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Canada Acquiring Joint Direct Attack Munition Tail Kits From US via $96M Foreign Military Sale
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Canada Acquiring Joint Direct Attack Munition Tail Kits From US via $96M Foreign Military Sale

The Department of State has approved a request by the government of Canada to acquire additional Joint Direct Attack Munition tail kits, increasing the number of units sought under a previously-approved foreign military sale and raising the transaction’s total value to $96.4 million.

Under the prior FMS, which cost $16.1 million, Canada sought 210 KMU-572 JDAM tail kits, 50 KMU-556 kits and 25 KMU-557 tail kits, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Tuesday.

The new FMS brings the total request to 900 KMU-572 JDAM tail kits, 125 KMU-556 kits and 50 KMU-557 tail kits, along with a variety of support services and related elements, including laser illuminated target detectors, FMU-139 fuzes and spares.

Boeing will serve as the principal contractor for the sale.

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BAE Enters Final Environmental Testing Stages of Roman Space Telescope’s Primary Instrument
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BAE Enters Final Environmental Testing Stages of Roman Space Telescope’s Primary Instrument

BAE Systems is anticipated to test and deliver the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s Wide Field Instrument to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in summer 2024 in preparation for the observatory’s May 2027 launch.

The company said Tuesday it is in the final stages of WFI’s environmental testing at its Boulder, Colorado facility, having completed vibration and acoustic demonstrations, as well as the initial baseline and second thermal vacuum tests.

For the last phase, BAE Systems will ensure the telescope’s primary scientific instrument is not vulnerable to electrical disruptions by subjecting it to electromagnetic interference and compatibility tests.

“The WFI is an incredibly sensitive instrument, and these tests are vital to ensure its performance and safeguard the success of this groundbreaking mission,” said Alberto Conti, vice president and general manager of civil space for BAE Systems’ space and mission systems business.

The instrument is intended to assist scientists in identifying and studying new exoplanets, gaining more knowledge of dark energy and dark matter and exploring other astronomical activities by providing high-resolution images and detecting distant infrared light from around the universe.

It is also designed to have a field of view 100 times bigger than that of the Hubble Space Telescope, its predecessor, and to deliver images at a faster rate to accelerate the survey of the cosmos.

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DIU Selects iDirect Government for 5G Co-Channel Mitigation Prototype Development Contract
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DIU Selects iDirect Government for 5G Co-Channel Mitigation Prototype Development Contract

The Defense Innovation Unit has awarded Herndon, Virginia-based satellite communications services provider iDirect Government a contract to develop a prototype of its system designed to address 5G interference-related challenges.

DIU said Tuesday the company will build a 5G co-channel mitigation system prototype to deliver transmission security and agility to warfighters.

“Addressing the challenge of 5G co-channel interference is more than a technical hurdle; it’s about ensuring seamless and robust communication for cutting-edge technologies from satellite communication to avionics support systems,” said Capt. Anthony Bustamante, cyber and telecommunications project manager at DIU.

“Success in this project means enhancing the efficiency of autonomous systems, from commercial to military applications, ensuring they operate at their best without the risk of communication failures,” added Bustamante.

The company said it will leverage its Communication Signal Interference Removal technology, also known as CSIR, to develop the prototype for DIU.

CSIR is designed to counter electronic warfare challenges by delivering uninterrupted, secure communications to government users on any radio frequency.

DIU expects the project to result in the development of new techniques and platforms that could help protect critical communications systems and navigational platforms from 5G interference and other disruptions caused by radio frequency interference challenges.

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Commerce Department Unveils Strategic Vision for NIST’s AI Safety Institute
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Commerce Department Unveils Strategic Vision for NIST’s AI Safety Institute

Gina Raimondo, secretary of the Department of Commerce, has released a strategic vision for the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute, or AISI, at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and announced plans to work with a global scientific network of AI safety institutes to advance the development of trustworthy AI technologies.

The Commerce Department’s AI Safety Institute Strategic Vision focuses on three key goals: advancing the science of AI safety; articulating, demonstrating and disseminating AI safety practices; and supporting institutions, communities and coordination around AI safety, the department said Tuesday.

