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CTC Continues Design & Production of Additive Manufacturing System for AFRL
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CTC Continues Design & Production of Additive Manufacturing System for AFRL

Concurrent Technologies Corporation, or CTC, has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to produce an innovative additive manufacturing, or AM, machine.

Under the $4.4 million contract — part two of an ongoing project — CTC aims to modernize AM equipment and broaden the production of longer parts for vital defense capabilities throughout the Department of Defense, the Johnstown, Pennsylvania-based company announced Wednesday. 

Ed Sheehan Jr., president and CEO of CTC, said, “CTC is committed to advancing manufacturing capabilities and supporting the defense industry’s critical needs.”

 “The technical work we are performing for this project includes elements of CTC’s full-service portfolio of AM capabilities including design, testing, post-processing, machining and qualification,” Sheehan Jr. added.

The current process of joining smaller AM parts to build large weapon capabilities has brought challenges such as inconsistent mechanical properties and limited design flexibility. 

Throughout this second phase the contract, CTC will look to finalize the AM machine design, install the systems and print near- or full-height representative geometry to improve functionality.

Ken Sabo, senior director of manufacturing at CTC, said, “We are proud of AFRL’s continued trust in our ability to provide value on this important effort.”

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Oshkosh Defense Wins Navy Contract for MHTV Support
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Oshkosh Defense Wins Navy Contract for MHTV Support

Oshkosh Defense was awarded a potential $39.5 million contract by the U.S. Navy to provide support to the Marine Corps’ fleet of tactical vehicles.

The Department of Defense said Monday Oshkosh Defense will deliver multiple engineering change proposal or ECP kits to the Marine Corps to support their medium and heavy tactical vehicles, or MHTV.

Under the firm-fixed-price and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, the defense technology company will procure government-approved ECP kits, parts and hardware components essential in maintaining the vehicles. These items are also necessary for recurring installations that help enhance the MHTV’s capabilities and survivability.

Vehicles included in the MHTV fleet are the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement, or MTVR, Logistics Vehicle System Replacement, or LVSR, and the Automatic Fire Extinguisher System-equipped P19-Replacement, or P19R.

Oshkosh Defense will do the work in Wisconsin where the company is based. The project is expected to be completed by July 2029.

Funds will be allocated on individual delivery orders. A total of $2.1 million from the Marine Corps’ procurement funds for fiscal years 2022, 2023 and 2024 has been reserved for these delivery orders. However, $1.6 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year while the remaining $500,000 will still be available beyond the said period.

The contract was awarded as a sole-source acquisition under the Federal Acquisition Regulation. The Marine Corps Systems Command, headquartered in Quantico, Virginia, will oversee the contract.

Join the Potomac Officers Club at the 2024 Navy Summit on August 15, 2024. Register here.

Oshkosh Defense Wins Navy Contract for MHTV Support
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ICF Secures $84M Disaster Management Contract From Puerto Rico
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ICF Secures $84M Disaster Management Contract From Puerto Rico

ICF received an $84 million contract from the government of Puerto Rico for grant management support.

The global consulting and technology services company said Monday Puerto Rico’s Public Private Partnership Authority granted a contract aimed at strengthening the country’s long-term disaster management, recovery and mitigation efforts.

Under the agreement, ICF will provide grant management support to the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency, or COR3. The recompete contract spans three years, including a one-year base and two one-year option periods.

The company’s disaster management experts, most of whom are situated in the country, will assist in the fast and proper dispersing of funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

ICF will utilize disasTRAX, their proprietary cloud-based grants management platform, to centralize and speed up the process of grants management and reporting.

The company previously worked with Puerto Rico’s COR3 after disasters like hurricanes Maria, Irma and Fiona hit the North American country. Through their collaboration, more than $9 billion in funds have been allocated since 2018 for the recovery of those affected by disasters.

Anne Choate, ICF executive VP for energy, environment and infrastructure, emphasized COR3’s vision for a stronger, more prosperous Puerto Rico by empowering the community and ensuring that funds are properly distributed.

