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Naval Surface Force Forms New Squadron Dedicated to USVs; Derek Rader Quoted
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Naval Surface Force Forms New Squadron Dedicated to USVs; Derek Rader Quoted

The Naval Surface Force within the U.S. Pacific Fleet has launched Unmanned Surface Vessel Squadron, or USVRON, Three.

Led by Capt. Derek Rader, the new squadron will manage a fleet of small, unmanned surface vessels called the Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft, the Navy announced on Monday.

Rader said the integration of unmanned surface vessels into Navy and joint operations “will be accomplished through experimentation with the fleet testing and doctrine drafted by operators you see today, who embody and execute the warfighting that we need to achieve to enable the full potential of unmanned systems.”

The 16-foot GARCs were produced by the Maritime Applied Physics Corporation to support research, testing and operations and integration into surface, expeditionary and joint maritime forces.

These unmanned vessels will supplement warfighting capabilities held by the Navy’s legacy combatant force to strengthen the fleet’s tactical and strategic advantages. They are designed to work in harmony with carrier strike groups and surface action groups and can also function independently.

USVRON Three will be overseen by the Surface Development Group, or SURFDEVGRU, and will welcome the robotics warfare specialist into its teams to explore Robotic Autonomous System operations and maintenance and related capabilities. Its primary objective is to lay a foundation for advancements in small unmanned surface vessels.

“There are currently no boundaries, and we have an incredible opportunity to determine what right looks like within our sphere of influence,” said SURFDEVGRU Director Cdre. Shea Thompson.

Naval Surface Force Forms New Squadron Dedicated to USVs; Derek Rader Quoted

Vice Adm. Brendan McLane, commander of the Naval Surface Force, said the Navy has “put the right team in place” to overcome challenging obstacles.

“The Navy is placing unmanned systems in the hands of 400 of our most talented warfighters to help integrate, scale, experiment, and employ these systems,” he said.

Get a closer look at the Navy’s top priorities during the Potomac Officers 2024 Navy Summit! To learn more and register to attend the event, which will bring together key Navy officials and industry experts on August 15, click here.

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Curtiss-Wright to Provide Air Force With Encrypted Tactical Networking Tech for Deployable Comms
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Curtiss-Wright to Provide Air Force With Encrypted Tactical Networking Tech for Deployable Comms

Iron Bow has tapped Curtiss-Wright to deliver encrypted tactical networking technology to the U.S. Air Force to help the service branch optimize and enhance its deployable communications.

Curtiss-Wright will equip the Air Force with its PacStar 400 series modules and provide Commercial Solutions for Classified, or CSfC, integration under a potential $60 million contract, the company said Monday.

In addition to providing connectivity to Department of Defense Information Networks worldwide, PacStar 400 series modules will also utilize software automation for better connectivity and network security at multiple classification levels.

The initial award is worth $16 million and runs through the end of 2027. Work will be performed by Curtiss-Wright’s defense solutions division in the defense electronics segment.

“This contract represents a significant deployment for the U.S. Air Force using Curtiss-Wright’s PacStar product line, including its proprietary IQ-Core Software integrated network communications management tool, for deployable communications missions,” said Lynn Bamford, chair and CEO of Curtiss-Wright and a previous Wash100 awardee.

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SDA Seeks White Papers on PWSA Battle Management Software Applications
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SDA Seeks White Papers on PWSA Battle Management Software Applications

The Space Development Agency has released a broad agency announcement to solicit white papers about battle management mission applications in support of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.

SDA said Monday the containerized software applications will provide substantial capability enhancements for future tranches of PWSA’s capability layers to help address emerging warfighter requirements.

Through the BAA, the agency is seeking applications and services to address knowledge gaps and support existing and new concepts of operations, system designs and risk reduction prototypes that could help improve mission capability for defined tranches of PWSA’s capability layers.

The BAA outlines five battle management mission focus areas: battle management command, control and communications management; power and resource management; Link 16 integration; automated network management; and cybersecurity.

