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Oak Ridge Seeks Potential Commercial Licensors of Wireless Drone Charging Tech
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Oak Ridge Seeks Potential Commercial Licensors of Wireless Drone Charging Tech

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory is planning to commercialize its wireless charging invention aimed at increasing the flight time of unmanned aircraft vehicles.

According to a special notice on SAM.gov, ORNL will accept licensing applications for the Operation Duration Extender for UAVs technical business opportunity through July 15.

The invention, which features various ORNL wireless charging concepts, is designed to refill the batteries of drones without establishing any physical electrical contract to avoid problems caused by environmental factors and mechanism interoperabilities.

Oak Ridge scheduled a Technology Innovation Program day on June 6 to discuss the charging technology further with interested parties months before selecting licensing candidates on Aug. 15.

The business opportunity comes as the Battelle Memorial Institute and University of Tennessee-manged national laboratory expects the global drone market to reach over $43 billion in 2024.

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DISA Ends Defense Enterprise Email to Accommodate Microsoft 365; Rodney Saxon Quoted
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DISA Ends Defense Enterprise Email to Accommodate Microsoft 365; Rodney Saxon Quoted

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is shutting down its Defense Enterprise Email after approximately a decade of activity, in favor of Microsoft 365 and Teams.

The upgrade brings cloud computing technology to accommodate secure messaging, document sharing, accountability, presence monitoring and scalability for the Department of Defense’s emailing system, DISA said Monday.

Rodney Saxon, chief of DOD’s enterprise email and enterprise messaging branch, is now migrating 1.7 million users to Microsoft 365 tenants. He said the upgrade brings a robust server and larger mail storage.

Saxon noted that DISA joint tenants will retain access to the mail.mil domain as the Global Address List remains.

“Army and others get a different address when they move to their own tenant,” he added.

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Steffanie Easter, Rob Smith Named SVPs at CAES; CEO Mike Kahn Quoted
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Steffanie Easter, Rob Smith Named SVPs at CAES; CEO Mike Kahn Quoted

CAES has added two new senior vice presidents, former SAIC executive Steffanie Easter and former BWX Technologies executive Rob Smith, to its leadership team.

The aerospace and defense electronics manufacturer said Tuesday that Easter has been named SVP and chief sustainability officer and Smith has been appointed SVP and general manager of the integrated defense systems division.

Mike Kahn, CEO and president of CAES as well as a two-time Wash100 Award winner, emphasized Easter’s “extensive depth and breadth of experiences” in DOD-related transactions.

“Steffanie’s background and abilities will help CAES establish an industry leading ESG program, and better support our customers, employees, and stakeholders,” Kahn continued.

In her new role, Easter will lead the company’s environmental, social and governance functions as well as liaise with customers and other industry members on these issues.

Easter started out as an engineer at the Naval Air Systems Command before ascending the ranks in the U.S. Navy to director of Navy staff in the office of the chief of Naval Operations. She also held the position of acting assistant secretary and principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology.

At SAIC, Easter headed up strategic growth and development for the company’s defense and civilian market in her roles as vice president of the deputy Army business unit and vice president of strategy and planning.

As general manager of the integrated defense systems division, Smith will be responsible for managing the department’s supply of electronic warfare and radar systems and its engineering, manufacturing and test services.

For four years, Smith was deputy office chief of the Department of Defense. He went on to hold senior-level, government-facing positions at Windermere and Nantero, before spending over a decade with Lockheed Martin in roles such as director of LM nanosystems, vice president of C4ISR and vice president and general manager of radar and sensor systems.

Prior to coming to CAES, Smith spearheaded the digital transformation push in addition to key acquisitions as president of government operations at BWX Technologies.

Kahn said that Smith’s wide variety of experience will “align well with [CAES’] technologies, key programs and business plan for the future.” He is succeeding Paul Shew, who has taken on the corporate operations excellence role.

