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NREL Report: Cybersecurity Should Be Implemented Early in Aviation Electrification
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NREL Report: Cybersecurity Should Be Implemented Early in Aviation Electrification

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has published a report to guide the aviation industry in the implementation of cybersecurity measures for electric aviation.

The study was funded by the Federal Aviation Administration, which is looking into the potential of airport electrification to help achieve air mobility goals in the U.S, NREL said Monday.

According to the report, security should be incorporated early into the design and procurement phases of electric aircraft production. During technology procurement, facility owners may employ assessments such as the Department of Energy Cybersecurity Capability Maturity Model, and the Distributed Energy Resource Cybersecurity Framework, to identify potential vulnerabilities and protect energy assets.

The industry should also apply lessons learned from cyberthreats in ground EV charging, NREL stated.

To protect virtual information at airports, multiple stakeholders can scale intrusion detection systems or use the laboratory’s Module OT operational technology encryption platform. 

First Responders Want More Trustworthy, User-Friendly Communication Devices, NIST Survey Finds
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First Responders Want More Trustworthy, User-Friendly Communication Devices, NIST Survey Finds

A U.S. survey showed that first responders such as policemen, firemen and emergency medical personnel want public safety communications technology to be trustworthy, controllable and easier to use. 

The National Institute of Standards and Technology on Monday published its report on the Voices of First Responders project, which aims to help tech developers improve communication devices used in emergency response.

The study involved 7,182 participants from rural areas to large cities nationwide. NIST spent three years analyzing data and wrote 14 publications on the findings. 

 Based on the results, the institute came up with guidelines for future development of public safety technologies. The devices must be tailored not only to first responders’ user behavior but also to the varying needs, disciplines, districts and contexts of use in response situations. 

They must be cost-effective for widespread distribution, and not divert attention from the primary tasks of the officers, according to the survey. NIST also found that officials prefer to see an enhancement to the devices they currently have, rather than getting new equipment.

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OSTP Names Mark Latonero National AI Initiative Office Deputy Director
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OSTP Names Mark Latonero National AI Initiative Office Deputy Director

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has appointed Mark Latonero, a former official at the Department of Commerce, to serve as deputy director of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office.

Latonero shared in a LinkedIn post published Tuesday that he joined OSTP from the National Institute of Standards and Technology where he served as senior policy adviser for AI.

While at NIST, he worked with the Trustworthy and Responsible AI team to develop a framework for managing risks posed by AI systems.

Prior to joining NIST, Latonero was a senior consultant to the Executive Office of the Secretary-General at the United Nations and a senior policy adviser to the nonprofit organization Partnership on AI.

In his new role at OSTP, Latonero will work as part of the technology and science and society team to help address the impacts of emerging technologies on socio-technical systems.

He will also lead the national initiative to boost AI technology use in federal agencies.

POC - 4th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit

The Potomac Officers Club will hold its 4th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit on Feb. 16 to discuss the federal government’s AI priorities and initiatives for 2023 and beyond. Click here to register and hear from the speakers, including Craig Martell, chief digital and AI officer at the Department of Defense, and Lakshmi Raman, director of AI at the CIA.

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CBO: US Military Needs to Overcome Technical Challenges to Deploy Hypersonic Weapons
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CBO: US Military Needs to Overcome Technical Challenges to Deploy Hypersonic Weapons

The Congressional Budget Office examined and compared the hypersonic weapons being developed by the Army, Air Force and the Navy with potential existing alternatives and found that the U.S. military must overcome technological challenges to deploy hypersonic missiles, including the need for these weapons to withstand extreme temperatures.

“Shielding hypersonic missiles’ sensitive electronics, understanding how various materials perform, and predicting aerodynamics at sustained temperatures as high as 3,000° Fahrenheit require extensive flight testing,” CBO wrote in a report published Tuesday.

According to CBO, ballistic and hypersonic missiles could operate beyond the anti-access and area-denial zones being developed by potential adversaries such as Russia and China.

The report noted that ballistic missiles with maneuverable warheads would be more survivable than hypersonic missiles against midcourse air defenses but could be vulnerable to highly effective long-range defenses.

Procuring 300 ballistic missiles and sustaining them for two decades would cost $13.4 billion in 2023 dollars, the office estimated, while a comparable number of hypersonic weapons would cost a total of $17.9 billion.

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Pentagon Launches Defense Management Institute; Kathleen Hicks Quoted
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Pentagon Launches Defense Management Institute; Kathleen Hicks Quoted

The Department of Defense has established a nonprofit research institute focused on improving the organization, management and enterprise business operations of DOD.

The Defense Management Institute will be managed by the Institute for Defense Analyses and will support efforts to continuously update the freshly conceived Strategic Management Plan and align it with the National Defense Strategy, DOD said Tuesday.

DMI will help the Pentagon by creating a defense management network of experts and a community of practice; performing research on management issues to inform decisions by DOD and Congress; and compiling a digital catalog of research and other resources on defense management issues.

“We owe it to the taxpayers to ensure that their resources are managed as efficiently and effectively as possible,” said Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks.

“The DMI will contribute to that effort by learning from the best of the public and private sectors and helping us to constantly update and improve our management practices,” added Hicks, an inductee into Executive Mosaic’s 2023 Wash100.

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Matt Tait and Gen. Chance Saltzman Spotlighted as 2023 Wash100 Award Winners
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Matt Tait and Gen. Chance Saltzman Spotlighted as 2023 Wash100 Award Winners

Executive Mosaic is excited to showcase the achievements of ManTech CEO & President Matt Tait and U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman, two first-time Wash100 Award inductees.

The annual award represents the highest honor for government contracting industry figures. In its historic 10th year, Tait and Saltzman emerged as top performers in the intensive selection process, which measures the impact of each executive’s past and future contributions to the community.