The BAA reads, “Objectives for software solutions provided under this BAA include automating numerous processes within current architectures and providing additional capabilities for mission processing and data fusion.”

Interested stakeholders have until June 14 to submit white papers.

SDA said the BAA will run through May 19, 2025.

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Pentagon Issues Cybersecurity Reciprocity Playbook
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Pentagon Issues Cybersecurity Reciprocity Playbook

The Department of Defense has released a playbook designed to provide information on key DOD priorities for applying cybersecurity reciprocity in the department’s systems.

The Cybersecurity Reciprocity Playbook includes a definition of reciprocity, the benefits of using reciprocity and the risks of failing to leverage reciprocity.

According to the document, cybersecurity reciprocity highlights the importance of keeping a robust security posture while maximizing efficiency through the reuse of the body of evidence.

“Reciprocity is designed to expedite authorization through the re-use of assessments and artifacts, which leads to cost reduction,” the document reads.

The playbook, which was cleared for publication on May 15, offers information on several reciprocity use cases, including cloud service offerings and one-to-one scenarios, and discusses the role of various types of authorizing officials in reciprocity.

Through the playbook, the Pentagon cites security configuration guides and secure configurations and addresses the DOD chief information officer’s role in addressing reciprocity conflicts.

In early May, Kathleen Hicks, deputy secretary at the DOD and a 2024 Wash100 awardee, released a memorandum aimed at addressing issues associated with cybersecurity reciprocity and the Risk Management Framework.

POC - 2024 Cyber Summit

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GovCon Index Ascended for 5th Consecutive Week
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GovCon Index Ascended for 5th Consecutive Week

Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Index rose by 0.39% last week, an increase that lifted the average to $5,051.61 and continued a five-week growth trend.

GovCon Index is an aggregate index that tracks stock market data from 30 essential government contracting enterprises in real time. This information offers users the opportunity to evaluate the success of each tracked company and gain an understanding of wider financial trends shaping the expansive GovCon marketplace.

Mercury Systems flew to the top of last week’s ranks with gains of 11.56%. Second and third place were claimed by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (+5.61%) and Palantir (+5.33%), respectively. With a 3.80% rise, AeroVironment secured the fourth slot, and Boeing (+3.48%) came in fifth.

On Monday, GovCon Index fell by almost 0.50%, but it quickly bounced back on Tuesday and stayed positive through the end of the week. GovCon Index recorded its strongest performance, a 0.36% increase, on Thursday.

To get the full story on daily GovCon Index performance, check out last week’s market reports. Click here to view the full list of tracked companies.

NASA Develops Software for Digital Aircraft Modeling
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NASA Develops Software for Digital Aircraft Modeling

NASA has developed a computer-based digital modeling tool called Aviary to enable engineers to create simulations of conceptual aircraft designs featuring new technologies.

Aviary is designed to create a digital model of an aircraft based on information about its shape, range and other characteristics and allow engineers to test their models digitally, NASA said Friday.

The new software was built on two legacy NASA-developed codes: the Flight Optimization System and General Aviation Synthesis Program.

“The older legacy codes were not designed to handle these more modern-day concepts such as hybrid-electric aircraft. They viewed certain systems as more separated than they really are in the vehicles we envision now,” said Jennifer Gratz, lead of Aviary’s integration and development.

Aviary is available to aeronautical engineers for free, with its code and key documentation being hosted on GitHub.

“Aviary is flexible enough that you can decide what you want to learn more about, then configure it to teach you,” Gratz said.

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New Board to Advise DHS Leadership on Homeland Intelligence Initiatives
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New Board to Advise DHS Leadership on Homeland Intelligence Initiatives

The Department of Homeland Security has established a new advisory board that will advise the undersecretary for intelligence and analysis and the DHS counterterrorism coordinator on matters related to homeland intelligence and security.

