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Reagan Institute’s National Security Innovation Base Report Card Gives ‘D’ Grade to Defense Modernization
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Reagan Institute’s National Security Innovation Base Report Card Gives ‘D’ Grade to Defense Modernization

A new report by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute’s Center for Peace Through Strength has given defense modernization in the U.S. a “D” grade, reflecting the country’s limited progress in transitioning innovative platforms into fielded national security capabilities.

According to the Reagan Institute’s second annual National Security Innovation Base Report Card, the grade reflects a downward trend and the lack of new programs of record that address NSIB priorities.

“Failure to act on innovation priorities and pull through technologies at scale is materially affecting overall readiness levels and ability to fight and win against a pacing competitor,” the report reads.

The use of other transaction authority agreements to accelerate the transition of new capabilities to the production phase rose 46 percent between 2022 and 2024, compared with 30 percent from 2018 through the end of 2023.

“Commercial space acquisition more than doubled since 2018, with a 7% increase of share seen from 2018-2019, demonstrating ability to leverage innovative private tech,” the report notes.

Apart from defense modernization, the report card assessed and graded the national security innovation ecosystem across nine other key indicators: innovation leadership; pull-through for broader national priorities; customer clarity; private sector innovator base; public/civil innovation base; government alignment; international alliances and partnerships; innovation capital; and talent base.

Innovation capital, pull-through for broader national priorities, government alignment and international partnerships and alliances are the indicators that exhibited improving trends in the report card.

The document also offered six signature recommendations to improve the NSIB ecosystem, including the need for the Department of Defense and Congress to fully fund the Replicator initiative in fiscal year 2025 and prioritize the development and maturation of novel manufacturing processes that support the production of munitions and other military capabilities.

Congress should establish a National Security Innovation Base Green Card Recapture Program to build up the STEM workforce and DOD should launch a pilot program for shared access to commercial classified infrastructure, according to the report.

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Airbus Secures NASA Contract for GRACE-C Twin Spacecraft Development Contract
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Airbus Secures NASA Contract for GRACE-C Twin Spacecraft Development Contract

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has awarded Airbus a contract to design and build the twin spacecraft for the GRACE-C mission.

GRACE-C stands for Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment-Continuity and is a joint mission of NASA and the German Space Agency that seeks to continue collecting measurements of the Earth’s gravity field to observe changes in the planet’s groundwater, land, oceans and ice sheets, Airbus said Tuesday.

“It is amazing to think that, without looking down at Earth, two satellites more than 200 km away from each other, can tell us how quickly our ice sheets are melting. In environmental monitoring, continuity is key,” said Alain Faure, head of space systems at Airbus.

“The valuable data provided by the previous GRACE missions is testament to their success and it is great news that Airbus continues to be part of this international mission providing the tools to measure how our climate is evolving,” added Faure.

GRACE-C is composed of two satellites, each weighing approximately 600 kilograms and flying around 200 kilometers apart at an altitude of about 500 kilometers. The two identical satellites will feature upgraded avionics and Laser Ranging Interferometer.

The German Space Operations Center will operate the GRACE-C mission, which is expected to launch from the U.S. no earlier than late 2028.

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DAF to Debut Hypori-built Secure Mobile Access Platform; Venice Goodwine Quoted
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DAF to Debut Hypori-built Secure Mobile Access Platform; Venice Goodwine Quoted

The Department of the Air Force plans to implement a Hypori-developed platform intended to provide personnel with secure mobile access to government applications, unclassified data and Common Access Card-enabled websites.

The Air Force said Tuesday the Hypori Halo Workspace Anywhere application would create a separate and secure virtual workspace from personal phones, tablets or computers of U.S. Air Force and Space Force members and allow them to access email, NIPRNet and other government apps while ensuring user privacy.

It also wouldn’t download or store data on employees’ phones to eliminate risks from compromised, lost, or stolen devices.

“Our Airmen and Guardians are the core of our national security advantage,” said Venice Goodwine, chief information officer of DAF and a 2024 Wash100 awardee. “In our dynamic environment, the Department of the Air Force is committed to providing user-friendly enterprise solutions which empower the force to work securely in a wide range of operational contexts.”

The mobile app will enable global connectivity and will be available in Summer 2024 from any iOS, Android, or Windows-based device, following a pilot program with the Department of the Army to research the adoption of Hypori Halo, the same app-based offering.

Hear insights from government and industry leaders headlining the Potomac Officers Club’s 5th Annual CIO Summit on April 17. Register here for the in-person event.

