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Senate Bill to Give Pentagon Weapons Procurement Authority to Support Ukraine
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Senate Bill to Give Pentagon Weapons Procurement Authority to Support Ukraine

A pair of bipartisan Senate lawmakers has introduced an amendment to the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act that would allow the Department of Defense to procure high-priority weapon systems to support the Ukrainian military, DefenseNews reported Tuesday.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., the panel’s ranking member, proposed the legislation to give DOD the authority to award multi-year contracts to replenish the weapon stockpiles provided to Ukraine.

Pentagon would be permitted to buy certain munitions manufactured by defense contractors including BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies over fiscal 2023 and 2024.

The legislation also aims to ease several legal restrictions on defense procurement through fiscal 2024, waive the certified cost or pricing data requirement and grant special emergency procurement authorities reserved for acquisitions supporting contingency operations.

Reed and Inhofe has opened the deliberation on the FY 2023 NDAA that would authorize $817 billion for DOD and $29 billion for the Department of Energy’s national security programs.

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Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Michael Mullen and Six Others Join Defense Innovation Board
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Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Michael Mullen and Six Others Join Defense Innovation Board

Gen. Lloyd Austin, secretary of defense and 2022 Wash100 Award winner, hosted the inaugural meeting of the Defense Innovation Board (DIB) on Monday featuring seven new board members, including former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Michael Mullen.

Mullen served as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff between 2007 and 2011 with great praise for his bold and original thinking in the work of strengthening the U.S. military and creating a fantastic reputation as an “honest broker” by policymakers and senior military officers.

In addition, Mullen also served as the 28th chief of Naval Operations with the U.S. Navy from July 2005 to Sept. 2007. He was only the third officer in Navy history to be appointed to four different four-star assignments. He retired from the Navy after over 42 years of service in 2011. 

As a DIB member alongside some of the most significant leaders of consequence, Mullen will work to reinforce Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s top priorities to defend our nation through innovation and modernization of the Department of Defense under the leadership of DIB Board Chair Michael Bloomberg.

The following six executives have also joined the Defense Innovation Board:

 

 

  • Dr. Gilda Barabino, President at Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

 

  • Reid Hoffman, Co-Founder of LinkedIn, Co-Founder of Inflection AI, Partner at Greylock
     
  • Ryan Swann, Chief Data Analytics Officer at Vanguard
     
  • William “Mac” Thornberry, Former Chairman of the Armed Services Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and Member of the Board of Directors at CAE 

 

The inaugural DIB meeting on Monday was a closed session for its members to discuss the highest priorities and challenges facing our national security and other critical areas to begin leveraging the collective experience of the board to provide an edge in technology and innovation moving forward. 

The Defense Innovation Board was created in 2016 to play a significant role in the development of innovation, technology, talent, and best practices from the commercial sector, and to build a culture of innovation and experimentation in DoD.

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Army to Discuss EW Software Requirement With Potential Offerors
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Army to Discuss EW Software Requirement With Potential Offerors

The U.S. Army will host an industry day on Nov. 10 as a prelude to a request for proposals for the service branch’s Electronic Warfare Planning Management Tool development project.

A notice posted Monday on SAM.gov indicates the service expects to commence the solicitation process in the second quarter of 2023 among prime vendors under the Responsive Strategic Sourcing for Services contract vehicle.

The Army previously worked with an unnamed original equipment manufacturer to develop EWPMT software and tested the platform during the government’s 2021 fiscal year.

All service units then deployed the original version in FY 2022 to plan and manage EW missions.

The forthcoming procurement effort is for work to further develop the software based on the baseline technology. Other services listed in the notice include integration, testing, maintenance and configuration management.

Interested participants should register by Nov. 4 to attend the event virtually or in person.

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NIST Names 4 New Awardees to Operate Manufacturing Extension Partnership Centers
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NIST Names 4 New Awardees to Operate Manufacturing Extension Partnership Centers

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has selected four organizations to run manufacturing extension partnership centers in four states under separate cooperative agreements.

NIST said Monday the awards, which have a cumulative value of nearly $19.8 million, include a cost-share requirement and an initial performance period of five years maximum.

