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Quantum Connected Named NSF Regional Innovation Engines Program Semifinalist
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NSF logo. Quantum Connected advances to the semifinal stage of the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program.

Quantum Connected, a Chicago-based cross-sector coalition, has progressed to the next stage of the U.S. National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines program, Chicago Inno reported Thursday.

The coalition, which includes the Chicago Quantum Exchange, is one of 29 semifinalists selected to continue in the federal competition and vie for $160 million in funding over the next decade. The selected proposals will undergo live, virtual assessments. The final list will be released in early 2026.

Learn more about quantum computing and other advanced IT efforts at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Navy Summit on August 26 at the Hilton McLean!

What is the NSF Regional Innovation Engines Program?

The NSF Regional Innovation Engines is a program authorized under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 that seeks to bolster U.S. competitiveness in critical technologies, including quantum, and foster regional economic growth. It also focuses on fast-tracking the development and deployment of technologies.

The program received 300 letters of intent, which were trimmed down to 71 proposals and eventually to 29 full proposals. In addition to Quantum Connected’s project, other proposals going through the next round include Oregon State University’s advanced semiconductor technology and Princeton University’s advanced photonics technology. Two New Mexico-based proposals were also selected.

The NSF reported that an initial $135 million investment in nine inaugural projects resulted in over $1 billion in matching commitments from various groups.

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Senate Confirms Anthony Tata as DOD’s Under Secretary for Personnel & Readiness
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Retired Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata. Tata will serve as under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness

The Senate has confirmed Anthony Tata as the new under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness. Legislators on Tuesday voted 52-46, with all Republicans present in favor of Tata’s appointment to the role and Democrats opposing it. 

Who is Anthony Tata?

Tata is a retired Army brigadier general who served as deputy under secretary of defense for policy during President Donald Trump’s first term. He also performed the duties of under secretary of defense for policy from November 2020 to January 2021, following John Rood’s departure from the role. 

According to his bio on the DOD website, Tata served in the Army for 28 years. He was a commander of a paratrooper battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division and an air assault brigade in the 101st Airborne Division during his time in the military. He was also appointed as deputy commanding general of the 10th Mountain Division and Joint Task Force 76 in Afghanistan. 

Anthony Tata’s Plan for the DOD

During his confirmation hearing, Tata told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he would work with Congress and DOD leadership to ensure that the department could recruit and retain personnel. 

“I believe it is crucially important that the Department seeks to recruit and retain the best technical and digital workforce across the total force, including civilian and Active Duty military personnel,” he said. 

“If confirmed, I will assess how we train and assign our Service members to support their ability to maintain currency in constantly changing fields. In addition to balancing the active duty and civilian workforce, I believe we need to assess how we best utilize the talent of our Reserve Component personnel,” he added.

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DIU Updates Blue UAS Program to Increase Access to NDAA-Compliant Drones
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The Defense Innovation Unit logo. DIU updates the Blue UAS program.

The Defense Innovation Unit has updated its Blue UAS program to expand access to trusted drone platforms.

Green UAS Platforms Expand Blue UAS Cleared List

The update enables unmanned aerial systems certified through Green UAS to be added to the Blue UAS Cleared List, in line with Secretary of Defense and Wash100 winner Pete Hegseth’s recent memo and President Donald Trump’s executive order on drone dominance. These are aimed at increasing the number and accelerating the delivery of National Defense Authorization Act-compliant systems to the warfighter.

DIU introduced its initial cohort of Recognized Assessors, namely MTSI, Dark Wolf Solutions and AUVSI, to provide third-party assessment of platforms and components beginning in September. The agency will continue evaluating RA candidates and add more members to the cohort.

Dig into Blue UAS and other unmanned system policies and technologies during the Opportunities and Challenges in Delivering UXV to the Navy panel at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Navy Summit on August 26!

