/
EOs Seek to Ensure US Leadership in Drones, Restore American Airspace Sovereignty
Published on
A pair of new EOs aim to ensure U.S. leadership in drone development and establish a task force for airspace dominance.

President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders that seek to strengthen U.S. leadership in the development and commercialization of unmanned aircraft systems and ensure U.S. sovereignty over national airspace amid threats posed by UAS.

Advancing UAS Integration Into the National Airspace System

The White House said Friday the EO titled Unleashing American Drone Dominance directs the secretary of the Department of Transportation to release an updated roadmap for the integration of civil UAS into the national airspace system within 240 days.

The DOT secretary should ensure that all Federal Aviation Administration drone test ranges are fully utilized to advance the development, testing and scaling of U.S.-built drones with a focus on beyond visual line of sight operations, advanced air mobility and autonomous operations.

Delivering Drones to Warfighters

The new policy directs the secretary of the Department of Defense to ensure that all platforms on the Defense Innovation Unit’s Blue UAS List can operate on all military bases or ranges without requiring an exception and expand the Blue UAS list within 90 days to include all drones and critical components compliant with section 848 of the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.

Within 90 days, the DOD secretary should coordinate with the secretary of transportation to streamline the approval process to broaden access to airspace for conducting drone training and task each military department to identify programs that would be more cost-efficient if replaced by UAS.

Other provisions include the establishment of an electric vertical takeoff and landing pilot program, efforts to strengthen the U.S. drone industrial base and measures to support the export of U.S.-made civil drones and related systems through the use of direct loans, loan guarantees, equity investments and co-financing, among other mechanisms.

Task Force to Restore US Airspace Sovereignty

The president signed another EO that directs the establishment of the Federal Task Force to Restore American Airspace Sovereignty, which will be chaired by the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.

The task force will review technical, operational and regulatory frameworks and propose solutions to UAS threats.

Airspace Regulations to Ensure Public Safety

The presidential action, Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty, requires the FAA administrator to submit a notice of proposed rulemaking to the Office of Management and Budget and the task force establishing the required process for restricting drone flights over fixed site facilities.

Within 180 days, the FAA administrator should make notices to airmen and temporary flight restrictions freely available online for drone geofencing and aircraft navigation and guidance system purposes.

Building Counter-Drone Capacity

Within 30 days, the attorney general and the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security should explore integrating counter-UAS operational responses as part of Joint Terrorism Task Forces to protect mass gathering events.

The policy also directs the administration to establish a national training center for counter-UAS to develop the needed counter-drone capacity to secure major events.

Other provisions in the EO include requiring the FAA administrator and attorney general to boost enforcement of civil and criminal laws against drone operators endangering the public, violating airspace restrictions or committing a crime; authorizing federal agencies to use existing authorities to detect, track and identify drones and UAS signals; publishing guidance to help private critical infrastructure owners and operator use drone detection technologies; and calling for a risk-based assessment to designate large airports, borders, critical infrastructure and military installations as protected areas.

/
AFWERX, SpaceWERX Launch Manufacturing Open Topic Solicitation
Published on
AFWERX and SpaceWERX aim to enhance the DIB through a Manufacturing Focused Open Topic solicitation.

AFWERX has collaborated with SpaceWERX to launch the 25.5 Release 9 Manufacturing Focused Open Topic Direct-to-Phase II, or D2P2, Solicitation, according to a LinkedIn post shared Friday.

Reinforcing the Defense Industrial Base

The Department of the Air Force’s innovation arm and Air Force Research Laboratory directorate said the initiative is designed to strengthen the defense industrial base through strategic partnerships with American small businesses. It utilizes the Small Business Innovation Research program to support advanced technologies from industry and academia while partnering with the AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, the Rapid Sustainment Office, the Defense Innovation Unit and other major stakeholders. These collaborations establish stringent qualifications and certifications to evaluate new manufacturing techniques.

AFWERX, SpaceWERX Launch Manufacturing Open Topic SolicitationLearn about the defense industrial base and other critical air and space defense components. Register and join the discussion at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Summit.

