The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership program has awarded a total of $20 million in funding to each of its MEP National Network Centers to boost the resilience of domestic supply chains.

NIST said Friday the funding was authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and will support projects focused on workforce development and technology upgrades at small and medium-sized manufacturers, in addition to domestic supply chain resilience.

The funding will also help develop the Supply Chain Optimization and Intelligence Network, a national database designed to support the coordination of supplier scouting services.

“Supply chain shortages are due to a lack of supply chain capacity. To address this issue, we’re creating an information system that lays out all the suppliers across various industries. This way, we can connect small suppliers to more opportunities in the supply chain,” said Pravina Raghavan, director of the NIST MEP program.

SCOIN will work to optimize supply chain network service offerings, connect original equipment manufacturers with small and medium-sized manufacturers and gather data on U.S. supplier capability and capacity.

MITRE has created a new online network that will improve the accessibility of maritime data and testing resources for businesses and other organizations.

BlueNERVE leverages MITRE’s distributed integration network to connect the nonprofit organization with 11 laboratories and similar institutions across New England, the company announced Friday.

The BlueNERVE Network is powered by MITRE’s NERVE technology, which intends to provides a secure virtual space for research, development and innovation. It features nodes that enable scientists to access data real-time and conduct experiments despite being in different locations. Its central operations will be based at BlueTech Lab, MITRE’s new facility set to open in this year in Bedford, Massachusetts.

The network includes the University of Massachusetts, Northeastern University, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Tufts University, and the University of Rhode Island. It also involves the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport and zero-equity startup accelerator MassChallenge.

“Understanding, exploring, and sustaining our oceans is a collaborative effort that cannot be done alone,” said Richard Murray, deputy director and vice president for science and engineering at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “We’re pleased to join MITRE’s BlueNERVE network as we work together to ensure the ongoing health and welfare of the oceans.”

Raytheon Technologies has successfully tested a palletized high-energy laser weapon for the U.S. Air Force.

Assessed over multiple days of continuous live-fire exercises, the weapon marks the fourth operational laser weapon system Raytheon has delivered to the service branch, the company announced from McKinney, Texas on Monday.

“Anywhere the Air Force sees a threat from drones, they now have four proven laser weapons that can be deployed to stop asymmetrical threats,” said Michael Hofle, senior director of high-energy lasers at Raytheon.

The weapon system, known as H4, is small enough to fit in the bed of a pickup truck and can be moved and mounted in different locations as needed. It includes a high-energy laser weapon module, thermal control, internal electrical power and targeting software as well as a long-range EO/IR sensor that functions as the beam director. Operated with a laptop and video game-style controller, it is compatible with a variety of existing air defense and command and control systems.

During the testing, which took place at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Raytheon’s H4 completed four days of exercises focused on acquiring, targeting, tracking and destroying drone targets in short-range attack, swarm attack and long-range threat situations.

“Whether it’s on a fixed location, a flatbed or even a pickup, these laser weapons are compact, rugged and ready to go. That’s why we’re proud to support the Air Force’s effort to provide this new tech to the personnel who need it in the field, who can trust and be confident in the system’s capabilities,” Hofle said.

H4 is the first stand-alone, mobile 10-kilowatt laser that meets U.S. military specifications. It is the eighth total operational laser weapons system that Raytheon has delivered to the Department of Defense.

Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, has introduced legislation to formally establish the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as an independent scientific research and development agency.

Lucas said in a statement published Friday the bill would give NOAA, which operates under the Department of Commerce, formal statutory authority and allow the agency to refocus on its core mission areas.

“This will strengthen NOAA’s important role of protecting people and property through its vital weather forecasts, severe weather monitoring, and communication efforts,” Lucas said.

Co-sponsored by 13 other Republican representatives, the bill would remove the Office of Space Commerce from NOAA and position it as a standalone entity within the Commerce Department.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service will remain within the independent NOAA agency to support weather monitoring and forecasting efforts.