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TSA to Host Surface Transportation Security Public Meeting
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TSA to Host Surface Transportation Security Public Meeting

A Transportation Security Administration advisory panel will discuss focus areas for fiscal year 2023 and solicit public comments at a meeting scheduled for Nov. 17.

The Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee meeting will be open to the public via WebEx video conferencing platform and will take place in person for its members at the TSA headquarters in Fairfax County, Virginia, according to a notice posted Monday in the Federal Register.

Part of the STSAC’s agenda is to highlight initiatives related to cybersecurity information sharing, risk and intelligence. The group will also look into insider threats and emergency management and resiliency.

Interested participants have until Nov. 14 to register via e-mail.

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GSA’s Laura Stanton on Steps Agencies Should Take to Reduce Cyber Supply Chain Risks
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GSA’s Laura Stanton on Steps Agencies Should Take to Reduce Cyber Supply Chain Risks

Laura Stanton, a General Services Administration official, said government agencies can take several measures to reduce their cybersecurity supply chain risks such as integrating cyber supply chain risk management with the acquisition process and evaluating their organizational structure.

Stanton, assistant commissioner for the office of information technology category at GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service, wrote in a FedTech article published on Oct. 18 that agencies should establish a task force to help ensure supply chain security.

She said agencies should review key contracts to ensure that contractors maintain security practices, develop requirements for communicating and protecting data, provide C-SCRM training and create trust by sharing threats with supply chain partners.

“Open and transparent leadership and communication create trust, and building that trust includes a commitment to straight talk, the ability to produce results and the ability to restore trust when it is lost,” Stanton said.

She mentioned some of the C-SCRM initiatives GSA has introduced to help agencies mitigate supply chain risks, such as performing a pre-award assessment to ensure the identification of prohibited equipment or services prior to contract awards and developing a questionnaire to collect information on supply chain risks.

Stanton also mentioned GSA’s new C-SCRM Guide that seeks to help agencies comply with the current administration’s cybersecurity requirements and the establishment of the C-SCRM Acquisition Community of Practice.

“The goal of the C-SCRM Acquisition Community of Practice is to increase awareness and develop maturity in the areas of cyber acquisitions and information and communications technology and services supply chain risk management across the federal government,” she wrote.

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Lawmakers Urge Biden to Pair Military, Economic Support to Ukraine With Diplomatic Efforts
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Lawmakers Urge Biden to Pair Military, Economic Support to Ukraine With Diplomatic Efforts

A group of 30 House lawmakers on Monday wrote a letter to President Biden calling on his administration to pursue a “proactive diplomatic push” as it continues to provide military and economic support to Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion efforts.

“Diplomacy is an important tool that can save lives — but it is just one tool. As we also made explicitly clear in our letter and will continue to make clear, we support President Biden and his administration’s commitment to nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said in a statement published Monday.

The legislators urged the administration to initiate diplomatic efforts to achieve a negotiated settlement and ceasefire.

Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said the U.S. continues to work with Ukraine to facilitate the deployment of air defense capabilities to help Ukraine counter Russian attacks on its civilians and infrastructure, according to a report by DOD News.

Singh noted that Lloyd Austin, secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner, talked with Sergey Shoigu, Russia’s defense minister, by phone “to emphasize the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war against Ukraine.” 

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Pentagon Unveils Pilot to Drive Transition of Microelectronic Prototypes to Military Systems
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Pentagon Unveils Pilot to Drive Transition of Microelectronic Prototypes to Military Systems

The Department of Defense has introduced a pilot program to facilitate the deployment of microelectronic prototypes developed through the State-of-the-art Heterogeneous Integrated Packaging initiative, Inside Defense reported Monday.

The Stimulating Transition for Advanced Microelectronics Packaging pilot seeks to advance the transition of multichip packages built through the SHIP program to military systems.

In October 2020, Intel’s federal arm and Qorvo received other transaction agreements to develop MCPs under the SHIP program.

The National Security Technology Accelerator said in a news release that Intel’s MCP is under the prototype production phase and that delivery of such packages is expected to occur in 2023.

