Eglin Air Force Base Welcomes 2 Additional F-15EX Eagle II Fighter Jets
Published on
Eglin Air Force Base Welcomes 2 Additional F-15EX Eagle II Fighter Jets

The U.S. Air Force received twoF-15EX Eagle II fighter jets from Boeing, with custom-made forward fuselage exclusive to the service branch.

The F-15EX3 and F-15EX4 arrived at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, and will be operated by the 96th Test Wing and 53rd Wing, respectively, which already have one of each, USAF said Tuesday.

The Air Force will test two new features of the aircraft, namely the cockpit pressure monitor and warning system and the ultra-high frequency satellite communication antenna.

“Our integrated test approach, which combines developmental and operational test, brings the future faster to the warfighter,” said Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Geraghty, 96th Test Wing commander. “This ensures the U.S. Air Force continues to provide deterrence and readiness for the high-end fight.”

/
GSA Report Offers Recommendations to Enhance Federal Compliance With Section 508 Standards
Published on
GSA Report Offers Recommendations to Enhance Federal Compliance With Section 508 Standards

The General Services Administration has released a congressional report assessing federal agencies’ compliance with the Rehabilitation Act’s Section 508, which requires agencies to provide government employees with disabilities equal access to information and communication technology and digital services.

GSA said Thursday the FY23 Governmentwide Section 508 Assessment report shows that the federal government falls short of meeting the minimum standard to offer federal employees and members of the public with disabilities equal ICT access.

According to the study, less than 30 percent of the self-reported top 10 viewed internet and intranet pages fully comply with Section 508 standards.

The report was based on the analysis of self-reported data from 249 reporting entities associated with activities and information from June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023.

The assessment offers recommendations to improve Section 508 compliance and ICT accessibility, including strengthening leadership accountability, improving agency oversight of Section 508 compliance, creating a shared service model for Section 508 implementation and updating Section 508.

The report also recommends that agencies enhance conformance validation and testing, require mandatory Section 508 training for specific roles and responsibilities and use the Solicitation Review Tool and the Acquisition Requirements Tool to help integrate sufficient accessibility requirements in procurement and contracting documentation.

/
Boeing-Built X-37B Launches on 7th Mission Aboard SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket
Published on
Boeing-Built X-37B Launches on 7th Mission Aboard SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket

The Boeing-built X-37B unmanned experimental orbital test vehicle launched on its seventh mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral to test and demonstrate technologies in space, Reuters reported Friday.

The U.S. Space Force oversaw the launch mission as part of the National Security Space Launch program to deploy payloads and conduct science and technology experiments.

Among the experiments launched onboard the mission is a NASA project to study how long-duration space exposure affects plant seeds to enable scientists to cultivate crops in space for future crewed lunar and space missions.

X-37B is a top-secret spaceplane the Space Force operates for long-duration orbital flights. The spacecraft has flown six missions since 2010, five of which were launched aboard Atlas V rockets from United Launch Alliance, a Boeing and Lockheed Martin joint venture.

The last X-37B mission was launched in May 2020 atop a Falcon 9 booster from SpaceX.

/
Lockheed Secures $142M Navy Contract Modification for AEGIS Combat System Services
Published on
Lockheed Secures $142M Navy Contract Modification for AEGIS Combat System Services

Lockheed Martin‘s rotary and mission systems business will continue providing a range of services in support of the AEGIS combat system under a $141.5 million contract modification from the U.S. Navy.

The contractor will perform capability package development and fielding, system integration and fielding and in-service sustainment for the system’s current configurations, the Department of Defense said.

Contract work under the cost-plus-incentive-fee modification is expected to wrap up by Dec. 31, 2024. Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems will work at its Moorestown, New Jersey, location.

Funding will be sourced from fiscal 2024 research, development, test and evaluation budget as well as from other allocations. Naval Sea Systems Command serves as the contracting activity.

In January 2023, Lockheed was awarded a potential seven-year, $853 million contract to help the Navy field and sustain the Aegis weapon system.

NIST Seeks Comments on Draft PEA Document for Modernization of Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities
Published on
NIST Seeks Comments on Draft PEA Document for Modernization of Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released a draft of programmatic environmental assessment, or PEA, for the modernization and internal expansion of existing semiconductor fabrication facilities under the CHIPS Incentives Program.

According to a notice of availability posted on the Federal Register, NIST is requesting comments on the draft PEA, which focused on financial support to modernize or internally expand the current-generation and mature-node commercial facilities within their existing footprint throughout the United States.

Administered by NIST’s CHIPS Program Office, the said initiative is aimed at advancing American semiconductor research, development and production.

The program has Commercial Fabrication Facilities Notice of Funding Opportunity, whose amended version is seeking applications for the construction, expansion, or modernization of commercial facilities for the front- and back-end fabrication of leading-edge, current-generation and mature-node semiconductors; for wafer manufacturing; and for materials used to manufacture semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

The NOFO’s potential amount available is up to $38.22 billion for direct funding and up to $75 billion in direct loan or guaranteed principals.

NIST will receive comments on the draft until Jan. 25.

The Department of Commerce organization launched the CHIPS for America funding opportunity in March and expanded it in June.

Navy’s Irregular Warfare Unit Releases Advanced Technology Research & Development BAA
Published on
Navy’s Irregular Warfare Unit Releases Advanced Technology Research & Development BAA

The U.S. Navy’s Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate, or IWTSD, has released a broad agency announcement seeking research proposals in areas of advanced development and explosive ordnance disposal and explosive operations.

