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Marines Test 5G Expeditionary Transmission Tech
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5G network connectivity. COMMSTRAT Marines with II MEF tested a 5G expeditionary transmission system.

Communication Strategy and Operations, or COMMSTRAT, Marines with II Marine Expeditionary Force, or MEF, tested the capability of a 5G communications technology to support imagery transmission during a field training exercise held at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

Marines Test 5G Expeditionary Transmission Tech

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“One of the biggest challenges in the digital realm for warfighters is communications going down, and once it’s up, protecting that connection,” Chief Warrant Officer 4 Izzel Sanchez, II MEF COMMSTRAT visual information officer, said in a statement published Wednesday.

“The new systems we’re putting together aim to fix that. We need to test them in these environments so when the scenario changes, we can change too and still execute the mission effectively,” added Sanchez.

Testing 5G Expeditionary Router & Starshield 

During the exercise, the Marines trained on a 5G expeditionary router and a lightweight satellite antenna called Starshield, designed to create high-speed uplinks. Using the new systems, they captured, edited and transmitted short visual products.

The event enabled the Marines to assess each piece of equipment’s field durability, ease of use and effectiveness under realistic conditions. The 5G router facilitated quick startup and file transfers, while the Starshield antenna enabled transmission with minimal setup.

“Being able to instantly send imagery from austere environments makes it far easier to control the narrative and pass the truth of what’s on the ground,” said Sanchez. “COMMSTRAT Marines are no longer just observers, they’re an implemented capability. They bring a weapon and a camera, they train alongside the units they embed with, and they’re ready to defend themselves and those around them while delivering critical information.”

The exercise is part of the Digital Frontline campaign that aims to demonstrate how advanced communications systems could enable Marines to securely perform operations in an information-driven battlefield.

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Gabbard Says ODNI Reorganization to Bring $700M in Annual Savings
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Tulsi Gabbard. The director of national intelligence announced the restructuring of ODNI.

The restructuring of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has commenced, an initiative Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said will cut the agency’s size nearly in half by the end of fiscal 2025 and save taxpayers more than $700 million annually.

The effort, called ODNI 2.0, is intended to streamline operations, eliminate redundant offices and refocus the agency on integrating intelligence from across the 18 elements of the intelligence community, according to an ODNI press release published Wednesday.

Gabbard Says ODNI Reorganization to Bring $700M in Annual Savings

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Created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the office was established to address systemic failures in the IC, but Gabbard said it has grown “bloated and inefficient” over the past two decades.

“ODNI and the IC must make serious changes to fulfill its responsibility to the American people and the U.S. Constitution by focusing on our core mission: find the truth and provide objective, unbiased, timely intelligence to the President and policymakers,” she said in a statement.

ODNI 2.0 Targets Redundancy

Several offices will be closed or consolidated under the plan. The functions of the Foreign Malign Influence Center, the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center and the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center will be absorbed into the National Intelligence Council and ODNI’s mission integration directorate.

The National Intelligence University will be merged into the National Defense University, while the External Research Council and the Strategic Futures Group will be eliminated. Gabbard’s office said the SFG had neglected its purpose as the NIC’s strategic and long-range forecasting arm and instead produced analysis that conflicted with the current administration’s national security priorities.

ODNI said reductions already underway have cut more than 500 positions, representing a 30 percent decrease in staff.

Election Influence and Social Media

The Foreign Malign Influence Center, established to track efforts by overseas actors to influence the American public, came under particular criticism. According to ODNI’s fact sheet, the center coordinated with social media companies around election-related content and “may have been used to weaponize intelligence against Americans.” The office cited coordination with Twitter, Facebook and Google in October 2020, prior to restrictions on sharing the New York Post’s reporting on Hunter Biden’s laptop.

More ODNI 2.0 Measures

The restructuring also includes changes to acquisition, workforce balance and counterintelligence. ODNI plans to streamline contracting for emerging technologies and accelerate the adoption of commercial tools. The National Counterterrorism Center will expand intelligence sharing with federal, state and local law enforcement, while the National Counterintelligence and Security Center will focus on security clearance reform and investigations of unauthorized leaks of classified information.

“Ending the weaponization of intelligence and holding bad actors accountable are essential to begin to earn the American people’s trust which has long been eroded,” Gabbard said.

