Team of Joint & Coalition Warfighters Passes USAF Multi-Domain Integration Operations Training Course
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Team of Joint & Coalition Warfighters Passes USAF Multi-Domain Integration Operations Training Course

A group of 22 joint and coalition warfighters has successfully completed the Air Force’s Command and Control Warrior Advanced Course — a high-level, multi-domain integration program.

Composed of individuals from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force and Royal Australian Air Force, the team was trained in both kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities available to the Combined/Joint Force Air Component Commander, the Air Force 505th Command and Control Wing said on Thursday.

According to Capt. Austin Hairfield, a C2WAC 23-4 graduate and Air Combat Command/A3JC, subject matter experts participating in the month-long course joined forces to focus on graduate-level operational warfare planning.

During the course, the team created a timely air battle plan for the Combined/Joint Forces Air Component Commander that considered joint kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities “across the spectrum of conflict,” Hairfield elaborated.

Taught by the 705th Training Squadron, C2WAC educates air component headquarters personnel on the planning and execution of air component operations at the operational level to meet the standards of the Joint Force Commander. 

The program immerses participants in the responsibilities of the air component across the competition continuum at the operational level using the joint planning process for air and the joint air tasking cycle framework.

“The key to C2WAC being the U.S. Air Force’s premier operational planning course is directly related to the high-quality students and top-notch instructors that we have in our classroom,” said Lt. Col. Benjamin Lee, commander of the 705th TRS.

In this course, he said, the team was given the opportunity to draw from experiences spanning 10 component headquarters and two Agile Combat Employment-capable wings “to hone their operational planning expertise in very complex multi-domain scenarios at the highest classification level.”

The training program was completed at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

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DIU, Space Force Partner on New Tactically Responsive Space Mission
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DIU, Space Force Partner on New Tactically Responsive Space Mission

The Defense Innovation Unit and the U.S. Space Force have teamed up on a mission under the Tactically Responsive Space program that identifies commercial enterprises to help provide launch and on-orbit operations infrastructure.

The Victus Haze mission under the TacRS program intends to harness commercial capabilities for end-to-end execution to address on-orbit threats to space systems, DIU said Thursday.

“It is critical that we tap into and leverage commercially developed capabilities – ones that we can rapidly field to execute the VICTUS HAZE mission and then be able to count on for future TacRS operational needs,” said Maj. Jason Altenhofen, deputy for the Space Safari Program Office within Space Systems Command.

“Our partnership with DIU provides the right ecosystem, expertise, and mission focus to execute the VICTUS HAZE mission and establish a robust partnership with commercial providers,” added Altenhofen.

According to DIU, TacRS encompasses the spacecraft bus, ground segment, logistics, launch service and on-orbit operations.

DIU said it issued a Commercial Solutions Opening opportunity for the TacRS program in August and plans to award contracts in the fall of 2023.

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Rep. Nancy Mace Proposes Federal Cybersecurity Vulnerability Reduction Act
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Rep. Nancy Mace Proposes Federal Cybersecurity Vulnerability Reduction Act

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., has introduced a bill that would direct the Office of Management and Budget to update the Federal Acquisition Regulation to require federal contractors to implement vulnerability disclosure policies, Federal News Network reported Thursday.

The Federal Cybersecurity Vulnerability Reduction Act would require defense contractors to comply with procurement regulations while permitting chief information officers at agencies to waive VDP requirements “in the interest of national security or research purposes.”

According to FNN, the proposed legislation would extend the VDP requirements to all contracts that are over the simplified acquisition threshold.

“By mandating Vulnerability Disclosure Policies (VDP) for federal contractors, we can ensure a proactive approach to cybersecurity, enabling contractors to identify and address software vulnerabilities promptly,” Mace said in a statement.

“This legislation, aligned with internationally recognized standards, empowers contractors to stay ahead of malicious actors, preventing potential exploits and protecting sensitive information,” she added.

Mace is chairwoman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s cybersecurity, information technology and government innovation subpanel.

