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Booz Allen Sees AI as Key to Space Domain Mastery; Patrick Biltgen Quoted
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Booz Allen Sees AI as Key to Space Domain Mastery; Patrick Biltgen Quoted

The artificial intelligence revolution comes with impacts and applications in many different fields. Cybersecurity, data management and customer service/experience are well-established as fertile ground for AI technologies, but the major players in the government contracting industry are now considering space as another ripe route for automation and unmanned systems.

“At Booz Allen, we are working at the intersection of space and AI,” Patrick Biltgen, principal at Booz Allen Hamilton, told ExecutiveGov in an exclusive comment.

Booz Allen Sees AI as Key to Space Domain Mastery; Patrick Biltgen Quoted

Biltgen will be a panelist at next week’s Space Summit, from Potomac Officers Club. During his panel, he will converse with representatives from the Naval Research Laboratory, the Air Force Research Laboratory and Amazon Web Services about how to leverage AI to address and resolve threats in the space domain. You don’t want to miss this discussion or the many networking opportunities at the March 5 event! Register here now.

In Q4 2023, Booz Allen executives made clear their goal to secure $500 million to $700 million worth of government AI contracts in fiscal year 2024, according to Axios. They will use the funds to create products designed for defensive cybersecurity, computer vision that enables interpretation of images and videos and custom generative AI.

“We are examining ways to enhance mission functions like multi-sensor optimization, automated detection and characterization, and reimagining new user experiences that apply AI to human-machine teaming,” Biltgen revealed.

Biltgen’s colleague Steve Escaravage is helping to lead the charge of Booz Allen’s AI efforts and has been instrumental in shaping its AI program over the years. Read about why Executive Mosaic named Escaravage a 2024 Wash100 Award winner here.

Booz Allen will sponsor the Potomac Officers Club’s 5th Annual AI Summit on March 21. Be sure to attend both that event and the Space Summit on March 5 to learn about the company’s perspectives on AI and space, chat with its executives and hear from a who’s who of government and military speakers in relevant fields.

Booz Allen Sees AI as Key to Space Domain Mastery; Patrick Biltgen Quoted
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GovCon Index Saw Continued Growth Last Week
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GovCon Index Saw Continued Growth Last Week

Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Index closed at $4,839.92 on Friday, a 1.07% increase from the previous week.

GovCon Index is an aggregate index that tracks data from 30 major government contractors in real time. This information offers users a look into the performance of these companies and the broad trends characterizing today’s GovCon landscape. With these insights, users are able to evaluate the overall financial state of the GovCon market.

KBR led last week’s gains, growing by 7.12%. Parsons (+5.51%) was second and SAIC (+2.83%) was third in the ranks. Booz Allen Hamilton followed with a 2.23% increase, and Curtiss-Wright came in fifth with a 2.21% rise.

GovCon Index began last week with a 0.40% decrease, but bounced back on Wednesday and maintained an upward trend through the end of the week. On Friday, GovCon Index saw an uptick of 0.64%, marking the highest growth day of the week.

For more insights into daily GovCon Index performance, check out last week’s market reports. To view the full list of tracked organizations, click here.

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Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus Spacecraft Lands on Moon Carrying 6 NASA Payloads
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Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus Spacecraft Lands on Moon Carrying 6 NASA Payloads

An Intuitive Machines-built lunar lander carrying six NASA science research and technology demonstrations has touched down on the lunar surface following a seven-day journey to lunar orbit.

NASA said Friday its Navigation Doppler Lidar for Precise Velocity and Range Sensing guidance system for descent and landing has helped Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander, called Odysseus, softly land Thursday near Malapert A, a landing site close to the moon’s South Pole region.

According to NASA, Intuitive Machines turned to the guidance system when it encountered a sensor issue with its navigation system. 

The NASA instrument uses a laser that emits pulses through three optical telescopes and measures speed, direction and altitude during descent and touchdown.

Other NASA payloads launched onboard Odysseus are a CubeSat-sized autonomous navigation demonstrator, a laser retroreflector array, a radio frequency mass gauge, a photoelectron sheath density observation instrument and stereo cameras for lunar plume-surface studies.

