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Air Force Sets Dec. 2 Unveiling Date for Northrop B-21 Bomber; Gen. Charles Brown Quoted
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Air Force Sets Dec. 2 Unveiling Date for Northrop B-21 Bomber; Gen. Charles Brown Quoted

The U.S. Air Force has scheduled the event to unveil the B-21 Raider bomber aircraft for Dec. 2 at a Palmdale, California, manufacturing site operated by prime contractor Northrop Grumman.

A team of company and service personnel will continue testing efforts after the Raider’s public debut to assess weapon system performance, the Air Force said Thursday.

The branch awarded the Long Range Strike Bomber contract in October 2015 to replace the B-1 and B-2 bombers as its flagship bomber fleet. Northrop’s team members on the B-21 program are BAE Systems, Collins Aerospace, GKN Aerospace, Janicki Industries, Pratt & Whitney and Spirit Aerosystems.

“We last introduced a new bomber over 30 years ago. As we look to the threats posed by our pacing challenge; we must continue to rapidly modernize,” said Gen. Charles Brown Jr., chief of staff at USAF.

Staying true to its seven Operational Imperatives, the branch is banking on the aircraft’s long-range strike capability, advanced communications, open architecture and sophisticated sensors, weapons and supporting systems.

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Marines Test Medium-Range Intercept Capability Prototype, Rafael’s Tamir Interceptor
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Marines Test Medium-Range Intercept Capability Prototype, Rafael’s Tamir Interceptor

The U.S. Marine Corps completed a series of three trials with a live-fire test of its Medium-Range Intercept Capability prototype system and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems’ Iron Dome Tamir interceptors at the White Sands facility in New Mexico.

The Marines demonstrated the capability of the MRIC prototype, along with the service’s radar and battle management systems, to continuously launch Tamir missiles to counter various aerial threats in complicated scenarios, Rafael said Wednesday.

“The three tests that took place this year proved that the performance of the MRIC system with IRON DOME interceptors is good and provides a dedicated launcher solution for the Marines,” said Don Kelley, project manager for ground-based air defense for PEO land systems.

Rafael said the Tamir interceptor can intercept cruise missiles, mortars, rockets, precision-guided missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Pini Yungman, executive vice president and head of air and missile defense directorate at Rafael, said the test shows that the company’s technology can provide optimal performance by integrating into existing systems.

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Lt. Cmdr. Megan Silvester: DISA’s Procurement Process Should Keep Pace With Emerging Tech, Cyber Standards
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Lt. Cmdr. Megan Silvester: DISA’s Procurement Process Should Keep Pace With Emerging Tech, Cyber Standards

Lt. Cmdr. Megan Silvester, an official at the Defense Information Systems Agency, said DISA should enhance its procurement process to integrate new cybersecurity standards and emerging technologies into its offerings, FCW reported Thursday.

“Building a ship isn’t the same as developing software, and in many cases, IT evolves at a faster pace than the acquisition process,” Silvester, product owner of DISA’s account tracking and automation tool, said during a virtual event Thursday. “This creates a real challenge for our customers.”

She noted that improving such processes could help DISA ensure that its cloud offerings “support the mission and not detract from it.”

According to the report, DISA has initiated efforts to enhance the integration of data into product development and acquisition practices, including the release of the Data Strategy Implementation Plan in August.

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Corelight’s Federal CTO, Jean Schaffer, Talks Improving Federal Acquisition Processes With Potomac Officers Club
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Corelight’s Federal CTO, Jean Schaffer, Talks Improving Federal Acquisition Processes With Potomac Officers Club

Potomac Officers Club recently featured Jean Schaffer, federal CTO at Corelight, in an Executive Spotlight interview to discuss Schaffer’s thoughts on areas of improvement for the federal government, strategies for leveraging new technologies and ways in which she has adapted to changes across her career.

