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MaryKathryn Robinson Named Contract Policy Director Within DOD Acquisition Office
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MaryKathryn Robinson Named Contract Policy Director Within DOD Acquisition Office

MaryKathryn Robinson, most recently deputy program executive officer for combat and mission support at the U.S. Air Force, has joined the Department of Defense’s office of the undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment as director of contract policy.

She will directly report to John Tenaglia, principal director of defense pricing and contracting, as she oversees all operations and activities of the contract policy directorate, according to a DOD memo published Friday.

The CP directorate creates new procurement policies, leads career development initiatives for the contracting workforce and manages peer reviews on competitive contracting actions greater than $1 billion.

Michael Pelkey, who served as director of contract policy on an interim basis, will continue to serve as deputy director.

Robinson’s career at the Air Force included time as deputy director of contracting, deputy chief for contract operations division and division chief for strategic sourcing and contract policy.

She also served as a contracting officer at the Joint Strike Fighter Program Office and the Missile Defense Agency.

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DISA Launches Pilot Program to Test DOD’s Classified Cloud Environment
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DISA Launches Pilot Program to Test DOD’s Classified Cloud Environment

The Defense Information System Agency will begin limited user testing of the Department of Defense’s first cloud environment authorized to host classified data for military services and DOD components. 

DISA said Friday the pilot testing for DOD365-Secret follows the general availability of Microsoft’s Office 365 Government Secret, which offers a set of cloud-based productivity, compliance, collaboration and security tools that can handle military and government data at Impact Level 6.

Paul Lorimer, corporate vice president for the Office 365 enterprise and cloud engineering at Microsoft, said the company’s new cloud environment includes Exchange, Outlook and Microsoft 365 Apps to enable secure collaboration among users.

“Secure cloud productivity tools can enable greater operational capabilities for our service members wherever they are. This new environment will run the latest enterprise-grade Office 365 Secret productivity, security, compliance, and collaboration applications,” Lorimer wrote in a blog post on Wednesday.

Defense organizations looking to participate in the pilot can submit applications to DISA beginning on Jan. 30.

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5 AFRL Mission Area Leads Instituted to Meet USSF Science & Tech Needs; Andy Williams Quoted
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5 AFRL Mission Area Leads Instituted to Meet USSF Science & Tech Needs; Andy Williams Quoted

Maj. Gen. Heather Pringle, commander of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, named five space mission area leads and created the role of deputy technology executive officer for space science and technology to prioritize S&T needs in support of the U.S. Space Force, AFRL reported Friday.

The new Andrew “Andy”Williams, deputy TEO for space S&T at AFRL, said the space MALs will facilitate client engagement with external stakeholders and help ensure communication by translating between S&T platforms and operational capability gaps.

The five space mission areas are space information mobility under Wellesley Pereira; space domain awareness under Laura Durr; space logistics, access and mobility under Robert Antypas; space superiority under Lt. Col. Michael “Peewee” Sherman; and space security and international partnerships under Ron Caton.

“The five new space MALs will assist me with integrating technical capabilities across the AFRL enterprise to provide the USSF with the necessary technology to deter our adversaries in space,” Williams said.

Williams said the MALs have started to discuss the goals they want to meet by the end of 2023 and those goals are documenting integrated space technology strategy and strengthening S&T communication across the Space Force.

He added that he plans to broaden four major focus areas within the AFRL portfolio: hybrid architecture; emerging technologies such as machine learning, autonomy, machine intelligence and quantum; integration with the Space Force; and space logistics.

“So, to maintain that technical advantage, it’s critical that we maintain that S&T pipeline, from basic research all the way to advanced capabilities and prototyping, and then delivering that to the acquisition communities,” Williams said. “You can then provide the critical capabilities to the warfighter, and AFRL has a role in almost that entire pipeline.”

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Roger Krone & Lauren Knausenberger Recognized for 2023 Wash100 Award Wins
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Roger Krone & Lauren Knausenberger Recognized for 2023 Wash100 Award Wins

Executive Mosaic is proud to shine a spotlight on Leidos CEO and Chairman Roger Krone and Department of the Air Force Chief Information Officer Lauren Knausenberger in recognition of their 2023 Wash100 wins. 

With 10 consecutive wins, Krone is the single winningest Wash100 recipient in the entire decade-long history of the award, which annually honors the most impactful, influential and respected leaders across the GovCon landscape. 

Under Krone’s leadership, Leidos’ annual revenue has increased to more than $13 billion, and the company’s workforce has expanded to over 44,000 employees worldwide. His 2023 win solidifies his staying power in the GovCon industry and applauds his proven leadership strategy. Read Roger Krone’s full Wash100 profile here.