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Texas Tech University System, FBI Partner to Enhance National Security
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A handshake that represents partnership. TTU and FBI have joined forces to strengthen the nation's security through a CRADA.

The Texas Tech University System has partnered with the FBI to enhance national security, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection. The partnership was formalized through the signing of a cooperative research and development agreement at the institution’s System Building in Lubbock, Texas, on Aug. 18, TTU said Monday.

The representatives who signed the agreement include FBI Operations Director of the Criminal and Cyber Branch Chad Yarbrough, Congressman Jodey Arrington, TTU President Lawrence Schovanec, Angelo State University President Ronnie Hawkins and TTU System Vice Chancellor of Innovation and Collaboration Stephen Bayne.

Texas Tech University System, FBI Partner to Enhance National Security

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FBI Cooperative Research & Development Agreement Details

The newly signed CRADA seeks to provide more advanced research, better student training, and stronger defenses for sectors like energy, healthcare, water and defense. Under the agreement, the FBI will use TTU’s Critical Infrastructure Security Institute, or CISI, for research on protecting vital systems, including water utilities, military assets, communication systems, the electric grid and other infrastructure. The agreement also allows FBI to use ASU’s national security resources, including its work with Goodfellow Air Force Base, cybersecurity programs certified by the National Security Agency and its Regional Security Operations Center, which provides real-time defense for West Texas communities and training for students.

FBI’s Chad Yarbrough, Texas Tech University’s Lawrence Schovanec Share Thoughts

Commenting on the partnership, Yarbrough said that protecting Americans includes safeguarding critical infrastructures from foreign and domestic enemies.

“Working with academic partners like the Texas Tech University System is just one of the many ways the FBI seeks to mitigate these threats and advance cybersecurity and the security of critical infrastructure,” he said, adding that the FBI looks forward to a continued partnership with TTU.

Schovanec said, “Texas Tech University is proud to stand alongside the FBI and Angelo State University in this important partnership to strengthen the security of our nation’s critical infrastructure.”

“This collaboration builds on our university’s research strengths and our commitment to preparing the next generation of leaders who will protect and serve our country,” he added. 

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DISA Building Cyber Defense With Custom Analytics
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DISA seal. DISA is strengthening cyber defense by developing custom analytics.

The Defense Information Systems Agency has revealed that it is developing unique cyber analytics to reinforce the protection of over 2.4 million users of the Defense Information Systems Network and around 600 cybersecurity service provider—a.k.a. CSSP—mission partners.

The agency said Wednesday CSSP Defensive Cyberspace Operations analysts are building customized tools or analytics to monitor data from network traffic, system logs and intelligence sources. These frequently updated analytics, when deployed to Security Information and Event Management systems, create alerts pinpointing potential cyberthreats or system vulnerabilities.

Enhancing Cyber Defense Through Tagging & Collaboration

A key component of the DISA CSSP analytics is the disciplined use of metadata tagging, which allows analysts to monitor for advanced threat indicators. With the addition of detailed information to each analytic, analysts can deploy the right tools to combat large datasets and different formats.

DISA’s Cyber Analytics Users’ Group

The Cyber Analytics Users’ Group fosters collaboration by enabling cybersecurity teams to explain new detection analytics, share concepts, troubleshoot problems and avoid duplicate work. The CAUG uses a disciplined tagging approach to continue creating baseline analytics for specific missions. This bolsters the cyber defense of the DISN and its mission partners.

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OIG Finds Unremediated Vulnerabilities in DOE Unclassified Cybersecurity Program Review
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Department of Energy logo. The DOE has not resolved cyber vulnerabilities, according to the agency's OIG

The Department of Energy’s Office of Inspector General has warned that the DOE has yet to address a number of previously identified cyber vulnerabilities.

In its report published Tuesday, the OIG said failure to remediate vulnerabilities may expose the department’s information systems and data to malicious cyber actors.

What Did DOE OIG Find?

The OIG assessed the effectiveness of the DOE’s unclassified cybersecurity program to protect the department’s data and information systems, a requirement under the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, or FISMA, of 2014.

The OIG found that while the department has taken actions and resolved 19 of 63 cyber-related recommendations from previous audits, 44 remained unaddressed. The agency watchdog also identified 79 new recommendations throughout the fiscal year related to DOE’s cybersecurity programs.

