///
NESDIS Publishes Orion Space Solutions’ Earth Observation Digital Twin Study
Published on
A concept study found that an Earth observation digital twin could improve NOAA's weather monitoring/modeling capabilities

An Orion Space Solutions concept study, published under a partnership with the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service, found that the deployment of a machine learning-enabled Earth observation digital twin data ground processing and dissemination system could help improve the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s weather monitoring and modeling capabilities.

Under a Joint Venture Partnerships award, Orion used a sophisticated visualization engine; the ability to run, manage and visualize complex processes using high-performance computing in the cloud; and physics-informed machine learning technologies to prototype an automated Earth observational data processing, analysis and visualization system and explore how digital twins could be used for a variety of purposes, including space domain awareness, sea ice retrieval, weather forecast dissemination and advanced machine learning algorithm training, NESDIS said Monday.

As part of the study, which aims to extend and automate data processing and analytics as a next-generation ground processing enterprise, the company showed how the Earth observation digital twin prototype can be integrated with NOAA’s Unified Earth System Modeling Framework for scientists, engineers, forecasters and the public to better visualize, understand, and predict the past, present and future of the Earth environment.

Recommendations for Successful Digital Twin Implementation

Orion provided NOAA with recommendations on how to proceed should it decide to use the digital twin, including using open-source software tools, processes and engines that meet standards set by the geospatial community; automating the data processing pipeline to deliver information as it becomes available; and leaving source scientific data in original, container format, with a second visualization data format stored as modeled data points embedded in a hierarchical grid format for efficient storage and streaming while maintaining scientific fidelity.

//
DIU Needs Qualified Assessors for Drone Compliance Evaluation
Published on
DIU is seeking qualified organizations to be recognized assessors for compliance evaluations of drone platforms.

The Defense Innovation Unit invites qualified organizations to serve as recognized assessors, who will review drone platforms and associated components for compliance with the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA.

The NDAA assessment will inform the process of certifying drones for the Blue Unmanned Aerial Systems Cleared List, DIU said Monday. It also advances the government’s efforts to collaborate with industry, nonprofits, academic institutions and federally affiliated organizations for national security programs.

Recognized Assessors’ Responsibilities and Qualifications

The selected entities will conduct compliance assessments on relevant components, verify ownership and interest stakes to determine eligibility, review supply chain provenance and software/firmware/hardware artifacts, and submit assessment reports for DIU’s certification. If tapped for the program, the assessors will directly engage with companies looking to secure spots in the Blue UAS Cleared List.

For the initial cohort of candidates, DIU will work with organizations that can demonstrate technical expertise and experience, organizational independence and the ability to scale projects. The entities should also adhere to government standards, reporting format and audit oversight. In addition, candidates with expertise in regulation, supply chain forensics, business intelligence, reverse engineering and cybersecurity will be strongly considered for the initiative.

Interested parties can submit presentations or white papers detailing their capabilities no later than June 16.

/
Air Force Safety Center Unveils CSAF’s Integrating Risk & Readiness Campaign Phase II
Published on
The Integrating Risk & Readiness Campaign is a multi-phase effort to embed risk management principles across all commands

The U.S. Air Force Safety Center has launched phase two of the Air Force chief of staff’s Integrating Risk and Readiness campaign.

Utilizing Risk Management to Enhance Airmen’s Capabilities

The Air Force Materiel Command said Monday the IRR’s second phase is intended to embed risk management principles across all command levels. This is meant to equip airmen with the necessary skills and knowledge to identify risks, develop and implement mitigation strategies and assign the right person at the proper level to take on the risk.

Air Force Safety Center Unveils CSAF's Integrating Risk & Readiness Campaign Phase II

Risk management is just one of many components of air and space defense. Learn about the advancements in national security and defense capabilities in the air and space domains at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Defense Summit.

Phase two will utilize the “policy, practice, tools and training” construct to ensure consistent application of risk management processes in policy development, operational practices, training and risk management tool deployment.

Policy changes, including updates to DAFI 90-802, Risk Management, will establish standard risk management principles across the Department of the Air Force and be included in DAF publications.

