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Military, Civilian Intelligence Exec Mario Contreras Joins Exovera as Chief Data Officer; Bob Sogegian Quoted
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Military, Civilian Intelligence Exec Mario Contreras Joins Exovera as Chief Data Officer; Bob Sogegian Quoted

Experienced intelligence and special operations executive Mario Contreras has been named chief data officer at analytics and artificial intelligence software provider Exovera.

As CDO at this subsidiary company of defense contractor SOSi, Contreras will prioritize acquisition, governance and management as aspects of Exovera’s data initiatives, the Vienna, Virginia-based organization said Tuesday.

“Mario brings exceptional insight into the importance and use of data by the defense and national security agencies,” remarked Exovera CEO Bob Sogegian.

Sogegian went on to say that he predicts Contreras will play a vital role in influencing the direction of the company’s offerings and thus its growth efforts.

Contreras began his career in the U.S. Army, retiring as a chief warrant officer in 2010 after two decades of service. His work with the service branch was primarily intelligence-focused in multiple special operations units and he was deployed in combat in a range of theaters.

After his Army retirement, Contreras continued in the military as a civilian, leading the development and administration of the Special Operations Forces Digital Ecosystem of Publicly Available Information. He also created what is the most expansive open-source intelligence exploitation program in the Joint Special Operations Command.

In his most recent role before Exovera, Contrera was the operations lead for the Chief of Digital and Artificial Intelligence at the U.S. Special Operations Command, presiding as its chief data officer for nearly two years.

The executive shared his eagerness to join a company that is offering new data-focused technologies and said that his career has demonstrated the “importance of open-source data to critical operations.”

“[I] look forward to delivering solutions that inform and empower our customers’ missions,” Contreras added.

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NSA, CISA Officials Publish Assessment on 5G Network Configuration Strategies
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NSA, CISA Officials Publish Assessment on 5G Network Configuration Strategies

Cross-sector working group Enduring Security Framework — which includes representatives from the National Security Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency — has issued its evaluation of possible threats with 5G network slicing for the creation of best practices to implement in order to maintain network security. 

The report, which pinpoints management strategies to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of each network slice, was calculated for mobile service providers, hardware manufacturers, software developers and system integrators working on the deployment of 5G networks, NSA said Tuesday. 

ESF intends the assessment to serve as a base to craft a methodology to design, deploy, operate, and maintain secure network slicing across private, hybrid, and public networks.

“The Department of Defense is transitioning 5G into its enterprise. Being able to do network slicing across the entire 5G system is a critical new capability that 5G provides over [Long Term Evolution],” shared Andrew Thiessen, chief economist at the Defense Department’s 5G cross-functional team. 

Future Navy Amphibious Assault Ship Named After Battles of Fallujah
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Future Navy Amphibious Assault Ship Named After Battles of Fallujah

The U.S. Navy has named a future America-class amphibious assault ship after the first and second Battles of Fallujah during the Iraq War. 

The future USS Fallujah (LHA 9) is the fourth ship to belong to the America class and will support the U.S. Marine Corps concept for ship-to-objective maneuvers and operational maneuver from the sea, the Navy said Tuesday.

“This namesake deserves to be in the pantheon of iconic Marine Corps battles and the LHA’s unique capabilities will serve as a stark reminder to everyone around the world of the bravery, courage, and commitment to freedom displayed by those who fought in the battle,” said Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro. 

The LHAs are the largest of all amphibious warfare ships and are capable of taking off and landing vertically.

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division designs and develops the amphibious assault ship LHA 9 for the Navy under a potential $2.4 billion contract modification awarded in October.

Ingalls Shipbuilding has delivered the America-class ships LHA 6 and LHA 7 and has started the construction of LHA 8, the future USS Bougainville.

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Bonnie Evangelista: Tradewind an Attempt to Accelerate Tech Procurement, Drive Cultural Change Within DOD
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Bonnie Evangelista: Tradewind an Attempt to Accelerate Tech Procurement, Drive Cultural Change Within DOD

Bonnie Evangelista, Tradewind execution lead within the Department of Defense’s chief digital and artificial intelligence office, said DOD needs to change its culture to accelerate the acquisition of military technologies and capabilities and Tradewind is one of the initiatives that could help drive that cultural change within the department.

