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DOJ, FTC to Look Into Effects of M&As on Certain Industries Via Listening Forums
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DOJ, FTC to Look Into Effects of M&As on Certain Industries Via Listening Forums

The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission will conduct public forums over the next three months to hear customers, employees, investors, startups and other stakeholders about the effects of mergers and acquisitions.

Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter and FTC Chair Lina Khan will lead the virtual forums that will look into how M&As may impact and reduce competition in labor markets and certain industries, DOJ said Thursday.

Insights from the listening forums will supplement the efforts of FTC and DOJ’s antitrust division as they seek feedback on merger enforcement guidelines. Comments on the guidelines are due April 21st.

The first forum will be held on March 28th and will focus on food and agriculture and the health care-centered forum will occur on April 14th. The third and fourth meetings will deal with media and entertainment and technology and will take place on April 27th and May 12th, respectively.

The two agencies will also host the Spring Enforcers Summit on April 4th to advance discussions over merger guidelines and interagency collaboration.

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Paul Meyer: The Critical Function of JADC2 and Industry’s Role in Supporting Implementation
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Paul Meyer: The Critical Function of JADC2 and Industry’s Role in Supporting Implementation

Paul Meyer, president of advanced concepts and technology for Raytheon Intelligence and Space, has contributed his thoughts on the Department of Defense’s JADC2 Implementation Plan and how those who serve defense customers may support the initiative.

Meyer said the plan, which was signed into effect by Deputy Secretary of Defense and Wash100 Award winner Kathleen Hicks on March 15, “underscores the urgency in leveraging data connectivity to enable the Joint Forces to defeat adversaries.”

The JADC2 system combines automation, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and machine learning to form a complex, shared information and data infrastructure. It is intended to create an efficient and fast-acting chain of “sense,” “make sense” and “act” directives for warfighters.

On Raytheon and other companies’ role in the plan’s execution, Meyer said, “Industry can help make the strategy actionable by applying our advanced capabilities in space systems, resilient communications, autonomous sensors, AI/ML and smart effectors.”

According to Meyer, Hicks and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, JADC2’s necessity is due to the ever-increasing prevalence of information in conflict scenarios – “terabytes upon terabytes of…operations information,” per Meyer. JADC2 is key because it will ideally speed up the dispersal and processing of information so that combattants can act faster and the full arsenal of strategies and tools may be deployed.

The details of the plan itself are classified, though they are said to include the steps for action, certain “milestones,” as well as an enumeration of resources needed to effectively orchestrate. The group responsible for carrying out the plan is the DSD-chartered JADC2 Cross-Functional Team.

Meyer says Raytheon is already conceiving of preparations to equip the JADC2 architects with the technology they require.

“We are digitally engineering these cost-effective battle management solutions today for our joint forces to make more informed command decisions faster and retain a military advantage against peer threats,” Meyer concluded.

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BigBear.ai Measures Growth in Fiscal Year 2021 Financial Report; GovCon Expert Dr. Reggie Brothers Quoted
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BigBear.ai Measures Growth in Fiscal Year 2021 Financial Report; GovCon Expert Dr. Reggie Brothers Quoted

Artificial intelligence technology company BigBear.ai has released its financial report for both the fourth quarter and the fiscal year 2021, as well as expectations for the coming year.

The Columbia, Maryland-based company disclosed Thursday that its fourth quarter revenue was $33.5 million and full-year revenue reached $145.6 million in 2021.

“Our government business continues to thrive, providing a solid foundation for R&D innovation in areas that resonate with the public and private sectors,” commented BigBear.ai CEO Dr. Reggie Brothers, who is a two-time Wash100 Award winner as well as a key member of Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Expert program.

Brothers also said that international political developments have driven growth and interest in the company’s “technical solutions, operational support and expert guidance.”

During the year, BigBear.ai brought on four new major executives to its team, received nine new prime contracts and closed a business combination with GigCapital4 that resulted in the company becoming publicly traded.

The company said its ending backlog at the close of 2021 was $465 million, with a gross margin of 23 percent for the year and 11 percent for the fourth quarter. CFO Josh Kinley attributed the significant backlog to a series of new business deals, customer accounts and contract awards.

Kinley also said the company’s $(2.3) million EBITDA for the fourth quarter was the result of a handful of contract awards being “pushed into future periods” due to delays. BigBear.ai’s full-year EBITDA was $4.9 million.

BigBear.ai is predicting a revenue between $175 million and $205 million at the end of the fiscal year 2022 with a goal of $20 million in commercial revenue. The company is also aiming for a positive adjusted EBITDA figure.

“We expect to grow revenue substantially among commercial customers, positioning the company for sustainable, highly-profitable revenue in a growing addressable market,” GovCon Expert Brothers remarked, adding that the company will utilize “strategic M&A,” among other strategies, to meet their year objectives.

One significant contract won by BigBear.ai in 2021 was a U.S. Army award in December for work in global force management and data-driven decision-making.

In an interview with ExecutiveBiz, Ryan Legge, president of analytics at BigBear.ai, shared his thoughts on how this work would affect the company’s assignments going forward.

“We are hopeful to take these capabilities to other government agencies and the commercial sector. I think automating and getting process management to accelerate is something that both the private and public sector can use,” Legge said.

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DOD to Migrate Industry Hierarchy Data to One-Stop-Shop Personnel System
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DOD to Migrate Industry Hierarchy Data to One-Stop-Shop Personnel System

Industry hierarchy data in the Defense Information System for Security will migrate to the National Background Investigation Services system on April 1.