Beginning 2022 as ManTech’s chief operating officer, Tait took on a guiding role in conducting the sale of the company to the Carlyle Group in a $4.2 billion go-private transaction that ended the company’s two decades as a publicly traded organization.

After nearly five years with ManTech and close to three in his previous role, his accomplished leadership elevated him to CEO in October. Shortly after Tait assumed his new position, ManTech received an $862 million task order to provide the U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Service Support with full lifecycle support for its mission-critical systems. To read Tait’s full profile, click here.

Saltzman’s career with the Space Force began in September 2022 following his confirmation as chief of space operations by the Senate.

Just over two months after his official installation into the role, Saltzman released his first commander’s note, which details three lines of effort to ensure the future success of the Space Force. These pillars include surrounding the fielding of combat-ready forces, amplifying the guardian spirit and partnering to win. Click here to read Saltzman’s full profile.

Matt Tait and Gen. Chance Saltzman Spotlighted as 2023 Wash100 Award Winners

The exciting Wash100 popular vote contest, which allows you to choose your favorite winning executive each year, has begun. To choose Matt Tait and Chance Saltzman as your favorite 2023 Wash100 Award winners, please visit Wash100.com.

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Intelligent Waves Books $100M Award to Support USAF Crowd Source Flight Data Program; Tony Crescenzo Quoted
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Intelligent Waves Books $100M Award to Support USAF Crowd Source Flight Data Program; Tony Crescenzo Quoted

Intelligent Waves has won a $99.9 million, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract from the U.S. Air Force to support the Crowd Source Flight Data program at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

Under the award, Intelligent Waves is expected to continue providing the Air Force’s 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron with hardware and software integration services used to download, process and offload relevant data from Quick Reaction Instrumentation Package-equipped aircraft, the Reston, Virginia-based enterprise announced on Wednesday.

“At Crowd Source, we support innovative solutions that increase the speed, security, and availability of mission data from aircraft, ultimately improving our nation’s security. Notably, the next generation of technology is helping the government boost cost savings while maximizing mission impact,” said Intelligent Waves CEO Tony Crescenzo.

In an Air Force Air Combat Command article, Lt. Col. Nathan Malafa, commander of the squadron, commented on the importance of data availability and accuracy in determining the success of the warfighter.

The company’s contracted work demonstrates experience with data collection, data processing, related knowledge management support and flight test mission instrumentation to the squadron’s program.

Contract activities may also be performed in multiple other locations and are set to conclude by the end of January 2025.

Intelligent Waves was awarded an earlier indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract also supporting the 59th Testing and Evaluation Squadron in October 2019. Under the $89.2 million contract, the organization is currently assessing, modifying, enhancing and operating instrumentation systems across all stages of test missions regarding 53rd Wing test aircraft.

The press release from Intelligent Waves detailed the benefits of crowd-sourced flight data support, which can provide a cost-effective, non-intrusive solution that allows a continuous flow of flight test data collected from thousands of jets to be shared between bases.

FAA Requests Feedback on Expanding Small Business Industry Base for Construction Projects
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FAA Requests Feedback on Expanding Small Business Industry Base for Construction Projects

The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking industry input on plans to use the FAA Mentor-Protégé Program to expand the pool of small businesses capable of supporting large-scale construction projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

A notice posted Monday on SAM.gov states that FAA is looking to create opportunities for small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals to compete for prime positions in federal construction contracts.

According to the FAA, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $5 billion in funding over five years to modernize the infrastructure of the agency’s air traffic control system by reducing maintenance backlog and upgrading critical buildings and equipment.

Through the Mentor-Protégé initiative, FAA seeks to encourage large, established companies to partner with and assist small businesses in securing contracts with the agency.

Responses to the sources sought notice are due Feb. 28.

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Minh Huebner, National Lab Finance Veteran, Begins Role as CFO at Johns Hopkins APL
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Minh Huebner, National Lab Finance Veteran, Begins Role as CFO at Johns Hopkins APL

Minh Huebner, former chief financial officer of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has assumed the role of CFO and head of the business, construction and facilities department at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

Johns Hopkins APL announced Monday that Huebner’s new role will include overseeing the laboratory’s contract activities with U.S. government agencies, and being primarily accountable for maintaining APL’s main campus and satellite offices.

Huebner spent 18 years at Berkeley Lab, beginning in the role of budget officer until she ascended to CFO in February 2019. She was also an indirect budget manager at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and prior to that, a budget analyst at the Department of Energy’s Office of the CFO.

“Minh is an accomplished and collaborative leader who brings three decades of financial experience at research and development institutions to her new role,” APL Director Ralph Semmel said. “Her addition to the Lab’s executive team is essential to enabling us to continue delivering game-changing innovations for our sponsors and our nation.”

DOE Seeks Feedback on Proposed Use of National Laboratories to Spur Regional Innovation Hubs
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DOE Seeks Feedback on Proposed Use of National Laboratories to Spur Regional Innovation Hubs

The Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions and Office of Science are seeking input on the potential of national laboratories to bolster place-based innovation ecosystems in the U.S.

In an RFI notice published Friday, the agencies said they are looking into leveraging the DOE’s national lab system to help drive regional innovation, which has contributed to economic growth in the country.

Federally funded research and development has given birth to innovation ecosystems in the country, resulting in good-paying jobs, environmental sustainability and new businesses, DOE explained.

To build on this progress, the two offices are soliciting feedback on DOE’s plan to engage and partner with local and regional communities surrounding its laboratories in order to stimulate innovation. 

The strategy will also including expediting the commercialization of breakthrough technologies, launching initiatives in underinvested regions, and providing training and education to a diverse workforce that would be employed by the innovation powerhouses.

OTT and Office of Science are open to RFI responses until March 28.

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