She wrote in a commentary published Monday on Defense News that Tradewind is an “attempt to clear a way out of the bureaucratic contracting labyrinth” and “a movement to take intentional action that drives not only the procurement and acquisition of leading-edge technology, but also the cultural change the DoD so desperately needs.”

According to Evangelista, Tradewind comes with a set of services and tools designed to speed up the acquisition and adoption of new technologies and one of those tools is the Tradewind Solutions Marketplace.

She said the marketplace allows industry innovators to quickly bring their technology platforms to government purchasers by submitting a short video of their platform explaining its potential use in addressing DOD’s problem sets.

“For government, this means a searchable inventory of potential technology solutions that have met competition standards for Federal Acquisition Regulation and non-FAR based contracting methodologies,” Evangelista noted. “No more time spent in source selections and downselects — just find a solution and buy it.”

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NTIA Seeks Comments on Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund Implementation
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NTIA Seeks Comments on Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund Implementation

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration is soliciting public insights and feedback to inform the development and implementation of a grant program to support the deployment of standards-based, interoperable and open radio access networks.

The CHIPS and Science Act signed into law in August appropriates $1.5 billion for the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund to advance the development of open, interoperable, standards-based RAN, according to a request for comment published Tuesday.

The fund will back the deployment of software, hardware, microprocessing systems and other technologies to improve competitiveness in 5G and wireless technology supply chains, accelerate commercial release of standards-based, interoperable and open interface equipment, manage the integration of multivendor network environments and field security features that enhance the integrity of equipment in multivendor networks, among other activities.

NTIA is asking interested stakeholders to offer practical solutions to challenges with regard to the adoption of open, interoperable, standards-based RAN, recommend potential projects the Innovation Fund should support and suggest the criteria that could be used in awarding grants through the fund.

The agency is requesting responses to specific questions related to the current state of the telecommunications industry; technology development and standards; integration, interoperability and certification; trials, pilots, use cases and market development; program execution and monitoring; and security.

Comments are due Jan. 27.

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Veteran Business Exec Phil Fuster Named CRO of Hitachi Vantara Federal; Mark Serway Quoted
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Veteran Business Exec Phil Fuster Named CRO of Hitachi Vantara Federal; Mark Serway Quoted

Phil Fuster has joined Hitachi Vantara Federal as its new chief revenue officer, a role in which he will head the company’s revenue strategy including growth plans, go-to-market strategies, logo acquisitions and partnerships.

In his new position, Fuster will also supervise Hitachi Vantara Federal’s sales, inside sales, channel and marketing teams, the Reston, Virginia-based company announced on Tuesday.

Hitachi Vantara Federal CEO Mark Serway emphasized Fuster’s proven experience as a business and team leader.

“We look forward to Phil spearheading our growth as we continue to explore how our data-driven solutions can better enable federal agencies. We see a tremendous opportunity in front of us and look forward to continued success in the federal market,” Serway said.

Fuster holds four decades of experience in revenue leadership across a multitude of companies. His expertise in technology, cybersecurity and AI sales began in startups and has grown to include roles in many large enterprises.

Before joining Hitachi Vantara Federal, Fuster served as vice president of federal markets at Proofpoint. Prior to his time there, he was senior director of public sector sales at Rackspace.

Earlier, Fuster spent four years at Dell Technologies, during which he held numerous director roles spanning different sales areas focused on the public sector. Most recently, he served as director of sales for systems integrators in the organization’s federal business.

Fuster has also been an advisor to the board of the Maryland Technology Council and has helped lead various working groups and conferences across Maryland as a chair and in other committee leadership positions.

“Hitachi Vantara Federal has already established itself as a leading partner to federal agencies, leveraging best-in-class solutions to help federal agencies improve performance and increase efficiency. I’m excited to join a team with a tremendous brand and foundation of technology success,” Fuster commented.

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Space Force CTIO Lisa Costa Underscores Importance of Digital Training for Guardians
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Space Force CTIO Lisa Costa Underscores Importance of Digital Training for Guardians

Lisa Costa, chief technology and innovation officer of the U.S. Space Force, deemed advanced IT capabilities imperative to the service because its guardians experience their domain mostly through data.

In an interview with FedTech Magazine, Costa discussed USSF’s major technological programs such as SpaceVerse, Software Development Immersive and Delta 6.

