IT Industry Council’s Rob Strayer: U.S., Canada, Mexico Should Prioritize Regional Trade Digitalization
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IT Industry Council’s Rob Strayer: U.S., Canada, Mexico Should Prioritize Regional Trade Digitalization

The Information Technology Industry Council called on the Biden administration to collaborate with the Canadian and Mexican governments to advance the integration and digitalization of the North American economy.

Rob Strayer, ITI’s executive vice president of policy, sent a letter Friday to the White House in anticipation of the North American Leaders’ Summit, which will be held on Jan. 9 and 10 in Mexico City, Mexico.

The letter directly addressed National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese. Strayer said that their team should “capitalize on this meeting” to prioritize economic digitalization so that the three countries can have an “open, fair, resilient, and competitive regional economy.”

On behalf of ITI, he also pushed for full adherence to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which includes provisions on digital trade. Digital services tax and the use of computing platforms in government procurement and contracting should also be discussed at the meeting, Strayer added.

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Department of the Air Force Posts RFI for Next Generation IT Support
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Department of the Air Force Posts RFI for Next Generation IT Support

The Department of the Air Force has begun seeking information from industry sources capable of advancing the capabilities of its Next Generation Information Technology system.

In a notice posted Friday on SAM.gov, DAF said it plans to award a contract between December 2023 and March 2024 to modernize the asset management system that supports its civil engineering community.

NexGen IT provides support to about 40,000 users across the Air Force and Space Force in areas of real property, energy, general ledger, operations and supply, space management with CAD and cost accounting.

The system’s components include the IBM-based integrated workplace management suite TRIRIGA, Oracle’s database management system, an authentication gateway service architecture and the AppDynamics application.

DAF is looking for companies with experience in the TRIRIGA application.

The selected contractor will provide operations support and sustainment of fielded NextGen IT capabilities and pursue agile development and deployment of new features.

Responses are due Feb. 9.

Austin, LaPlante OK Renaming Commission Initiative
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Austin, LaPlante OK Renaming Commission Initiative

The Department of Defense will begin renaming bases and military assets that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of America in accordance with the recommendations set by the Commission on the Naming of Items of the DOD in its final report.

Among the recommendations outlined in the three-part report is the renaming of nine U.S. Army installations to recognize a more diverse set of American heroes who showed exemplary courage and patriotism, the Pentagon said Thursday.

The first part of the report recommended that DOD rename Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia to Fort Walker, Fort Bragg in North Carolina to Fort Liberty, Fort Hood in Texas to Fort Cavazos and Fort Gordon in Georgia to Fort Eisenhower.

Additionally, it put proposed Fort Lee in Virginia be changed to Fort Gregg-Adams, Fort Pickett in Virginia to Fort Barfoot, Fort Polk in Louisiana to Fort Johnson and Fort Rucker in Alabama to Fort Novosel.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, a 2022 Wash100 awardee, concurred with the renaming recommendations in October 2022.

William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment and a fellow Wash100 winner, directed all DOD organizations to complete implementation of the commission’s recommendations by January 2024.

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Johns Hopkins APL Develops Collision Avoidance & New Takeoff Capabilities for UAVs
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Johns Hopkins APL Develops Collision Avoidance & New Takeoff Capabilities for UAVs

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory researchers developed an algorithm that enabled fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles to avoid potential collisions in complex environments.

The study also resulted in a new maneuvering capability that allowed the UAVs to launch in near-vertical takeoffs, eliminating the need for long runways or manual lift-off, the laboratory said Thursday.

To achieve the predictive control algorithm, researchers equipped the fixed-wing vehicles with an onboard depth camera and NanoMap, a mapping system developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The camera’s stereo feature gave the UAV depth of perception and enabled triangulated collection of data, even in extremely constrained spaces and at a speed of 20 miles per hour.

Aside from evading threats and other objects of interest, the technology also shows promise for intelligence gathering, the scientists said.

During the study, they also demonstrated near-vertical takeoff of the UAV by installing dynamically actuated gimballed propellers, which allowed the aircraft to hover before shifting to forward flight.

The novel capabilities may be applied by Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Technologies to their swarm architecture under the terms of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics program.

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James Foggo: Investment in Digital Foundation Needed for Navy Shipyard Optimization
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James Foggo: Investment in Digital Foundation Needed for Navy Shipyard Optimization

James Foggo, a retired U.S. Navy admiral and dean of the Navy League’s Center for Maritime Strategy, said shipyard optimization is a national security need and the service should see it as an opportunity to advance digital modernization.