One of the vulnerabilities cited in its report involves management processes in some department sites that the inspector general found were “not fully effective in identifying, addressing, and/or remediating vulnerabilities.”

The report also revealed that some DOE sites did not fully develop or maintain adequate policies and procedures for the design and implementation of security controls.

The OIG advised DOE to close findings from prior years and implement the latest federal cybersecurity requirements to protect data and information systems.

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NSF Launches Pilot Program to Accelerate National Security Technology
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NSF logo. NSF has launched a new pilot program to accelerate the development of national security technologies.

The U.S. National Science Foundation has launched a new pilot program designed to fast-track the development and integration of emerging technologies into national defense systems.

The agency said Wednesday that NobleReach Foundation will spearhead the program through its Science to Venture platform and collaborate with two NSF Innovation I-Corps Hubs focused on helping with commercialization, building local capabilities, developing a talent network and promoting capital catalyzation.

End-to-End Support for University Technologies

The multi-year pilot program will identify high-potential research, build a talent pipeline and support commercialization for the technology. It will provide comprehensive support for university innovations by leveraging technology translation approaches including best practices, continuous evaluation and proven frameworks for research commercialization.

The program aims to guide 12 to 20 projects over a two-year period through a structured development process to deliver reusable frameworks and artificial intelligence-powered assets that can be adapted and extended across the lab-to-market ecosystem.

Comments From NSF Executive

“With this effort, we can accelerate the translation of NSF’s investments in basic research to commercially-promising products that drive local economic growth and improve national security,” said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF assistant director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships.

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GSA Addresses Revolutionary FAR Overhaul’s Impacts on SAM.Gov
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Government contracting. GSA addressed the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul initiative’s impacts on SAM.gov.

The General Services Administration announced that changes to the Federal Acquisition Regulation, or FAR, as part of the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, or RFO, initiative will impact the System for Award Management website.

GSA said Monday SAM.gov includes three types of certifications and representations that a company attests to in order to do business with the government: Type 1: entity-level; Type 2: procurement-specific; and Type 3: By Submission of Offer representations and certifications.

SAM.gov to Stop Collecting Procurement-Specific, By Submission of Offer Representations & Certifications

Under RFO, SAM.gov will continue to collect Type 1 certifications and representations, but will stop gathering Type 2 and Type 3 certifications and representations.

Once removed from SAM.gov, Types 2 and 3 representations and certifications will be included in solicitations and resultant contracts in the future. 

At the earliest, GSA noted that SAM.gov system changes are not expected to occur before January 2026.

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy are working with the GSA Office of the Integrated Award Environment and the Procurement Committee for e-Government to evaluate the RFO’s impacts on SAM.gov. In the next fiscal year, the FAR Council will issue plans for system changes and implementation timelines and a list of impacted provisions, representations, certifications and clauses.

Until the changes are made in SAM.gov, companies may still be required to submit information that is no longer enforced or required. As agency RFO deviations are issued, contracting officers will likely be required to use the updated clauses and provisions. 

Benefits of RFO Changes to Government, Industry Stakeholders

According to GSA, the RFO initiative will bring significant benefits to government and industry participants in the federal procurement process in the long run.

The agency said industry can anticipate a more streamlined registration process in SAM.gov and fewer requests to update company information in the website once procurement-specific certifications and representations are moved to individual solicitations.

Meanwhile, the government can expect more traceable and accurate terms and conditions specific to each procurement as a result of the RFO initiative.

Model Deviation Text for FAR’s 6 Sections

In mid-August, the FAR Council released model deviation text for six parts of the FAR as part of the RFO initiative.

The overhauled FAR parts include sections related to administrative and information matters; required sources of supplies and services; acquisition of commercial products and commercial services; and information security and supply chain security. 

The council also announced the removal of FAR Part 51, Use of Government Sources by Contractors, and FAR Part 38, Federal Supply Schedule Contracting.

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NASA, Aloft Sensing Develop Compact Radar to Observe Changes to Earth’s Surface
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Aloft Sensing's HALE InSAR. The NASA-funded compact radar instrument can observe Earth’s surface deformation.

NASA and Aloft Sensing have developed a compact radar system designed to detect and observe ground deformation, topography, vegetation and other minute changes to Earth’s surface.

The space agency said Tuesday the radar instrument uses high-altitude, long-endurance—or HALE—vehicles equipped with Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar, or InSAR, to help researchers measure and observe dynamic Earth systems.