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Intel Set to Receive $8.5B in CHIPS Act Funding; Pat Gelsinger, Gina Raimondo Quoted
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Intel Set to Receive $8.5B in CHIPS Act Funding; Pat Gelsinger, Gina Raimondo Quoted

Intel has signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms, or PMT, with the U.S. Department of Commerce for $8.5 billion in potential CHIPS and Science Act funding.

With this investment, Intel intends to upgrade chip manufacturing sites in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio and Oregon to advance various research and development programs, the Santa Clara, California-based company announced on Wednesday.

Intel Set to Receive $8.5B in CHIPS Act Funding; Pat Gelsinger, Gina Raimondo Quoted

Microelectronics are key components of building advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, which Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said is “supercharging the digital revolution.”

As the sole U.S. company that develops and produces logic chips, Intel is a major player in the nation’s efforts to perfect this new technology. According to Gelsinger, the funds would “help to ensure that Intel and the U.S. stay at the forefront of the AI era.”

It’s not too late to register for the Potomac Officers Club’s 5th Annual AI Summit tomorrow! To secure your spot before registration closes, click here.

The PMT is part of a joint effort between the Commerce Department and Intel to invest a total of over $100 billion into the U.S. microelectronics industry.

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said the deal is “one of the largest investments ever in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing.” She noted that it will create over 30,000 jobs.

The investment gives Intel the choice to utilize up to $11 billion in federal loans. The company also expects to claim the Department of the Treasury’s Investment Tax Credit, which could potentially reach 25 percent of qualified investments of over $100 billion in a five-year period.

Through the agreement, Intel aims to promote U.S. technology leadership and improve its Intel Foundry and finance R&D initiatives focused on microelectronics. The organization will also work to cultivate the future semiconductor workforce while increasing supply chain resilience and sustainability.

This announcement follows a recent move in which the Department of Defense canceled its plan to provide $2.5 billion in CHIPS and Science Act funding to Intel, pushing the responsibility to the Commerce Department.

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NSA Director Gen. Timothy Haugh & Sandbox AQ Exec Jen Sovada Recognized for GovCon Impacts With Wash100 Award
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NSA Director Gen. Timothy Haugh & Sandbox AQ Exec Jen Sovada Recognized for GovCon Impacts With Wash100 Award

Two quite different but equally impactful figures were lauded today in Executive Mosaic publications for their contributions to the government contracting industry.

Gen. Timothy Haugh, director of the National Security Agency and commander of U.S. Cyber Command, and Jen Sovada, president of global public sector at SandboxAQ, are both first-time recipients of the Wash100 Award.

Induction into this hallowed class of first-rate GovCon and federal change-makers is one of the highest honors in the Capital region. The list is composed of the C-suite executives, technologists, engineers, military generals and more who are shaping the future of the federal sector. EM vets thousands of candidates before assembling each year’s list. Then, once the list is public, a popular vote contest is held to determine the community’s most beloved recipient. A winner is crowned in May.

Cast 10 votes today in the contest at Wash100.com!

Gen. Haugh — the successor of past Wash100 honoree Gen. Paul Nakasone — was awarded this year for his considerable efforts to modernize NSA and Cybercom cyber defense systems. He made commitments like integrating Cybercom’s training standards into the preparation of tactical and expeditionary IT defense units across all service branches. Read more about his award-worthy work in the first year of his post at GovCon Wire here.

Sovada, meanwhile, is a tireless advocate for quantum education and implementation. The growing company, for whom Sovada leads the international government business, recently announced a partnership with Carahsoft and the acquisition of computational chemistry company Good Chemistry. Executive Mosaic CEO Jim Garrettson said “Jen’s leadership in the rapidly evolving quantum and AI fields is helping to drive advancements and adoption within the federal landscape.” Read her full profile at ExecutiveBiz here.

Congratulations to both Gen. Timothy Haugh and Jen Sovada! EM knows their best work is yet to come, so keep an eye on these two.

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Troy Meink: NRO Expects Lower Launch Costs for NSSL Phase 3
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Troy Meink: NRO Expects Lower Launch Costs for NSSL Phase 3

Troy Meink, principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office, said the agency expects to see a decline in the cost of launch services to be procured under the third phase of the U.S. Space Force’s National Security Space Launch, or NSSL, program, Breaking Defense reported Monday.

“We are confident that the launch costs will continue to come down under the NSSL Phase 3 acquisition and are working closely with the Space Force on that,” Meink said.