“COR3 is leading a disaster recovery effort which is unprecedented in scale, scope and complexity,” said Choate.

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Navy CIO Seeks to Accelerate IT Modernization With Memo on Structured Divestment Approach
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Navy CIO Seeks to Accelerate IT Modernization With Memo on Structured Divestment Approach

The Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer has released a memorandum providing information and outlining industry best practices to drive structured divestments to advance information technology modernization efforts within DON.

DON CIO said Tuesday the memo titled Structured Divestment Approach outlines a path to identify, evaluate and sunset redundant technologies and reinvest in modern capabilities in support of warfighters.

According to the document, the approach seeks to execute the Navy’s Operation Cattle Drive, which intends to eliminate obsolete or unneeded IT systems and applications to speed up IT modernization and strengthen the cybersecurity of the department’s IT networks.

Some of the best practices listed in the memo are leveraging world class alignment metrics, or WAMs, to enrich data-centric decision making, using horizon investment charts to evaluate where redundant technologies and capabilities can create Cattle Drive candidates and redirecting divestment savings to technologies compliant with modern service delivery design concepts.

Justin Fanelli, DON’s acting chief technology officer, signed the memo.

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FedRAMP Solicits Public Comments on Proposed Performance Metrics
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FedRAMP Solicits Public Comments on Proposed Performance Metrics

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program has started seeking public comments on a proposed set of key performance metrics designed to measure the end-to-end FedRAMP authorization experience and align with its mission of being a security-first program.

FedRAMP said Tuesday it is asking cloud service providers, third-party assessment organizations and other stakeholders to state the most important metrics for assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the program’s process.

The program also wants to know the types of information that would help manage expectations and improve the customer experience during the FedRAMP authorization process and what role FedRAMP could play in helping define success regarding timeliness and cost effectiveness of the authorization process where the program is not involved in every phase of the process.

With the program’s evolving landscape, FedRAMP intends to reassess metrics each year to facilitate updates and use the Government Risk and Compliance platform buildout to inform future metrics.

Comments on the proposed metrics are due Aug. 29.

In late March, FedRAMP launched a new roadmap outlining its four strategic goals, including orienting around the customer experience and positioning the program as a leader in cybersecurity and risk management.

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DOD Chief Digital & AI Office Appoints Julie Cruz Its Business Operations Director
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DOD Chief Digital & AI Office Appoints Julie Cruz Its Business Operations Director

The Department of Defense’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office has appointed Julie Cruz, most recently director of staff for the Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration Office at Headquarters Air Force, as director of business operations.

In a LinkedIn post published Friday, CDAO said Cruz will also be promoted to the Senior Executive Service in addition to her appointment as head of business operations.

In her previous role, Cruz helped carry out monitoring, assessment and oversight activities associated with arms control international treaties and agreements, countering weapons of mass destruction and efforts to ensure the safety, security and reliability of the nuclear mission for the Department of the Air Force, according to her profile on the professional networking site.

Her career within DOD included time as director of technology career field within the U.S. Army’s Office of the Chief Information Officer, strategic planner within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs and program analyst within DAF’s 30th Space Wing Plans and Programs.

She previously served as a budget analyst within the State of Wyoming’s Department of Administration and Information Budget Division.

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Watch: Top 5G Challenges & How to Solve Them
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Watch: Top 5G Challenges & How to Solve Them

5G is essential to the future of wireless communications, but in the United States, we’re still dealing with some hurdles to widespread deployment. In Executive Mosaic’s latest video interview, we sat down with Gen. Rob Spalding, CEO of SEMPRE, to learn more about what’s standing in the way of 5G and what can be done to knock those barriers down.

Curious about 5G in the U.S. Navy? Hear Rob Spalding speak on a panel at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Navy Summit on Aug. 15 to learn more about the Navy’s 5G use cases. Register now to attend.

