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Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein Discusses ‘Powerful Role’ of AI in Future of National Security
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Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein Discusses ‘Powerful Role’ of AI in Future of National Security

U.S. Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein said at a forum in June that artificial intelligence and machine learning “will play a powerful role in the coming years” in national security.

Guetlein made the prediction during a two-day event that took place in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, according to a news article posted Monday on the Space Systems Command website. The event sought to tackle how AI and ML will advance an emerging discipline called cognitive space operations.

The vice chief of space operations said that one of the key advantages offered by AI and ML is speed, making it possible to anticipate and respond to emerging threats and gain insights “that are crucial for decision-making in dynamic and high-stakes scenarios.”

An important contributor to the adoption of AI and ML is industry. Guetlein said industry must “lead the way and provide us with capability and with cutting-edge innovation.” He went on to describe industry as “our Nation’s competitive advantage.”

On the part of the military, the Space Force official said training and education are key in order for personnel to not only know how to use AI tools but also understand the implications of their use.

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NSF Launches Planning Grants for AI Test Platforms; Sethuraman Panchanathan Quoted
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NSF Launches Planning Grants for AI Test Platforms; Sethuraman Panchanathan Quoted

The National Science Foundation is inviting proposals on planning grants for the development of test platforms on responsible artificial intelligence research and innovation.

According to a Dear Colleague Letter published Friday, each planning proposal may be budgeted up to $100,000 per year, with maximum total funding of $200,000 for up to two years.

The test bed initiative seeks to enable research studies on new AI systems and approaches under secure, real-world environments, the NSF said.

NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan described the effort as a demonstration of the agency’s commitment to safe and secure AI innovation.

“Artificial intelligence holds incredible promise for advancing numerous fields, but its development must be guided by rigorous testing and evaluation in applications that involve decisions about, or contact with, people in the real world,” he noted.

The NSF seeks test beds that will support interdisciplinary partnerships, combining the capabilities of private AI laboratories, academia, civil society and third-party analysts.

To draw wide-ranging perspectives on the test beds, the NSF is encouraging proposals from institutions under the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research jurisdictions.

Funding for the test bed planning grants is available for fiscal year 2025 to support teams for their submission of full proposals for an AI-ready test platform later.

The deadline for the submission of planning grants is Nov. 13.

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Air Force CIO Office Unveils API Reference Architecture & Roadmap Version 1.0
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Air Force CIO Office Unveils API Reference Architecture & Roadmap Version 1.0

The Department of the Air Force’s Office of the Chief Information Officer has issued the initial version of a reference architecture and roadmap for the application programming interface platform.

In a LinkedIn post published Monday, the DAF said the API Reference Architecture outlines the key elements the department should implement to enhance software interface-sharing and secure data access and marks the beginning of discussions with Department of Defense and industry mission partners when it comes to implementing a modern API ecosystem.

According to DAF, the API Roadmap describes how the department will advance the development of an enterprise API platform.

The department’s Office of the CIO is asking interested stakeholders to submit feedback on the documents by mid-August as it plans to incorporate those insights into discussions at the upcoming Department of the Air Force Information Technology and Cyberpower Event and into the second versions of the roadmap and reference architecture.

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DOD’s Thomas Mancinelli to Perform Duties of Navy Under Secretary
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DOD’s Thomas Mancinelli to Perform Duties of Navy Under Secretary

Thomas Mancinelli, principal deputy assistant secretary for legislative affairs at the Department of Defense, will perform the duties of the under secretary of the Navy in August, Breaking Defense reported Monday.

The Pentagon official will take over the responsibilities of Erik Raven, whose departure from the Navy was announced earlier this month. Read more about Raven’s decision to step down as the Navy under secretary, and Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro‘s remarks about the outgoing official here.

Mancinelli is currently responsible for providing the DOD secretary and deputy secretary with advice on all matters pertaining to the Pentagon’s relations with Congress. He assumed the position in April 2022.

Prior to his present post, Mancinelli served as the national security adviser for Senator Chris Coons of Delaware and led the legislator’s work on the Foreign Relations Committee and the Appropriations Subcommittee.

The senior official also worked as the chief of staff in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.

Mancinelli served a five-year stint as a logistics officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.

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RTX Subsidiary & Avio Partner to Develop Solid Rocket Motors
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RTX Subsidiary & Avio Partner to Develop Solid Rocket Motors

RTX’s Raytheon business and Italian space propulsion company Avio have closed a deal to advance the development of critical solid rocket motors to a production-ready state for the U.S. Defense Industrial Base.

Bob Butz, vice president, operations and supply chain at Raytheon, said in a statement Tuesday the partnership aims to mature potential rocket motor services to meet the growing long-term demand from both domestic and international customers.

As part of the effort, Avio will leverage the expertise of its manufacturing and engineering teams in Italy to support the development of its U.S. division, facilitating the domestic production of solid rocket motors.

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DHS Chief Alejandro Mayorkas Appoints Ronald Rowe as Acting Secret Service Director
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DHS Chief Alejandro Mayorkas Appoints Ronald Rowe as Acting Secret Service Director

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has appointed Ronald Rowe Jr. as acting director of the Secret Service, replacing Kimberly Cheatle, who resigned Tuesday.

In a statement, Mayorkas, a former Wash100 Award winner, praised Rowe for accepting the challenge of leading the agency, noting that the new appointee enjoys his “utmost confidence.”

Rowe assumed the role on Tuesday and will be responsible for executing the Secret Service’s mission of protecting national leaders and visiting dignitaries and securing important national events.

Before his appointment to the post, Rowe served as deputy director in April 2023 and headed the agency’s daily investigative and protective operations.