“The strategic vision we released today makes clear how we intend to work to achieve that objective and highlights the importance of cooperation with our allies through a global scientific network on AI safety,” Raimondo remarked.

To strengthen global collaboration around AI safety, the Commerce Department aims to launch an international network of AI safety institutes that will expand on AISI’s existing partnerships with its counterparts in the U.K., Japan, Canada and Singapore.

“Safety fosters innovation, so it is paramount that we get this right and that we do so in concert with our partners around the world to ensure the rules of the road on AI are written by societies that uphold human rights, safety, and trust,” Raimondo continued.

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Cyber Command, DARPA Sign Agreement to Expedite Cyber Tech Development
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Cyber Command, DARPA Sign Agreement to Expedite Cyber Tech Development

The U.S. Cyber Command and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency have signed a binding agreement to create an expedited pathway to advance research and development of cyber technologies for military applications.

The agreement establishes the joint governance structure, budget goals and roles and responsibilities of the organizations’ Constellation program to expedite the deployment of cyber technologies from the laboratory to the battlefield, DARPA said Tuesday.

Under the partnership, Cyber Command will select DARPA research and development projects to be carried out by the Orion Consortium, which comprises developers and performers from both organizations working collaboratively to deliver new cyber capabilities.

“Through Constellation, we are taking the most promising technology from across the DARPA portfolio and developing critical capabilities under focused projects to accelerate direct delivery capability to the warfighter,” said Lt. Gen. William Hartman, deputy commander of Cyber Command.

The Constellation pilot program was established in October 2022 under a memorandum of understanding between DARPA and Cyber Command to expedite the development and transition of cyber-related technologies to the command.

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Newly Established Advisory Group to Advise on FedRAMP’s Technical Direction
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Newly Established Advisory Group to Advise on FedRAMP’s Technical Direction

The General Services Administration has announced the establishment of a technical advisory group of federal experts to guide decision-making processes and advise on the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program’s operational, strategic and technical direction.

“This group will help make FedRAMP a smarter and more technology-forward operation that better meets its goal of making it safe and easy for federal agencies to take full advantage of cloud services,” Eric Mill, executive director for cloud strategy at GSA’s Technology Transformation Services, said in a statement published Tuesday.

The inaugural members of FedRAMP’s TAG are:

  • Brian Turnau, cloud authorization program manager, Office of the Chief Information Officer, GSA
  • Elizabeth Schweinsberg, senior technical adviser, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, Department of Health and Human Services
  • Grant Dasher, architecture branch chief, Office of the Technical Director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
  • Laura Beaufort, technical lead, Federal Election Commission
  • Michael Boyce, director of Artificial Intelligence Corps, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Department of Homeland Security
  • Nicole Thompson, cybersecurity engineer, Defense Digital Service, Department of Defense
  • Paul Hirsch, technical lead, Technology Transformation Services, GSA

The newly created group will complement the Federal Secure Cloud Advisory Committee’s work, help FedRAMP make decisions on policies and processes and improve the way the program delivers emerging technologies to agencies in support of their missions.

“With their deep understanding of the challenges and complexities faced by federal agencies, the TAG is well-positioned to provide valuable insights into streamlining processes, enhancing security postures, and adapting to novel technology implementations so that agencies can leverage the full potential of FedRAMP,” said Laura Gerhardt, director of technology modernization and data at the Office of Management and Budget.

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Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo Calls for Pathfinder Programs to Showcase Benefits of Digital Engineering
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Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo Calls for Pathfinder Programs to Showcase Benefits of Digital Engineering

The U.S. Army will use the XM-30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle and Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft acquisitions alongside several other programs as inaugural pathfinders to demonstrate the benefits that digital engineering, or DE, can offer to the military service.

Establishing and monitoring pathfinder programs is a key component of the Army’s DE policy as articulated in and enforced by a memo issued Tuesday by Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo.

