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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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Sen. Rob Portman: Senate’s FY23 Defense Authorization Bill Includes AI, Cybersecurity Provisions
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Sen. Rob Portman: Senate’s FY23 Defense Authorization Bill Includes AI, Cybersecurity Provisions

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, announced that the upper chamber’s version of the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act includes 13 of his key priorities.

One of those priorities is the creation of a pilot program at the Department of Defense to form artificial intelligence data libraries to support the development of intelligence software and related technologies and ensure that companies have access to accurate data necessary to meet DOD requirements, the Senate panel said Wednesday.

Portman also introduced measures that would propose technical improvements to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s authorizing statute and facilitate sharing of cybersecurity and counterintelligence data between the executive branch and Congress.

The defense authorization bill includes a provision that would ensure that products funded by the Department of Homeland Security’s science and technology directorate are produced in the U.S.

“At a time when our country faces significant security threats from around the world, these provisions will help to ensure our local, state, and federal government has every resource needed to detect and deter risks, whether they be from cyberattacks, terrorism and violent extremism, or weapons of mass destruction,” Portman said.

“In addition, the legislation included will ensure that government products funded by American taxpayers are made in the United States, ensuring good-paying jobs for American citizens,” he added.

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SAIC CEO Nazzic Keene Discusses Growth Strategy for Secure Cloud, Systems Integration in Video Interview With Executive Mosaic
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SAIC CEO Nazzic Keene Discusses Growth Strategy for Secure Cloud, Systems Integration in Video Interview With Executive Mosaic

During the latest video interview from Executive Mosaic, SAIC CEO Nazzic Keene, a five-time Wash100 Award winner, shared her invaluable insights on the latest market trends in the defense sector and regarding the most significant emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to help the company’s customers address their greater needs and challenges.

Click here to watch the full video interview with SAIC’s Nazzic Keene, and be sure to subscribe to Executive Mosaic’s YouTube channel so you never miss an interview!

For instance, Nazzic Keene provided an in-depth look with Executive Mosaic’s Summer Myatt into other opportunities that SAIC is pursuing to expand the company’s portfolio in new markets, including secure cloud, enterprise IT as well as systems integration and delivery as the three critical areas of growth.

“We are proud of the fact that SAIC is delivering secure cloud solutions today for systems integration. We integrate the best in class engineering tools to accelerate and enhance the delivery of ion critical systems like GPS, Navy torpedoes and counter UAS solutions that will save time and resources in development,” Keene explained.

In addition, the five-time Wash100 Award recipient discussed the release of SAIC’s Corporate Responsibility Report as well as the influence the company’s culture has on attracting and retaining the top talent in our sector amidst recent recruitment challenges and the impact brought about by the recent hybrid workforce changes.

Click here to watch the full video interview with SAIC’s Nazzic Keene, and be sure to subscribe to Executive Mosaic’s YouTube channel so you never miss an interview!

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GMU GovCon Center Receives Study to Apply Game Theory to DoD Intellectual Property Transactions; GovCon Expert Jerry McGinn Quoted
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GMU GovCon Center Receives Study to Apply Game Theory to DoD Intellectual Property Transactions; GovCon Expert Jerry McGinn Quoted

The George Mason University Center for Government Contracting announced on Friday that the facility has been awarded a study to focus on the application of game theory to Department of Defense (DoD) intellectual property (IP) negotiations from the Intellectual Property Cadre within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. 

“This is an exciting award and we are thrilled to be working with GWU to support DoD in this important effort,” said GovCon Expert Jerry McGinn, the center’s Executive Director and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner. 

In collaboration with George Washington University (GWU), GMU’s Center for Government Contracting has received the study from the Acquisition Innovation Research Center (AIRC), a University Affiliated Research Center managed by the Stevens Institute of Technology,

The work through the study will showcase how George Mason University and fellow academic institutions can assist DoD and other federal agencies in their critical missions through top-tier independent research and analysis. 

Recently, GMU’s Center for Government Contracting also endorsed the consortia model for the U.S. Department of Defense acquisition strategy in regards to lowering the barrier of entry for nontraditional defense contracting organizations.

The report indicated that the consortia model might be able to boost the speed of acquisitions and thus allow the DoD acquisition workforce to attend to other tasks. The report enumerated the benefits of the consortia model as setting in place a pre-established network of supplier options with various specialties as well as aiding inexperienced government program offices.

About GMU’s School of Business 

Dedicated to excellence in research and teaching, the School of Business at George Mason University anticipates the rapid transformation of business and acts accordingly. Faculty academic expertise combined with real-world experience provides a bridge between theory and practice, implemented through both innovative academic programs and strategic partnerships.

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DARPA to Host Proposers Day for Beyond Linear Processing Program
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DARPA to Host Proposers Day for Beyond Linear Processing Program

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency will hold a proposers day on Oct. 28 to discuss with industry a new program that aims to develop advanced radar signal processing techniques.

The event will provide information on the Beyond Linear Processing program, which seeks to create non-linear and iterative signal processing techniques to improve the performance of smaller radar platforms, according to a notice posted Tuesday.

BLiP will develop, analyze and test the signal processing chains in a laboratory setting before conducting real-time implementation and field testing.

The proposers day will take place at Strategic Analysis Executive Conference Center and interested parties must register for the event on Oct. 21.

During the event, DARPA will answer industry questions and allow participants to present their capabilities for teaming agreements.

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Commerce Official Livia Shmavonian Named Director of OMB Made in America Office
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Commerce Official Livia Shmavonian Named Director of OMB Made in America Office

Livia Shmavonian, a senior official from the Department of Commerce, has been named director of a federal procurement office within the White House’s Office of Management and Budget.

She will succeed Celeste Drake, the outgoing director of the Made in America office, and oversee the implementation of the Biden administration’s federal procurement and financial management policy.

Shmavonian most recently served as director of legislative and intergovernmental affairs and senior adviser to the undersecretary at the International Trade Administration.

Prior to joining the Department of Commerce, Shmavonian was staff director for the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness.

“Livia joins our team at a moment when President Biden’s economic plan has helped usher in a resurgence of American manufacturing,” said Shalanda Young, director of OMB.

Made in America was created under an executive order Biden signed in his first week in office to strengthen federal procurement to support the U.S. manufacturing sector.

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Space Force Maj. Gen. DeAnna Burt Nominated as Deputy CSO
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Space Force Maj. Gen. DeAnna Burt Nominated as Deputy CSO

President Biden has nominated U.S. Space Force Maj. Gen. DeAnna Burt to be the next deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber and nuclear.

Lloyd Austin, secretary of defense and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner, announced Wednesday that Burt, who serves as special assistant to the vice chief of space operations, is also nominated for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general.

Prior to her most recent appointment, Burt was commander of the Space Command’s Combined Force Space Component Command and vice commander of Space Operations Command at the Vandenberg Space Force Base.

She also served as commander of the 2nd Space Operations Squadron, the 460th Operations Group and the 50th Space Wing.

If confirmed, Burt will succeed Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, who has received confirmation from the Senate to serve as chief of space operations.

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