According to NSTXL, the STAMP pilot will provide the defense industrial base an opportunity to identify where to integrate the MCPs and perform analysis and test ahead of the planned transition.

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General Dynamics, Navy Lay Keel for Future USS Simanek Expeditionary Sea Base Ship
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General Dynamics, Navy Lay Keel for Future USS Simanek Expeditionary Sea Base Ship

The U.S. Navy hosted a keel laying ceremony for the upcoming USS Robert E. Simanek vessel in honor of a U.S. Marine veteran who received military awards for his service in the Korean War.

The ship is a Lewis B. Puller-class Expeditionary Sea Base, a type of vessel used for missions ranging from personnel and supply deployment to special operation forces support, the Naval Sea Systems Command said Monday.

The USS Simanek is being constructed at General Dynamics’ National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, along with the USS John L. Canley ESB and the John Lewis Class Fleet Replenishment Oilers.

“ESBs provide a critical capability to the fleet and provide for increased flexibility,” said Tim Roberts, Strategic and Theater Sealift program manager, Program Executive Office Ships.

Robert Ernest Simanek, the late Marine private first class who died on Aug. 1 and was decorated with the Medal of Honor in 1953 for protecting other soldiers from a grenade during the Battle of Bunker Hill. He was also awarded the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal.

“We are honored this ship will celebrate the late Robert E. Simanek’s legacy as a Medal of Honor recipient and Korean War veteran and his dedication to our country,” commented Roberts.

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Former NASA Admin Jim Bridenstine Joins Firefly Aerospace Advisory Board; CEO Bill Weber Quoted
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Former NASA Admin Jim Bridenstine Joins Firefly Aerospace Advisory Board; CEO Bill Weber Quoted

Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, a previous winner of the prestigious Wash100 Award, has been appointed to the advisory board of emerging space technology company Firefly Aerospace, effective immediately.

Following the completion of Firefly’s recent Alpha FLTA endeavor and expansion through a variety of new contracts, Bridenstine will guide the company into a new phase of growth, the Austin, Texas-based organization announced on Monday.

“We’re honored to welcome Jim, a visionary leader in aeronautics and space exploration, to the Firefly Advisory Board,” stated Bill Weber, who was named Firefly CEO in Sept. 2022. Weber continued, emphasizing the benefit of Bridenstine’s expertise.

During Bridenstine’s time at NASA, the agency’s scientific portfolio broadened to include the Mars Perseverance Rover, an updated fleet of Earth-observing satellites and a finalized James Webb Space Telescope.

Under his leadership, NASA also finalized its Artemis program and created the Commercial Lunar Payload services program, which supported NASA in collaborating with commercial enterprises to land rovers on the moon’s surface.

Bridenstine also oversaw the continuation of the International Space Station’s commercial resupply and drove the agency’s goal of connecting with U.S. businesses on the Commercial Crew Program, which aims to launch U.S. rockets from domestic launch sites.

Before working with NASA, Bridenstine served in the U.S. House of Representatives, during which he was a member of the Armed Services Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee. Prior to his political career, he served as an active duty pilot in the U.S. Navy for nine years with combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I look forward to advising Firefly on how they can better position the company to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities available in today’s fast-evolving space economy,” Bridenstine said.

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AFRL Equips Rocket Propulsion Division With New Equipment to Advance Fabrication Capabilities
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AFRL Equips Rocket Propulsion Division With New Equipment to Advance Fabrication Capabilities

The Rocket Propulsion Division within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Aerospace Systems Directorate has upgraded its fabrication capabilities with new equipment designed to advance the production of rocket components.

AFRL said Friday the division received new devices, including five computer numerical control milling machines, three CNC lathes, a wire electrical discharge machining machine, a sinker EDM machine, a small hole EDM, a waterjet cutter and several manually operated machines.

These machines will work to enable engineers and scientists to speed up production and increase the accuracy of liquid rocket engine parts and solid rocket motor components.

“The machines are equipped with similar CNC control units to lessen operator training. More accurate spindles and electronic part probing reduce setup time and increase precision,” said Ben Gleason, lead fabrication technician.

