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DOD IG Audits Air Force’s Procurement of 3D Expeditionary Long-Range Radar
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DOD IG Audits Air Force’s Procurement of 3D Expeditionary Long-Range Radar

The Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General assessed the U.S. Air Force’s use of the middle tier of acquisition pathway for prototyping and fielding the Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar system and found that the program office did not conclude the exit criteria during the MTA rapid prototyping phase before transitioning the 3DELRR program to the rapid fielding path.

The DOD IG has recommended that the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment consult with the department’s comptroller/chief financial officer to implement guidance that sets the appropriate funding source to buy initial production units of the system during the rapid prototyping and fielding phases, according to a report publicly released on Aug. 28.

“We recommend that the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics) require the Air Force Program Executive Officer Digital to request a waiver to extend the rapid fielding path for the 3DELRR program to complete fielding in the MTA pathway, and require the 3DELRR program office to develop a plan to complete fielding the 3DELRR program in the rapid fielding path if a waiver is issued,” the IG report reads.

3DELRR is a long-range, ground-based sensor system used to detect, identify and track aerial targets for the Air Force, which planned to buy a total of 35 radars through fiscal year 2028.

In March 2022, the Air Force selected Lockheed Martin to supply its AN/TPY-4(V)1 technology for the 3DELRR program.

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NAVSEA Taps Rear Adm. Tom Anderson as Acting Commander
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NAVSEA Taps Rear Adm. Tom Anderson as Acting Commander

Rear Adm. Tom Anderson, former head of the U.S. Navy Program Executive Office for Ships, has been named acting commander of Naval Sea Systems Command during an assumption of command ceremony held at the Washington Navy Yard.

He succeeds Vice Adm. William Galinis, who retired after three years of leading the NAVSEA enterprise and its global workforce of more than 86,000 civilian and military personnel, the command said Friday.

During his tenure, Galinis oversaw the delivery of 22 battle force ships and 260 vessels to the Navy fleet and led the completion of 168 Chief of Naval Operations availabilities and 1,600 continuous maintenance availabilities.

As PEO for Ships, Anderson managed the design and construction of amphibious ships, surface combatants, logistics support ships and support craft for the U.S. military and foreign military sales customers.

He previously served as commander of NAVSEA’s Surface Warfare Centers, commander of Navy Regional Maintenance Center and NAVSEA director of surface ship maintenance, modernization and sustainment.

In March, President Biden nominated Rear Adm. James Downey to serve as the next NAVSEA commander. Downey has been temporarily assigned as a special assistant to the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition while awaiting confirmation.

Pentagon, Contractors Turn to International Sources for Weapons Stockpile Assistance
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Pentagon, Contractors Turn to International Sources for Weapons Stockpile Assistance

The Department of Defense and its contractors are turning to international manufacturing lines to increase weapons and ammunition stockpiles amid the Ukraine war and potential conflict with China, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

The U.S. government is also attempting to increase production of missiles, rocket motors, drones and other key technologies in Australia, Germany and Poland, among other countries, prompting vendors to push weapons production abroad to meet the rising demand worldwide.

DOD has moved to relax regulations for international weapons production and military technology sharing with foreign producers in allied countries as part of efforts to advance the approach called “friend-shoring.”

William LaPlante, undersecretary of DOD for acquisition and sustainment, said the Pentagon planned to disclose a collection of deals in the next several months to advance the establishment of weapons manufacturing lines in Europe and other locations.

“Where we’re headed is co-development, co-production and co-sustainment with our partners,” said LaPlante, a two-time Wash100 awardee.

According to the report, the current environment has driven agreements that will result in Javelin missiles being produced by companies in Poland and parts for the Lockheed Martin-built F-35 fighter jet being manufactured by German businesses.

Cerberus Makes Investment in Aerospace Company Resonant Sciences; Baird’s John Song Quoted
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Cerberus Makes Investment in Aerospace Company Resonant Sciences; Baird’s John Song Quoted

Aerospace survivability-focused company Resonant Sciences has received a strategic investment from Cerberus Capital Management’s Supply Chain and Strategic Opportunities platform.

The investment, which was exclusively advised by Baird, positions Resonant to continue on its current growth trajectory to meet the growing demand for its technologies, subsystems and hardware offerings, the Dayton, Ohio-based company announced on Tuesday.

“As the global threat environment continues to rapidly evolve, innovative companies like Resonant Sciences become increasingly more important in advancing our national defense capabilities,” said John Song, a managing director in Baird’s Global Technology & Services team and Wash100 Award winner.

Resonant’s portfolio includes modern technology and hardware geared toward the U.S. defense community, primarily within the areas of advanced apertures, integrated electronic systems and modeling, measurements and digital engineering. Its client base includes federal organizations focused on the land, sea, air and space domains as well as private sector companies.

Resonant CEO and Co-Founder J. Micah North said Cerberus’ team of national security experts will help accelerate the growth and fielding of Resonant’s products and noted their understanding of the mission and commitment to supporting the company’s extended growth.

Michael Palmer, managing director for Cerberus’ Supply Chain and Strategic Opportunities arm, said that he is excited to work alongside the Resonant team “to support their continued growth and innovation.”

Resonant’s offerings in the aerospace technology field, he said, are “strengthening our nation’s defense in key areas.”

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Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner on DISA’s Approach to AI, Zero Trust
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Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner on DISA’s Approach to AI, Zero Trust

Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner, director of the Defense Information Systems Agency and a two-time Wash100 awardee, said DISA is taking a forward-leaning approach to artificial intelligence, zero trust and other technologies to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities in support of U.S. warfighters.