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SOSi’s Jim Edwards Shares Career Background, Core Values & More
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SOSi’s Jim Edwards Shares Career Background, Core Values & More

Jim Edwards currently serves as senior vice president of business development at SOS International, where he is responsible for gaining new business for the company and expanding its relationships with defense, intelligence and federal civilian clients.

Recently, Edwards spoke with the Potomac Officers Club for an Executive Spotlight interview, during which he shared his strategy for adapting to constant change in the federal government, revealed his core values for team building and discussed the challenges faced by businesses during the innovation process.

In this excerpt from the interview, Edwards offers his insights on the factors involved in creating a successful team:

“I am a strong advocate for promoting diversity in our thoughts, backgrounds and approaches to problem solving. I strive to create an environment that encourages our team to explore new ideas, adopt new technologies, evaluate new business practices and collaborate broadly. Those who are afraid of change or alternative ideas are destined to become irrelevant as new ways of working upend our industry. Of course, these are not new ideas. When I was pursuing an MBA, we read noted leadership and management consultants like Steven Covey and Tom Peters, who were advocating similar thoughts more than 30 years ago.”

To learn more about Edwards’ leadership approach, read the full Executive Spotlight interview on the Potomac Officers Club’s website.

Want to participate in your very own Executive Spotlight interview? Each Potomac Officers Club member has the chance to take advantage of this exciting brand-building opportunity. To browse our membership options and unlock the benefits the Potomac Officers Club has to offer, click here.

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MITRE Banks on 2 Programs to Strengthen Global Cyber Defense Capability
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MITRE Banks on 2 Programs to Strengthen Global Cyber Defense Capability

MITRE plans to expand its International Cyber Capacity Building and Active Defense Capability Set programs to help strengthen U.S. and allied cyber defense.

ICCB will add 28 countries to its partner network to counter cyber threats from China, while ADCS will be deployed to 21 nations in Europe as well as the Indo-Pacific and Africa to provide IT defense training and technology support, the company said Tuesday.

The two programs are built on standards from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, as well as MITRE’s ATT&CK and CALDERA IT defense frameworks.

ICCB collaborates with the Department of State to bolster strategic cyber capacity in developing countries. It has reached more than 100 nations, including Costa Rica, Albania and Ukraine, and will expand to Bangladesh, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, as well as parts of Africa.

MITRE’s ADCS team provides technical manuals, military cyber workforce pre-assessments, tools and self-study resources to prepare partner countries for online defense. In the next four years, the program will be rolled out in Romania and Slovenia, while a customized program will be launched in the Indo-Pacific Command and Africa Command.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Requests Recommendations on Supply Chain Resilience
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Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Requests Recommendations on Supply Chain Resilience

Gina Raimondo, secretary of the Department of Commerce, has requested recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness to promote supply chain reliability with partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific region.

During the committee’s virtual meeting, Raimondo asked how the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework could be applied in the U.S. private sector and how the federal government could help enhance supply chain consistency in sectors in which India and other IPEF partners operate, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

“The last two years of supply chain crises have revealed that the U.S. government needs to invest more in supply chain resilience,” Raimondo said. 

“Your experience, energy, and leadership are helping us formulate and implement solutions to make our supply chains more resilient, diverse, and secure,” the secretary said to ACSCC members.

Raimondo also highlighted the work of the Commerce Department’s Supply Chain Center to strengthen supply chain resilience by helping the government make data-driven decisions and supporting public-private collaborations.

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FirstNet Authority Board OKs $451M Budget Package for FY24; Joe Wassel Quoted
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FirstNet Authority Board OKs $451M Budget Package for FY24; Joe Wassel Quoted

The First Responder Network Authority Board has cleared a budget package of $451 million to fund operations and pursue network improvements in fiscal year 2024.

The package, called Resolution 115, includes $261 million for investments in emerging technologies and network coverage, $95 million for the authority’s FY 2024 operating budget and another $95 million for reserves, FirstNet said Wednesday.

