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DIU Issues Multiple Contracts for Aircraft Drag Reduction Technology Development
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DIU Issues Multiple Contracts for Aircraft Drag Reduction Technology Development

The Defense Innovation Unit, in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Air Force Special Operations Command and the Air Force Operational Energy Office, has awarded multiple contracts to prototype technologies that could reduce drag on legacy logistics aircraft.

Reducing drag is expected to decrease the amount of fuel consumed by these aircraft and, consequently, lower the cost of airborne logistics missions, the DIU said Thursday.

One of the awardees is Vortex Control Technologies, which was selected to develop several drag reduction solutions, including the installation of “finlets” – small fins that enhance the aerodynamics of an aircraft’s fuselage – onto C-130J and KC-135 aircraft.

Another awardee is Metro Aerospace, which has been tapped to develop its commercially-available Microvane for use on the USAF’s C-130s. These 3D-printed structures are placed on an aircraft’s fuselage to reduce drag by altering airflow in the tail section.

The third contract winner is Australian company MicroTau, whose riblet film is set to be tested on a AFSOC C-130J within fiscal year 2024. Riblets are microscopic structures that boost aircraft efficiency by lowering drag. These films can be installed on an aircraft using adhesives.

DIU estimates that these technologies could result in up to 10 percent in fuel consumption as well as extended operational capability for these aircraft.

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Cara Abercrombie Sworn in as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition
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Cara Abercrombie Sworn in as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition

Cara Abercrombie has officially assumed responsibilities as assistant secretary of defense for acquisition.

Before she was sworn in on Tuesday, Abercrombie served as deputy assistant to the president and coordinator for defense policy and arms control for the National Security Council, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment announced on Tuesday.

She was nominated to the assistant secretary position at the Department of Defense in April 2023.

In her new role, Abercrombie will be the the principal advisor to the under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, deputy secretary of defense and the secretary of defense on issues pertaining to the DOD Acquisition System and acquisition program management as well as the development of command and control, intelligence, tactical warfare and space systems and more.

Abercrombie has held various leadership roles at DOD since 2003. Prior to serving in her previous position, she was acting deputy director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. Earlier in her career, she served as principal director for East Asia policy, special assistant to the secretary of defense and human capital strategy adviser to the undersecretary for policy, among other roles.

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CISA Unveils Key Actions to Promote Open Source Ecosystem Security; Jen Easterly Quoted
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CISA Unveils Key Actions to Promote Open Source Ecosystem Security; Jen Easterly Quoted

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency announced new initiatives to help ensure the security of the open source ecosystem at a two-day Open Source Software Security Summit.

CISA said Thursday that the actions include close collaboration with package repositories to promote the adoption of the Principles for Package Repository Security framework, which details voluntary security maturity levels for package repositories.

The agency also revealed the launch of a new effort to facilitate cyber defense information sharing and voluntary collaboration with open source software infrastructure operators to improve safeguards for the open source software supply chain.

Another CISA initiative is the planned publication of materials from the summit’s tabletop exercise to make lessons learned available to the open source community, and several repositories are also working to align with the new security guidelines.

These projects include the Rust Foundation’s work to implement Public Key Infrastructure for the Crates.io package repository and the Python Software Foundation’s move to add new providers to PyPI for credential-less publishing, among others.

“Open Source Software is foundational to the critical infrastructure Americans rely on every day,” said Jen Easterly, director of CISA and a 2024 Wash100 awardee.

“As the national coordinator for critical infrastructure security and resilience, we’re proud to announce these efforts to help secure the open source ecosystem in close partnership with the open source community, and are excited for the work to come,” she added.

POC - 2024 Cyber Summit

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Cyber Summit on June 6 and hear cyber experts from both government and industry discuss the latest trends and the dynamic role of cyber in the public sector. Register here.