Advancing HALE InSAR Through NASA ESTO Funding

Funded by NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office, or ESTO, the compact radar instrument called HALE InSAR features a flat phased array antenna, which eliminates the need for gimbles and other heavy components by enabling users to steer the radar beam electronically.

“This technology has been critically enabled by ESTO, and the benefit to science and civil applications is huge,” said Lauren Wye, CEO of Aloft Sensing and principal investigator for HALE InSAR.

“It also exemplifies the dual-use potential enabled by NASA-funded research. We are seeing significant military interest in this capability now that it is reaching maturity. As a small business, we need this hand-in-hand approach to be able to succeed,” added Wye.

HALE InSAR weighs less than 15 pounds and uses advanced positioning algorithms. It can reportedly locate itself without GPS, making it ideal for missions in GPS-denied environments.

Aloft Sensing’s Plans for HALE InSAR

Aloft Sensing has demonstrated the radar aboard an airship at 65,000 feet and small stratospheric balloons.

The company will use a fixed-wing HALE aircraft to test the instrument, which could be integrated into a small satellite in low Earth orbit.

“All of the design features that we’ve built into the instrument are starting to showcase themselves and highlight why this payload in particular is distinct from what other small radars might be looking to achieve,” said Wye.

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SSC Demonstrates Protected Tactical Waveform Capability to Secure Warfighter Comms
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Space Systems Command logo. SSC demonstrated Protected Tactical Waveform satellite communications.

The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command has demonstrated Protected Tactical Waveform, or PTW, satellite communications with joint warfighters, marking several first-time achievements in secure satellite connectivity.

Held July 14 to 16, the test event used Boeing-developed subsystems integrated into the Protected Tactical Enterprise Service, or PTES, program.

Accomplishments included frequency hopping under variable interference, over-the-air operations via five PTW-enabled terminals, a secure Voice Over Internet Protocol call and a ground bounce via a commercial satellite.

“This demonstration culminates years of industry and government partnership to realize a modern, anti-jam, low probability intercept waveform that will underpin future tactical SATCOM operations,” said Erin Carper, senior program director for the PTW family of systems. “Adversaries and allies understand the criticality of SATCOM in the modern battlefield, and the threats to SATCOM have evolved accordingly. The PTES Program will ensure that U.S. and allied warfighters can operate through these threats.”

Protecting Communications in Contested Environments

Space Force is developing PTES, a software-intensive ground system, to enable worldwide, anti-jam protected communications for tactical warfighters using the PTW. The PTES program is part of SSC’s Military Communications and Positioning, Navigation and Timing Program Executive Office.

With PTW, warfighters could operate through evolving electronic warfare threats. Production-representative PTW modems will be fielded separately by each military service and international partners. Initial PTW deployment will use the Wideband Global SATCOM system, followed by commercial satellites and the Protected Tactical SATCOM system.

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Coast Guard Launches New Program Executive Office for Robotics & Autonomous Systems
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Coast Guard seal. The U.S. Coast Guard launched a new Program Executive Office for robotics and autonomous systems.

The U.S. Coast Guard has unveiled the Initial Operating Capability of the Robotics and Autonomous Systems, or RAS, Program Executive Office as part of efforts to boost operational readiness and effectiveness.

Coast Guard Launches New Program Executive Office for Robotics & Autonomous Systems

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Coast Guard Modernization

The RAS PEO, a central part of the Force Design 2028 plan, is intended to integrate new RAS technologies by fast-tracking their development, procurement, deployment and sustainment across the service, the Coast Guard said Tuesday. This development signifies a major transformative shift for the service.

The new PEO aims to operationalize the Unmanned Systems Strategic Plan by rapidly acquiring robotics and autonomous systems to enhance the Coast Guard’s operations, enabling it to boost border security, maritime commerce and contingency response. The office will also prioritize integrating counter-unmanned aircraft systems into the Coast Guard’s operations, including defending the U.S. Marine Transportation System and safeguarding National Special Security Events.

The new office aims to achieve RAS Full Operating Capability to accelerate the procurement process for advanced technologies. The PEO will oversee the entire lifecycle of a capability, including defining and prioritizing the requirements, handling procurement and contracting, and developing and deploying systems and sustainment plans.

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