Blue UAS Website Updated

Changes also include updates to the Blue UAS website, which now distinguishes between Blue UAS Cleared and Blue UAS Select. It also includes the launch of a new Blue UAS Checklist, expected by Aug. 1, to allow general officers, flag officers and members of the Senior Executive Service to certify UAS platforms, components and software.

Management of the Blue UAS Cleared List is in the process of transitioning to the Defense Contract Management Agency, with full instructions for certification expected by the end of July.

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Voltage Park Partners with US National Science Foundation for AI Research Resource Pilot
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The Voltage Park logo. The NSF and Voltage Park are working together on the NAIRR pilot.

The U.S. National Science Foundation has teamed up with Voltage Park for the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource, or NAIRR, pilot, an effort that seeks to provide educators and researchers better access to tools for AI research. Under the partnership, Voltage Park will be donating cloud computing resources worth one million hours of use on high-end NVIDIA H100 graphics processing units to support AI research projects in areas like science, health, climate, and engineering, the NSF said Wednesday.

What Is the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Pilot?
 

The NAIRR pilot is a two-year test program aimed at shaping plans for a full national AI infrastructure. It seeks to link researchers to a wide network of computing power, data, software, models, training, and support services needed to advance AI research, development and workforce training. It is an initiative led by the NSF and launched in 2024.

Learn more about AI and other paradigm-shifting technologies at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Navy Summit on August 26 at the Hilton McLean in northern Virginia!

Remarks by NSF’s Brian Stone, Voltage Park’s Ozan Kaya

Brian Stone, who performs the duties of the NSF director, said, “Voltage Park’s participation significantly strengthens our ability to deliver on the promise of the NAIRR pilot.”

He added that by teaming with private companies like Voltage Park, the foundation was “expanding the frontiers of AI research and ensuring that the US continues to lead in AI innovation.” 

Voltage Park Chief Executive Officer Ozan Kaya said that expanding access to advanced computing was a “strategic priority.”

“By lowering the barriers to high-performance AI infrastructure, we can unlock innovation from a more diverse and representative set of researchers. That inclusivity is what drives truly impactful AI and strengthens our national edge in the global innovation landscape,” he said. 

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Thomas Bussiere, Shawn Bratton Named Vice Chief Nominees for USAF, Space Force
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Gen. Bussiere and Lt. Gen. Bratton. The two were nominated to vice chief roles in the USAF and USSF, respectively

President Donald Trump has nominated Gen. Thomas Bussiere to serve as the U.S. Air Force’s vice chief of staff and Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton as the U.S. Space Force’s vice chief of space operations.

According to separate congressional notices, the Senate referred the nominations to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.

Breaking Defense reported that if confirmed, Bussiere would succeed Gen. Jim Slife, who was relieved from his position in February. Bratton would replace Gen. Michael Guetlein, who was tapped to serve as program manager for the Trump administration’s Golden Dome missile defense shield initiative.

Thomas Bussiere, Shawn Bratton Named Vice Chief Nominees for USAF, Space Force

Learn more about Golden Dome investment priorities during a panel discussion at the 2025 Air and Space Summit on July 31. Register now!

Who Is Gen. Thomas Bussiere?

Bussiere has been commander of Air Force Global Strike Command since December 2022. He also serves as commander of Air Forces Strategic—Air, U.S. Strategic Command at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.

In his current role, the general oversees a command that provides strategic deterrence, combat support and global strike capability for U.S. Strategic Command and other geographic combatant commands.

His previous roles include deputy commander of USSTRATCOM; commander of Alaskan Command for U.S. Northern Command; and commander of the Eighth Air Force and Joint-Global Strike Operations Center.

The Norwich University graduate has logged over 3,400 flight hours in the F-15C Eagle, T-38 Talon, B-2A Spirit, B-1B Lancer and F-22 Raptor aircraft.

Who Is Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton?

Bratton has been serving as deputy chief of space operations, strategy, plans, programs and requirements in the Space Force since July 2023.

In this capacity, he serves as the Space Force’s chief strategy and resourcing officer responsible for the service branch’s strategies, requirements and budget. Prior to this role, he was head of Space Training and Readiness Command within the Space Force.