According to Camarillo, the Army must innovate not only its capabilities but also the means by which it develops them in order to meet the challenges posed by emerging threats, fiscal constraints and technological change.

The Army undersecretary says in the memo that using DE makes it possible to avoid the negative effects of traditional engineering — like increased costs and extended development timelines — brought on by manual processes, the need for physical documents and stove-piping across stakeholder groups.

In addition to showcasing the potential DE contributions, the pathfinder programs will also aim to highlight policies or processes still in effect that might prevent the implementation of DE while identifying ways to best advance the process in various scenarios.

Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo Calls for Pathfinder Programs to Showcase Benefits of Digital Engineering

Army officials, government leaders and industry executives will share their priorities, strategies and solutions to challenges at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Army Summit, which will take place on June 13. Register now to attend this important event!

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Pentagon Seeks Public Input on Actions to Support Industrial Base Adoption of AI for Defense Applications
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Pentagon Seeks Public Input on Actions to Support Industrial Base Adoption of AI for Defense Applications

The Department of Defense has started soliciting public comments on potential measures it can take to enable the defense industrial base to advance the adoption of artificial intelligence tools for defense applications.

DOD’s Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience will use input from the public to inform the development of policies and programs to support the integration of AI into defense systems, according to a notice published Wednesday.

The department’s Office of Policy, Analysis and Transition will also use the comments to develop its Trusted AI Defense Industrial Base Roadmap.

The Pentagon is asking the public about foundational DIB investments that should be made to further advance AI adoption in defense systems, specific vulnerabilities in the supply chain that should be addressed to support defense systems that incorporate AI and steps to implement to support the involvement of small businesses and nontraditional defense contractors in the development, testing and deployment of AI systems for defense applications.

Interested stakeholders can also share their insights on financing and acquisition mechanisms that could help incentivize the DIB to continue investing in AI tools for defense applications and views on how AI can improve acquisitions, supply chain management, regulatory compliance and information-sharing within the DIB.

Public comments are due July 22.

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DHA Appoints Phillip LaJoie as Market Technology Integration Office COO
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DHA Appoints Phillip LaJoie as Market Technology Integration Office COO

Phillip LaJoie, a federal health information technology executive, has joined the Defense Health Agency as chief operating officer within the Market Technology Integration Office.

He announced his move to DHA in a LinkedIn post published Thursday.

LaJoie will bring to the role over two decades of executive-level technical experience in both public and private healthcare sectors and expertise in electronic health records, digital modernization and data sharing.

Prior to DHA, he was vice president of federal migrations at Qbase, where he led the delivery of mission-critical platforms and services to customers across the Department of Defense and other national security agencies.

According to his LinkedIn profile, his industry career included time as director of operations at precision medicine company 2bPrecise, interim chief information officer for Resolute Health and VP of client services at CliniComp.

LaJoie also served as CIO at the Naval Medical Center San Diego and chief technology officer for health affairs within the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

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NASA Provides New Estimates of Orbital Debris Removal Costs, Benefits
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NASA Provides New Estimates of Orbital Debris Removal Costs, Benefits

NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy has released a new report assessing the costs and benefits of mitigating, tracking and remediating the risks posed by small and large orbital debris.

The Phase 2 report provides estimates of the risks posed to satellites by space junk orbiting the Earth, from the largest debris down to millimeter-sized fragments, and outlines new approaches to mitigating the creation of new debris and tracking existing debris, NASA said Monday.

The report simulates the evolution of the orbital debris environment over a period of 30 years, modeling the costs that space operators would incur from experiencing mission-ending collisions with debris, dealing with close approaches and maneuvering to avoid debris.

“By measuring everything in dollars, we can directly compare shielding spacecraft to tracking smaller debris or removing 50 large pieces of debris to removing 50,000 smaller ones,” said NASA analyst Jericho Locke, the lead author of the report.

“This study is part of NASA’s work to rapidly improve our understanding of that environment as outlined in NASA’s recently released Space Sustainability Strategy, by applying an economic lens to this critical issue,” said Charity Weeden, NASA’s associate administrator leading the OTPS.

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