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Air Force Holds Hackathon on Generative AI for Test Planning
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Air Force Holds Hackathon on Generative AI for Test Planning

The Air Force Test Center demonstrated the use of generative artificial intelligence models to augment various test processes during a recently concluded four-day data hackathon.

The AFWERX-sponsored hackathon focused on demonstrating a business use case for generative AI models and creating a knowledge base for future implementation, Air Force Materiel Command reported Tuesday.

During the event, six open-source generative AI models were hosted in a closed environment to enable teams to use controlled unclassified information to provide specific flight test context.

“This concept of using AI modeling to has the potential to be a game changer for streamlining the planning and reporting phases of test,” said Maj. Riley Livermore, flight test engineer with the 413th Flight Test Squadron.

Hackaton teams were composed of airmen, civilians and contractors from Arnold, Edwards and Eglin Air Force Bases and Air Force Test and Evaluation Center and Air Mobility Command.

Trusted AI and Autonomy Forum

Join the ExecutiveBiz Trusted Artificial Intelligence 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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NASA Intros Geology Team for 1st Crewed Lunar Landing Mission
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NASA Intros Geology Team for 1st Crewed Lunar Landing Mission

NASA has introduced the geology team to develop the surface science plan for Artemis III, the 2025-targeted, crewed moon landing mission to return humans to the moon’s surface—the first of its kind in 50 years.

The Artemis III geology team will work with NASA to determine Artemis III’s geological science objectives and design the mission’s geology surface campaign, the agency said Thursday.

Brett Denevi of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and Lauren Edgar of the U.S. Geological Survey will serve as principal investigator and deputy principal investigator, respectively.

They will lead a team of experts from the government and academia, including Yang Liu from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Katherine Joy from the University of Manchester in the U.K. and Gordon Osinski from the University of Western Ontario in London.

NASA expects the team to plan science activities during astronauts’ moonwalks such as field geology traverses, observations, lunar samples collection, imagery and scientific measurements.

“The Artemis III Geology Team will have the unique opportunity to analyze the first-ever samples from the lunar south pole region, helping us not only to unlock new information about the formation of our Solar System, but also with planning for future Artemis missions and establishing a long-term lunar presence,” said Jim Free, associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate.

Deborah Rosenblum: Addressing Biothreats Requires DOD’s Integrated Focus
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Deborah Rosenblum: Addressing Biothreats Requires DOD’s Integrated Focus

Deborah Rosenblum, assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs, said the Department of Defense should put an integrated focus on addressing emerging biological threats posed by near-peer competitors, pandemics and non-state actors, DOD News reported Wednesday.

“Biodefense is no longer something that’s the purview of just specialized units who have traditionally been worried about these threats,” Rosenblum said at a Center for Strategic and International Studies-hosted event.

She noted that biothreats have an impact on military readiness and resilience and that a combat credible force is needed to achieve integrated deterrence.

“And to be combat credible, the whole joint force must be capable of fighting through biothreats and being resilient,” Rosenblum added.

Rosenblum’s remarks came a week after DOD released the Biodefense Posture Review, which presents an assessment of the biological threat landscape and offers key reforms aimed at strengthening the U.S. military’s biodefense posture over the next decade.

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Jason Morneault Takes Helm of Army’s Wideband Enterprise Satellite Systems PdM Office
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Jason Morneault Takes Helm of Army’s Wideband Enterprise Satellite Systems PdM Office

Jason Morneault has officially assumed leadership of the Wideband Enterprise Satellite Systems‘ Product Management Office, which is part of the Integrated Enterprise Network portfolio of the U.S. Army Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems.

The ceremony for the WESS charter transfer was held June 30 to welcome Morneault as the new product manager to succeed Lt. Col. Scott Davis, the Army said Wednesday.

It was hosted by IEN Project Manager Col. Justin Shell, who highlighted Morneault’s military experience, information operation knowledge and Agile principle application.

The new WESS PdM brings to the role more than three decades of experience as a civil servant, Army enlisted soldier and commissioned officer. He most recently worked as product leader for the Information Operations portfolio, Ground Applications Program Office with PEO Special Operations Forces Warrior.

His other previous assignments were assistant product manager for Personnel Parachutes and Head Protection at PEO Soldier; and division chief for the Training and Doctrine Command Capability Manager of the Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

Morneault is now responsible for driving the acquisition, deployment and sustainment of satellite communication and satellite control systems in support of the Department of Defense and international partners.

During the ceremony, Morneault remarked on the upcoming transition of IEN from PEO EIS to PEO Command, Control, Communications – Tactical.