Units will update their risk thresholds using the Risk Assessment Matrix to reinforce the practice line of effort. Commanders use these tools to define the impact on a unit’s mission and assign risk acceptance authority, embedding risk management principles into daily planning, execution and evaluation to foster a culture of proactive decision-making. The IRR campaign’s tools element involves the utilization of the Joint Risk Assessment Tool by all DAF personnel to complete a DD Form 2977, Deliberate Risk Assessment Worksheet, for scenario-based risk assessment during the annual risk management refresher training. The tools and training are intended to boost the baseline knowledge.

Leaders are also encouraged to use existing AFSEC tools like SAFEREP, the Military Flight Operations Quality Assurance program, Line Operations Safety Audit, DAF Combined Mishap Reduction System, and Organizational Safety Assessments.

/
Army C5ISR Center to Launch 2025 Network Modernization Experiment Event
Published on
U.S. Army's seventh Network Modernization Experiment is meant to get advanced tech into the hands of warfighters faster.

The U.S. Army is set to launch its annual Network Modernization Experiment, or NetModX, marking a significant shift toward accelerating the development of advanced technology to equip soldiers.

Fast-Tracking C5ISR Capabilities Deployment

The service branch said Monday the seventh NetModX will facilitate the transition of the Army Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, or C5ISR, Center to a dedicated environment for persistent experimentation to rapidly advance C5ISR capabilities from research and development to deployment on the front lines. NetModX is intended to address the challenges facing soldiers in contested battlefield network environments, including cyber threats, electromagnetic warfare and tactical communications.

Army C5ISR Center to Launch 2025 Network Modernization Experiment Event

Get insights on the Army’s modernization initiatives intended to protect soldiers and boost their capabilities to make informed decisions on the battlefield. Register and join Army officials, government leaders and industry trailblazers at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Army Summit.

C5ISR Center scientists and engineers will work with industry partners, soldiers and Army program executive offices this summer and fall to test the performance of technologies in operationally relevant environments and scenarios. Data gathered during the experiments will be used to support decision-making for both programs of record and science and technology projects.

The NetModX 25 will introduce the concept of persistent experimentation, which will extend to 2026. Through this approach, projects will undergo an experiment-refine-demonstrate-adapt process before they undergo large-scale Army integration. The C5ISR Center is also utilizing a cyclical process, ensuring alignment with the continuous transformation efforts of the Army Futures Command.

“NetModX facilitates the maturation and delivery of transformative C5ISR capabilities that enable soldiers to see the battlespace and effectively make decisions,” said Beth Ferry, director of the C5ISR Center. “Doing that in a persistent fashion rapidly accelerates capability development to combat an ever-changing threat environment.”

//
Pete Hegseth on Reestablishing Deterrence in Indo-Pacific
Published on
Headshot of Pete Hegseth, secretary of the Department of Defense

Pete Hegseth, secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2025 Wash100 awardee, said the U.S. intends to reestablish deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region through three approaches: improving U.S. forward force posture; helping allies and partners strengthen their defense capabilities; and rebuilding defense industrial bases.

Improving Forward Force Posture

“So first, the Department of Defense is prioritizing forward-postured, combat credible forces in the Western Pacific to deter by denial along the first and second island chains,” Hegseth said Saturday during the 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

To advance the first approach, the defense secretary cited DOD’s commitment to deploying more advanced U.S. military capabilities to the Philippines and the U.S. Army’s plans to perform the first live-fire test of its Mid-Range Capability system in Australia.

Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience

During the event, Hegseth mentioned the Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience, or PIPIR. PIPIR is a multilateral forum of 14 allies and partners working with industry, capital providers and non-government stakeholders to bolster industrial resilience, expand capacity and speed up deliveries.

He cited PIPIR’s initial projects, including plans to establish repair capability and capacity for P-8 radar systems in Australia to support Indo-Pacific allies and partners.

“The second is a project that will develop standards for small unmanned aerial systems across the Indo-Pacific, identifying secure sources of production for their critical components, and increasing global supply chain resilience for these essential systems,” Hegseth added.

Hegseth’s Call for Indo-Pacific Allies to Increase Defense Spending

The Pentagon chief also called on U.S. allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region to boost their defense spending.

“I urge all our allies and partners to seize this moment with us. Our defense spending must reflect the dangers and threats that we face today,” Hegseth said at the event.

“Ultimately, a strong, resolute, and capable network of allies and partners is our key strategic advantage. … But it’s up to all of us to ensure that we live up to that potential by investing. U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific can, and should, quickly upgrade their own defenses,” he added.