The Focused Open Topic solicitation started accepting submissions on June 4 and will be open to applicants until July 9. The submissions will be managed through the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal, or DSIP. Applications are required to have a Government Engagement Memorandum confirming support from a valid Department of the Air Force customer. They must also align with any of the six focus areas, including:

 

  • Engine production with advanced manufacturing
  • Advanced composite structures
  • Semiconductor production innovations
  • Radiation-tolerant/hardened electronics
  • System integration and interoperability
  • Affordable energetics

“We will continue our strong partnership with innovative manufacturing companies. Our vision is to transform the American defense industrial base, leveraging the ingenuity of our private sector,” said Col. Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director and chief commercialization officer for the Department of the Air Force.

//
Army Opens Weapon Microelectronics Manufacturing Facility
Published on
The U.S. Army has opened the Microelectronics Manufacturing Facility at the Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Army has officially opened the Microelectronics Manufacturing Facility at the Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania. 

The new facility supports the Army’s modernization and ensures that the service branch cannot only sustain legacy systems but also enable the integration of new technologies into future platforms, said Liz Miranda, executive deputy to the commanding general of the Army Materiel Command, during the plant’s opening ceremony held Sunday. 

Army Establishes Microelectronics Factory in Pennsylvania

The Microelectronics Manufacturing Facility at Tobyhanna Army Depot will house engineers and technicians who will develop, manufacture and test circuit cards for the Department of Defense. 

Mark Sgobba, lead electronics engineer at Tobyhanna Army Depot, has been looking into establishing a facility dedicated to making microelectronics for the military for years. The military, like other industries across the United States, relies on foreign sources for chip components used in weapon systems, creating a significant national security risk. 

Army Opens Weapon Microelectronics Manufacturing Facility

Learn more about the most urgent challenges that the U.S. Army faces at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Army Summit on June 18. Register for the in-person event here.

According to Sgobba, the Microelectronics Manufacturing Facility creates an opportunity for Tobyhanna Army Depot to expand its capabilities and create an agile and future-ready workforce.

James L. Crocker, depot commander, shared at the opening ceremony that the Microelectronics Manufacturing Facility is only part one of a four-phase project to support the DOD’s chip demands. 

“We look forward to expanding our capacity and capability for this critical warfighter readiness mission,” he commented. 

Tobyhanna Army Depot delivers logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance across all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. 

/
Federal CIO Wants to Meet With Firms That Offer Solutions, Not Just Define Problems
Published on
Gregory Barbaccia, federal CIO, is laying down the law against consultants who identify problems and don't solve them.

Federal Chief Information Officer Greg Barbaccia, a 2025 Wash100 Award winner, said he will no longer meet with firms that “define problems,” such as research, advisory and strategy consulting companies. 

In an internal email, the official said he will instead speak with organizations that offer solutions. 

“This is about focus,” he wrote in the email obtained by Federal News Network. “Every hour we spend in meetings must move us closer to implementation, not ideation. We are not here to admire a problem — we’re here to solve it.” 

No More Consulting Contracts

Barbaccia also advised government CIOs to cancel meetings with strategy firms or ask for a summary of solutions or deliverables they offer. 

“If there’s an edge case you believe deserves discussion, seek an exception from me or your director,” he added. 

The move follows decisions across federal agencies to reexamine consultant contracts. 

In March, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a fellow Wash100 winner, terminated over $30 million in contracts with external consulting firms. Hegseth also told defense leaders in a memo circulated in May to look in-house for IT expertise to drive financial and operational efficiency. 

The Department of Veterans Affairs also cancelled 585 non-mission-critical and duplicative contracts, including for leadership coaching and staff mentoring, in early 2025.

/
NIST Unveils Cryptographic Accordion Development Plan
Published on
NIST has a trio of general-purpose cryptographic accordions—Acc128, Acc256 and BBBAcc—in the works.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has revealed plans to develop three general-purpose cryptographic accordions.

The agency said Friday it specifically aims to develop variants of the Hash-Encrypt-Hash, or HCTR2, technique for the following accordions: 

  • Acc128 to support typical usage or birthday bounds with the Advanced Encryption Standard, or AES
  • Acc256 to support typical usage with a 256-bit block cipher, possibly Rijndael-256
  • BBBAcc to support extended usage or beyond-birthday-bound with AES

What Is a Cryptographic Accordion?

A cryptographic accordion is a tweakable, variable-input-length strong pseudorandom permutation, or VIL-SPRIP, derived from an underlying block cipher. It functions as both a mode of the underlying block cipher and a tweakable block cipher for various input lengths.