“I am excited for WESS’s transition to PEO C3T starting on Oct. 8, 2023. The merger of WESS and C3T will allow strategic and tactical [satellite communications] synergy in order to achieve the Army’s goal of a Unified Network,” he said.

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NIST Begins Standardization Process for 4 Quantum Threat-Resistant Algorithms
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NIST Begins Standardization Process for 4 Quantum Threat-Resistant Algorithms

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has initiated the process of standardizing four algorithms built to combat attacks from quantum computers.

These algorithms, which were selected from 69 submissions to the agency’s Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization Project, represent a step forward in NIST’s efforts to develop tools capable of safeguarding information from advanced quantum attacks, NIST said on Thursday.

Dustin Moody, a NIST mathematician who leads the project, said that this progress is pushing the agency “close to the light at the end of the tunnel, where people will have standards they can use in practice.”

Currently, there are no quantum computers advanced enough to crack today’s encryption algorithms, but experts have urged the quantum community to prepare for the future due to the years-long process of integrating new algorithms into computer systems.

Federal Information Processing Standard drafts have already been written for three of the algorithms: CRYSTALS-Kyber, CRYSTALS-Dilithium and SPHINCS+. The fourth algorithm, FALCON, is set to receive a draft FIPS next year. These writings contain guidance on algorithm implementation and information on technical specifications, and according to Moody, new companion publications are planned for the future.

This work began in 2016, during which NIST called upon cryptographic experts to submit candidate algorithms for the Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization Project. After submissions were collected, NIST released the algorithms for experts to analyze and attempt to crack in an open and transparent, multi-round process.

NIST intends to publish standards for an additional set of algorithms next year. The new algorithms are designed for general encryption, but they are based on different math problems than CRYSTALS-Kyber, which was also created for general encryption purposes.

The agency recently accepted 40 more algorithms designed after the original 2017 submission deadline for assessment in support of its efforts to stay up-to-date with new developments in post-quantum cryptography.

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Army Unveils Contract Writing System
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Army Unveils Contract Writing System

The U.S. Army has introduced a platform designed to provide contract writing capabilities for the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Procurement.

Users of the Army Contract Writing System can produce award, solicitation and modification documents in uniform contract format, import vendors from the System for Award Management and generate Procurement Data Standard-compliant transactions, among other tasks, during the initial deployment phase, the service said Tuesday.

The initial group of ACWS users includes 104 contracting staff at 29 sites and the Army said it plans to roll out the system to 350 additional users from the Army National Guard and Army Contracting Command during the first quarter of fiscal 2024.

ACWS will replace the Procurement Automated Data and Document System and the Standard Procurement System, will be integrated with the Virtual Contracting Enterprise and other financial platforms, as well as feature additional contracting capabilities, including the use of the Construction Specifications Institute contract format.

Megan Dake, DASA for procurement, said the service will continue to collect feedback and work with the product manager to further enhance the system.

The Top Government Contracts Won by Akima, LLC
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The Top Government Contracts Won by Akima LLC
Photo by Jat306/Shutterstock

The top government contracts won by Akima, LLC are key to advancing federal missions involving construction, logistics, national security, information technology, engineering systems, and system application. Akima’s native origins empower the company to continuously develop products and services.

 

What are the top government contracts won by Akima, LLC?

 

Outlined below are the prime government contracts won by Akima, LLC and their significant contributions to defense, air force, and energy missions. 

 

Akima and Amentum JV Secured U.S. Air Force Contract for Oklahoma Air Force Base Operation and Management Services

Oklahoma Air For Force Base Operation and Management Services
U.S. Air Force photo by Paul Shirk from Tinker Air Force Base, licensed under public domain
  • Contracting activity: U.S. Air Force (USAF)
  • Value: $334 million
  • Contract date: December 8, 2022

 

In December 8, 2022, the USAF tapped into Akima Range Readiness Operations (ARRO) to complete the Civil Engineering Services-Operations Management (CESOM) contract for the Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The CESOM contract is the U.S. Air Force’s largest facility operations and management contract to date.

 

Under the $334 million contract, ARRO will provide responsive installation and support services that encompass natural and human-built infrastructure at the Tinker Air Force Base. Additionally, CESOM entails supervising over 400 employees as it deploys continuous modernization and enhancement operations that bolster the air base’s installation operations, supply chain management, and warfighting expeditionary capabilities. 

 

Akima Range Readiness Operations is a joint venture between Amentum and RiverTech, an Akima LLC subsidiary. ARRO will integrate its expert civil engineering and operations management capabilities to complete CESOM orders by 2029.