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AI Advocates Young Bang & Dana Barnes Spotlighted for 2024 Wash100 Wins
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AI Advocates Young Bang & Dana Barnes Spotlighted for 2024 Wash100 Wins

On Friday, Executive Mosaic highlighted the accomplishments of Young Bang, principal deputy assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology for the U.S. Army, and Dana Barnes, president of Dataminr’s government business unit, in honor of their 2024 Wash100 Award wins.

The esteemed Wash100 Award is the most prestigious recognition for government contracting industry executives. Each Wash100 class is hand-picked using a selection process that puts the past achievements of each nominee under a microscope and evaluates their forward momentum.

Bang, a first-time awardee, was chosen for his tireless commitment to Army technology development and acquisition initiatives. He has zeroed in on novel capabilities like artificial intelligence and is working to ensure that its adoption is done responsibly. He is also a passionate advocate for government-industry collaboration. Read his full profile here.

Barnes was welcomed into the ranks of Wash100 for the third time this year in recognition of his efforts to empower AI innovation. In 2023, Barnes repeatedly spoke about the benefits of AI and the necessity of making sure both public and private sector organizations embrace it responsibly. To read his full profile, click here.

Dataminr is sponsoring the Potomac Officers Club’s 5th Annual AI Summit on March 21, which will gather experts in the field to discuss the future of AI technologies in the federal government. To learn more and register to attend the event, click here.

The beloved Wash100 popular vote contest has returned! Visit Wash100.com to vote for your favorite 2024 winners.

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ISS National Lab Seeks Concept Summaries for In-Space Production Applications Funding Opportunity
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ISS National Lab Seeks Concept Summaries for In-Space Production Applications Funding Opportunity

The International Space Station National Laboratory is soliciting concepts that could advance in-space production applications in advanced materials and manufacturing as part of a new funding opportunity.

The ISS National Lab said Wednesday it is interested in proposed concepts that could demonstrate space-based manufacturing and production initiatives that reflect sustainable and scalable market opportunities with the potential to create demand for access to low Earth orbit.

The organization may grant funding to flight projects that could back mission operations and integration for research efforts on the orbiting laboratory.

The national lab will hold a webinar on March 25 and accept concept summaries regarding in-space production applications through May 2.

Selected participants may submit full proposals for the funding opportunity through July 8.

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FBI Report Reveals Top 3 Ransomware Targets in 2023
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FBI Report Reveals Top 3 Ransomware Targets in 2023

A report by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, also known as IC3, has found that healthcare and public health, critical manufacturing and government facilities are the top three critical infrastructure sectors that were affected by ransomware attacks in 2023.

The healthcare sector landed the top spot with a total of 249 complaints, followed by critical manufacturing at 218 and government facilities at 156.

“The IC3 received 1,193 complaints from organizations belonging to a critical infrastructure sector that were affected by a ransomware attack. Of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors, IC3 reporting indicated 14 sectors had at least 1 member that fell to a ransomware attack in 2023,” the Internet Crime Report reads.

According to the report, Lockbit, ALPHV/Blackcat, Akira, Royal and Black Basta were the top five ransomware variants that had an impact on a member of a critical infrastructure sector in 2023.

There were 14,190 complaints of government impersonation received in 2023, generating losses of approximately $394 million.

Meanwhile, tech and customer support-related impersonation scams that were reported in the previous year reached at least 37,000 complaints with losses of about $924.5 million.

“Call centers overwhelmingly target older adults, with devastating effects. Almost half the complainants report to be Over 60 (40%), and experience 58% of the losses (over $770 million),” the report notes.

POC - 2024 Cyber Summit

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Cyber Summit on June 6 and hear cyber experts, government and industry leaders discuss the latest trends and the dynamic role of cyber in the public sector. Register here.

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NIST Researchers Demo Novel Compact Microwave Chip That Can Benefit GPS, Radar
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NIST Researchers Demo Novel Compact Microwave Chip That Can Benefit GPS, Radar

Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and their partners from other institutions have demonstrated a chip that converts light into microwaves while reducing small, random changes in microwave signal timing called timing jitter.

