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Space Force to Use SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy for USSF-44 National Security Mission
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Space Force to Use SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy for USSF-44 National Security Mission

SpaceX and Space Systems Command are preparing to launch later in October the U.S. Space Force-44 mission aboard the company’s Falcon Heavy rocket.

USSF-44 will lift off from a launch complex at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to deploy multiple satellites into orbit as part of the National Security Space Launch program and for Space Systems Command’s Innovation and Prototyping Delta, SSC said Friday.

In 2019, the first Falcon Heavy rocket took off and fielded 24 experimental satellites as part of the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program.

“This will be our first NSSL Falcon Heavy, and the first Falcon Heavy since STP-2 over three years ago,” said Col. Douglas Pentecost, deputy program executive officer for assured access to space at SSC.

“Our launch and mission assurance team and SpaceX, along with the fantastic crew at Space Launch Delta 45, have done an absolutely superb job preparing this rocket. We put important national capabilities into space to address the threat, and working together we ensure one hundred percent mission success,” added Pentecost.

SpaceX intends to recover and refurbish the side boosters for the upcoming launch with the Space Force later in 2022.

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NTT Data to Acquire Data Analytics Firm Aspirent; Wayne Busch Quoted
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NTT Data to Acquire Data Analytics Firm Aspirent; Wayne Busch Quoted

NTT DATA announced on Thursday that the company has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Atlanta-based Aspirent, a leading data, analytics and advisory firm.

The acquisition supports and enhances NTT DATA’s strategy to be the preferred digital innovation partner for enterprises globally, which will add over 230 data advisors and technologists to the company’s digital transformation services team and bolster its data engineering capabilities.

“As we help our clients navigate critical business challenges through the use of data, this acquisition expands and strengthens NTT DATA’s analytics and advisory capabilities,” said Wayne Busch, Group President of Consulting and Digital Transformation for NTT DATA Services.

“Aspirent continues our targeted focus on becoming a trusted advisor for our clients following our acquisitions of Hashmap and Chainalytics,” he added.

Aspirent CEO Andrew Wells shared his excitement to apply more than a decade of solving complex data-driven business challenges with their customers, the opportunity to join NTT and strengthen the company’s will provide the ability to deliver end-to-end global solutions and bring exciting new opportunities to our colleagues and communities.

Aspirent clients and employees will benefit from access to NTT DATA’s powerhouse of innovation resources and broader digital transformation capabilities including a $3.6 billion average annual R&D investment.

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MDA Awards System High Corporation $150M Contract for Missile, Security Systems Work; Sarah Lord Quoted
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MDA Awards System High Corporation $150M Contract for Missile, Security Systems Work; Sarah Lord Quoted

Defense technology contracting company System High Corporation has landed a $150 million contract from the Missile Defense Agency calling for security-related assistance and other weapons system support.

The cost-plus-fixed-fee level-of-effort award expects System High to aid the MDA’s missile defense systems through counterintelligence activities, testing and maintenance and various evaluations. While it was awarded in August, the Chantilly, Virginia-headquartered organization announced the contract on Friday.

Sarah Lord, chief operating officer of System High, reported that the company was “honored” to continue an ongoing collaboration with the MDA, with which its cross-disciplinary team has worked for a number of years on other projects.

During the fulfillment of their MDA contract, System High personnel will be stationed in several states: Alabama, Colorado, Alaska, New Mexico, Virginia, California and Hawaii.

Work duties within the contract’s allotted timespan will find System High developing and executing as well as performing upkeep on domestic and international security initiatives. They will handle emergency administration needs and attend to special security office demands while proposing new security strategies.

Additionally, System High is slated to offer both advisory and technical services to the MDA aimed to enable multifaceted, consolidated missile defense apparatuses.

In the past, System High has partnered with organizations such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency conducting security and intelligence efforts. Their new MDA contract will draw on this experience.