In this excerpt from her interview, Schaffer describes the challenges she has identified in the federal government’s acquisition processes:

“The top three changes that I would advocate for in the federal landscape are acquisition, hiring structures (including compensation) and streamlining of processes. You will note that these are not new and novel thoughts, and considerable effort and improvements have been made in each, but there is still such a long way to go. 

Over the decades, federal acquisition rules and laws have been enacted — all for good reasons. But the FAR is so complicated that it takes a huge ecosystem of resellers and other specialists to connect promising tech to buyers who need it. There has got to be a better way!”

Click here to read the full interview with Corelight’s Jean Schaffer, and visit PotomacOfficersClub.com to learn more about the platform’s membership options and benefits.

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Dynetics to Contribute in Prototype Development for Hypersonic Flight Testing Under NSWC Contract; Steve Cook Quoted
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Dynetics to Contribute in Prototype Development for Hypersonic Flight Testing Under NSWC Contract; Steve Cook Quoted

A Leidos business has won a contract from the Naval Surface Warfare Center that calls for technical support services in a U.S. Department of Defense hypersonic flight testing endeavor.

Under the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonics Test Bed contract, Dynetics will assist with the construction of a vessel enabling vehicle launches as well as the development of an experimental glide body, the Huntsville, Alabama-based subsidiary said Thursday.

Steve Cook, group president of Dynetics at Leidos, remarked that the new NSWC project will ultimately work toward the goal of protecting natural security and will find the Dynetics team anticipating the needs of the military of the future.

“Hypersonics are a top priority for our nation, and we’re honored to be a part of this innovative and vital initiative,” Cook continued.

The test bed prototyped through the contract is intended to be used for several commercially-available launch vehicles carrying hypersonic payloads. It will be created via agile and modular processes and the information gleaned from the experimentation is expected to prove valuable to the DOD, who sponsored the contract through the Crane division of the NSWC. The successful completion of the work will hopefully lead to a proliferation of hypersonic weapon apparatuses.

Dynetics is slated to collaborate with organizations such as Peraton, Sandia National Laboratories, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Stratolaunch on the project. They will additionally team with Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, JRC Integated Systems, Corvid, SpinLaunch, Kitty Hawk Technologies, X-Bow Systems and RLNS, NineTwelve Institute, as well as several other entities spanning small businesses, academic institutions and more.

Organizations such as the Missile Defense Agency, the Navy Conventional Prompt Strike and Army Long Range Hypersonic Weapon are projected to benefit from the centralized hypersonic testing capability engendered by the flight test bed. Air Force hypersonics programs, DOD research efforts, small business, industry and academia will also be impacted.

Furthermore, the contract tasks Dynetics with helping to assemble a modular experimental glide body that is slated to offer ways to efficiently assess technologies in hypersonic environments so that mission-critical weapon acquisition questions can be settled. The company will complete all contract duties in Indiana, Alabama and the Washington, D.C. area.

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NSF Launches Career Development Program for Emerging Technologies
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NSF Launches Career Development Program for Emerging Technologies

The National Science Foundation has unveiled a new program that aims to provide career-enhancing opportunities in advanced manufacturing, semiconductors and microelectronics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum information science and other emerging technology areas.

The Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies program will award up to $1 million in funding to partner organizations for a period of three years to provide paid training opportunities for individuals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, NSF said Wednesday.

“The ExLENT program offers a new pathway for individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences to gain on-the-job training in technologies that are critical to the nation’s long-term competitiveness,” said Erwin Gianchandani, assistant director for technology, innovation and partnerships at NSF.

The workforce development program has three different career pathways for participants with different STEM backgrounds.

Professionals can gain experiential learning to pivot into careers in the emerging technology sector, while participants with limited training can gain deeper knowledge to pursue job opportunities and learners with no STEM background can use the program to build knowledge in their chosen field.