Bratton’s previous positions include deputy director of operations within U.S. Space Command; deputy director of operations, plans and training for Joint Force Space Component Command; and commander of the 175th Cyberspace Operations Group.

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NASA Starlab Space Station Completes Five Design & Development Reviews
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Starlab logo. Starlab completed five design and development reviews for the NASA-backed space station.

Starlab has completed five development and design objectives for its NASA-supported commercial space station, which aligns with the agency’s efforts to transition and expand its presence in the commercial low Earth orbit landscape.

NASA Starlab Space Station Completes Five Design & Development Reviews

Learn more about the Starlab Space Station and other air and space initiatives by attending the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Summit, which will take place on July 31.

Starlab Design & Development Reviews

The agency said Wednesday that Starlab finished the preliminary design review and safety review that assessed the architecture and systems of the planned space station, which is intended to have a service module and habitat. This clears the way for the development of a detailed design and hardware that will undergo a critical design review during the latter part of 2025 to determine the space station’s design maturity before fabrication and assembly.

The company also started building a mockup of the space station for human-in-the-loop testing. This is where realistic simulations or walkthroughs will help evaluate the station’s interior design and hardware, and develop crew training, procedures and in-flight problem solving. The mockup will be located in NASA Johnson’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility.

Starlab also wrapped up reviews covering its system design architecture, procurement plan and docking system design of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft, which will provide cargo logistics services to Starlab.

The recent development builds upon the four reviews completed in December 2024, including the habitat structural test article preliminary design, systems integration, integrated operations and a habitat structural test plan. All completed reviews are part of the NASA Space Act Agreement awarded in 2021.

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FCC to Vote on Reforms to Accelerate Space Innovation Development
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The FCC logo. The FCC will vote on proposed changes to regulatory practices to boost space innovation.

Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, announced that the commission is set to vote on a series of proposed reforms to bolster growth and innovation within the nation’s space sector at its open meeting on Aug. 7.

FCC to Vote on Reforms to Accelerate Space Innovation Development

Accelerating Space Innovation

The FCC said Wednesday the proposed changes focus on eliminating bureaucratic red tape that keeps companies, especially startups and new businesses, from fast-tracking the development of space-related technologies. The reforms aim to streamline processes by removing unnecessary regulatory practices like needless paperwork for license modification applications, enabling the ground-station-as-a-service model to streamline operations.

Register for the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Summit on July 31 and get valuable insights on initiatives and policy changes to bolster air and space defense.

In addition, more license modifications will no longer need prior authorization, while redundant special temporary authority requests and outdated regulations, like printing a copy of the ICFS application, will be scrapped. The FCC will also have a 30-day “shot clock,” or deadline, to act on Earth station renewal applications. A new system will also be applied, enabling ground station operators to obtain a baseline license without specifying a satellite point of communication, requiring only an FCC notification.

“With this proposed decision, the FCC can streamline processes and accelerate the development of innovative new services. Clearing out regulatory barriers will empower new competitors and innovations in space, particularly the kind of neutral-host infrastructure that has proven so successful in the wireless industry,” said Carr.

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Senate Panel OKs FY 2026 Intelligence Authorization Bill
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The U.S. Capitol. A Senate panel passed a bill that would authorize FY 2026 funding for the U.S. intelligence community

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on Tuesday voted 15-2 to pass a bill that would authorize FY 2026 funding for the U.S. intelligence community and improve oversight of national security threats.

In a statement published Tuesday, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said he expects the full Senate to approve the FY 2026 Intelligence Authorization Act.

“I am pleased this bill includes needed reforms and restructuring to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, restricts the travel of adversarial diplomats inside the United States and protects intelligence community installations by adding further reviews to nearby land purchases which safeguards them against drone threats,” the senator added.

What Are the FY 2026 Intelligence Authorization Act’s Provisions?