The Homeland Intelligence Advisory Board will consist of up to 40 appointed members from the intelligence and homeland security sector, law enforcement, state and local government, academia and private industry, DHS said Friday.

Members of the new board will meet at least quarterly to discuss and assess the nation’s intelligence initiatives and inform DHS leadership on issues such as whether programs consider privacy and civil liberty concerns.

The new board may include 19 members of the Homeland Intelligence Experts Group, which advises the Office of Intelligence and Analysis and the Office of Counterterrorism Coordinator on intelligence and national security efforts.

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Rear Adm. Scott Pappano Nominated as Navy’s Principal Military Deputy Assistant Secretary
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Rear Adm. Scott Pappano Nominated as Navy’s Principal Military Deputy Assistant Secretary

President Joe Biden has nominated Rear Adm. Scott Pappano, program executive officer for strategic submarines, for promotion to the rank of vice admiral and to serve as principal military deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition.

Defense Secretary and three-time Wash100 awardee Lloyd Austin announced Pappano’s nomination in a Department of Defense news release published Friday.

Pappano became PEO for strategic submarines in October 2021.

The rear admiral previously served as commander of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, director of the Comprehensive Test Facility, executive assistant to the commander of Naval Sea Systems Command and major program manager for the Strategic and Attack Submarine Program Office (PMS 392).

His other assignments include executive assistant to the director of the Programming Division (N80) on the Navy Staff and commander of USS Buffalo (SSN 715).

POC - 2024 Navy Summit

Register here to attend the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Navy Summit on Aug. 15 and hear government and industry leaders, innovators and experts discuss the latest technological advancements, maritime security and more.

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NSF Chief Sethuraman Panchanathan Defends Proposed $10.2B Agency Budget for FY2025
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NSF Chief Sethuraman Panchanathan Defends Proposed $10.2B Agency Budget for FY2025

National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said at a recent House Science, Space and Technology subcommittee hearing that ensuring funding for his organization’s work on critical and emerging technologies is a matter of national security, MeriTalk reported Thursday.

Panchanathan also expressed concern that the U.S. is falling behind its competitors in terms of global technological leadership because the amount being invested by the government in key technologies like quantum computing and artificial intelligence is not sufficient.

“The more we cut, the more the ideas that are being proposed to NSF in quantum, in AI will not be funded,” Panchanathan warned the lawmakers.

Also present at the hearing was National Science Board Chair Daniel Reed, who shared Panchanathan’s concerns.

“While other countries invest heavily in the future, our real Federal R&D funding is flat,” Reed said, adding, “So, I’m here today not merely to ask you to fund NSF with the FY25 request level … I’m here to ask for more. I’m asking us to dream better dreams.”

President Joe Biden is proposing a budget of about $10.2 billion for the NSF in fiscal year 2025.

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State Department Seeks Comments on Proposed Federally Funded R&D Centers
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State Department Seeks Comments on Proposed Federally Funded R&D Centers

The State Department has started soliciting feedback on its proposed plan to establish and sponsor three federally funded research and development centers to facilitate public-private collaboration on several efforts related to modernization and diplomacy.

According to a notice published Friday in the Federal Register, the proposed FFRDCs will be divided into three areas: operational support; emerging threats, concept exploration, experimentation and evaluation; and information technology and cyber operations.

Operational support, for instance, includes the development of comprehensive acquisition policies and implementation guidance that foster innovation and establishment of organizational structures and business models that can support operational and strategic goals.

“In particular, we are interested in feedback regarding the proposed scope of the work to be performed by the FFRDCs, and the presence of any existing private- or public-sector capabilities in these areas that the Department should be considering,” the notice reads.

The State Department expects to post on SAM.gov a request for proposals in the summer of 2024.

Michael Derrios, senior procurement executive at the department’s Bureau of Administration, discussed the agency’s new acquisition approach, which includes the creation of its own FFRDCs.

Comments are due Aug. 15.

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