US, Partners Announce $275M Investment in Romania’s Small Modular Nuclear Reactor
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US, Partners Announce $275M Investment in Romania’s Small Modular Nuclear Reactor

The U.S., Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates are investing up to $275 million in the development of a small modular nuclear reactor in Romania.

Based on NuScale Power‘s technology, the SMR project will replace a former coal plant in the town of Doicesti with clean nuclear energy, the State Department said Saturday.

The project builds on an ongoing deployment of the NuScale SMR technology at the Carbon Free Power Project in Idaho, which is expected to conclude in 2029.

The public-private support for the Romania SMR project includes a letter of interest from the U.S Export-Import Bank’s Engineering Multiplier Program for up to $99 million.

EXIM and U.S. International Development Finance Corporation also issued letters of interest for up to $3 billion and $1 billion, respectively, in support of project deployment.

The investment is part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, which aims to mobilize $600 billion in public and private resources by 2027.

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Senators Revive Push for Robust Digital Tech Oversight
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Senators Revive Push for Robust Digital Tech Oversight

A bill reintroduced by Sens. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., calls for the formation of a regulatory body that would oversee the digital technology market and supplement current federal approaches for promoting market competition and protecting consumers.

The Digital Platform Commission Act, first proposed in May 2022, would give the proposed federal organization authority to implement sector-specific, long-term policies governing social networks and artificial intelligence applications, Bennet’s office said Thursday.

“Technology is moving quicker than Congress could ever hope to keep up with. We need an expert federal agency that can stand up for the American people and ensure AI tools and digital platforms operate in the public interest,” the Democratic lawmaker from Colorado remarked.

According to a CNN report, the original bill was updated to cover AI technology offerings and online services for “content primarily generated by algorithmic processes.”

Navy Forms New Acquisition Cell to Coordinate Crisis Response
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Navy Forms New Acquisition Cell to Coordinate Crisis Response

The U.S. Navy is establishing the Maritime Accelerated Response Capability Cell, which will coordinate and prepare the service’s contingency plan focusing on the war in Ukraine and the potential conflict over Taiwan, Breaking Defense reported Friday.

“The MARCC will initially focus on Ukraine, Taiwan, and contingency support, and will have inherent flexibility to adapt to new conflicts or urgent DOD requirements and tasks,” according to the memo cited by the report.

The cell is slated to primarily facilitate the rapid selection and transfer of the Navy’s capabilities to help allied nations the Pentagon must support during a crisis.

It will also aim to maximize the use of rapid acquisition and contracting authorities and remove barriers to the delivery of capabilities.

The Navy plans to appoint an executive director to head the new acquisition cell, which a board of directors will oversee.

The board will comprise the deputy undersecretary of the Navy for policy, the principal military deputy assistant to the acquisition executive and representatives from the U.S. Marine Corps and the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

Pentagon Seeks Authority to Contribute to NATO’s Emerging Technology Accelerator
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Pentagon Seeks Authority to Contribute to NATO’s Emerging Technology Accelerator

The Department of Defense is requesting authority to contribute to NATO’s Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic initiative aimed at accelerating emerging technology development for defense and security applications.

In its proposal sent to Congress, the Pentagon said it is interested in investing $12.5 million in DIANA in fiscal 2024 and $8.8 million annually from FY 2025 to 2028.

The Pentagon said its participation in the initiative would help implement “some important elements of the NATO agenda.”

“Absent new statutory authority enacted as a result of this critical legislative proposal, the United States will not be able to participate in DIANA or other vital successor jointly funded NATO research and development programs or activities.”

Established in 2022, DIANA is a joint-funded program in which member nations decide whether to participate in advancing dual-use technologies, such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum technology and novel materials.

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UiPath and Peraton Team Up to Offer Cloud-Based Automation Platform to US Government; Mike Daniels Quoted
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UiPath and Peraton Team Up to Offer Cloud-Based Automation Platform to US Government; Mike Daniels Quoted

UiPath and Peraton have joined forces to provide the former’s business automation platform to intelligence, defense and civilian government agencies as a cloud-based managed service.

Through the collaboration, the two companies intend to assist federal clients with devising and implementing automation strategies, improving mission agility and interacting with sensitive workloads, UiPath announced from its New York City headquarters on Monday.

“Automation can be a potent ‘arrow in the quiver’ for civilian, defense and the intelligence community—as well as for American businesses and citizens—as we move forward into a future of renewal, resilience, and readiness,” said Mike Daniels, senior vice president of public sector at UiPath.

Daniels emphasized the quick pace at which automation can be implemented and the immediacy of its benefits. The partnership with Peraton, he added, will support clients as they leverage modern solutions to tackle future challenges.

UiPath’s AI-powered platform is designed to boost efficiency and value by utilizing a robotic process automation tool and a suite of additional capabilities to understand, automate and operate end-to-end processes.

Collaborating with Peraton, UiPath will be well positioned to offer its platform in sensitive environments as a managed service through cloud or on-premises while providing automation scripting, implementation and management services.

When installed, the platform is expected to help customers with scaling, increase productivity and visibility, provide real-time situational intelligence and enhance business outcomes.

“Our partnership with UiPath will leverage the power of automation, AI and machine learning to help tackle missions of consequence at greater scope and scale than before,” commented Peraton Chief Growth Officer Mike King.

“As national security continues to evolve, this partnership helps ensure our customers are utilizing market-leading solutions to achieve transformational impact and meet the challenges of tomorrow,” he added.

The alliance between Peraton and UiPath was formed to meet the demands of a defense agency looking to update its method of processing weekly data metrics. Using UiPath’s platform, the organization created scalable bots to automate the process, which reduced the amount of time it required to complete.