The legislation would improve IC’s AI capabilities and create guidelines for the community’s procurement and use of AI tools, establish authorities to protect CIA facilities from unmanned aircraft systems and require the IC to develop a policy for sharing biotechnological threats with U.S. agencies, allies and private sector partners.

Senate Panel OKs FY 2026 Intelligence Authorization Bill

Listen to the IC’s top leaders as they discuss the community’s adoption of AI and other emerging technologies at the 2025 Intel Summit on Oct. 2. Save your spot now for this Potomac Officers Club-hosted event!

The bill would establish a fund to support IC efforts to procure and integrate emerging technologies proven to meet mission requirements. It would also develop baseline cybersecurity requirements for companies that offer telecommunications services to IC.

Under the proposed measure, the director of national intelligence would be required to identify sites for the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies, issue standard guidelines for intelligence personnel to document and report anomalous health incidents and conduct a declassification review and publish intelligence related to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Johns Hopkins APL Appoints Vishal Giare as Air and Missile Defense Sector Head
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A graphic of Vishal Giare. He was named to a new post as Johns Hopkins APL air and missile sector head

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory has named Vishal Giare as the head of its air and missile defense sector. In his new role, he will lead the laboratory’s efforts in advancing homeland defense and the protection of deployed U.S. forces, allies and partners against evolving adversary threats, Johns Hopkins APL said Tuesday.

Who Is Vishal Giare?

Immediately before his appointment, Giare served as APL’s mission area executive for its Theater Defense tasked to develop and deliver systems and platforms to protect frontline U.S. forces, allies and partners from air and missile attacks. He had a stint of over eight years as the lab’s air and missile mission area executive, according his LinkedIn profile.

Discover new requirements in air and missile defense at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Summit on July 31 at the Hilton McLean!

The programs that he previously oversaw include Aegis and the Cooperative Engagement Capability. Giare also gained technical experience from his previous work on the  Glide Phase Interceptor Hypersonic Defense program and the Guam Defense System. 

Giare earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Tennessee and master’s degrees in electrical engineering and physics from the University of Michigan.

Dave Van Wie, APL director and the lab’s previous air and missile defense head, expressed confidence that Giare’s “outstanding leadership” will enable the laboratory’s continuing delivery of defense game-changers for the United States. “His vision, operational insights and leadership have significantly strengthened APL’s long-standing contributions to current high-priority national security missions and capabilities that will counter evolving threats,” the lab’s head remarked.

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US Army, Anduril Complete Flight Tests of High-Speed Maneuverable Missile
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The U.S. Army logo. The Army and Anduril have wrapped up a series of tests for the High-Speed Maneuverable Missile.

The U.S. Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation and Missile Center, in partnership with Anduril, recently completed a series of flight tests for its High-Speed Maneuverable Missile, or HSMM, science and technology program. The effort seeks to develop a compact, fast and highly maneuverable missile that can engage short and long-range targets, including those beyond 120 kilometers, the Army said on Tuesday.

Learn more about advanced missile science and technology programs at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Summit on July 31 at the Hilton McLean!
 

Future High-Speed Maneuverable Missile Flight Tests

The next phase of testing will include flight demonstration of the novel boost motor technology being developed under this initiative. Additional testing will involve the integration of Precision Target Acquisition Software, a state-owned and developed image tracking system with autonomous capabilities, leading up to a complete system trial covering the entire flight path from launch to impact.

Remarks by the Army’s Shane Kohtz

Commenting on the completion of the flight tests, Lt. Shane Kohtz, the Army’s senior science and technology officer, said, “This takes a leap from existing systems to a future that will significantly shape the battlefield.”

What Is a High-Speed Maneuverable Missile?

The HSMM integrates several advanced features from the Close Combat Capability Area’s missile science and technology programs into one system. These include a turbojet engine paired with a solid rocket booster, navigation sensors and algorithms that work without GPS. They also include a secure data link for use in radio-frequency-contested environments, a multi-effect warhead and autonomous targeting and engagement technologies.

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