The 24-year Secret Service veteran most recently served as assistant director of the Office of Intergovernmental and Legislative Affairs and was deputy assistant director of the Office of Protective Operations at the agency.

In 2021, he was also assigned as the chief of staff to then-Secret Service Director James Murray, who retired in 2022.

Rowe will ascend to the top post in the immediate aftermath of the failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, an incident that led to Cheatle’s resignation.

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OSC Requests Public Input on New Critical Technologies Loan Program; Heidi Shyu Quoted
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OSC Requests Public Input on New Critical Technologies Loan Program; Heidi Shyu Quoted

The Office of Strategic Capital has begun accepting public input on upcoming loans and loan guarantees for major technology and supply chain areas.

The office released two requests for information — one for lenders and financial institutions and another for private sector organizations and other stakeholders — to collect comments, the Department of Defense said Wednesday.

“OSC-backed financing can help ensure the resilience and security of critical supply chains by supporting businesses that produce key components and materials,” said Heidi Shyu, under secretary of defense for research and engineering and a 2024 Wash100 Award recipient.

She noted that loans and loan guarantees can “help level the playing field by providing businesses with the financial support they need to bring new technologies to market, expand their operations and create jobs.”

Through the RFIs, the OSC aims to gain an understanding of the current state of the market and capital requirements. It also intends to identify areas in which loans and loan guarantees could best support critical technologies.

Questions for lenders cover finance areas such as fees and credit risks, experience with U.S. government financing and their economic outlook. The RFI for commercial entities asks about finance and their economic outlook and includes specific questions about revenue, supply chain and competition in the market.

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Bridget Bean Named CISA Executive Director
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Bridget Bean Named CISA Executive Director

Bridget Bean, assistant director for the integrated operations division at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, will take on the role of executive director at CISA in August.

The agency said Tuesday Bean will succeed Brandon Wales, who is stepping down after more than 20 years of federal service.

Bridget Bean is confirmed to keynote the 2024 Homeland Security Summit hosted by the Potomac Officers Club on Nov. 13. Register now for your chance to meet, learn from and network with Bean in person! 

In a statement published Tuesday, CISA Director Jen Easterly thanked Wales for his contributions to CISA, including his role in addressing the ransomware attack on the Colonial pipeline and the challenges associated with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

As assistant chief for integrated operations, Bean helps coordinate and execute CISA’s operational activities to facilitate accelerated responses to critical needs.

Her government career has included time as acting deputy administrator for resilience at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and deputy chief operating officer and chief human capital officer at the Small Business Administration.

“With more than three decades of federal government service, Bridget brings extraordinary leadership and experience to the role, which will involve a dedicated focus on operationalizing a fully unified and cohesive team,” stated Easterly, a 2024 Wash100 awardee.

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NSB Releases Policy Brief on Current S&T Landscape, Need for New Approaches
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NSB Releases Policy Brief on Current S&T Landscape, Need for New Approaches

The National Science Board has released a new policy brief that calls for new approaches to ensure that the U.S. maintain its leadership in science and technological progress.

Such new approaches are needed because of a dramatically altered science and technology landscape, which features three fundamental changes, the NSB said Monday.

The first fundamental change is that while federal investment continues to be the foundation of U.S. research and development, business now accounts for a majority share. But while businesses have become an R&D driver, they cannot replace federal R&D.

The second fundamental change is that China has become the largest competitor of the U.S. in S&T leadership. China has even outpaced the U.S. in key areas, including research publications, patents and technology-intensive manufacturing. Even so, China is also the largest collaborator of the U.S. in published research.

The third fundamental change is that the number of jobs requiring science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills is rising but domestic workers and students have not received adequate education.

NSB Chair Dario Gil said he will dedicate his term to determine “how we as a nation can adapt to and seize the potential of the current landscape” noting that “S&T now has the same kind of economic and geopolitical importance as trade or military alliances. It is at the heart of national economic and defense competitiveness.”

Gil, who is also senior vice president and director of research at IBM, said the NSB will begin convening meetings with “cross-sectoral leaders to explore and advance ideas for new and necessary models.”

The soonest meeting is set for July 24.

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NASA to Install 3 New Antenna Dishes to Expand Lunar Communications Capacity
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NASA to Install 3 New Antenna Dishes to Expand Lunar Communications Capacity

NASA is working to add three new antenna dishes to its Near Space Network, which works to provide communication services for space exploration missions, including the Artemis missions to the moon.

The new antennas, called Lunar Exploration Ground Sites, or LEGS, will be placed at three locations across the globe to ensure that the moon is always in sight of one dish, thereby ensuring continuous lunar communication coverage, NASA said Monday.

The three new antennas — dubbed LEGS-1, LEGS-2 and LEGS-3 — will each be 66 feet in diameter and possess the capability to communicate using the X-band and the Ka-band.

LEGS-1 will be installed at NASA’s White Sands Complex in Las Cruces, New Mexico, while LEGS-2 will be installed at a location near Cape Town, South Africa, called Matjiesfontein. The latter is expected to be completed by 2026.

As for LEGS-3, possible locations are still being explored in Western Australia.

TJ Crooks, LEGS project manager at the Goddard Space Flight Center, explained that one of the objectives of the new antennas is to relieve the Deep Space Network of its lunar mission duties. The Deep Space Network and the Near Space Network operated in tandem to support Artemis I and will do so again for Artemis II.

“The Near Space Network and its new LEGS antennas will focus on lunar missions while allowing the Deep Space Network to support missions farther out into the solar system — like the James Webb Space Telescope and the interstellar Voyager missions,” Crooks said.

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