“Unfortunately, the way we’ve architected infrastructure today has been in a highly centralized manner,” Spalding told Executive Mosaic’s Summer Myatt. “As you can imagine, if you’re highly centralized and you take out that single location that the network’s relying on, then you may have perfectly functioning cell towers around you, but they don’t work.”

“We don’t build centralized networks in the military. We build highly decentralized networks because they’re much more resilient,” he added.

Spalding shared that cellular technology used to be a convenience, but now, it’s “absolutely necessary.” And because of its increasing importance, we need to be building networks that are resilient and secure so that we can rely on them in times of crisis or conflict. Spalding argued that as we look to the future of 5G, we must build more decentralized infrastructure.

In addition to his role as CEO of SEMPRE, Spalding is also a retired U.S. Air Force general and a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. His work primarily focuses on U.S.-China relations, as well as economic and national security. Earlier in his career, Spalding was the White House National Security Council senior director for strategic planning.

Meet Rob Spalding on Aug. 15 at the 2024 Navy Summit — register to attend the Navy Summit today!

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NARA Explores Automation, Other Tech to Advance Digital Records Management
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NARA Explores Automation, Other Tech to Advance Digital Records Management

The National Archives and Records Management is looking at automation and other technologies to advance digital records management without human intervention, Federal News Network reported Monday.

Lisa Haralampus, director of federal records management policy and outreach at NARA, told FNN in an interview that the agency wants to establish a group of information management professionals who can oversee digital records processes and policies.

“We are calling this strategy ‘zero click’ so it’s zero click for users,” Haralampus said.

“And I like to say, it’s 10,000 clicks for the information professionals behind the scene. So, we can get there. I think we’re going to have a modern records management environment where we’re actually systemically and at scale able to manage the records created by agencies,” she added.

According to Haralampus, NARA is working with the General Services Administration to ensure the availability of certified records management tools for agencies as they procure digital services and is assessing how artificial intelligence and machine learning impact federal records management.

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NTIA Report Recommends Active Monitoring of Risks in Open AI Models
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NTIA Report Recommends Active Monitoring of Risks in Open AI Models

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration has issued a report outlining policy recommendations that promote artificial intelligence innovation while actively monitoring for potential risks associated with open AI systems.

NTIA said Tuesday the Report on Dual-Use Foundation Models with Widely Available Model Weights recommends that the U.S. government establish a program to gather evidence of risks, assess the collected evidence and act on those assessments.

When it comes to evidence collection, recommended activities include conducting research into the safety of consequential and powerful AI models, maintaining a set of risk-specific indicators and supporting external research into the present and future capabilities of dual-use foundation models and risk mitigations.

“The openness of the largest and most powerful AI systems will affect competition, innovation and risks in these revolutionary tools,” said NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson.

“NTIA’s report recognizes the importance of open AI systems and calls for more active monitoring of risks from the wide availability of model weights for the largest AI models. Government has a key role to play in supporting AI development while building capacity to understand and address new risks,” added Davidson, assistant secretary of Commerce for communications and information.

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Lara Schmidt Named Vice Chair of Air Force’s Scientific Advisory Board
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Lara Schmidt Named Vice Chair of Air Force’s Scientific Advisory Board

Lara Schmidt was selected as the new vice chair of the scientific advisory board of the Department of the Air Force.

The Air Force said Monday that Schmidt, an Aerospace Corp. vice president, will reportedly play a pivotal role in ensuring the effectiveness and overall direction of the advisory board.

Schmidt will focus on studying topics determined by the Air Force secretary. Her other responsibilities include providing technology application recommendations and evaluating the department’s science and technology programs.

The SAB, formed in 1944, is composed of experts in the field of S&T, manufacturing, acquisition process and other matters relevant to the department. It advises the DAF leadership on scientific and technological matters and identifies tech use-cases to help in the development of new capabilities for the Air Force and Space Force.

Schmidt has been a member of the scientific advisory board since 2016.

The American University-trained mathematician is also the VP of defense architectures and integration in the defense systems group at Aerospace. Before that, she was the associate general manager of the communications and navigations capabilities division.

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