AFRL noted that the new machines are equipped with automation capabilities to meet test schedules and create consistency in production.

“The new machines support highly precise cuts which eliminate waste and save money on material and human error in the fabrication process,” Gleason said.

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DOE Announces Funding Opportunities to Support Hydropower Technology Development; Jennifer Granholm Quoted
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DOE Announces Funding Opportunities to Support Hydropower Technology Development; Jennifer Granholm Quoted

The Department of Energy has released three funding opportunity announcements to support research and development projects that aim to advance the development of hydropower technology.

DOE said Friday the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has allocated a total of $28 million in funding to expand the hydropower industry in the U.S. and promote engagements with stakeholders on key issues related to the sector.

Most of the funding, or $14.5 million, will be used to retrofit dams that do not produce power and develop new technologies designed to advance pumped storage hydropower deployment.

The Biden administration is also investing $10 million in the construction and commissioning of new pumped storage hydropower facilities to enable long-duration storage of intermittent renewable energy.

The remaining $4 million will be used to encourage discussions on the modernization of the U.S. hydropower fleet and the sustainability and environmental impact of hydropower facilities.

“Hydropower has long provided Americans with significant, reliable energy, which will now play a crucial role in achieving energy independence and protecting the climate,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

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Pete Buttigieg Announces Members of Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee
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Pete Buttigieg Announces Members of Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee

Pete Buttigieg, secretary of the Department of Transportation, has named the new members of an advisory committee that provides advice and recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration on matters related to the commercial space transportation industry.

Buttigieg approved the appointment of 21 new members and the reappointment of seven members to the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee to guide the development of technology and business policies governing the sector.

The new members consist of senior executives from academia, space advocacy organizations and commercial aerospace companies including SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Spaceflight, Astra and Airbus.

The reappointed members include Ann Zulkosky, vice president of commercial civil space at Lockheed Martin, and Kate Kronmiller, VP of government relations at Jacobs.

The FAA is updating its recommended practices for commercial human spaceflight occupant safety to reflect input from COMSTAC.

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GovCon Expert Dana Barnes Discusses Cybersecurity History & Evolution
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GovCon Expert Dana Barnes Discusses Cybersecurity History & Evolution

Dana Barnes, president of Government with Dataminr and an influential member of Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Expert program, recently participated as a guest on SecurePod, a  weekly podcast from SecurityToday to discuss the evolution of how data software benefits businesses in the federal marketplace.

The two-time recipient of the prestigious Wash100 Award also explored the company’s history and how the innovative platform from Dataminr works to serve its customers as well as his own history and background in cybersecurity over the course of his career.

Here’s an excerpt from the feature from GovCon Expert Dana Barnes.

“The initial introduction I had to cybersecurity was during my time at Microsoft. In the old days, people thought Microsoft wasn’t secure,” Barnes explained. “Bill Gates actually shut the company down for a few days and said, ‘We are going to change this and become the most secure platform in the world’…I came in shortly after that and cybersecurity was a constant conversation and I learned a ton.”

In addition, the conversation between GovCon Expert Dana Barnes and host Ralph C. Jensen continued to explore how the cybersecurity space is constantly evolving and the ways that Dataminr continues to learn more and continue to grow its solution set to protect its customers.

“What I love about our first-to-learn set as well as our pulse capabilities on the commercial and corporate risk side of the house is that all of this can continue to evolve and become adaptable to the situation at hand,” Dana Barnes explained.

He continued, “As I bring my experience from those other companies along with everything that I’m learning here at Dataminr from some incredible engineers, that balance will allow us to make a great impact in cyberspace and physical security as both those aspects merger together.”

You can listen to the full podcast episode on SecurityToday.com and read all the exclusive content from GovCon Expert Dana Barnes through Executive Mosaic on GovCon Wire.com.

About GovCon Expert Dana Barnes

With more than 22 years of IT and business development experience, including a Master of Science in Information Technology, Dana Barnes has spent his career helping customers and partners solve problems and improve their infrastructure and operational capabilities.

His overall focus has remained on managing effective teams and delivering technology when and where it can be used to solve business problems.

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