“Our top priorities for the coming year include the development of a 10-year investment plan to advance 5G and coverage on the network, as well as strengthening our programs for public safety education, training, awareness, and oversight of the network contract,” said Joe Wassel, executive director and CEO of the FirstNet Authority.

The board approved the budget package during its meeting on Wednesday in Tacoma, Washington.

The FirstNet Authority has invested in upgrades to advance 5G capabilities and expand the fleet of deployable assets in support of the public safety community.

Over 26,000 public safety agencies and organizations in the U.S. are using the FirstNet network.

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NSF Selects 18 Teams to Develop Quantum-Scale Sensor Systems
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NSF Selects 18 Teams to Develop Quantum-Scale Sensor Systems

The National Science Foundation has awarded $29 million in funding to 18 teams to research, develop and demonstrate quantum sensor systems that can yield human-scale benefits.

Each team will receive $1 million to $2 million over four years to explore transformative research on quantum sensing such as enabling novel ultraprecise measurements of gravity, pressure, rotation and acceleration and building components for a quantum-enhanced telescope for imaging astronomical objects and remote sensing, the NSF said Tuesday.

“We are now taking the next step in quantum research through these projects and others, which combine fundamental research with potential applications that can positively impact our lives, our economic prosperity and our competitiveness as a nation,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan.

The funding is awarded under the Quantum Sensing Challenges for Transformational Advances in Quantum Systems program.

In addition to exploratory research activities, the teams will conduct education and outreach activities, including K-12 and mentorship programs and partnerships with local community colleges.

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NASA Begins Market Research for Spaceport Operations & Center Services Contract
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NASA Begins Market Research for Spaceport Operations & Center Services Contract

NASA has begun soliciting information on potential industry sources that could provide spaceport operations, logistics, facilities management and other related support services at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The agency plans to compete the Spaceport Operations and Center Services contract as a follow-on to the Base Operations and Spaceport Services program, according to a sources sought notice published Wednesday.

In 2018, NASA awarded PAE-SGT Partners the potential eight-year, $609 million BOSS contract, which covers mission support and launch readiness management and design engineering services.

The space agency expects the SOCS program to support over 30 government and commercial customers and anticipates contract work to kick off no earlier than April 2025.

Some of the potential requirements NASA expects the follow-on contract to cover are maintenance and operations of facilities, systems, equipment and utilities; center logistics services; management of an integrated operations center to include work control; and engineering and related support services.

Interested stakeholders should submit a capability statement, share insights on how to address potential barriers to engaging subject matter experts from industry and academia and offer recommendations to promote diversity and inclusion.

Responses to the request for information are due Sept. 11.

Space Technologies Forum

Listen to industry experts, government officials and other thought leaders across the space domain as they discuss what lies ahead for space technology at ExecutiveBiz’s Space Technologies Forum on Aug. 29. Register here.

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DARPA Offering Workshop on Next-Generation Microelectronics Manufacturing Initiative
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DARPA Offering Workshop on Next-Generation Microelectronics Manufacturing Initiative

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency will host a workshop on Sept. 19 to explore industry recommendations for establishing a U.S.-based center for research, development and manufacturing of three-dimensional heterogeneously integrated microsystems.

DARPA aims to discuss the responses to a previously released request for information on 3DHI research areas and manufacturing challenges and provide an opportunity for communities to interact and enter into teaming arrangements, according to a notice posted Wednesday on SAM.gov.

The agency aims to learn about facility capabilities for multi-chip, multi-semiconductor materials assembly, packaging and testing of 3D stacked chips and chiplets; fabricating 3DHI microsystems with an interconnect pitch between components less than 500 nm; increasing automation in 3DHI packaging and assembly processes; and multi-physics and multi-scale modeling and simulation tools.

In July, DARPA selected 11 teams to begin foundational research to inform next steps of the NGMM program.

The teams are represented by Applied Materials, Arizona State University, BRIDG, HRL Laboratories, Intel Federal, North Carolina State University, Northrop Grumman Space Systems, Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, PseudolithIC, RTX and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging.

The NGMM workshop will be held at the DARPA Conference Center in Arlington, Virginia.

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