 

Akima Intra-Data Won Contract Line-item Numbers Deal for Keesler Air Force Base Operation Support

Keesler Air Force Base Operation Support
Photo by Michael Fitzsimmons/Shutterstock
  • Contracting activity: U.S. Air Force
  • Value: $200 million
  • Contract type: Hybrid (firm-fixed-price with cost-reimbursable contract line-item numbers)
  • Contract date: June 12, 2023

 

Akima Intra-Data (AID) achieved a milestone on June 12, 2023, when it landed a contract with the U.S. Air Force to deliver base operations support for the Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. As an Akima LLC subsidiary, it specializes in a wide range of base operations and logistics capabilities aimed at ensuring smooth processes and secure warehouse storage.

 

AID was awarded $199.8 million to perform management and engineering services to maintain the training installation for the 81st Training Wing at Keesler Air Force Base. The subsidiary is tasked to complete the contract orders by 2030. Scott Rauer, President of Akima’s Facilities Solution Group, highlighted that this contract award demonstrates Akima’s decades of expertise in providing advanced aerospace solutions and the confidence and trust the USAF has in Akima.

 

Akima TrueStone Won Tobyhanna Army Depot Maintenance Support Contract

Tobyhanna Army Depot Maintenance Support Contract
U.S. Army photo from army.mil
  • Contracting activity: U.S. Army
  • Value: $194 million
  • Contract date: March 30, 2023

 

TrueStone, an Akima LLC company dedicated to enabling customers to achieve sustainable business success and superior project results, made a breakthrough when it landed the U.S. Army’s depot maintenance support contract for the Tobyhanna Depot on March 30, 2023. With potential contract funds of $194 million, Akima TrueStone was tasked with providing logistics and engineering technician services to the Army’s Tobyhanna Depot.

 

Through this agreement, TrueStone will be enhancing the branch depot’s capacity to provide excellent logistics support for C5ISR systems within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Tobyhanna Depot is the DoD’s largest full-service electronics maintenance facility. Akima TrueStone is tasked with completing the contract requirements by 2028.

 

Akima Aperture Secured an I.T. and Engineering Services Contract for the Navy’s Programmatic Engineering Logistics Support Incubator Program

Akima Aperture Naval I.T. and Engineering Services Contract
Photo by Party people studio/Shutterstock
  • Contracting activity: Naval Information Warfare Center
  • Value: $114 million
  • Contract type: Multiple-award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ)
  • Contract date: March 2, 2021

 

On March 2, 2021, the Naval Information Warfare Center awarded Akima Aperture a multiple-award IDIQ contract to support its Programmatic Engineering Logistics Support Incubator program. Under the contract valued at $114 million, the Akima subsidiary will provide various engineering and information technology services to enhance the Department of Navy’s Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic.

 

Add to that, Akima Aperture has to compete for individual task orders within the order period of five years. Akima Aperture is the subsidiary responsible for delivering trusted maritime engineering solutions suitable for various portfolios of the DoD. The company’s offerings include supporting legacy environments, building future systems, and modernizing C5ISR operations for mission experts.

 

Akima Infrastructure Services Landed Staff Augmentation Contract to Support the Department of Energy Y-12 National Security Complex

Akima Subsidiary Landed Staff Augmentation Contract from the DoE
Photo by Sabrina Bracher/Shutterstock
  • Contracting activity: Consolidated Nuclear Security
  • Value: $63 million
  • Contract date: October 27, 2022

 

Akima Infrastructure Services (AIS), an Akima LLC subsidiary, secured a contract from Consolidated Nuclear Security to support the Department of Energy’s (DoE) staff augmentation program on December 19, 2022. With a contract value of $63 million, the Akima subsidiary was tasked with providing engineering capabilities and professional and technical services to address the energy department’s program needs.

 

The efforts will cover two of DoE’s facilities–notably the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee–vital for the management of the U.S. nuclear supply, storage and dismantlement of nuclear assets, and reduction of global nuclear threats.

 

Akima Infrastructure Services’ prime objective is to direct flexible, affordable, and high-quality distributed learning platforms befitting the needs of military and civilian organizations. AIS and its partners, Strata-G LLC and the Pinnacle Specialty Group, are bound to complete the contract’s terms and task orders by 2025.