The improved stability of the microwave signals can benefit other technologies that depend on high-precision timing and communication, including radars, phone and internet connections and GPS, NIST said Wednesday.

The current phase of the work sought to demonstrate that the various components of the technology — including lasers, amplifiers and modulators — could work together, according to Frank Quinlan, a physical scientist with NIST. The next phase aims to integrate them into a single chip.

Another achievement in the demonstration is the miniaturization of the components. A system that would otherwise have come in the size of a tabletop was reduced to the size of a digital camera memory card.

The reduction of timing jitter at that scale reduces power usage.

Navy Receives Future USS Kingsville (LCS 36) From Austal USA
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Navy Receives Future USS Kingsville (LCS 36) From Austal USA

Austal USA turned over the future USS Kingsville (LCS 36) to the U.S. Navy just over a month following the completion of acceptance trials of the 18th Independence-variant littoral combat ship — a.k.a. LCS — in late January.

The shipbuilder said Wednesday that the team demonstrated the mission readiness of Kingsville’s major systems and equipment, and that the ship is now being prepared for fleet introduction.

“We are excited to provide Kingsville to the Navy to join her sister ships operating in the Pacific providing a critical capability to the fleet,” commented Michelle Kruger, acting president of Austal USA.

Six Independence-variant LCS were deployed by the Navy throughout 2023. The ships, with their fast, agile, mission-focused platform, are capable of operating in near-shore environments and addressing 21st-century coastal threats.

In addition to Kingsville, which is the first Navy ship honoring the Texas city home to Naval Air Station Kingsville, Austal USA is also building the future USS Pierre (LCS 38), the final Independence-class LCS of the service branch.

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House Bill to Increase Transparency, Accountability Requirements for Federal AI Use
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House Bill to Increase Transparency, Accountability Requirements for Federal AI Use

Reps. James Comer, R-Ky., and Jamie Raskin, D-Md., have introduced bipartisan legislation to establish new mechanisms to increase transparency and accountability on the use of artificial intelligence across the federal government.

The Federal AI Governance and Transparency Act would define safeguards for the development, acquisition and oversight of AI technologies used by federal agencies and authorize the Office of Management and Budget to issue governmentwide policy guidance on federal AI use, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability said Wednesday.

The bill would also require federal agencies to issue governance charters for high-risk AI systems and other tools that interact with sensitive government records and consolidate and streamline existing law regarding the government’s use of AI.

“The bipartisan Federal AI Governance and Transparency Act ensures that the federal government’s use of AI will improve government operations while protecting privacy, civil rights and civil liberties, and upholding American values,” Committee Chairman Comer said.

POC - 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit

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Derek Tournear on SDA’s Work on Laser Communications Crosslinks, Link 16 Demo
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Derek Tournear on SDA’s Work on Laser Communications Crosslinks, Link 16 Demo

Derek Tournear, director of the Space Development Agency and a previous Wash100 awardee, said SDA is working to establish a “mesh network” of laser communication crosslinks and demonstrate the Link 16 waveform as it prepares to operationalize the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, the Air and Space Forces Magazine reported Wednesday.

According to Tournear, two SpaceX-built missile tracking satellites that lifted off in April 2023 have demonstrated the functionality of the laser communications crosslinks. He also described how SDA and York Space Systems are working together to test the transmission of space-derived data using the Link 16 waveform.

In “the May timeframe, we’ll be able to have the mesh network [moving data] between the York satellites,” the SDA director said. “And then we’ll work the crosslinks between York and SpaceX.”

Tournear said he expects the agency to secure clearance to perform national airspace testing with its Tranche 0 satellites by the end of 2024.

He noted that SDA is also advancing efforts to launch Tranche 1 satellites by September.

“We don’t expect to—we will launch Tranche 1 satellites in 2024,” Tournear remarked.

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