robotic System

NASA is looking into government, academic and commercial organizations from the U.S. interested in operating the Astrobee free-flying robotic system and has issued a request for information for the effort.

The flying robots are deployed aboard the International Space Station where, since 2018, they have worked to help astronauts and researchers carry out a variety of tasks, including scientific investigations and technology demonstrations, NASA said Monday.

According to the RFI, the space agency plans to hand over Astrobee operations to a partner organization via an unfunded Space Act Agreement. That partner organization will facilitate third party access to and use of the robotic system.

Under the agreement, NASA will retain ownership of Astrobee but provide government resources for support, including hardware and spares; technology assessments and demonstrations; planning, integration and testing; and community support.

For its part, the Astrobee operator will shoulder planning, use and sustainment costs, and provide various support services as well, including hardware and software maintenance.

Interested parties have until Sept. 27 to respond.

//
DIU Seeking Gen AI Solutions to Accelerate, Enhance DOD Joint Planning
Published on
DIU Seeking Gen AI Solutions to Accelerate, Enhance DOD Joint Planning

The Defense Innovation Unit has issued a solicitation for generative artificial intelligence solutions to accelerate and enhance the Department of Defense’s joint planning efforts.

The desired Gen AI capability is expected to speed up data processing, produce draft planning products and provide expanded options for human planners and command personnel, DIU said.

The solutions must also ensure that AI-generated content advances the commander’s objectives, maintains operational security, verifies the accuracy of AI-supplied information and allows human planners to engage with AI systems, the unit added.

Specifically, the government requires solutions to support information synthesis and analysis, plan development, course of action development and wargaming, and operational security and information assurance.

DIU said it will prioritize submissions from companies that can enhance planning processes and use responsible AI practices.

The agency will also consider solutions from potential partners capable of integrating with existing or new joint planning processes and providing strategies for testing, evaluating and building trust in AI capabilities.

DIU will accept proposed solutions until Sept. 6.

/
VA’s Jeffrey Neill to Headline 2024 Healthcare Summit
Published on
VA’s Jeffrey Neill to Headline 2024 Healthcare Summit

On Dec. 11, the foremost healthcare experts, decision makers and leaders in the U.S. will come together to discuss the future of the healthcare sector and the factors that influence it at the 2024 Healthcare Summit. Department of Veterans Affairs leader Jeffrey Neill will participate in the event as a keynote speaker. Read below to learn more about Neill, his career and his priorities in his current role at the VA.

Who Is Jeffrey Neill?

Jeffrey Neill is the associate executive director and head of contracting activity for the VA’s Technology Acquisition Center, known as TAC. In this capacity, Neill is responsible for providing business and contracting solutions for the VA’s major information technology programs. He was appointed to his current role in June 2024 and has been with the VA since October 2023.

Prior to his time at the VA, Neill was the alternate senior contracting official for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where he oversaw a $100 billion portfolio, four USACE divisions, about 800 contracting employees and $18 billion in annual contracting awards. Before taking on that role, Neill served as the chief of contracting for the USACE’s Fort Worth, Texas and Galveston, Texas districts.

What Is the VA Technology Acquisition Center (TAC)?

Headquartered in Eatontown, New Jersey, the VA TAC is an organization of acquisition professionals that work to support business and contracting solutions for the department’s key IT programs. The TAC is home of the VA’s IT Acquisition Innovation Lab, and it’s organized into four main divisions: Contracting, Engineering, Customer Service and Operations.

The center’s customers include the VA’s digital service team, the VA Center for Innovation, the VA Office of Information and Technology, the Veterans Benefits Administration, the Veterans Health Administration, the National Cemetery Administration and other federal agencies.

VA TAC Contracts

Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology-Next Generation (T4NG)

The TAC manages several key IT contract vehicles, including T4NG, which is a multi-agency contract. The most recent iteration of the contract, T4NG2, covers cybersecurity, healthcare IT, strategy planning, enterprise network engineering, operations and maintenance, program management and systems and software engineering support services.

In October 2023, 30 companies secured positions on the potential 10-year, $60.7 billion T4NG2 contract vehicle. According to the VA, the TAC achieved cost efficiencies estimated at $627 million in fiscal year 2021 under the T4NG program.

Financial Management Business Transformation (FMBT)

The FMBT program is the VA’s plan to modernize its legacy Financial Management Systems. FMBT will “allow for the procurement of a full range of integrated program management services” to support the VA, according to the agency’s website.

Deloitte won a $219 million FMBT contract from the VA TAC in November 2023.

Hear From Jeffrey Neill at the 2024 Healthcare Summit

Learn more about VA TAC contract opportunities, priorities and strategies at the 2024 Healthcare Summit hosted by the Potomac Officers Club on Dec. 11. Visit the Healthcare Summit event page for more information on speakers and sessions, and register today to save your spot!

VA’s Jeffrey Neill to Headline 2024 Healthcare Summit
/
GovCon Index Recorded 2nd Consecutive Week of Growth
Published on
GovCon Index Recorded 2nd Consecutive Week of Growth

Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Index grew by 1.23% last week, closing with an average of $5,409.28.

GovCon Index gathers and displays real-time stock market data from 30 key government contracting companies. This information provides users with a glimpse into the financial performance of each organization and a look at the broad trends currently shaping the GovCon market.