Notably, Doug Kumbalek, chief strategy officer and executive vice president at System High, engaged in an Executive Spotlight interview at ExecutiveBiz in August, around the time the MDA contract was presented. During the talk, Kumbalek explained that for the last nearly two years, System High has worked as the prime contractor on an MDA enterprise security and program protection project.

“We’re thrilled to build upon our mission partnerships with Government leaders at MDA and our engineers and security professionals’ ability to best protect those missions. We continue to build from a strong base of engagement and collaboration across the enterprise,” Kumbalek stated.

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NATO to Create Review Board for Responsible AI, Data Projects
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NATO to Create Review Board for Responsible AI, Data Projects

NATO defense ministers have agreed to stand up a review board to oversee the responsible development and deployment of artificial intelligence and data projects across the intergovernmental alliance.

The AI and data review board will be primarily tasked with developing a certification standard that outlines quality controls, risk mitigation processes and other procedures to ensure that new AI and data efforts comply with NATO’s Principles of Responsible Use, the organization said Thursday.

The board will also serve as a platform for NATO innovators to exchange best practices for implementing AI in various areas such as cyber defense, imagery analysis and climate change.

In addition to the establishment of the board, NATO has approved its first vision to accelerate digital transformation efforts to enable multi-domain operations, interoperability for multidomain operations, improved situational awareness and data-driven decision making by 2030.

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NIST Seeks Industry Input on CHIPS Incentives, Semiconductor Institute Development
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NIST Seeks Industry Input on CHIPS Incentives, Semiconductor Institute Development

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking public feedback on two programs that aim to incentivize local semiconductor manufacturers and create new regional institutes to boost the semiconductor research and development in the U.S.

NIST said Thursday the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America Act authorized the implementation of the CHIPS Incentives program and the potential development of up to three new Manufacturing USA institutes focused on semiconductor manufacturing.

For the CHIPS Incentives initiative, NIST solicits public input on how to develop the structure of grants, loans and loan guarantees; design taxpayer protections to ensure appropriate use of CHIPS funds; and identify the most effective types of investments to promote inclusive economic growth.

The agency also wants industry to comment on the potential research focus areas, structure and governance and co-investment strategies of the new semiconductor institutes.

The requests for information on the CHIPS Incentives and Manufacturing USA programs are posted on the Federal Register and responses are due Nov. 14 and 28 respectively.

“It is critically important to our prosperity and national security that we reestablish our leadership role in semiconductor manufacturing,” said Laurie Locascio, undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology and director of NIST.

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Federal IT Leader Chezian Sivagnanam Joins FDIC as Chief Architect
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Federal IT Leader Chezian Sivagnanam Joins FDIC as Chief Architect

Chezian Sivagnanam, a former National Science Foundation executive with more than 20 years of digital transformation experience, has been appointed to serve as chief architect at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

In a LinkedIn post, Sivagnanam shared that he joined the agency after serving as chief enterprise architect at NSF where he advised the chief information officer on the planning and coordination of information technology strategy, vision, management and governance.

Prior to joining the government sector, Sivagnanam spent more than a decade in the private industry, holding various roles at companies including BearingPoint, Blue Canopy, Compuware and Deloitte.

The new FDIC official holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the College of Engineering at Anna University.

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Sikorsky-Built Jolly Green II Rescue Helicopter Passes Initial Operational Capability
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Sikorsky-Built Jolly Green II Rescue Helicopter Passes Initial Operational Capability

Sikorsky’s HH-60W Jolly Green II Combat Rescue Helicopter has achieved initial operational capability status under the U.S. Air Force.

Air Combat Commander Gen. Mark Kelly issued the IOC declaration, signaling the aircraft’s readiness for 30-day deployment to independent locations around the world, the branch said Wednesday.

Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky’s parent company, said that the HH-60W was designed to replace the HH60-G Pavehawk fleet used in critical combat and rescue operations. Jolly Green II features enhanced range and survivability that allows for safer transport in adverse weather and hostile environments.