Knausenberger’s 2023 Wash100 win marks her third consecutive year of recognition, earned by her unwavering commitment to solving the DAF’s information technology challenges in support of the nation’s warfighters.

Notably, Knausenberger won the 2022 Wash100 popular vote competition with well over 1,000 votes from participants across the GovCon and government ecosystem. Click here to read Lauren Knausenberger’s Wash100 profile.

Now it’s your turn to participate in GovCon’s most exciting race! You can cast your vote for Roger Krone and Lauren Knausenberger in this year’s popular vote competition at Wash100.com. 

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DARPA, AFRL, Lockheed Martin & Aerojet Rocketdyne Flight Test Hypersonic Weapon; John Clark Quoted
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DARPA, AFRL, Lockheed Martin & Aerojet Rocketdyne Flight Test Hypersonic Weapon; John Clark Quoted

A team composed of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Air Force Research Laboratory, Lockheed Martin and Aerojet Rocketdyne has completed the second Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept flight test.

During the test, which doubled the amount of scramjet powered vehicle data, the four organizations achieved their target goals and demonstrated that hypersonic systems can be produced cost-effectively, Lockheed Martin announced from Palmdale, California on Monday.

“Affordability and reliability are essential as we work to develop operational hypersonic solutions,” emphasized John Clark, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division.

Following its successful launch from a B-52 bomber, the HAWC system’s first stage pushed it to the targeted engine ignition threshold, allowing the Aerojet Rocketdyne scramjet engine to fire and accelerate the system to speeds beyond those of Mach 5. 

The system traveled over 300 nautical miles and climbed to altitudes of more than 60,000 feet, meeting the predicted standards of performance.

To reach these goals, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and Aerojet Rocketdyne collaborated to improve low-cost advanced manufacturing technologies, focusing on durability to reduce the cost of pieces and parts.

By incorporating digital technology into the design, test and manufacturing process, the team was able to demonstrate the possibility of producing hypersonic systems at rates necessary to meet federal demands for these products while minimizing costs.

“Both of our HAWC flight tests launched from an operational aircraft and matched performance models and predictions to aid affordable, rapid development of future hypersonic weapons,” Clark stated.

The first test of the HAWC system was conducted in April 2022.

Across almost six decades, Lockheed Martin has worked to research, develop and showcase hypersonic technologies, with a focus on those required for operational systems that support the U.S. and its allies in responding to evolving threats.

One of these technologies is the company’s AGM-138A Air-launched Rapid Response weapon, which was successfully flight tested in May. Lockheed Martin expects the weapon to reach Early Operational Capability this year.

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US, European Union Introduce 3 Workstreams to Advance Cooperation on Cyber Resilience
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US, European Union Introduce 3 Workstreams to Advance Cooperation on Cyber Resilience

Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and a previous Wash100 awardee, and European Union Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton have issued a joint statement on the launch of three workstreams to further build up cooperation between the U.S. and EU on cyber resilience.

These lines of effort will focus on information sharing, situational awareness and cyber crisis response; cybersecurity of hardware and software; and cybersecurity of critical infrastructure and incident reporting requirements, according to a joint statement published Thursday.

Initial deliverables from the workstreams include a working arrangement between the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity to promote cooperation and sharing of best practices; structured information exchanges on cyberthreats, threat actors, incidents and vulnerabilities; and collaboration on cyber incident reporting requirements for critical infrastructure.

Participants at the 9th EU-US Cyber Dialogue will review the deliverables. The conference is expected to be held in the second half of 2023.

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NOAA Seeks Public Input on Scope of Civil Space Situational Awareness Services
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NOAA Seeks Public Input on Scope of Civil Space Situational Awareness Services

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has started to solicit public feedback as it explores the scope of basic safety space situational awareness services to be provided through the Traffic Management System for Space program.

NOAA’s office of space commerce is considering several orbital safety services that it could provide through the TraCSS program, including satellite attributes, capabilities, status and point of contact; routine collision assessment screening and conjunction data message production; and launch collision avoidance screenings, according to a request for information published Thursday.

The RFI says that TraCSS will provide satellite tracking data and related products and services to support civil and private owners and operators of space satellites. Additionally, TraCSS is meant to integrate various data sources and data types for analysis to support space objects and debris tracking operations.

OSC is soliciting responses from interested stakeholders to three categories of questions to help inform the development of basic SSA safety services: scope of proposed basic SSA safety services; impacts of proposed services on commercial SSA providers; and tenets of participation and receipt of basic SSA safety services.