“We’re leveraging AI, especially from a cybersecurity standpoint,” Skinner said at a conference on Wednesday.

“AI is included in the Defense Enterprise Office Solution. We have to embrace AI,” he added.

Skinner, who also serves as commander of the Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network, highlighted the importance of strengthening cybersecurity measures through zero trust adoption and the need for secure information systems amid a rapidly changing digital landscape.

“It’s all about how we maneuver and posture ourselves so that we’re ready against the adversary,” Skinner noted.

Trusted AI and Autonomy Forum

Listen to public sector leaders and technology experts as they explore opportunities and risks associated with generative AI and related tools at ExecutiveBiz’s Trusted Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy Forum on Sept. 12. Register here.

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AFRL Reports Tenfold Increase in Demand for Military Health Record Smartphone App Demos
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AFRL Reports Tenfold Increase in Demand for Military Health Record Smartphone App Demos

A smartphone application developed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory as an electronic health record tool for the military has been steadily attracting the attention of military agencies since its launch in 2019.

The Battlefield Assisted Trauma Distributed Observation Kit, which was selected in 2022 as the official EHR tool by the Joint Operational Medicine Information Systems Program Management Office, has seen a tenfold increase in demand for demonstrations at joint exercises, AFRL said Wednesday.

BATDOK is designed to capture medical documentation for point-of-injury as well as en route care of military patients. 

Evaluation of the app by military medics began in 2016, with AFRL’s 711th Human Performance Wing conducting two operational demos per year. After JOMIS announced its adoption of the app, demonstrations rose to two per month.

BATDOK has been deployed for evaluation and testing to all services of the Department of Defense, and has caught the interest of foreign military customers including the United Kingdom, Morocco and Australia.

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Copyright Office Releases Notice of Inquiry on AI Policy Issues
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Copyright Office Releases Notice of Inquiry on AI Policy Issues

The U.S. Copyright Office has issued a notice of inquiry and request for comments on a new initiative to examine copyright policy issues raised by artificial intelligence technology.

The NOI was published in the Federal Register to seek “factual information and views” on copyright issues, including the use of copyrighted materials in AI training, the legal status of AI-generated outputs and the appropriate levels of transparency and disclosure regarding the use of copyrighted works to develop generative AI systems, the Copyright Office said Wednesday.

“We launched this initiative at the beginning of the year to focus on the increasingly complex issues raised by generative AI. This NOI and the public comments we will receive represent a critical next step,” said Shira Perlmutter, register of copyrights and director of the Copyright Office.

Interested parties have until Oct. 18 to submit comments. Replies are due Nov. 15.

Trusted AI and Autonomy Forum

Join the ExecutiveBiz Trusted AI and Autonomy Forum on Sept. 12 to hear from government and industry experts about the development of secure AI technologies for critical missions. Register here.

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US Agencies, International Counterparts Issue Report on ‘Infamous Chisel’ Malware; Rob Joyce Quoted
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US Agencies, International Counterparts Issue Report on ‘Infamous Chisel’ Malware; Rob Joyce Quoted

The National Security Agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the FBI and international partners have released a report on a mobile malware, dubbed Infamous Chisel, associated with a group of Russian military cyberthreat actors known as Sandworm.

Published Thursday, the report shows that Infamous Chisel exfiltrates information from Android devices used by the Ukrainian military through periodic scanning of files and provides network backdoor access through a Tor hidden service and Secure Shell. 

Sandworm has been known to target U.S. defense industrial base and government networks.

“Russia continues to leverage the cyber domain to advance its war against Ukraine,” said Rob Joyce, cybersecurity director at NSA.

“Our analysis offers guidance to help find and eradicate this threat, and raises awareness of this threat targeted by Sandworm malicious cyber activity. We will continue to collaborate across the U.S. government and with our international allies to eradicate cyber threats,” Joyce added.

CISA, NSA and the FBI jointly released the malware analysis report with their counterparts in New Zealand, Canada, Australia and the U.K.

Pentagon Creates Website to Provide Public Reports on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena
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Pentagon Creates Website to Provide Public Reports on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena

The Department of Defense has launched a website to provide publicly available information regarding the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, which reports unidentified anomalous phenomena sightings and potential threats.

DOD said Thursday the AARO website will give the public access to declassified photos and videos on resolved UAP cases and will feature reporting trends, a frequently asked questions section and links to official reports and other resources.

The website will soon include a secure reporting tool to enable current and former U.S. government employees, service members or contractors to contact AARO directly to report UAP sightings.

AARO was established in July 2022 to report and resolve anomalous, unidentified space, airborne, submerged and transmedium objects that may threaten military operations and national security.

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Douglas Robertson Promoted to CTO of Small Business Administration
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Douglas Robertson Promoted to CTO of Small Business Administration

Douglas Robertson, a product manager with over a decade of combined industry and government experience, has ascended to the role of chief technology officer at the Small Business Administration.

He announced his new post on LinkedIn and assumed the CTO role after serving as product owner and information technology specialist at SBA for three years.

In his previous role, Robertson led teams specializing in agile development, cloud professional services and enterprise applications and managed AWS Enterprise Hosting services across 10 program offices.

He previously served as a data analyst and incident manager at Interactions, a digital transformation company that offers intelligent virtual assistants powered by conversational artificial intelligence.

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