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FCC Migrates Electronic Comment Filing System to Cloud; Jessica Rosenworcel Quoted
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FCC Migrates Electronic Comment Filing System to Cloud; Jessica Rosenworcel Quoted

The Federal Communications Commission has transitioned its Electronic Comment Filing System to the cloud and applied other initial upgrades meant to expand ECFS functions.

FCC said Monday it expects ECFS’ new cloud-based nature to boost the system’s scalability and allow for more functions scheduled for implementation in the coming year.

The commission uses ECFS to support its legal process and public engagement. The upgraded system also features a reCAPTCHA functionality to boost security and prevent bots.

“Our comment filing system is a critical avenue for public input that we need to keep up to date,” said Jessica Rosenworcel, who chairs FCC.

Individuals may access ECFS here.

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DOL Offers Updated Guidance on Compliance Evaluation Policies for Contractors; Jenny Yang Quoted
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DOL Offers Updated Guidance on Compliance Evaluation Policies for Contractors; Jenny Yang Quoted

The Department of Labor has released a new directive to promote enforcement and improve compliance evaluations of federal contractors as part of efforts to advance equal employment opportunity for workers.

The directive outlines the office of federal contract compliance programs’ updated policies with regard to its scheduling of contractors for compliance assessments, DOL said Thursday.

The document replaces and rescinds four previous directives and describes expectations concerning the production of affirmative action programs and data, which the OFCCP uses to evaluate the employment practices of a federal contractor.

“The directive we issued today will enhance our ability to use strategic enforcement to help more workers,” said OFCCP Director Jenny Yang. 

“By providing transparency and clarity on OFCCP’s policies and expectations, the directive will foster consistent accountability and avoid delay in compliance evaluations. It will also promote a proactive approach to compliance by federal contractors,” added Yang. 

The directive also makes clarification when it comes to contractors certifying their compliance with annual affirmative action program obligations through the Contractor Portal and outlines the agency’s expectations regarding access to workers, applicants and other witnesses and submission of other compliance evaluation-related data by contractors.

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SBA Modifies Revenue-Based Small Business Size Standards With 4 Final Rules; Bibi Hidalgo Quoted
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SBA Modifies Revenue-Based Small Business Size Standards With 4 Final Rules; Bibi Hidalgo Quoted

The Small Business Administration has moved to increase the eligibility of small companies for SBA’s contracting and loan programs by releasing four final rules meant to revise small business size standards based on revenues in 16 North American Industrial Classification System sectors.

SBA said Tuesday it decided to increase 229 size standards across 16 industrial sectors after analyzing over 1,100 public comments during the review process for the four rules.

“SBA continues to evolve its approach on size standards to ensure that we create access to contracting and loan opportunities for as many small businesses as possible,” said Bibi Hidalgo, associate administrator for government contracting and business development at SBA.

“The publication of these final rules will make 59,000 additional firms eligible for millions of dollars in revenue and business expansion opportunities across a wide range of sectors. This expansion is equally important for contracting agencies, as a diverse industrial base helps ensure a healthy supply chain and, in turn, supports our nation’s broader economic health,” added Hidalgo.

SBA said it expects the final rules to provide 844 newly qualified small firms with contracting opportunities worth approximately $1 billion and extend 96 7(a) and 504 loans valued at nearly $45 million to such companies.

The agency issued the final rules as part of its second five-year evaluation of size standards in compliance with the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. SBA also intends to issue in the coming months additional rulemakings on size standards in wholesale trade, manufacturing and retail trade.

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State Department Creates Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy
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State Department Creates Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy

The State Department has established a new bureau to address national security challenges, values considerations and economic opportunities associated with cyberspace, digital policy and digital technologies.

The department said Monday the bureau of cyberspace and digital policy will operate with three policy units: international cyberspace security, digital freedom and international information and communications policy.

Jennifer Bachus, formerly deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Prague, has been named senior bureau official and principal deputy assistant secretary for the CDP bureau.

