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NSF Selects 16 Teams to Advance 5G Communications for US Military
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NSF Selects 16 Teams to Advance 5G Communications for US Military

The National Science Foundation has selected 16 multidisciplinary teams to develop secure 5G platforms designed to facilitate communication between the U.S. government and critical infrastructure operators as part of an accelerator program.

NSF said Wednesday it collaborated with the Department of Defense’s Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to invest $12 million in the Convergence Accelerator program’s innovation curriculum titled “Track G: Securely Operating Through 5G Infrastructure.”

The selected teams will work to turn their research ideas into a proof of concept over the next nine months and present formal proposals to be selected for the solution and sustainability development phase of the program that will run for two years.

The awardees are:

  • AT&T 
  • Blackberry 
  • Florida International University 
  • George Mason University 
  • IBM 
  • Novowi 
  • Peraton Labs 
  • Red Balloon Security 
  • SRI International 
  • Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station 
  • University of California San Diego 
  • University of Kansas 
  • University of Michigan 
  • University of Utah

“5G wireless networks are crucial components of the modern communication system and a key aspect of how we operate,” said Amanda Toman, acting principal director for 5G at DOD OUSD(R&E).

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Doc McConnell Named Director of CISA’s Federal Enterprise Improvement Team
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Doc McConnell Named Director of CISA’s Federal Enterprise Improvement Team

Doc McConnell, a cybersecurity professional with combined experience in the federal government and private sector, has been named director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Federal Enterprise Improvement Team (FEIT).

In a LinkedIn post, McConnel said he took on the role in August almost a year after he initially joined the team of advisers tasked with helping individual agencies boost their network defenses.

Prior to joining CISA, McConnell served as a senior adviser for cybersecurity policy at the Office of Management and Budget where he specialized in information technology and cybersecurity workforce development, supply chain risk management and policymaking.

He also worked at the Office of Personnel Management as special assistant to the chief information officer. His industry career included consultant roles at Deloitte and Boyd Caton Group. 

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Air Force Global Strike Command Tests Minuteman III Missile Equipped With Reentry Vehicles
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Air Force Global Strike Command Tests Minuteman III Missile Equipped With Reentry Vehicles

Air Force Global Strike Command held a test launch for an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile carrying reentry vehicles to showcase U.S. nuclear forces preparedness and nuclear deterrent lethality and effectiveness.

AFGSC said Tuesday command airmen fired the ICBM equipped with three test vehicles from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California as part of the nuclear deterrent-focused routine and periodic activities of the military.

“These tests show the reliability of our deterrence weapons systems, showcase the continued reliability of the Minuteman III, and the incredible people who make it work,” said Maj. Natalie Quinn, Task Force Commander. “All of these components comprise a system that stands on continuous alert, defending the United States and our allies 24/7.”

The reentry vehicles made it to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, a travel distance of approximately 4,200 miles.

Airmen from the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom AFB, Montana, 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming, and 91st Missile Wing at Minot AFB, North Dakota, supported the test launch.

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Raytheon’s Pratt & Whitney Subsidiary Marks F135 Engine Delivery Milestone
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Raytheon’s Pratt & Whitney Subsidiary Marks F135 Engine Delivery Milestone

Pratt & Whitney has reached a new milestone with the 1,000th delivery of a company-built propulsion system used to power F-35 fighter jets.

The Raytheon Technologies division said Wednesday the F135 production engine was designated for the 5th Generation F-35 Lightning II fighters in support of the U.S. military.

The F135 produces over 40,000 pounds of thrust and features a low observable signature technology, advanced thermal management and an integrated engine control system.

The aircraft engine manufacturer is currently pushing for a block upgrade to the F135 called the Enhanced Engine Package. The EEP program aims to provide a faster and cost-efficient path to fully enable block 4 capability for all F-35 operators.

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Lt. Gen. James Rainey Nominated as Next Army Future Command Chief
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Lt. Gen. James Rainey Nominated as Next Army Future Command Chief

Lt. Gen. James Rainey, G-3/5/7 chief in charge of the U.S. Army’s strategic operations at the Department of Defense, has been nominated to serve as the next head of Army Futures Command, Defense News reported Wednesday.

Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo announced Rainey’s nomination at a conference Wednesday.

Camarillo said Rainey would bring to the command a “wealth of experience and knowledge” if confirmed.

“Having served as the G-3/5/7, he’s got a lot of experience in the Pentagon on the Army’s operational needs and capabilities. He understands the budget, having worked those issues for the last several years in the Pentagon as well. And I would also note he’s got a lot of operational experience as well to draw back,” he added.

Rainey previously served as commanding general of the Army Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas and commander of Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan.

Lt. Gen. James Richardson has been serving as commander of Army Futures Command on an interim basis since Gen. Mike Murray’s retirement in December 2021.

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NSA Issues Advisory on Future Quantum-Resistant Algorithm Requirements; Rob Joyce Quoted
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NSA Issues Advisory on Future Quantum-Resistant Algorithm Requirements; Rob Joyce Quoted

The National Security Agency has released an advisory on future requirements for quantum-resistant algorithms for networks or national security systems that contain classified data and are key to intelligence and military efforts.

The Commercial National Security Algorithm Suite 2.0 cybersecurity advisory seeks to help NSS operators, owners and vendors prepare for their transition to QR algorithms to ensure the security of NSS assets from future cryptanalytically relevant quantum computers that could break current public-key systems, NSA said Wednesday.

The agency said its algorithm selections for CNSA 2.0 were based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s recent selections for the quantum-resistant cryptography standardization process.

“This transition to quantum-resistant technology in our most critical systems will require collaboration between government, National Security System owners and operators, and industry,” said Rob Joyce, director of cybersecurity at NSA and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner.

“Our hope is that sharing these requirements now will help efficiently operationalize these requirements when the time comes,” added Joyce. 

NSA said NIST and the National Information Assurance Partnership should first vet the QR algorithms before NSS operators and owners can deploy such technologies on mission networks.

The advisory covers algorithms for software- and firmware signing, symmetric-key algorithms and general-use quantum-resistant public-key algorithms.

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Department of the Air Force Eyes HBCU-Led University Affiliated Research Center
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Department of the Air Force Eyes HBCU-Led University Affiliated Research Center

The Department of the Air Force plans to establish a university affiliated research center led by a Historically Black College and University that will carry out research on tactical autonomy.

The department expects the HBCU-led center to help promote autonomy research in science and engineering, provide opportunities for university faculty and students to work with the Department of Defense and component agencies to address challenges related to science and engineering and advance career development initiatives for STEM professionals, according to a solicitation notice published Tuesday.

The service plans to award a potential five-year, $90 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to the UARC, which is expected to receive annual funding of approximately $12 million. The center will undergo a recertification process every five years.

Interested institutions should state in their proposals their Carnegie Foundation Classification of R2 or higher; research and engineering capabilities in autonomy; plans to increase the number of graduates in DOD-relevant STEM disciplines; research and education consortium with defense organizations and other HBCUs; and plans to back the implementation of DOD’s Mentor-Protege program.

“Not only is there significant expertise embedded in these HBCUs … but they have historically been an untapped source of high potential talent, enabling us to create a recruitment pipeline. So this is a huge opportunity for all parties involved, not only the DAF and the HBCUs, but also AFRL who will interface tremendously regarding the research and development portion,” said Marcus Smith, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility officer at the Air Force Research Laboratory.

DAF will accept UARC proposals through Nov. 7.

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DSCA Deputy Director Jed Royal to Transition as Principal Deputy Assistant Director Within Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Office
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DSCA Deputy Director Jed Royal to Transition as Principal Deputy Assistant Director Within Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Office

Jed Royal, deputy director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, will assume a new post under the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy as principal deputy assistant director for Indo-Pacific security affairs, effective Sept. 12.

DSCA said Royal has provided agency leadership amid critical periods such as during the global pandemic, U.S. withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan and the current crisis in Ukraine.

“[The agency] is excited to continue working with [Royal] on important efforts affecting U.S. national security and defense interests in the Indo-Pacific region,” the DSCA statement reads.

Royal has been serving as DSCA deputy director since June 2021 and is responsible for security cooperation program portfolio oversight.