A derived function serves as an input encoding that enables particular functionalities within an accordion, including authenticated encryption with associated data, or AEAD, tweakable encryption for storage applications, or deterministic authenticated encryption for key wrapping. These efficient accordions support enhanced security beyond existing approved modes.

NIST established a standardized series of block cipher modes of operation within the Special Publication 800-38 series and NIST Internal Report 8459 details their limitations. 

The agency hosted two workshops to determine potential enhancements and establish a consensus on developing one or more cryptographic accordions. Through the workshops, NIST identified the need for a cryptographic accordion. It proposed using the HCTR2 technique as the basis for the accordion, citing its maturity and widespread deployment.

NIST requested public comments on the initiative and will receive responses until August 6.

//
AIA Report Highlights Automation & AI’s Role in Addressing Aerospace, Defense Challenges
Published on
A new report from AIA and Accenture explores how automation and AI could help tackle aerospace and defense challenges.

The Aerospace Industries Association, in collaboration with Accenture, has developed and published a report offering an in-depth analysis of industry expert insights on how automation and artificial intelligence can help tackle aerospace and defense industry challenges, including limited capital availability, aging information technology infrastructure and a rapidly evolving workforce.

“AIA’s new report provides a clear roadmap to help our industry harness AI’s full potential and turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s breakthroughs,” said Tim White, AIA’s vice president of engineering and technology, noting that the A&D industry is at a defining crossroads, where AI is no longer optional but essential.

Post-Pandemic Production Challenges

The A&D industry is facing significant capacity challenges hindering its ability to meet soaring demand. Both commercial aviation and defense contractors are trying to ramp up production; however, even major manufacturers are struggling to meet demand amid a post-pandemic surge, the report stated.

The document recommended actionable strategies to navigate the complex A&D industry, including building a strong digital foundation, embedding AI into operational processes at scale and establishing an AI-ready workforce. AIA and Accenture highlighted the high costs associated with hiring and training new talent, noting that AI offers a path forward to augment human capabilities and preserve critical expertise amid decreasing employee tenure and increasing job complexity.

Generative AI Adoption

According to John Schmidt, global A&D lead at Accenture, A&D organizations need to modernize to stay competitive. “By using AI in their core operations, companies can reinvent the nature of work while also driving innovation and efficiency,” Schmidt said. “This strategic change is crucial for the industry to maintain its leadership in global security and economic growth.” 

Generative AI is gaining momentum within the industry, with 87 percent of surveyed industry executives planning to increase investment in the technology in 2025. Nearly 75 percent of the executives also said they expect AI-driven automation to significantly
improve operations in the next few years.

/
Defense Secretary Hegseth Announces Key Military Nominations
Published on
Headshot of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that President Donald Trump nominated four military leaders for key positions. 

According to statements released by the Department of Defense, Navy Vice Adm. Frank Bradley, Navy Vice Adm. Charles Cooper II, Air Force Lt. Gen. Dagvin Anderson and Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich received nominations.

Frank Bradley

Bradley is nominated for appointment to the grade of admiral. If confirmed, he will be assigned as commander of the Special Operations Command, or USSOCOM, at the MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. He is currently the Joint Special Operations Command, or JSOC, commander at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Navy SEAL officer previously served as commander of the Special Operations Command Central and the Naval Special Warfare Development Group. He was also part of SEAL Team Four and the SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team TWO. He also served with the Italian Incursori as an international exchange officer.

Charles Bradford Cooper

Cooper was also nominated for appointment to the grade of admiral, with the assignment of commander of the Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base. He is currently the deputy commander of the Central Command. The career surface warfare officer previously served as commander of the Naval Forces Central Command, the Naval Surface Force Atlantic, the Expeditionary Strike Group 7 and the Naval Forces Korea. He was the Navy chief of legislative affairs and director of surface warfare officer assignments.

Dagvin Anderson

Anderson is nominated to the grade of general and will be the designated commander of the Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany. He serves as director of Joint Force Development, or J7, Joint Staff at the Pentagon. His former assignments include vice director for operations at the Joint Staff, commander of Special Operations Command-Africa and deputy director for operations of the Indo-Pacific Command.

Alexus Grynkewich

Grynkewich, currently the director of operations, J-3, Joint Staff at the Pentagon. He is nominated for appointment to the grade of general. If confirmed, he will be assigned as the supreme Allied commander of Europe, an appointment the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, agreed with. In addition, Grynkewich will serve as commander of the European Command. He previously served as commander of the 9th Air Force and the Combined Forces Air Component of the Central Command.