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US-Ukraine Task Force to Oversee Post-Conflict Infrastructure Reconstruction Efforts; Gina Raimondo Quoted
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US-Ukraine Task Force to Oversee Post-Conflict Infrastructure Reconstruction Efforts; Gina Raimondo Quoted

The departments of Commerce and Transportation and the Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine will develop a joint task force that will oversee Ukraine’s current and post-conflict infrastructure reconstruction efforts.

The U.S.-Ukraine Infrastructure Task Force aims to facilitate cooperation between the public and private sectors to design and develop resilient and sustainable infrastructure that meets the needs of Ukrainian communities, the Department of Commerce said Wednesday.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the reconstruction of key infrastructure will play a key role in Ukraine’s prosperity and national security.

“The Department of Commerce is proud to help lead the U.S.-Ukraine Infrastructure Task Force, which will facilitate the collaboration necessary to build a safe and resilient Ukraine,” Raimondo added.

The task force intends to hold its first meeting in the coming months to discuss joint infrastructure reconstruction efforts.

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Treasury Sanctions Russian Network for Buying US-Built Components Used in Weapons Systems; Wally Adeyemo Quoted
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Treasury Sanctions Russian Network for Buying US-Built Components Used in Weapons Systems; Wally Adeyemo Quoted

The Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on one individual and two companies for procuring and supplying U.S.-produced technologies and components with military applications to end-users in Russia.

“Thanks to the unprecedented sanctions and export controls imposed by our broad coalition of partners and allies, Russia has increasingly struggled to secure critical inputs and technologies needed for its brutal war against Ukraine,” Wally Adeyemo, deputy secretary of the Treasury, said in a statement published Wednesday.

The department’s office of foreign assets control designated Yury Yuryevich Orekhov, a Russian procurement agent, and two of his companies, NDA GmbH and Opus Energy Trading, for buying from U.S. manufacturers microprocessors and semiconductors used in fighter jets, smart munitions, hypersonic and ballistic missiles, satellites and radars.

These U.S.-made components that Orekhov purchased have been detected in Russian weapons systems in Ukraine, according to the department.

“We know these efforts are having a direct effect on the battlefield, as Russia’s desperation has led them to turn to inferior suppliers and outdated equipment. That’s why we will continue to take every opportunity to crack down on evasion of these sanctions and export controls across the globe,” added Adeyemo.

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CYBERCOM Conducts New Defensive Operation Concept; Rear Adm. Matthew Paradise Quoted
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CYBERCOM Conducts New Defensive Operation Concept; Rear Adm. Matthew Paradise Quoted

The U.S. Cyber Command has completed a 10-day exercise to implement a new concept for searching, identifying and stopping publicly known malware risks.

CYBERCOM said Monday the defensive operation sought to improve network security and stability within the Department of Defense and to test the command’s interoperability with unified action partners through information and insight sharing.

The operation took place from Oct. 3 to 14 across different networks of the DOD and with the participation of private sector partners across the globe.

“The operation was a continuous activity designed to strengthen the resiliency of the Department of Defense Information Network (DODIN) and other supporting systems,” said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Matthew Paradise, deputy director of CYBERCOM’s Operations J-3.

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TSA Deploys Compact Baggage Screening System Developed With DHS, Industry Partner IDSS
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TSA Deploys Compact Baggage Screening System Developed With DHS, Industry Partner IDSS

The Transportation Security Administration has rolled out a reduced form factor-computed tomography system to screen carry-on baggage at smaller airports with constricted spaces.

TSA developed the technology in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and Massachusetts-based company Integrated Defense & Security Solutions under DHS’ Screening at Speed program, the department’s science and technology directorate said Tuesday.

The two agencies have worked over the past three years to replace advanced technology screening equipment with CT technology as part of aviation security and customer experience improvement efforts.

“The RFF-CT system is an opportunity to decrease size, weight, and power, making the system more adaptable to smaller security checkpoints common at regional airports,” said John Fortune, a program manager at DHS S&T.

Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas has begun using the technology.

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