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Ukraine War Prompts US Industry, DOD to Invest in Explosive Material Production
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Ukraine War Prompts US Industry, DOD to Invest in Explosive Material Production

The Pentagon and the defense industry have initiated efforts to increase production of high-end explosives and such initiatives include reestablishing domestic supply chains and refurbishing factories, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

The war in Ukraine has prompted the Department of Defense to expand the manufacturing and use of an explosive material called CL-20 to help address the “molecule gap” with China.

Developed during the 1980s, CL-20 has been used as a material in a warhead that equips AeroVironment-built Switchblade drones, which have been deployed in Ukraine to counter Russian forces.

According to the report, CL-20 could provide shells with greater range and generate a bigger explosion since it is up to 40 percent more powerful than older energetics.

Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., plans to advance CL-20 adoption by introducing an amendment to the fiscal 2024 defense policy measure that would require DOD to launch a pilot program that incorporates the explosive material into three of its preferred munitions or missile systems.

Sources said the utilization of CL-20 improved the lethality of the Switchblade drones deployed to Ukraine to counter tanks and other armored vehicles.

Gallagher added that the use of CL-20 in the Ukraine war effort helped back the case to expand the use of the explosive material.

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Heads of State Highlight Major Initiatives in Infrastructure, Emerging Tech at Quad Leaders’ Summit
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Heads of State Highlight Major Initiatives in Infrastructure, Emerging Tech at Quad Leaders’ Summit

President Joe Biden and the heads of state of Australia, Japan and India met on Saturday in Hiroshima, Japan, for the fifth Quad Leaders’ Summit to discuss key initiatives in infrastructure, critical and emerging technologies, maritime security, space, climate, public-private partnership and health in the Indo-Pacific region.

The infrastructure aspect includes the establishment of the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience to help improve access to secure cable systems and provide better internet connectivity in the region, according to a White House fact sheet published Saturday.

A network of executives and leaders, called the Quad Investors Network, has officially launched to advance technology partnerships and accelerate access to capital.

QUIN marked its launch with the establishment of an advisory panel composed of investment and business leaders and five working groups in the areas of artificial intelligence, clean energy and critical minerals, mobile networks, semiconductors and quantum information sciences.

The Quad Investors Network Advisory Board includes Leidos CEO Thomas Bell; Jim Breyer, founder and CEO of Breyer Capital; and Jeong Kim, former president of Bell Labs.

Other initiatives highlighted at the event are the deployment of a commercial Open RAN in Palau and launch of the Quad Health Security Partnership and Quad Cyber Challenge.

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Report: DOD Can Ship More Weapons to Ukraine With $3B Accounting Error
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Report: DOD Can Ship More Weapons to Ukraine With $3B Accounting Error

The Department of Defense overestimated the value of missiles, ammunition and other equipment it handed over to Ukraine in support of its defense against Russian invasion by approximately $3 billion, Reuters reported Thursday.

“We’ve discovered inconsistencies in how we value the equipment that we’ve given” to Ukraine, a senior DOD official told the news agency.

According to the report, the accounting adjustment could facilitate the delivery of more U.S. weapons to the European country in support of the latter’s defense efforts against Russia.

The defense officials said the department estimated the weapons assistance to Kyiv using replacement cost, instead of using the value of the equipment when they were procured and depreciated.

According to sources, Congress has been notified of the accounting error.

The U.S. has transmitted about $21.1 billion worth of weapons derived from its stockpiles to Ukraine since August 2021.

DOE-DOT Joint Office Unveils $51M Funding Opportunity to Advance Transportation Electrification
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DOE-DOT Joint Office Unveils $51M Funding Opportunity to Advance Transportation Electrification

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation has launched a $51 million grant program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to advance the electrification of the U.S. transportation sector and stimulate private sector investments in sustainable transportation.

The Ride and Drive Electric program will provide funding to validate and test charging equipment, advance business models for electrification and shared mobility and create job opportunities and training resources for underserved communities, the Department of Energy said Thursday.

“Rapidly modernizing and electrifying key parts of our transportation sector is how we’ll meet consumer needs and achieve widespread electrification,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

Pete Buttigieg, secretary of the Department of Transformation, said the funding opportunity will help ensure that the public has access to the benefits of transport electrification.

The Joint Office also funded DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory to lead the newly launched National Charging Experience Consortium, which brings together a cross-industry group of companies and organizations to enhance electric vehicle charging experience across the U.S.

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Small Businesses Urge Congress to Reinstate R&D Tax Incentives
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Small Businesses Urge Congress to Reinstate R&D Tax Incentives

The Aerospace Industries Association’s 35 small business members have called on Congress to act on two bills that would restore tax incentives for research and development work.

The owners and executives of aerospace and defense companies stated in a letter to congressional leaders the impact of a recent tax change on their investment in advancing innovation, AIA said Monday.

They said the tax change would require their businesses to amortize R&D expenses over five years instead of getting a full tax deduction for such expenses in the year incurred.

“These higher tax bills greatly reduce our cash flow — meaning that we will struggle to hire and retain qualified talent, and for some of us, we will need to take out loans to cover these larger-than-expected expenses. Additionally, we will have fewer dollars to invest into the future R&D that will keep our country on the cutting edge of aerospace and defense technologies — and ahead of our foreign competitors,” the letter reads.

The companies urged Congress to bring the American Innovation and Jobs Act and American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act to the floor to address the impact of the new tax policy.

“These bills offer a critical lifeline not only to us, but also to American small businesses across every industry and from every part of the country,” the businesses wrote in the letter.

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