His career includes time serving as director of defense policy and plans at the U.S. Mission to NATO, acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia affairs within the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, director for cooperative threat reduction policy in the Office of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction as well as a number of other government posts.

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U.S. Space Force Awards $59M Contract for Unconventional Fuels Delivery to Amentum; Dr. Karl Spinnenweber Quoted
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U.S. Space Force Awards $59M Contract for Unconventional Fuels Delivery to Amentum; Dr. Karl Spinnenweber Quoted

Amentum announced on Wednesday that the company has received a seven-year, $59 million contract from the U.S. Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 30 in order to provide management, science, and engineering on commercial and government launch systems with unconventional fuels at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Under the contract, Ametnum will leverage its leading-edge solutions to manage unconventional fuels for commercial and government space launch programs, including hypergolics, cryogenic and pneumatic commodities used in rockets, missiles, and spacecraft payloads. 

“Our extensive expertise in leveraging the latest technologies and industry best practices in unconventional fuels management, storage and delivery will ensure our team meets the high-consequence mission of safeguarding U.S. and allied interests in space,” explained Dr. Karl Spinnenweber, president of Amentum’s Critical Missions Group. 

Over the last 14 years, Amentum has successfully supported more than 200 launch events from both the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to develop the team’s understanding and management capabilities to ensure the safety and risk mitigation of the space launch systems it supports.

Amentum will move towards launch systems to provide transient alert aircraft solutions as well as fuel accountability, personnel protective equipment management, hazardous operations, fleet management, systems and safety engineering, and training.

“Our 14-year performance on the Florida Space Coast as a critical partner to NASA, the U.S. Air & Space Forces, and commercial launch providers has established Amentum as the premier partner to and developer of new capabilities for the space launch industry,” said Dr. Spinnenweber. 

Amentum will perform the work at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. for Space Launch Delta 30 as well as the Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida Space Launch Delta 45. 

About Amentum

Amentum is a premier global leader in designing, engineering, managing and modernizing critical systems and programs of national significance across defense, security, intelligence, energy, and environment. Driven to create a safer, smarter, cleaner world, we innovate as a team of inventive doers passionate about making a difference. 

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‘How Deltek Costpoint Users Win More Deals’ Research Released; Author Samuel Hamway Quoted
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‘How Deltek Costpoint Users Win More Deals’ Research Released; Author Samuel Hamway Quoted

Deltek announced on Wednesday that the company has released recent findings and insights from its How Deltek Costpoint Users Win More Deals research from Nucleus Research to provide an assessment of how product usability and functionality are driving the operational value of the solutions in the ERP marketplace.

How Deltek Costpoint Users Win More Deals can be downloaded here.

“Deltek Costpoint’s ERP offering is focused specifically on government contractors, bringing an end-to-end ERP solution, from accounting to the shop floor, with a suite of compliance certification offerings and security features specifically designed for work with the United States Federal Government,” author Samuel Hamway, a research analyst at Nucleus Research.

Deltek Costpoint is the industry-standard integrated project accounting and resource planning solution that was built specifically for government contractors that need to stay compliant with government accounting and cybersecurity standards.

Hamway’s report was written based on interviews with several Deltek Costpoint customers who all greatly benefited from the project, which focused on the benefits that customers get from using the project and enhanced security and compliance, improved organizational visibility as well as leveraging the company’s significant capabilities in the GovCon market, its out-of-the-box functionality and work in audit compliance.

“Additionally, the solution serves both enterprise businesses and SMBs, supporting both service and product-centric use cases in addition to proven scalability for growing businesses,” Samuel Hamway added.

Following the research and results of the ‘How Deltek Costpoint Users Win More Deals’ report, Hamway concluded that Nucleus expects increased adoption of Deltek due to the aimed focus of Costpoint, which also includes its features enhancing productivity, visibility and security.

About Deltek Costpoint

With built-in controls to implement FAR-compliant processes, Costpoint guides businesses through growth and maturity in government contracting. It provides reduced accounting and compliance complexity, deep project cost allocation and segregation, a data and technology infrastructure enabling digitization and automation to the entire project lifecycle, as well as best-in-class customer support.

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