The University of Louisville Research Foundation was awarded $6.2 million to operate the MEP center in Kentucky, while Lake Area Technical College received $3.5 million to support small and medium-sized manufacturers in South Dakota. Both institutions are new members of the MEP National Network of centers.

The University of Rhode Island Research Foundation and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have nearly 10 years experience operating MEP facilities. They received $6 million and $3.9 million, respectively.

Mojdeh Bahar, NIST associate director for innovation and industry services, said MEP centers will work to “help manufacturers address challenges and leverage opportunities in the critical areas of supply chain, workforce, technology innovation and much more.”

She added the agency’s Job Quality Toolkit will serve as guide for the facilities to create high-quality job opportunities.

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US Advances B-52 Bomber Upgrade to Provide Deterrent Against Potential Adversaries
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US Advances B-52 Bomber Upgrade to Provide Deterrent Against Potential Adversaries

The U.S. is pursuing the upgrade of Boeing-built B-52 Stratofortress bombers to keep the aircraft operational into the 2050s and U.S. Air Force leaders and military experts said the revamp is key to delivering an effective deterrent against potential adversaries such as Russia and China, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

According to the Department of Defense’s budget documents, the strategic bomber upgrade could cost $11.8 billion.

In September 2021, Rolls-Royce won a potential $2.6 billion contract to provide F130 replacement engines for the Air Force’s fleet of B-52H aircraft.

Boeing and Rolls-Royce are adopting digital design techniques to facilitate the integration of new engines and other components into B-52s.

“By transitioning a legacy aircraft into a digital environment, we’ve been able to mitigate risk much earlier in the design and development process,” said Jennifer Wong, B-52 program manager at Boeing.

Raytheon Technologies is also supporting the plane’s upgrade by equipping the bomber with new radars.

B-52H is a long-range, heavy bomber that can conduct strategic attack, offensive counter-air and maritime, air interdiction and close-air support missions and transport nuclear or precision-guided conventional ordnance. The aircraft can fly at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet and high subsonic speeds.

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Bill to Provide AI Training for Federal Acquisition Workforce Signed Into Law
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Bill to Provide AI Training for Federal Acquisition Workforce Signed Into Law

President Biden on Monday signed into law a bill that would establish a training program on artificial intelligence for federal procurement officials.

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., introduced the Artificial Intelligence Training for the Acquisition Workforce Act, which was co-sponsored by Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and passed the House in September.

The legislation directs the Office of Management and Budget to develop and provide an AI training program for acquisition personnel of executive agencies to help ensure that officials are informed of the capabilities and risks associated with AI.

The training program should offer introductory concepts relating to technological features of AI systems, provide ways to mitigate risks posed by AI and discuss future AI trends, including those with implications for national security and innovation.

Under the measure, OMB must update the AI training program at least every two years and come up with an approach to measure the participation of the acquisition workforce in the program.

The office should also receive and consider feedback and other insights from training program participants.

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White House Eyes Guidance in Anticipation of ‘Potential Narrowing’ of Injunction on Federal Contractor Vaccine Mandate
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White House Eyes Guidance in Anticipation of ‘Potential Narrowing’ of Injunction on Federal Contractor Vaccine Mandate

The Office of Management and Budget and the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force will release at least three guidance documents to agencies once a federal appeals court ruling that partially lifts the ban on the White House’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors takes effect on Tuesday, Oct. 18, Federal News Network reported Monday.

In August, the appeals court overturned a lower court decision that imposes a nationwide injunction on the vaccine mandate.

According to a notice issued Friday, OMB will issue an initial notification to agencies to ensure their compliance with applicable injunctions and whether they should include contract clauses implementing the mandate in future solicitations and contracts.

The task force will release updated guidance on COVID-19 safety protocols for covered contractor and subcontractor workplace sites after the issuance of the initial notification. The OMB director will assess the guidance to determine whether it promotes federal contracting efficiency and economy.

OMB will then publish guidance on considerations and timing for providing written notice to contractors regarding the enforcement of contract clauses implementing the vaccine mandate.

OMB called on federal agencies not to take any measures to enforce the vaccine mandate until all the guidance documents are issued.

Stephanie Kostro, executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council, said such steps from OMB could result in some agencies requiring federal contractors to comply with the vaccine mandate and that there are some details that need clarification.

