OSTP Releases Resources to Inform Environmental Policy, Raise Climate Science Awareness
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OSTP Releases Resources to Inform Environmental Policy, Raise Climate Science Awareness

The Office of Science and Technology Policy has published a list of new resources to guide climate-related policymaking and raise awareness and educate about climate change.

Among the resources are the National Climate Task Force’s report, which provides information on available climate-informed science approach to managing current and future flood risks, and the National Science and Technology Council’s action plan to boost the accessibility of federal climate information and tools, the White House said Wednesday.

The OSTP released a new guide for guiding federal agency climate adaptation planners in selecting climate information to use in risk and impact assessments.

A report by the Subcommittee on Resilience Science and Technology is also available for decision-makers to design and implement multipurpose science and technology tools to help a community withstand natural disasters and risks associated with aging infrastructure.

The release of the new resources follows the Biden administration’s inaugural U.S. Ocean Climate Action Plan, which outlines a whole-of-government approach in implementing ocean-based technologies to address climate change impacts.

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Air Force Seeks Comments on Draft Environmental Assessment Related to Use of Defensive Countermeasures
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Air Force Seeks Comments on Draft Environmental Assessment Related to Use of Defensive Countermeasures

The Department of the Air Force has started soliciting public comments on a draft document that assesses the potential environmental impacts of continued use of legacy and new defensive countermeasures and their replacements in DAF testing and military training programs within the continental U.S.

The draft programmatic environmental assessment evaluates the potential impacts of the proposed action on air quality, safety, biological resources, land use and visual resources, socioeconomics and cultural resources, DAF said Monday.

For the proposed action, DAF classified the defensive countermeasures into five categories: chaff; standard Magnesium, Teflon and Viton or MTV flares; standard spectral flares; thrusted flares; and spectral decoys.

The draft PEA, which was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, also looks at the potential impacts of a no action alternative. Under this approach, the department would continue using legacy flare and chaff units at current levels in routine training and testing activities under existing management strategies.

Public comments are due May 3.

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IRS Issues Proposed Rules on CHIPS Act Investment Credit Implementation
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IRS Issues Proposed Rules on CHIPS Act Investment Credit Implementation

The Internal Revenue Service is soliciting public comments on proposed regulations to guide the implementation of the advanced manufacturing investment credit authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.

IRS said Tuesday it has defined eligibility requirements for qualified properties and advanced manufacturing facilities and provided information on how to claim the 25 percent investment tax credit for purposes outlined in the legislation.

According to the rule, facilities are eligible to receive the credit if their primary purpose is the manufacturing of semiconductors or semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

Research or storage facilities used in connection with the manufacturing of semiconductors and equipment can also qualify for incentives.

The CHIPS Act established the credit program to boost the production of semiconductors in the U.S.

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State Department Appoints Laura Williams Deputy CIO for Foreign Operations
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State Department Appoints Laura Williams Deputy CIO for Foreign Operations

Laura Williams, formerly director of analytics at the Department of State, has been appointed to the role of deputy chief information officer for foreign operations, according to a recent LinkedIn post.

Prior to her appointment, Williams facilitated the use of data analytics and management tools across the department; managed a portfolio of information technology systems that enabled connectivity among the U.S. embassies worldwide; and helped maintain the security of the department’s sensitive information.

She served as deputy director for bilateral affairs, international communications and information policy from 2019 to 2021 and director of the Foreign Service Institute’s business applications division.

Her more-than-two-decade career at the State Department also included information management roles at U.S. embassies in Nicosia, Algiers, Rome and Mexico City.

Williams previously served as a contractor with the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Navy Submarine Command and the U.S. Department of State Consular Affairs.

The Heritage Foundation Publishes Recommendations to Maximize Fiscal 2024 Defense Budget
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The Heritage Foundation Publishes Recommendations to Maximize Fiscal 2024 Defense Budget

The Heritage Foundation has issued its recommendations on how Congress can optimize the National Defense Authorization Act and the defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 2024 to bolster national security and the U.S. Armed Forces.

In a report posted Wednesday, the organization referenced its 2023 index of U.S. military strength, which it rated as “weak” overall due to lack of funding, and poor prioritization and program execution.

The NDAA can upgrade the posture of the U.S. Army if Congress can find ways to speed up modernization of its equipment, the Heritage Foundation said. Budget cuts in programs that are critical but less visible may be hindering the Army from replacing aging military weapons and defense systems.

The 2024 budget should also support efforts to equip the U.S. Navy amid growing threats from Russia and China, according to the report. Lawmakers should leverage the Naval Act and set a fleet goal of 355 ships for the branch.

The U.S. Marine Corps received a “strong” rating in the 2023 index, but Congress should fund efforts to sustain the service’s modernization programs, Heritage stated. The organization feels one of the priorities should be the Light Amphibious Warship project, which is a vital component of the USMC Force Design 2030.

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Biden Nominates USMC Maj. Gen. Gregory Masiello to Head DCMA
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Biden Nominates USMC Maj. Gen. Gregory Masiello to Head DCMA

President Biden has nominated Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Gregory Masiello to become the Defense Contract Management Agency’s next director, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Wednesday.

Masiello is currently a military deputy to the Department of Defense’s undersecretary for policy. If confirmed, he would lead the agency that helps DOD, other federal agencies and international partner organizations administer contracts across the globe.

Prior to his current role, Masiello was program executive officer for air anti-submarine warfare, assault and special mission programs at Naval Air Systems Command from May 2018 to August 2022.