V2X recorded gains of 16.10% last week, earning the enterprise the top spot in the ranks. Kratos, which grew by 7.07%, was second. Third and fourth place were claimed by Booz Allen Hamilton (+4.69%) and Leidos (+4.44%), and fifth was taken by Maximus (+3.64%).

Though last week’s increase did not happen steadily, gains on Monday, Wednesday and Friday overshadowed the losses GovCon Index experienced on Tuesday and Thursday. Last week marked week two of a developing growth trend.

Check out last week’s market reports to get the full story on daily GovCon Index performance. To access the full list of tracked companies, click here.

Former Congressman Mike Gallagher Looks to Leverage Experience in New Role at Palantir
Published on
Former Congressman Mike Gallagher Looks to Leverage Experience in New Role at Palantir

As Mike Gallagher enters his new position leading Palantir Technologies‘ defense business, he aims to help advance the company’s defense technology ecosystem and create a pipeline for the company to enter domains like space, Nextgov said Friday.

The former Wisconsin congressman spearheaded the House Armed Services Committee and was a lead commissioner on the Congress-mandated Cyberspace Solarium Commission before deciding to leave politics after serving four terms.

In his new role, Gallagher said he would like to build on Palantir’s recent achievements, including being selected for the Army’s Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node, or TITAN, contract.

“We want to enhance near-term deterrence at a time when we’re over the long-term struggling to recapitalize our submarine fleet in these big platforms, we’re going to have to deploy cutting-edge, innovative technology and get it into the hands of the warfighter as quickly as possible,” Gallagher said.

Gallagher also said he sees a “huge opportunity” to promote AUKUS pillar 2 as an initiative among global allies to align all parties in pursuing defensive resilience. He emphasized the benefits of Palantir’s ability to create successful partnerships throughout the Department of Defense.

“Defense primes are going to continue to exist. And that’s good for America. That’s healthy,” Gallagher stated. “And if we can collaborate and pair cutting-edge Palantir software with some of the legacy systems or next-generation systems and hardware that those companies produce, I think that’s great for not just the American industry, but again, the warfighter. And it all comes down to the warfighter.”

/
National Spectrum Consortium Opens Forums to Solicit Inputs for Spectrum Band Studies
Published on
National Spectrum Consortium Opens Forums to Solicit Inputs for Spectrum Band Studies

The National Spectrum Consortium and the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration are collaborating in a series of multi-stakeholder meetings to gather inputs for spectrum band studies that the National Spectrum Strategy mandates.

The forums’ first meeting, which was held on Friday, sought ideas from the public on a study of the 3.1–3.45 gigahertz and 7.125–8.4 GHz bands, the NSC said.

The schedule of the forum, organized under the under the Interagency Spectrum Advisory Council, will be approximately once every two months.

The agenda of future meetings will center on drawing from industry and academia such specifics as spectrum use cases, current technology solutions and coexistence scenarios along with technical inputs for feasible coexistence.

Joe Kochan, NSC CEO, expressed confidence that the capabilities of the consortium’s diverse membership could contribute to the government’s spectrum management efforts.

“We look forward to working with NTIA to convene these partners and to focus resources and efforts on meeting the goals of the National Spectrum Strategy,” he said.

Shiva Goel, the NTIA’s senior adviser for spectrum policy, underscored the agency’s commitment to the multi-stakeholder approach.

“To design and implement smart spectrum strategy, we need input from the best and brightest in the wireless world — across federal agencies, academia, the private sector and public interest,” he said.

The White House issued the strategy in November 2023, tasking the NTIA with the lead role in ensuring spectrum availability to support federal agencies and the private sector.

/
DHS S&T Must Improve Critical Infrastructure R&D Project Management, Says OIG
Published on
DHS S&T Must Improve Critical Infrastructure R&D Project Management, Says OIG

The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General has released an audit report calling out the DHS Science and Technology Directorate for deficiencies in its management of research and development activities concerning critical infrastructure security and resilience.

R&D Management Issues

In the report, which was released Aug. 20, the DHS OIG flagged the S&T Directorate for its failure to use a risk-based, holistic approach in prioritizing critical infrastructure R&D projects across the agency; its failure to follow its own project management policies as well as established PM principles; and its reliance on inaccurate or incomplete information when managing CI R&D.

The report attributed these issues to S&T’s having not established or updated department-wide strategic priorities, depending instead on component-based R&D prioritization processes; the directorate’s lack of a formal process to validate the quality of PM data; and the directorate’s having not ensured adherence to best practices in PM.

Implications

The issues raise questions about S&T’s ability to support the critical infrastructure R&D needs of the DHS and the directorate’s ability to effectively manage the $157.5 million in funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for critical infrastructure research efforts.

Recommendations

To address the issues, the OIG offered four recommendations:

  1. The identification of an entity responsible for updating and publishing CI R&D strategic plans and annual homeland threat assessments
  2. The establishment of a formal, risk-based process featuring strategic plans and threat assessments for the prioritization of research projects
  3. The development and implementation of improved controls to ensure compliance with program and project management principles
  4. The development and implementation of data validation controls

S&T officials concurred with the OIG’s recommendations.

1 … 311 312 313 314 315 … 2,707