In an opinion piece published Friday on Breaking Defense, Foggo proposed four recommendations that the Navy should consider when integrating digital adoption into the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program. One is allocating three percent of the SIOP budget to digital efforts.

Another way is starting with operator challenges. The service should converse with maintainers about their struggle areas, provide the training that they need to address skill gaps and identify commercially available platforms that could be tailored to their requirements, according to Foggo.

He called on the Navy to help establish trust using existing and simulated datasets to demonstrate the capability of digital technologies like artificial intelligence.

Foggo additionally said the Navy should “avoid ‘rip and replace’ of major data systems and focus on problem-oriented solutions that can be seamlessly integrated.”

The retired admiral also discussed how state-of-the-art digital technologies could help the Navy achieve efficiency and speed when it comes to its maintenance lifecycle.

“Analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning tools can be deployed to uncover critical insights, make data-driven predictions in real-time, and seamlessly share critical information across shipyard teams,” Foggo noted.

POC - 4th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit

The Potomac Officers Club will hold its 4th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit on Feb. 16. Click here to register for this in-person event to hear notable leaders within the GovCon sector discuss key AI advancements achieved over the past year and cutting-edge development strategies for 2023 and beyond.

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AWS’ Max Peterson Shares 5 Predictions for Public Sector Technology Transformation
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AWS’ Max Peterson Shares 5 Predictions for Public Sector Technology Transformation

Max Peterson, vice president of Amazon Web Services’ worldwide public sector and a Wash100 Award winner, has listed his predictions for public sector technology trends in 2023.

Following conversations with global customers utilizing the cloud, Peterson identified five areas he expects to transform within governments globally in an AWS blog post published Monday.

“As we look toward the future, it’s clear that public sector organizations will need to continue to adapt and innovate to successfully navigate the constantly-evolving global landscape and changing needs of their end users and constituents,” he wrote.

According to Peterson, areas of potential expansion include artificial intelligence and machine learning, the cloud as it relates to citizens’ interactions with government agencies, digital twins and large-scale simulations, quantum computing and the commercialization of space.

With cloud technologies growing in popularity, Peterson anticipates the integration of AI and ML into these platforms to streamline the process of reaching mission success, reduce costs and improve overall efficiency.

Peterson additionally forecasts that the increasing cloud usage in government organizations will strengthen agency communications with employees and citizens by further automating facilities such as contact centers. Incorporating cloud services into these operations can decrease hold times, allow self-service options and boost cost-effectiveness, Peterson said.

As obstacles surrounding the use of digital twins and large-scale simulations are broken down, Peterson also suspects that the growing availability of these tools will result in government agencies leveraging their advantages.

Quantum computing is another area of interest for Peterson, who said that despite the recent emergence of the field, he expects the area to grow and become more straightforward, allowing government clients to harness the technology to support their missions.

The commercialization of space is the final prediction on Peterson’s list. With a vast majority of spacecraft launched into orbit in the first half of 2022 coming from the private sector, Peterson believes that digital technologies, such as those offered by AWS, will further assist companies in their space ventures.

Looking forward, Peterson aims to continue supporting customers with AWS cloud technologies.

“Having the right tools in place will help organizations prepare and respond to any circumstances yet to come, while also helping drive the next wave of innovation,” he wrote.

FCC Eyes Amplified Data Breach Reporting Guidelines for Telecoms; Jessica Rosenworcel Quoted
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FCC Eyes Amplified Data Breach Reporting Guidelines for Telecoms; Jessica Rosenworcel Quoted

The Federal Communications Commission is looking to bolster its regulations on how promptly telecommunication carriers notify consumers about data breaches as it seeks to align rules with federal and state data breach laws covering other sectors. 

In a notice of proposed rulemaking issued on Friday, the FCC proposed to eliminate the seven-day mandatory waiting period for carriers to notify customers of a breach. 

The commission also requires all breaches to be reported to the FCC, FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, as well as to consumers immediately, unless otherwise advised by authorities. 

In the released statement, the commission additionally suggested to expand the definition of a “breach” to include inadvertent disclosures of customer information. 

FCC is seeking comments on whether they will require customer breach notices to include specific categories of information to help ensure they contain useful information to consumers.