Responses to the RFI are due Feb. 27.

PNNL Marks Milestone in Developing Low-Cost Carbon Capture Technology
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PNNL Marks Milestone in Developing Low-Cost Carbon Capture Technology

Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have created a system that captures carbon dioxide and converts it into industrial methanol.

PNNL said Monday that the carbon capture technology is the least costly method to date, potentially addressing the financial barriers to adopting such innovations.

The researchers used flue gas or exhaust gas from power plants and the lab’s proprietary solvent to catch CO2 molecules before they reach the atmosphere. The compounds are then turned into industrially usable methanol, one of the most commonly used chemicals in the world.

The process costs an estimated $39 per metric ton of of CO2 captured. It is compatible in coal-, gas-, or biomass-fired power plants, according to PNNL.

Capgemini Survey Finds Majority of Government Entities Embrace Collaborative Data Ecosystem
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Capgemini Survey Finds Majority of Government Entities Embrace Collaborative Data Ecosystem

Public sector organizations around the world are increasingly implementing data sharing practices across core functional areas of operation, according to a survey by Capgemini‘s internal think tank.

80 percent of governmental and public service agencies that took part in the Capgemini Research Institute study have deployed at least early-stage collaborative data ecosystems to support key functional areas of operations, the company said Thursday.

The survey involved 1,000 senior officials from 12 countries in North America, Europe and Asia. It focused on the deployment of data sharing systems in local, state and central administrations. The initiatives were implemented in the areas of welfare, tax and customs, and security and defense.

Among the regional offices, 93 percent cited an improvement in open government, 81 percent in citizen engagement, and 69 percent in sustainability roadmaps. Cybersecurity was also enhanced, according to 71 percent of the public sector organizations.

Respondents noted that lack of trust in the quality and sharing of data are still slowing down widespread deployment. The survey results also indicate that agencies may need to build up employee skill sets to manage collaborative data environments, with only 55 percent of answerers reporting to having trained their staff on information ethics.

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Electra.aero Wins $85 million in Funding to Develop eSTOL Aircraft Prototype for the Air Force; John Langford Quoted
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Electra.aero Wins $85 million in Funding to Develop eSTOL Aircraft Prototype for the Air Force; John Langford Quoted

Electra.aero has received a Strategic Funding Increase award with a total value of up to $85 million between private investments, government funding and matched Small Business Innovation Research funding from the U.S. Air Force’s AFWERX innovation unit.

The award will fund the development of a full-scale, pre-production prototype electric short takeoff and landing aircraft, which is intended to be used by the service branch to validate requirements and operational use cases, Electra announced from Manassas, Virginia on Thursday.

“This STRATFI award reinforces the Air Force’s commitment to dual-use eSTOL technology as a solution for national security and other government missions, and validates Electra’s aircraft design and engineering work to date,” said Electra Founder and CEO John Langford.

Electra’s work under the award, which finalizes an investment partnership for the rapid development, test and evaluation of the prototype, is expected to expedite the Air Force’s adoption of the company’s commercial nine-passenger eSTOL aircraft for mission use.

Built to operate in soccer field-sized spaces, the eSTOL aircraft is defined by its helicopter-like operational flexibility and cost-effectiveness. It is able to function in a multiple of environments, such as urban areas and remote landing strips, as well as in various fly missions, including those surrounding on-demand urban and regional air mobility, cargo logistics, executive transport, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, among others.

“Electra’s eSTOL is ideally suited to serve as a small highly fuel-efficient airlifter that helps the Air Force execute its Agile Combat Employment doctrine and meet its operational energy goals to reduce aviation carbon emissions,” explained Ben Marchionna, director of technology and business development for Electra.

Activities under the STATFI award expand on Electra’s relationship with the AFWERX Agility Prime program, which seeks to accelerate growing dual-use markets with the use of federal resources for swift and cost-effective fielding and strengthen the nation’s technology advantage.

Electra currently holds six active Air Force SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer Phase II and Phase III contracts, which serve as the foundation for the company’s new collaboration with the service branch.

Under these earlier awards, Electra is perfecting eSTOL’s distributed electric propulsion, blown lift aerodynamics and acoustics, precision flight controls and hybrid-electric powertrains technologies.

“It is vital that we ensure new advanced air mobility technologies with dual-use applications are developed and manufactured here at home in the U.S.,” emphasized Lt. Col. John Tekell, who leads Air Force Agility Prime.

“Electra’s eSTOL technology has the potential to deliver valuable logistics and mobility capabilities to the Air Force,” he added.

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