“This feat from Intuitive Machines, SpaceX, and NASA demonstrates the promise of American leadership in space and the power of commercial partnerships under NASA’s CLPS initiative. Further, this success opens the door for new voyages under Artemis to send astronauts to the Moon, then onward to Mars,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

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NCCoE Releases 2 Special Guides to Protect, Recover From Data Breaches
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NCCoE Releases 2 Special Guides to Protect, Recover From Data Breaches

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s cybersecurity center has issued two special publications to help identify, detect and respond to data breaches.

The documents released Friday by the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence also guides organizations on how to protect their assets and recover from such attacks.

The two publications explain data security based on the triad of confidentiality, integrity and availability. They also adopted principles based on NIST Cybersecurity Framework 1.1.

SP 1800-28 includes a detailed discussion of multifactor authentication solutions to prevent phishing attacks on enterprise systems. It contains a flow diagram on MFA using virtual desktop interface software as well as protected network sharing of sensitive information.

SP 1800-29 suggests procedures to resolve incidents of ransomware, accidental email and laptop loss, misuse of access privileges and electronic eavesdropping. NCCoE shares how to monitor privacy using logging and network detection platforms.

Both documents are directed at chief information security officers, chief technology officers and similar business decision-makers, as well as IT professionals and program managers designated for technology, security and privacy.

OPM Unveils Workforce of the Future Playbook; Kiran Ahuja Quoted
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OPM Unveils Workforce of the Future Playbook; Kiran Ahuja Quoted

The Office of Personnel Management has issued a playbook outlining actions agencies can take to build an inclusive, agile, engaged and skilled federal workforce.

OPM said Friday the new Workforce of the Future Playbook classifies specific actions into three pillars of the agency’s vision: inclusive, agile and engaged and equipped with the right skills.

The document details 12 priority areas to help agencies build and equip the federal workforce of the future, including strategic workforce planning, strategic recruitment, skills-based hiring, integration of artificial intelligence technology, organizational health and data-driven workforce decisions.

“This Playbook is just another example of OPM’s ongoing efforts to equip federal agencies with the tools and resources to hire the right talent and strategically plan for their future workforce. The federal government works best when we leverage the full talent of our nation and workforce – this playbook is full of useful strategies to do just that,” said OPM Director Kiran Ahuja.

The agency will conduct webinars and training and provide technical support through subject matter experts to help agencies implement the strategies in the playbook.

OSD ManTech Selects 5 Teams to Develop Organic Industrial Base Modernization Technologies
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OSD ManTech Selects 5 Teams to Develop Organic Industrial Base Modernization Technologies

The Office of the Secretary of Defense Manufacturing Technology program, also known as OSD ManTech, has announced the five Department of Defense Manufacturing Innovation Institutes selected to develop dual-use applications that address the specific needs of the DOD and the domestic manufacturing sector.

The Organic Industrial Base Modernization Challenge winners will each receive $500,000 in government funding to produce advanced manufacturing capabilities to support the modernization of DOD’s arsenals, depots and ammunition plants, OSD ManTech said.

The five DOD Manufacturing Innovation Institutes and their member companies are:

  • ARM Institute and Aris Technology
  • ARM Institute and Grid Raster Inc.
  • ARM, Figure Engineering, Siemens and Lockheed Martin
  • MxD and Anark
  • NextFlex and Aptima

OSD ManTech received 104 proposals through the OIB Modernization Challenge project call, nine of which were selected to deliver their proposals to a panel of experts, including OSD ManTech Director Tracy Frost.

“Our industry partners are key to accomplishing modernization goals and ensuring that the services have the equipment they need to succeed,” Frost said.

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Astronautics to Catalog Aviation Data Under FAA Cybersecurity Research Contract
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Astronautics to Catalog Aviation Data Under FAA Cybersecurity Research Contract

Astronautics Corporation of America will identify, categorize and catalog data streams from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Cybersecurity Data Science Aviation Architecture Framework, or CSDS AAF.

The company said Friday it received a 12-month Phase 1 cybersecurity research contract to characterize data transmitted from airlines, airports and aircraft to assist the FAA in developing artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to advance aviation cybersecurity.