He served as NAVAIR’s assistant commander for logistics and industrial operations from November 2015 to May 2018 and as director and program manager of the F-35 Joint Program Office’s follow-on development from August 2014 to November 2015.

Other positions he held at NAVAIR include manager of the V-22 joint program, director of weapon system integration for the tiltrotor aircraft and deputy manager of the VH-71 presidential helicopter program.

In line with his DCMA leadership nomination, Masiello would elevate to the rank of lieutenant general.

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Rear Adm. James Downey Tapped by Biden to Lead Naval Sea Systems Command
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Rear Adm. James Downey Tapped by Biden to Lead Naval Sea Systems Command

Rear Adm. James Downey, program executive officer for aircraft carriers at the U.S. Navy since June 2019, has been nominated by President Biden to serve as the next commander of Naval Sea Systems Command, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Wednesday.

In line with his nomination, Downey would be promoted to the rank of vice admiral. He would lead the Navy’s largest systems command upon congressional approval.

Downey currently leads the office that supports the design, construction, delivery, system integration and life cycle management of aircraft carriers.

The State University of New York alum previously served as deputy commander for surface warfare at NAVSEA and commanded the Navy Regional Maintenance Center as his initial flag assignment.

Commissioned in 1987, Downey holds a master’s degree in computer science from Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

Dennis Kelly, Arlington Capital Partners Launch Cybersecurity-Focused Company Eqlipse Technologies
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Dennis Kelly, Arlington Capital Partners Launch Cybersecurity-Focused Company Eqlipse Technologies

Dennis Kelly, a U.S. Navy veteran with over three decades of experience in the defense and intelligence contracting industry, has launched Eqlipse Technologies in collaboration with private equity firm Arlington Capital Partners.

The new company will offer cybersecurity-related engineering services, identity management tools and research and development assistance to Department of Defense and intelligence community customers, Eqlipse announced on Tuesday.

“As technology evolves and our infrastructure increasingly shifts to a digital domain, cybersecurity becomes an even more critical component of our national security. Eqlipse was created to provide an operational advantage to our customers as their missions evolve to new, virtual battlefields,” said Kelly, who now serves as the organization’s CEO.

In a LinkedIn post published the same day, Kelly noted his excitement for the newly-established company, which he said will align “the most innovative solutions to evolve and transform how our customers accomplish their most complex national security missions.”

Through its work, Eqlipse aims to address critical demands spanning the full cyber domain, including offensive and defensive cyber, signals intelligence engineering, computer network operations and software development.

Henry Albers, a vice president at Arlington Capital Partners, said that the name Eqlipse represents the “total alignment” of its “innovative culture” with its clients’ mission needs.

“We will continue to invest significant resources behind Eqlipse to recruit industry-leading scientists and engineers, build out state-of-the-art facilities and labs, and fund the IRAD necessary to continue to deliver innovation for the most pressing missions,” he added.

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McAleese Report Explores FY24 Air Force, Army Budget Requests
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McAleese Report Explores FY24 Air Force, Army Budget Requests

A McAleese & Associates report shows that the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army requested budgets of $215 billion and $185 billion, respectively, for fiscal year 2024.

The Air Force’s proposed FY 2024 budget includes $185 billion for the service branch and $30 billion for the U.S. Space Force, Jim McAleese, founder and principal at McAleese & Associates, wrote in the overview.

According to McAleese, the proposed Air Force and Space Force budgets reflect a growth of about $5 billion in research, development, test and evaluation funds from the enacted FY 2023 funding level to advance several programs, including the nuclear triad recapitalization, missile warning and tracking initiatives and space resiliency.

For procurement efforts, the Air Force is seeking $30.6 billion in funding for the next fiscal year and the Space Force is requesting $4.7 billion.

McAleese, a member of Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Expert program and three-time Wash100 winner, noted that the Army’s FY 2024 budget request shows a 4 percent rise from the funding request for the current fiscal year and that the service found $2.1 billion in savings to keep the deployment of its “24-by-2023” modernization prototypes on schedule.

These modernization efforts are the Future Vertical Lift, Long Range Hypersonic Weapon and the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle programs.

The Army sought $2.3 billion in funding to advance digital transformation efforts in FY 2024. These initiatives include zero trust implementation, defensive cyber tools, cloud adoption, artificial intelligence and crypto modernization, per the consulting firm’s findings.

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NRO’s Aaron Weiner Talks Microelectronics in New Video Interview
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NRO’s Aaron Weiner Talks Microelectronics in New Video Interview

Microelectronics underpin a myriad of technologies from household appliances to some of the most advanced military weapons systems. As the United States ramps up its investment in domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing, public sector leaders anticipate major advancements.

“Developing a robust domestic supply chain of microelectronics in the two to three nanometer feature size is going to be key both to our commercial advantage as well as our national security advantage going forward. And the CHIPS Act was approved to do just that,” said Dr. Aaron Weiner, director of Advanced Systems and Technology at the National Reconnaissance Office, during an exclusive video interview with Executive Mosaic.

The CHIPS Act, which passed in August 2022, provides $52.7 billion in new funding for American semiconductor research, development, manufacturing and workforce development. Today, officials are working to harness the investment boost at the speed of innovation in order to unlock new capabilities needed in today’s competitive global environment.

“Right now we’re really partnering across government to find out how we can quickly achieve those ends,” Dr. Weiner added. “These devices, from an NRO perspective will greatly increase the smarts of our satellites and allow them to do more value-added activities on orbit.”

Hear Dr. Weiner speak about the future impact artificial intelligence will have on NRO missions and how the agency is working to bridge the valley of death in tech — watch the full video interview here. 

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