/
CISA Faces Budget, Job Cuts Under Proposed DHS FY 2026 Budget
Published on
Logo of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

The Department of Homeland Security’s fiscal year 2026 budget request shows that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency would see its current workforce of about 3,732 reduced by more than 1,000 positions to 2,649 jobs, Federal News Network reported Friday.

The proposed cuts, which need congressional approval as part of the FY 2026 appropriations process, are spread across various CISA divisions.

CISA’s cybersecurity division would go from 1,267 jobs to 1,063 positions, while the agency’s infrastructure security division would see its workforce cut to 325 jobs. The agency’s mission support division would go from 788 to 570 jobs, while the integrated operations division would see its workforce reduced from 827 to 500 jobs.

Proposed CISA Budget

According to the budget justification, the department’s proposed FY 2026 budget includes a total of $2.4 billion for CISA, down from approximately $2.9 billion in the current fiscal year.

The budget proposes $1.4 billion for cybersecurity efforts to protect federal civilian executive branch networks and $302.9 million for infrastructure security to increase critical infrastructure’s resilience through risk management and collaboration.

The proposal also includes $100.4 million to ensure emergency communication interoperability and $182.1 million for integrated operations to manage critical infrastructure risk and resilience by coordinating CISA capabilities and operations.

/
USRA Releases Open-Source AI Foundation Model for Extreme Weather Prediction
Published on
USRA's Geospatial AI for Atmospheres Foundation Model intends to enhance disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

The Universities Space Research Association’s Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science, in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group’s BCG X AI Science Institute, has revealed the open-source release of the Geospatial Artificial Intelligence for Atmospheres, or GAIA, Foundation Model.

Predicting Extreme Weather Conditions

USRA said Thursday the GAIA Foundation Model, built in partnership with NASA, is designed to predict and understand extreme weather events. The novel generative artificial intelligence model was developed using 25 years of data from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, European Meteosat and Japanese Himawari weather satellites to ensure global coverage. The initial release supports downstream utilization, including filling gaps in satellite coverage and boosting precipitation analysis. Furthermore, it supports tracking and forecasting of extreme weather conditions such as tropical cyclones and atmospheric rivers.

Enhancing Disaster Preparedness With Unified Foundation Model

The initiative was started in response to the increasing financial toll of natural disasters in the last two decades, which now reaches tens of billions of dollars each year. To enhance disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, researchers have shifted from traditional machine learning models to a unified global foundation model capable of handling multiple extreme weather phenomena.

“USRA is among a select group of institutions developing foundation models for satellite data. This new collaboration with USRA, BCG and NASA goes beyond the foundation model research that USRA and NASA are already doing for Earth observation and space weather – it takes it a step further into tracking and forecasting extreme weather applications,” said Elsayed Talaat, president and CEO of USRA.

/
SpaceX Rocket Launches Lockheed-Built GPS III M-Code Satellite
Published on
The second GPS III satellite from Lockheed Martin was deployed to orbit by SpaceX with only three months of preparation.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the eighth Global Positioning System III space vehicle to orbit on Friday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station under a National Security Space Launch contract with the U.S. Space Force, demonstrating the capability to deploy a satellite in three months.

The Space Vehicle-08 spacecraft, built by Lockheed Martin, is equipped with M-code technology to provide warfighters with GPS signals that are three times more accurate and eight times more resistant to jamming and spoofing than existing positioning, navigation and timing capabilities, the U.S. Space Force said.

SpaceX Rocket Launches Lockheed-Built GPS III M-Code SatelliteWith the increasing sophistication of threats, the need for advanced defense capabilities in the air and space domains has never been more urgent. Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Defense Summit to gain insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the air and space defense industry. Register here.

According to Lockheed, the satellite will enable accurate and resilient PNT capabilities for civilian and military applications in aviation, maritime, land transportation, and search and rescue operations.

The company’s Denver Launch and Checkout Operations Center holds operational control of SV08 until the satellite’s official acceptance into the current operational GPS network. Lockheed also plays a key role in the continuation and maintenance of the modernized GPS ground segment, known as the Architecture Evolution Plan, responsible for monitoring and controlling the GPS satellite constellation and providing navigation data to users. Recently, the defense contractor incorporated M-Code Early Use into the system to allow the U.S. military and allied troops to use a specialized, secure military communications signal worldwide.