The next-generation helicopter is also equipped with new air refueling and avionics systems, as well as digital design techniques that enable faster communication and data transmission, and compatibility with other platforms.

USAF has so far awarded four production lot contracts to Sikorsky. The manufacturer has delivered 24 units of the aircraft, with at least 10 more under way through a new contract to be awarded in 2023.

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Deloitte-NASCIO Study Shows Wider Presence of State Info Security Chiefs; Meredith Ward Quoted
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Deloitte-NASCIO Study Shows Wider Presence of State Info Security Chiefs; Meredith Ward Quoted

State chief information security officers are being given more authority to implement cybersecurity initiatives as government agencies transition to digital and virtual operations and services, according to a joint study by professional services firm Deloitte and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers.

Data from the study, released Tuesday, show that all 50 states have appointed a CISO, and more legislators are including the role in laws and appropriations.

Positions such as chief risk officers, chief privacy officers and identity program directors are also being created to help shoulder the responsibilities of CISOs.

However, 60 percent of responding information security leaders said there are staff competency issues that need to be addressed.

On a more positive note, the respondents reported that government branches are increasingly adopting robotic process automation, artificial intelligence and cloud computing to modernize customer service.

“State CISOs played critical roles helping the country successfully navigate the twists and turns of the pandemic, and this year’s survey identifies the steps needed to grow this increasingly public role and meet the current and future challenges faced by state agencies,” said Meredith Ward, NASCIO director of policy and research, and a co-author of the study.

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Upcoming EHR Deployments Pushed Back to June 2023 to Make Way for VA’s Assess and Address Plan
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Upcoming EHR Deployments Pushed Back to June 2023 to Make Way for VA’s Assess and Address Plan

The Department of Veterans Affairs has further delayed from January to June 2023 the upcoming deployments of the Oracle Cerner electronic health record system to review and address technical and system performance issues facing VA health care personnel and veterans.

Some of the additional concerns identified are problems with patient scheduling, medication management and referrals and latency and slowness, VA said Thursday.

“We are delaying all future deployments of the new EHR while we fully assess performance and address every concern. Veterans and clinicians deserve a seamless, modernized health record system, and we will not rest until they get it,” said Donald Remy, deputy secretary of VA.

VA said it will continue to work with Oracle Cerner to address issues with the EHR system before resuming deployments at other medical centers, including those that may have implications for patient safety.

As it implements the “assess and address plan,” the department will continue to monitor the five VA facilities where the new EHR system has already been fielded to ensure that the platform is running smoothly in support of veterans.

In 2018, Cerner, which is now part of Oracle following its acquisition in June, received a potential $10 billion contract to help VA replace its Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture with a modernized EHR system that integrates with that of the Department of Defense.

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Army Unveils Plan to Transform Into Data-Centric Organization; CIO Raj Iyer Quoted
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Army Unveils Plan to Transform Into Data-Centric Organization; CIO Raj Iyer Quoted

The U.S. Army has released a plan that presents its approach to improving data management as part of efforts to become a data-centric organization.

The Army Data Plan focuses on the warfighting mission area and reflects a three-year initiative that also seeks to improve data analytics and data governance, the service said Thursday.

“Data and how you integrate that at all echelons for really fast, agile decision making is what can truly give the Army the competitive advantage it needs in the future of warfare,” said Raj Iyer, the Army’s chief information officer and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner.

The Army Data Plan lists the seven data principles: visible, accessible, understandable, linked, trusted, interoperable and secure.

The 17-page document also outlines a set of 11 strategic objectives in support of the Army of 2030. These include operationalized data-driven decisions that support multidomain operations at echolon, decreased time to deploy software and decision analytics to outpace any adversary and resilient, protected data to sustain operations in contested environments.

The consolidated plan details the near-term activities for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 and offers information on the service’s eight strategic efforts, including data management and engineering, unified network, scalable data-driven decision support and cloud at echelon.

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