“It’s not clear what the next steps are and what contractors should do as a result … There’s a lot of wiggle room in what it means for contractors,” Kostro said.

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Cherokee Federal Names Clint Bickett New COO; President Steven Bilby Quoted
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Cherokee Federal Names Clint Bickett New COO; President Steven Bilby Quoted

Clint Bickett, who formerly served as the president and chief financial officer of Global Mission Services for PAE, has been appointed the chief operating officer of Cherokee Federal, a division of Cherokee Nation Businesses (CNB), the company announced on Monday.

“I am excited about what Clint will bring to our organization,” said Steven Bilby, president of Cherokee Federal. “His contributions will undoubtedly bolster our business and help us continue to build solutions and enhance delivery for our customers.”

Clint Bickett will bring more than 20 years of c-suite expertise to the role to lead the company’s aggressive growth goals and drive the expansion of its best-in-class solutions in the federal market to address and surpass the needs of its government customers.

“I look forward to working alongside the great team at Cherokee Federal and continuing to advance the company’s growth initiatives, ultimately building an even stronger organization dedicated to fulfilling the mission-critical needs of our government customers,” said Bickett.

In his previous role with PAE, Clint Bickett oversaw a $2 billion business and 13,000 employees to provide operational, financial,and strategic leadership of aviation, infrastructure and logistics for significant federal customers including the Army, Navy, Air Force, NASA, USAID and DHS.

Bickett has also managed millions of dollars in business operations during his previous tenures with Lockheed Martin and General Electric.

Cherokee Federal’s experienced team of more than 30 tribally owned federal contracting companies manages thousands of projects for more than 60 federal clients across the globe.

Whether it is humanitarian relief, national security and foreign policy, technology, health care or logistics, the organization is committed to helping federal clients build solutions, solve complex challenges and serve America’s interests across the globe.

About Cherokee Federal

Cherokee Federal and its team of tribal companies is owned by Cherokee Nation Businesses, the economic engine of Cherokee Nation, the largest Native American tribe in the U.S. The mission of Cherokee Federal is to build a talented team that provides innovative solutions that solve America’s greatest challenges and serves the Cherokee Nation with strong conviction and heart.

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AFRL Demos Exoskeleton to Aid Aerial Porters in Lifting Cargo
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AFRL Demos Exoskeleton to Aid Aerial Porters in Lifting Cargo

The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Center for Rapid Innovation has demonstrated a pneumatically-powered exoskeleton designed to reduce fatigue and increase the endurance of aerial porters who load and lift large cargo onto aircraft.

Forge System is supported by the Radical Improvements in Personnel Performance through Enhanced Development program, a Direct to Phase II Small Business Innovation Research project that aims to improve warfighters’ cognitive and physical performance.

“If this is optimized for the aerial porters’ particular missions, it is going to mean that teams will be able to load heavier objects on aircraft much faster using less people, which equates to saving the government and taxpayer money,” said John Florio, deputy director of CRI.

He added that the technology could also result in fewer injuries to personnel, leading to service members’ longer careers in the military.

Chief Master Sgt. Sean Storms, aerial port manager from 87th Aerial Port Squadron, and Senior Master Sgt. Brian Anders, assistant aerial port manager, demonstrated the exoskeleton during an event CRI held with the Air Force Reserve Command’s 445th Airlift Wing.

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MDA Seeks Information on Ground Sensors Modeling, Simulation Requirement
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MDA Seeks Information on Ground Sensors Modeling, Simulation Requirement

The Missile Defense Agency is seeking information from potential industry sources capable of providing ground sensor modeling and simulation services in support of the development and testing of radar systems.

In a request for information posted Thursday, the MDA Ground Sensors Directorate said it requires systems engineering, maintenance, verification and validation of real-time and non-real-time digital end-to-end radar models and real-time hardware-in-the-loop radar drivers.

MDA’s modeling and simulation efforts require the development of early radar representations and drivers that accurately simulate and stimulate tactical radars and maintain the fidelity of complex radar scenes.

The MDA Ground Sensors Directorate is headquartered in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, and oversees the development, testing and sustainment of missile threat sensors.

Responses to the RFI are due Oct. 24.

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