Michele Markoff has been named acting deputy assistant secretary for international cyberspace security, while Blake Peterson has been appointed interim digital freedom coordinator. Stephen Anderson serves as acting deputy assistant secretary for international information and communications policy.

The CDP bureau will oversee and coordinate the State Department’s work on digital and cyberspace diplomacy to encourage responsible behavior in cyberspace and pursue policies that safeguard the security and integrity of the internet, uphold democratic values, foster competitiveness and serve U.S. interests, according to the new office’s website.

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Raytheon Intelligence & Space Taps Former USAF Exec Sami Said as VP of Global Security; Roy Azevedo Quoted
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Raytheon Intelligence & Space Taps Former USAF Exec Sami Said as VP of Global Security; Roy Azevedo Quoted

U.S. Air Force veteran and retired Lieutenant General Sami D. Said has been appointed vice president of global security at Raytheon Intelligence & Space.

In the newly created role, Said will spearhead global security as well as conceive and implement a secure technology product strategy for the Raytheon Technologies business, the company said Monday.

Roy Azevedo, president of RI&S and a three-time consecutive Wash100 Award recipient, described Said’s contribution as a “fresh perspective.”

“His seasoned leadership and experience will be instrumental in strengthening our product security and controls to better protect the business and our customers,” Azevedo continued.

The product strategy Said will be overseeing is intended to distinguish RI&S as a security specialist. He will answer directly to Azevedo.

Said has been deployed to active duty multiple times as well as carried out staff and joint assignments in the headquarters department of the Air Force, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, Afghanistan.

He has also served in the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.

Before joining Raytheon, Said was deputy inspector general of the Air Force in the office of the secretary of the Air Force, where he was responsible for reporting on readiness, efficiency and military discipline of active duty Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units. In addition, Said managed the department’s counterintelligence operations. He was then promoted to inspector general of the Department of the Air Force.

Among Said’s military honors are the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit and the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters.

The addition of Said follows RI&S’ January hires of Kristin Robertson as president of the Space & C2 strategic business unit and Brad Tousley as president of Blue Canyon Technologies, a subsidiary of the company.

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DARPA Program Introduces Technologies for Drilling Tactical Tunnels in Battlefield; Andrew Nuss Quoted
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DARPA Program Introduces Technologies for Drilling Tactical Tunnels in Battlefield; Andrew Nuss Quoted

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has finished a program that produced technologies for the rapid construction of logistics tunnel networks in denied environments.

Upon the completion of the Underminer program, the three participating teams transitioned matured capabilities that can dig tunnels for resupplying troops and rescuing personnel in a contested area to industry and government partners, the agency said Thursday.

The Colorado School of Mines, General Electric Research Center and Sandia National Laboratories introduced technologies involving fluid management, beacon-less drill localization and tunnel branching operations with a focus on diameter, distance, speed and accuracy.

“Tactical tunneling capabilities have tremendous opportunities to expand the combined arms maneuver trade space to include the vertical dimension in both natural and man-made subterranean environments,” explained Andrew Nuss, the Underminer program manager.

DARPA launched Underminer to help the Department of Defense utilize tunneling capabilities that are already present in the U.S. commercial market.

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New Ford-class Carrier Control System Passes Navy’s Preliminary Assessment, Set for 2022 Critical Review
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New Ford-class Carrier Control System Passes Navy’s Preliminary Assessment, Set for 2022 Critical Review

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, has finished the preliminary design review of the proposed ship control system for Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers.

The Ship Control System Government variant performance during the PDR convinced voting stakeholders to push through with the technology’s critical design review later in 2022, Naval Sea Systems Command said Friday.

John Dolan, an NSWCPD branch manager, explained that SCS-Gov is intended to replace Ford-class’ original control platform that did not meet the U.S. Navy’s post-collision standards and is suffering from obsolescence.

Already approved for the first two Ford-class carriers and two more incoming vessels, SCS-Gov uses government-designed and owned source code and a human-machine interface to provide steering control and propulsion interface throughout its minimum 25-year lifecycle.

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