 

Akima RiverTech Landed Ninth Air Force Management and Integration Services Contract

Ninth Air Force Management and Integration Services Contract
Ninth Air Force STAFFEX 18-5 [Image 2 of 2], by Amanda Dick, from DVIDS, licensed under public domain
  • Contracting activity: USAF Ninth Air Force
  • Value: $11 million
  • Contract type: OASIS Small Business Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Pool 1
  • Contract date: July 26, 2023

 

Akima RiverTech marked a significant milestone when it secured a contract for delivering management and integration services to the USAF’s Ninth Air Force on July 26, 2023. The contract has a potential total contract value of $11 million and an order period of five years.

 

Under the contract, RiverTech will perform training, operational management, systems engineering, integration services, and global force management capabilities suitable for the U.S. Central Command requirements. Added to that, the Akima subsidiary will support the Joint Data Network by implementing direct, strategic operational planning support and facilitating operational planning for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare missions.

 

RiverTech is an Akima company focused on implementing enterprise IT services that enable mission success, communications dominance, and superior command and control of forces across the globe.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What kind of corporation is Akima LLC?

Akima LLC is an Alaska Native Corporation focused on delivering cutting-edge solutions befitting customers’ missions and Iñupiat shareholders’ interests. The company’s portfolio includes services encompassing construction, information technology, aerospace solutions, protective services, systems engineering, furniture and equipment, and facilities and logistics management.

 

Where is Akima’s headquarters?

Akima LLC is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, with satellite offices located in various countries worldwide. The company currently employs over 9,500 employees empowered to support critical customer missions.

 

What are Akima LLC subsidiaries?

Akima LLC spearheads more than 20 companies specializing in various offerings suitable for the federal government. Some of the notable subsidiaries operating under Akima include Akima Intra-Data, Akima Aperture, Akima Construction Services, Akima TrueStone, and Akima RiverTech.

 

Akima LLC Government Contracts: Propelling National Missions Forward

Akima company logo overlayed
Logo from Akima

Akima is considered as the largest and also the fastest-growing among the subsidiaries of the native Alaskan corporation, NANA. It aims to foster a world that is safe, sustainable, efficient, and consistent with Iñupiat values. These values stemmed from the way of life and beliefs of the Iñupiat, the indigenous people that inhabit several Alaskan villages.

 

Above all, the prime objective of Akima LLC is to extend its expertise and dynamic portfolio to provide solutions and products to customers promptly and to cater to their mission requirements.

 

Through the top government contracts Akima has won, crucial national missions are advanced forward, superior outcomes are achieved, and the security, safety, and wellness of the nation and native communities are established.

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TMF Casts Net for 21st Century IDEA Implementation Proposals
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TMF Casts Net for 21st Century IDEA Implementation Proposals

The Technology Modernization Fund Board is soliciting proposals from federal agencies in need of funding for projects to implement the two specific areas of the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act: web accessibility improvement and digitization of public-facing forms.

TMF said its program management office within the General Services Administration will help agencies determine the level of funding and other resources required to carry out their projects.

“The PMO will also help agencies determine what level of project repayment is appropriate,” the TMF notice reads.

TMF Board has provided templates for initial project proposals covering the two specific areas of the law and will accept submissions through Sept. 22 on a rolling basis.

The board noted it may accept submissions after the Sept. 22 deadline and approve proposals based on TMF’s available funding.

ODNI to Conduct Research on Overcoming Barriers to Commercial Satellite Data Usage
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ODNI to Conduct Research on Overcoming Barriers to Commercial Satellite Data Usage

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence is requesting industry respondents to provide information on factors hindering the use of commercial remote sensing data and analytic services for defense and intelligence applications.

ODNI is conducting a study to examine ways to overcome the challenges faced by commercial analytic product providers when looking to conduct business with the Department of Defense and the intelligence community, according to a notice posted Monday on SAM.gov.

Per the request for information, commercial space remote sensing data includes satellite imagery and non-imagery-derived geospatial information such as automated identification system data and radio frequency-derived algorithms.

Interested parties have until Sept. 22 to submit comments.

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Law Firm Partner Henry Liu Named FTC Bureau of Competition Director
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Law Firm Partner Henry Liu Named FTC Bureau of Competition Director

Henry Liu, formerly a partner at Washington, D.C.-headquartered law firm Covington & Burling, has been appointed director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition.

Liu litigated complex antitrust cases and served as lead counsel in various antitrust matters at the appellate and trial levels during his 14-year career at Covington & Burling, FTC said Tuesday.

“His experience and expertise will equip the Commission to continue tackling unfair methods of competition and protecting the American public from unlawful business practices,” said FTC Chair Lina Khan.

Earlier in his career, Liu served as a law clerk to the Honorable R. Guy Cole, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Liu sits on the board of directors at Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, which provides legal and social services to immigrants at risk of deportation and detention in the Capital region.

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