Rapid Launch Capability

Learning from the Rapid Response Trailblazer launch in December, wherein the GPS III SV07 satellite was lifted off in five months, the Space Force and industry teams were able to reduce the launch preparation timeline further.

The recent launch is in line with the Space Force’s goal of achieving a tactically responsive space capability, which would enable deploying assets to orbit within 24 hours after a request.

According to USSF Col. Andrew Menschner, SpOC MD 31 commander, the SV-08 mission showed the ability to respond to an operational need, such as an on-orbit vehicle failure within the GPS constellation. 

Who Is the Satellite Named After?

SV-08 is nicknamed Ms. Creola Katherine Johnson, in recognition of the American mathematician whose groundbreaking calculations of orbital mechanics at NASA were instrumental to the success of early U.S. manned spaceflights.

///
ONR Issues RFI for Airborne Platforms & Electronic Warfare Payloads
Published on
Logo of the Office of Naval Research

The Office of Naval Research has begun soliciting industry feedback on airborne platforms and radio frequency electronic warfare, or RF EW, payloads.

Enhancing the Navy’s ‘Soft-Kill’ Defenses

According to the request for information notice posted on SAM.gov Thursday, ONR is seeking innovations with high technology readiness level, or TRL, capable of reinforcing the U.S. Navy’s “soft-kill” defense against existing and future anti-ship missile threats.

ONR intends to develop a new ship-based long-endurance airborne decoy equipped with modular EW mission-compatible payloads. The quick-reaction decoy would be included in a multi-layered strategy featuring existing defenses such as hard-kill, on-board and off-board EW systems.

ONR Issues RFI for Airborne Platforms & Electronic Warfare Payloads

With Navy ships prone to attacks from sophisticated missiles, the service branch must address such critical challenges. Join the 2025 Navy Summit on August 26 and get valuable insights on the latest naval technologies, as well as policies and strategies.

Based on the market survey, ONR is looking for advanced decoy technologies designed for rapid deployment, extended flight, hovering capabilities and autonomous flight. The system must be capable of operating in harsh environments, carrying modular EW payloads with equivalent isotropic radiated power and repositioning and stabilizing multi-spectral apertures. They must also demonstrate secure electronic data communication, RF integration, automated command and control, antenna RF isolation and the ability to be recoverable.

The RFI is also meant to keep the Navy up-to-date with the latest innovations in  EW payloads and long-endurance airborne platforms.

Interested parties can submit their responses until July 18.

/
White House Council on Environmental Quality Unveils Permitting Technology Action Plan
Published on
Council on Environmental Quality's Permitting Tech Action Plan aims to modernize federal environmental permitting processes

The White House Council on Environmental Quality, in collaboration with the National Energy Dominance Council and other permitting agencies, has released the Permitting Technology Action Plan.

The White House said Friday that CEQ aims to modernize existing federal environmental review and permitting processes for various infrastructure projects, including roads, bridges, mines, factories and power plants.

What Is the Permitting Technology Action Plan?

The Permitting Technology Action Plan is a new government-wide strategy meant to facilitate the use of technology for more efficient evaluations of environmental permits. It intends to utilize technology to address challenges highlighted in CEQ’s E-NEPA Report to Congress, such as outdated systems, uncoordinated data management and disconnected digital tools.

The strategy is designed to optimize information exchange among agencies, simplify interactions for applicants and provide sponsors and stakeholders with transparency and predictability on environmental review and permitting schedules. It includes the minimum functional requirements for permitting systems and introduces an initial standard for National Environmental Policy Act data and technology. It also provides a timeline and implementation roadmap for agencies and a governance structure for overseeing its implementation.

The Permitting Technology Action Plan is a direct response to President Trump’s memorandum, “Updating Permitting Technology for the 21st Century.” It builds upon the establishment of the CEQ-led Permitting Innovation Center, which will work with the General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Services to develop and test prototypes of permitting technology systems.

“The Trump Administration is working tirelessly to implement innovation-driven environmental review and permitting reforms to eliminate needless delays that cripple the growth of the U.S. economy, replacing outdated technology with efficient, speedier solutions,” said CEQ Chief of Staff Katherine Scarlett.

1 … 65 66 67 68 69 … 2,625