Unlike other branches of the Armed Forces, in which soldiers utilize their skills in real-world scenarios, USSF servicemen currently gain experience through information technology. To hone their skill sets, USSF launched SpaceVerse, a virtual environment that uses artificial intelligence to train guardians on resilient networks, leap-ahead capabilities, and high throughput end devices relevant to their domain, Costa explained.

She also gave an update about the Software Development Immersive, which commenced last year to build internal digital literacy and develop “Supra Coders” knowledgeable in software mission requirements for weapons and operations. So far, the program has graduated 52 specialists and will train at least 90 more this fiscal year.

To protect USSF’s IT infrastructure, the branch established different cybersecurity defenses such as an organization within the Space Operations Command called Delta 6. The team is tasked to ensure IT protection in space mission systems, and will serve as a model for similar teams to be integrated into other space mission sets, according to Costa

Space Force CTIO Lisa Costa Underscores Importance of Digital Training for Guardians

Hear more from Costa, a 2022 Wash100 Award winner, as she delivers a keynote speech at GovCon Wire’s 2023 DOD: Digital Modernization Forum on Jan. 12. Click here to register for the virtual event.

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Bill Nelson: NASA Gets Assurance Musk’s Twitter Purchase Won’t Distract SpaceX
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Bill Nelson: NASA Gets Assurance Musk’s Twitter Purchase Won’t Distract SpaceX

Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter has prompted NASA to ask whether the transaction would have an impact on the business magnate’s rocket company, SpaceX, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said he was assured by SpaceX President and four-time Wash100 awardee Gwynne Shotwell that the purchase of the social media platform would not distract the launch services provider from its mission.

The administrator’s statement comes as NASA prepares for its next mission under the Artemis lunar exploration program.

On Sunday, NASA’s uncrewed Orion spacecraft returned to Earth and made a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean after 25.5 days of traveling around the moon as part of the Artemis I mission.

Artemis I is an unmanned flight test that lifted off in November to assess the performance of the Space Launch System rocket and the capabilities of Orion to support future lunar exploration missions.

In November, SpaceX secured a potential $1.15 billion contract modification from NASA to continue development work on its Starship human landing system and provide a second crewed demonstration landing on the moon as part of the Artemis program.

Nelson said SpaceX plans to launch Starship for an uncrewed lunar landing in 2023 and a manned test in 2024.

Sen. Chuck Schumer: One-Week Stopgap Bill to Extend Funding Deadline
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Sen. Chuck Schumer: One-Week Stopgap Bill to Extend Funding Deadline

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that senators should expect a short-term continuing resolution that would fund government operations at current funding levels while negotiations remain on a full-year funding agreement, NBC News reported Tuesday.

“Later this week, members should be prepared to take quick action on a CR — a one-week CR, so we can give appropriators more time to finish a full funding bill before the holidays,” Schumer remarked. 

In September, President Biden signed a stopgap bill to keep U.S. government operations funded at the existing level through Dec. 16. Congress must pass an omnibus appropriations package before the deadline ends to prevent a federal shutdown.

As the funding deadline approaches, Schumer said appropriators have been negotiating to “reach a deal, even if it’s not going to be everything both sides want.”

Republican leaders are calling for a higher level of military funding than domestic funding in the spending package. 

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said that Democrats have previously increased domestic spending “using party-line reconciliation bills outside the normal appropriations process.”

“If our Democratic colleagues can’t accept those realities, the option will be a short-term bipartisan funding bill into early next year,” McConnell stated.

Defense Innovation Unit, NCMA Collaborate on Emerging Commercial Technologies Practices
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Defense Innovation Unit, NCMA Collaborate on Emerging Commercial Technologies Practices

Defense Innovation Unit and the National Contract Management Association will collaborate on implementing practices for acquiring emerging commercial technologies under a memorandum of understanding.

Both companies will exchange information and resources on programs and activities to co-develop best practices and advance technology acquisition processes for the Defense Department and the U.S. government through the utilization of DIU’s Other Transaction authority, the DIU said Monday.

The partnership reflects DIU’s refined processes around its Commercial Solutions Opening, aimed at offering new capabilities to the DOD.

“This partnership brings robust and powerful education and networking opportunities for the community to best deliver innovation,” said NCMA CEO Kraig Conrad.

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