According to Meink, the decline in launch costs would enable NRO to diversify its on-orbit force structure to include both small and large spacecraft using multiple orbital domains, allowing the agency to “provide greater revision rates, increased coverage and more timely information.”

“This significant reduction in cost to entry for launch not only opened the market for a new commercial space companies, but it has made new architecture approaches affordable to the government that were not a decade ago,” Meink said.

In October 2023, Space Force released solicitations for the two lanes of the NSSL Phase 3 contract, which is expected to be awarded in fiscal 2025.

Lane 1 covers lower-risk launch missions to commercial orbits and Lane 2 focuses on heavy-lift launch services.

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NASA Appoints Leslie Livesay as Deputy Director of Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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NASA Appoints Leslie Livesay as Deputy Director of Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Leslie Livesay, former associate director for flight projects and mission success at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has been named deputy director of the federally funded research and development center, succeeding Larry James, who held the role for over a decade.

Livesay, who brings to the role 37 years of experience in autonomous space exploration, Earth science and astrophysics, will work under Laurie Leshin, the first woman to lead the laboratory, NASA said Monday.

Her nearly four-decade career at JPL includes time as director for astronomy and physics, director for engineering and science, deputy director of the Astronomy and Physics Directorate and flight system manager for the New Millennium Deep Space 1 Project.

She also served as project manager for the Kepler space telescope mission to search extrasolar terrestrial planets.

“Leslie has blazed a path in numerous senior leadership positions across JPL. She brings remarkable experience and capabilities to the role as we look toward the enormous and exciting opportunities that lay ahead,” Leshin said.

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USMC’s Shery Thomas Says Network Consolidation Is Helping Marine Corps Advance Zero Trust
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USMC’s Shery Thomas Says Network Consolidation Is Helping Marine Corps Advance Zero Trust

Shery Thomas, cyber technology officer and technical director for Marine Corps Cyberspace Command, said network unification is enabling the U.S. Marine Corps to further advance its transition to a zero trust architecture, Federal News Network reported Monday.

Thomas told FNN in an interview that the Marines will no longer have to deploy cyber capabilities on individual networks and have been consolidating cloud instances into an enterprise network, dubbed the Marine Corps Enterprise Network.

“This will alleviate all of the problems in terms of individuals trying to get to that [zero trust] state, and then the entire Marine Corps, at one level, providing that,” Thomas said.

“A tail to that is once the unification happens on the Marine Corps side, this will help in terms of the joint all-domain command and control (JADC2) interoperability with our service partners and coalition with our bilateral or any other partner nations. And then there’s this Cyber Command of in terms of big data platform, so once it’s all together, it helps in terms of a single repository containing all the information. I am not putting it into one platform or one tool, it’s a mesh,” he added.

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Online Government Repository for Software Security Attestation Forms Now Available
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Online Government Repository for Software Security Attestation Forms Now Available

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has made available a facility where software producers working with the federal government can upload, along with relevant artifacts, forms indicating their compliance with secure development practices.

CISA said Monday that the Repository for Software Attestation and Artifacts is part of efforts to reduce the cybersecurity risks to which the federal government is exposed by promoting the use of securely-developed software.

According to CISA Executive Assistant Director for Cybersecurity Eric Goldstein, “The repository for software attestation and artifacts will enable a standardized process for agencies and software producers that provides transparency on the security of software development.”

The secure software development attestation form itself was released on March 11.

CISA said the use of the form reinforces secure-by-design principles, builds on Executive Order 14028 and furthers the National Cybersecurity Strategy.

DOD Urged to Improve Monitoring of Defense Sector M&A Activities
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DOD Urged to Improve Monitoring of Defense Sector M&A Activities

Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D., members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, have called on the Department of Defense to reform its approach to addressing risks from mergers and acquisitions in the defense sector.

In a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the lawmakers cited a report from the Government Accountability Office that found inadequacies in DOD’s processes in tracking, monitoring and assessing the risks that arise from M&A in the defense industry.

While the lawmakers acknowledged the important role the Pentagon plays in reviewing proposed transactions that may potentially impact competition in the defense industry, they raised concerns that DOD’s processes are “not proactive” and do not assess the full range of risks posed by M&A activities in the defense industrial base.

“These inadequacies can increase supply chain fragility and costs to the Department for products and services provided by an increasingly consolidated defense supply chain,” the lawmakers said.

To address these inadequacies, the lawmakers recommended that DOD update its M&A policy to specify which transactions require review; shift existing resources to increase M&A review staffing levels; be proactive in tracking and monitoring transactions; and consistently engage in post-merger analysis.

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