“A critical step in making aviation more resilient is to understand the data and data pathways within different aviation networks, as this will enable and optimize the development of advanced AI/ML algorithms that will enhance our abilities to respond to and recover from advanced cyber threats,” said Matt Frei, director of connected aircraft solutions at Astronautics.

Astronautics’ avionics cybersecurity assurance group will build on the company’s experience in collecting and disseminating aerospace data to support the Phase 1 contract.

The company has three decades of experience producing aircraft data management avionic systems for global aircraft manufacturers.

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GSA Publishes Contract Vehicle Guide for Purchasing ICT/OT Supply Chain Risk Management Tools
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GSA Publishes Contract Vehicle Guide for Purchasing ICT/OT Supply Chain Risk Management Tools

The General Services Administration issued a guide on government contract vehicles that agencies can use to procure cybersecurity supply chain risk management — or C-SCRM — tools and advisory services.

The document covers information and communications technology and operational technologies, or ICT and OCTs, which are faced with threats that are evolving in sophistication and can put government information at great risk, GSA said Saturday.

Global ICT/OT supply chains have been hit with deliberate and unintentional disruptions in recent years. Weather events as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by attacks such as zero-day vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange and the SolarWinds Orion breach have affected tens of thousands of organizations and businesses.

GSA stressed to agencies that effective C-SCRM software and hardware cover all of ICT/OT design, development, production, distribution, deployment, purchase and distribution until their disposal. Organizations should conduct cybersecurity risk assessments prior to acquiring such products to specifically address their operational vulnerabilities.

GSA provided a list of risk factors addressed by the multiple-award schedule and other government wide acquisition contract vehicles, including specific contract types for purchasing anti-counterfeiting and value chain management systems to protect ICT/OT supply chain.

The Potomac Officers Club is gathering experts from government and industry to discuss the expanding role of cyber in the public sector. Register early for the 2024 Cyber Summit on June 6.

POC - 2024 Cyber Summit
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EY Audit Affirms Accuracy of Marine Corps Financial Statements, Notes Deficiencies in Internal Controls
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EY Audit Affirms Accuracy of Marine Corps Financial Statements, Notes Deficiencies in Internal Controls

The financial statements of the U.S. Marine Corps truthfully and fairly represent the military service’s financial information for fiscal year 2023, according to Ernst & Young.

EY issued its unmodified opinion following the conclusion of a two-year audit of the Marine Corps, for which the professional services provider was selected to serve as an independent accounting firm, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General said Friday.

Despite the unmodified opinion, EY noted material weaknesses within the Marine Corps’ internal financial reporting controls, resulting in the need to implement substantive-based testing, which began in fiscal year 2022.

The entire audit ultimately covered $46.3 billion in Marine Corps assets, with EY checking over 3,000 documents, evaluating more than 25 million sample items and performing over 70 site visits. Three reports were produced:

  • Report on Audit of the Financial Statements
  • Report of Independent Auditors on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
  • Report of Independent Auditors Compliance and Other Matters

EY carried out the work under the oversight of the DODIG.

Inspector General Robert Storch described the audit as “unprecedented” and touted the “tremendous amount of work” that had to be done to complete the process.

Storch also called on the Marine Corps to address the material weaknesses identified during the audit, saying, “These efforts will be important for the U.S. Marine Corps to improve audit efficiency and establish sustained financial reporting and operational readiness.”

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William Dunlap Named Acting Deputy DOD CIO for Information Enterprise
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William Dunlap Named Acting Deputy DOD CIO for Information Enterprise

William Dunlap, most recently principal director within the information enterprise office at the Department of Defense, has been appointed acting deputy chief information officer for information enterprise at DOD, Federal News Network reported Friday.

He has taken on the interim role after Lily Zeleke “took over new responsibilities” within the office of the DOD CIO, Cmdr. Tim Gordon, a spokesman for the Pentagon, told FNN in an email.

Dunlap previously served as CIO and director of the information technology directorate at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

His two-decade career at DARPA included time as chief of classified IT operations and Special Access Program CIO.

He also served in the U.S. Air Force as a Security Forces member.

POC - 5th Annual CIO Summit

Register here to join the Potomac Officers Club’s 5th Annual CIO Summit on April 17 and learn more about the latest modernization strategies and how industry can help meet the priorities of federal CIOs.

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