A notice posted Wednesday on SAM.gov states that the IWTSD aims to identify technologies and approaches to enhance the Department of Defense’s ability to conduct irregular warfare, which includes counterterrorism, foreign internal defense, stabilization and counterinsurgency missions, against adversaries.

Under the advanced development mission area, IWTSD is looking for tools and capabilities to protect and enhance joint operations in the cyber domain and accelerate the testing and integration of secure prototypes and capabilities.

The IWTSD is also seeking artificial intelligence-powered technologies designed to provide situational awareness to EOD-EXO operators and enhance the diagnostic capabilities of EOD operations.

Interested parties have until Jan. 31 to respond to the BAA.

POC - 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit

The Potomac Officers Club will host the 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 31 to discuss the latest developments in the defense technology sector. Register here and save a seat at the highly anticipated event.

/
Air Force Unveils Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Doctrine
Published on
Air Force Unveils Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Doctrine

The U.S. Air Force has published a new doctrine on electromagnetic spectrum operations meant to enable the joint force to improve competitive advantage and develop multiple dilemmas for adversaries across all domains.

“Dominant EMS expertise and capabilities can render adversary sensors, situational awareness, command and control, networks, and decision processes ineffective, preventing adversaries from attaining their objectives,” the document’s foreword reads.

The service branch supports the joint force’s initiatives to exploit EMS and use adaptive technology to reduce adversary capabilities, according to the document published Dec. 14.

The document describes the characteristics of the EMS domain and electromagnetic operational environment and discusses the concept of EMS operations and electromagnetic warfare as well as its components, including electromagnetic effects and attack.

The doctrine includes a chapter outlining the nominal organization and staff functions related to joint EMS operations and another chapter associated with JEMSO planning, execution and assessment.

The document, which is an update to the EMSO doctrine published in July 2019, highlights how authorities flow from the joint force commander through joint processes and clarifies the air component’s responsibilities, roles and capabilities for EMSO.

/
CIA Artificial Intelligence Chief Lakshmi Raman Talks Leveraging Tech to Develop Human Analysts’ Skills
Published on
CIA Artificial Intelligence Chief Lakshmi Raman Talks Leveraging Tech to Develop Human Analysts’ Skills

CIA is augmenting artificial intelligence training across all ranks in its workforce to upskill rather than replace its human analysts with advanced technology, according to CIA Chief AI Officer Lakshmi Raman.

In an interview on Federal News Network, Raman discussed the agency’s AI use cases to improve talent and inform senior leaders, from open source data management to supply chain risk management and systems security monitoring.

She noted that CIA has been using tools for monitoring and preventing data poisoning in AI training sets, using human specialists to evaluate AI model inputs and outputs.

She also mentioned turning competition into alliances with the private sector, national laboratories and academia to elevate the AI skills of employees. For instance, its Intelligence Community AI Model Exchange was established to build trust, transparency and capability sharing among intelligence agencies.

“The talent bottleneck is a huge challenge for us, and we at the agency have an incredibly talented AI practitioner workforce: data scientists, analytic methodologies, business analysts,” said Raman, who went on to say that demand significantly exceeds supply when it comes to the services of AI specialists.

Raman will be one of the keynote speakers at the 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit hosted by the Potomac Officers Club on March 24, 2024. Register now to hear insights from her and other top AI experts.

POC - 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit
/
New OIRA Guidance Seeks Greater Public Participation in Review of Proposed Regulations
Published on
New OIRA Guidance Seeks Greater Public Participation in Review of Proposed Regulations

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs has released new guidance meant to facilitate greater public engagement whenever it exercises its function of reviewing proposed federal regulatory actions.

To achieve this objective, the new guidance offers several measures, including making it easier for the public to schedule meetings with OIRA, using an online portal, to discuss proposed regulations under review and providing a video that guides users on how to request for such a meeting, OIRA Associate Administrator Sam Berger said in a recent post on the Office of Management and Budget blog.

These meetings, which can be scheduled by anyone, serve as an avenue for information relevant to the review process to be communicated to OIRA, which works to ensure that the resulting rules are beneficial to the American public.

The new guidance was formulated in response to Executive Order 14094, which sought to increase the effectiveness and transparency of the regulatory review meetings while expanding the range of stakeholders that OIRA might hear from.

The new guidance also incorporates feedback from the public collected through a comment process and listening session.

/
DOD Issues Proposed Rule on Data Requirements for Commercial Products Related to Major Weapon Systems
Published on
DOD Issues Proposed Rule on Data Requirements for Commercial Products Related to Major Weapon Systems

The Department of Defense has begun soliciting comments on a proposed rule that seeks to establish data requirements for vendors to facilitate the determination of price reasonableness and commerciality for certain procurements related to major weapon systems.

The proposed rule intends to amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement to implement section 803 of the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, according to a Federal Register notice published Friday.

Section 803 clarifies the data a contractor is required to provide when a component or a subsystem of a major weapons platform is proposed as a commercial product.

According to the notice, the proposed rule would provide the vendor the flexibility to either submit the data or give the contracting officer data access and to redact certain client information.

“This proposed rule is expected to result in the timely submission of data, which may decrease the time it takes for a contracting officer to determine a product to be commercial, to determine price reasonableness, and to award the contract,” the notice reads.

Comments are due Feb. 20.

1 … 373 374 375 376 377 … 2,597