The FCC first adopted data breach measures for telecom carriers in 2007 and since then, data breaches nationwide have increased in both frequency and severity in all industries, said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “This new proceeding will take a much-needed, fresh look at our data breach reporting rules to better protect consumers, increase security and reduce the impact of future breaches.”

Biden Administration Dedicates Over $3B in Funding to Ukraine Security Initiatives; Laura Cooper Quoted
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Biden Administration Dedicates Over $3B in Funding to Ukraine Security Initiatives; Laura Cooper Quoted

The Biden Administration has allotted nearly $3.1 billion to continue U.S. security aid to Ukraine through the delivery of a wide array of supplies including combat vehicles, artillery, munitions and other necessary equipment.

Included in the funding is a presidential drawdown of equipment from Department of Defense inventories valued at up to $2.85 billion as well as the Department of State’s allotment of $225 million in Foreign Military Financing to support long-term advancements within the Ukrainian military, the DOD announced on Monday.

“The war in Ukraine is at a critical point right now, and we have to do everything we can to help the Ukrainians continue to resist Russian aggression,” said Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia.

Cooper also stressed the strategic importance of preventing Russia from taking over Ukraine.

The military package includes 50 M2-A2 Bradley fighting vehicles, which will be equipped with 500 tube-launched, optically sighted, wire guides or TOW anti-tank missiles and 250,000 rounds of 25 millimeter ammunition.

According to Cooper, the Bradley was selected as a result of the federal government’s constant assessment of changing needs on the Ukrainian battlefield, which have evolved throughout the conflict.

“What you are seeing is a recognition that this is the right time for us to provide this armored capability,” she said.

Also included in the drawdown authority are 100 M-113 armored personnel carriers, 50 mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles and 138 Humvees. The U.S. will additionally deliver RIM-7 missiles and Zuni rockets as well as artillery such as self-propelled 155 millimeter Paladin howitzers, 105 millimeter towed howitzers and thousands of rounds.

Supplementary funding of $682 million in foreign military financing will be provided by the State Department to encourage and backfill necessary military equipment for Ukraine while the Biden Administration continues to call upon allies and partners to donate critical capabilities to the embattled nation.

Since President Biden assumed office, the U.S. has allocated over $24.9 billion to support Ukraine’s security.

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Johns Hopkins Study Reveals Potential Long-term Impact of Climate Change on Radars
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Johns Hopkins Study Reveals Potential Long-term Impact of Climate Change on Radars

A study conducted by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory found negative as well as positive long-term effects of climate change on communication systems such as radars.

The results were published Wednesday and presented at the annual meeting of the U.S. National Committee for the International Union of Radio Science.

“Will climate change alter the environment enough to impact the design of sensor systems? Because if it does — even a little bit — that would be a surprise for designers and engineers who aren’t used to thinking about the environment as an evolving design factor,” said Jonathan Gehman, APL applied physicist and one of the scientists involved in the study.

He said that S-band radars will have better longer-range advantage, while X-band and other higher frequency remote sensing systems will degrade over the next 50 years. He attributed the discrepancy to increased moisture in the atmosphere, which will impede the resolution and bandwidth capability of X-bands.

They obtained data collected via the World Climate Research Programme’s Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, which examined factors considered in impact sensor design. These include moisture conditions and rising sea surface temperatures, which influence the effectiveness of radio frequency and infrared propagation.

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FDA Issues IDIQ Solicitation to Support Data Management of Adverse Reporting System
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FDA Issues IDIQ Solicitation to Support Data Management of Adverse Reporting System

The FDA is looking to award an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to support its Adverse Event Reporting System Data Management Program.

In a notice posted Wednesday on SAM.gov, the agency said it seeking a company that can provide services including data organization, training, and software testing and validation related to processing FAERS reports.

FAERS is a computerized database used in FDA’s safety surveillance operations for products already approved and on the market. It is supported by a data management program that processes the electronic reports.

To aid the DMP, FDA intends to develop and enhance standard operating procedure requirements and improve the management of physical and electronic information it receives.

The potential five-year contract will involve collecting and processing voluntary and mandatory safety reports forwarded to the agency’s safety evaluation teams, conducting quality assurance and training programs and testing software platforms that may be used in the entire adverse event reporting system.

The single-award solicitation, which is open until Jan. 20, is part of a partnership agreement between the Department of Health and Human Services and the Small Business Administration.

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