/
NIST Researchers Develop Methodology for Assessing Hardware Threats
Published on
The Metrics and Methodology for Hardware Security Constructs is NIST's new methodology for assessing hardware threats.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has issued a new white paper assessing threats to hardware. 

Titled the Metrics and Methodology for Hardware Security Constructs, the 16-page document explores common hardware weaknesses and the attack patterns that malicious actors use to exploit them and recommends a systematic approach to analyzing risks. 

The white paper is authored by researchers from NIST and the University of Maryland. 

How to Assess Threats to Hardware

The agency’s proposed hardware threat analysis methodology involves linking hardware weaknesses with meta-level attack patterns. The white paper utilizes data from the Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification, or CAPEC, a list of 559 known attack patterns compiled by the Department of Homeland Security and MITRE. 

The methodology offers two key metrics: one that quantifies the number of weaknesses an attacker can exploit and another that looks at the number of attacks distinct attacks that an attacker can use to exploit specific weaknesses. 

According to the researchers, their proposed threat analysis methodology is open to modifications to accommodate new weaknesses and attack strategies. Although it is designed for use on hardware, it may also be applied to all identified and emerging vulnerabilities, the researchers added.

///
NGA Adopts Standardized Disclosure for AI-Generated Intel
Published on
NGA Director Frank Whitworth has said his agency has started disclosing up front when its geospatial intel is produced by AI.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has implemented a standardized disclosure for artificial intelligence-generated intelligence products, Breaking Defense reported Thursday.

According to NGA Director Frank Whitworth, a four-time Wash100 Award winner, the agency is now routinely using AI to generate geospatial intelligence products. The career naval intelligence officer said NGA has adopted a “living, breathing template” for every “machine-generated GEOINT” product that “has not been touched by human hands.”

Standardizing Disclosure Labels for Transparency

Whitworth, speaking at the third annual Ash Carter Exchange and AI+ Expo on Tuesday, stressed that it is necessary for the president, the secretary of defense and combat commanders to understand the new labeling system, which ensures transparency when assessing AI-generated intel. He also noted that the NGA is the first agency in the U.S. intelligence community to routinely use the warning label.

NGA Adopts Standardized Disclosure for AI-Generated Intel

Get insights from intelligence community leaders on emerging threats and how intelligence plays a vital role in safeguarding the nation at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Intel Summit on October 2.

The agency does not use a simple stamp but a detailed disclosure system that provides the type of AI used for data exploitation or dissemination. This auto-generated information enables customers to understand the machines’ involvement in the intelligence products.

NGA’s adoption of AI is the result of a decade-long need to manage large data volumes dating back to the Global War on Terror and compounded by the growing sophistication of military intelligence.

//
Senate Bill to Boost Quad Alliance’s Space Cooperation to Maintain Indo-Pacific Stability
Published on
The U.S. is looking to shore up its partnerships internationally for competition with China and Russia in Indo-Pacific.

A bipartisan Senate bill is seeking to strengthen space cooperation among the Quad nations, namely the United States, Japan, India and Australia, amid China and Russia’s increasing use of space capabilities to expand their interests. 

Introduced by U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., co-chair of the Senate Space Force Caucus and chair of the Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee, and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., the Quad Space Act of 2025 would require the defense secretary to initiate discussions with Quad countries to identify mutual areas of interest concerning the formulation of best practices in space, cooperation on space situational awareness and space industrial policy, according to a press release published Thursday. 

The defense secretary would also submit a report to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, detailing potential areas of mutual Quad interests and steps the secretary intends to take to formalize cooperation among Quad members. 

The Quad Alliance 

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, known as the Quad, is an informal strategic forum established to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific and address regional geopolitical challenges.

“Maintaining space dominance is vital to protecting the stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region,” said Cramer. “The Quad’s alignment addresses shared security challenges between our countries, and we recognize the importance of space as a strategic domain.”

Mirroring Cramer’s statement, Bennet said bolstering cooperation with Quad partners will ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific, where China and Russia are actively expanding their interest. “The Quad Space Act will enhance our collective capacity to address shared challenges by better ensuring safe and secure space missions, tracking objects and activities in space, and fostering shared innovation,” he added.

1 … 62 63 64 65 66 … 2,625