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency said Thursday it advises industry partners to review DISS Security Management Offices and determine whether SMOs require consolidation by March 31.

DISS serves as the Department of Defense’s system of record for personnel security and stores hierarchy data used for personnel security programs.

The federal government employs NBIS as a one-stop-shop system for personnel screening encompassing background investigations, adjudication and continuous vetting.

The migration will also transition information from the National Industrial Security System, an authority for facility clearances.

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DARPA to Use Self-Healing Substances to Extend Critical Infrastructure Serviceability
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DARPA to Use Self-Healing Substances to Extend Critical Infrastructure Serviceability

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is launching a new program to develop advanced technologies designed to prevent the early deterioration of concrete used in critical defense infrastructure.

The Bio-inspired Restoration of Aged Concrete Edifices program will work to integrate self-healing “vasculature” substances into concrete at depths to repair cracking, prevent their propagation and extend the serviceability of military buildings.

Research areas will focus on developing durable systems to impart healing materials within concrete and creating practical tools for applying, maintaining and predicting the long-term application and performance of the tools.

“The BRACE program, if successful, will prevent new damage, shorten repair time, and reduce maintenance costs, allowing for extended infrastructure service life,” said Matthew Pava, program manager of BRACE.

Pava said the program will initially target military use cases with plans to expand into civilian applications. 

DARPA will host a virtual proposers day on April 13 to discuss the program.

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NASA Preps for Wet Dress Rehearsal of Artemis I Mission Components
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NASA Preps for Wet Dress Rehearsal of Artemis I Mission Components

NASA is preparing for the final test of the spacecraft, launch vehicle and ground systems that will drive the Artemis I lunar flyby mission.

The Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System and Exploration Ground Systems will undergo a wet dress rehearsal, where they will demonstrate propellant loading and a launch countdown, the space agency said Friday.

The two-day test will begin with the activation of facility systems needed for launching. Staff at Kennedy Space Center will man a launch control system and communicate with personnel from Johnson Space Center, the Space Force Eastern Range and the SLS Engineering Support Center within Alabama-based Marshall Space Flight Center.

The space agency will use the rehearsal’s data to determine the mission’s exact launch date and roll the mission components back to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where technicians will prepare Orion for the actual launch.

Artemis I will be the first in a series of missions that aim to eventually revive manned space exploration.

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NSF’s Erwin Gianchandani Assigned to Lead Technology, Innovation, Partnership
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NSF’s Erwin Gianchandani Assigned to Lead Technology, Innovation, Partnership

Erwin Gianchandani, a long-time executive of the National Science Foundation, has been appointed to serve as the agency’s assistant director for technology, innovation and partnerships.

He will oversee the TIP Directorate, a newly established NSF component made to drive emerging technologies and speed up the application of research to the market, NSF said Thursday.

The new directorate will also foster new education pathways as NSF seeks to build a diverse technical workforce for the future. The agency expects the directorate to support Missing Millions goals.

Gianchandani most recently served as NSF’s senior adviser for TIP, a role through which he helped the agency plan the new directorate. His career includes work as as the deputy assistant director of NSF’s directorate for computer and information science and engineering, which he helped implement a $1 billion annual budget.

He joined NSF in 2012 after serving as the Computing Community Consortium’s inaugural director.

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DHS Announces New Homeland Security Council Members; Alejandro Mayorkas Quoted
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DHS Announces New Homeland Security Council Members; Alejandro Mayorkas Quoted

The Department of Homeland Security has named 33 new members of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, a group providing advice to agency leadership on domestic and international topics.

They will help the council in supporting efforts for the adoption of technologies and innovation, modernization of existing programs and defense against evolving threats, DHS said Thursday.

The new members come from the technology, energy, transportation, financial, food and consumer products, and venture capital industries; law enforcement agencies; policy institutes; the government; and other sectors.

Among the new members, Jamie Gorelick, a partner at legal firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, was selected to co-chair the council.

“Together, we will ensure that the Department is best positioned to meet the challenges we confront today, foresee and be ready for the challenges of tomorrow, capitalize on the power of technological innovation, and serve our country by living up to our highest ideals,” shared Alejandro Mayorkas, DHS secretary and previous Wash100 Award winner.

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Intelligence Authorization Act to Establish Commercial GEOINT Data Program Office
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Intelligence Authorization Act to Establish Commercial GEOINT Data Program Office

A $1.5 trillion omnibus spending measure that President Joe Biden signed into law on Tuesday includes a bill that provides authorities for emerging technologies and other priorities and authorizes funding for agencies within the intelligence community, Federal News Network reported.

The 2022 Intelligence Authorization Act will direct the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office to come up with a plan to create an integrated commercial GEOINT data program office within three months.

The NRO, which oversees the procurement of commercial space imagery, will house the proposed integrated office that will be embedded with staff at NGA.

The bill will require the head of the Office of Personnel Management and the director of national intelligence to publish in the Federal Register a policy outlining standards and guidelines for the implementation of the Trusted Workforce 2.0 initiative by federal agencies and industry within six months.

The Intelligence Authorization Act also includes data sharing requirements with regard to unidentified aerial phenomena, post-employment restrictions for certain intelligence agency leaders and protections for IC whistleblowers.

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Senate Bill to Prohibit Russian Elites From Using Digital Assets to Evade Sanctions; Sen. Mark Warner Quoted
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Senate Bill to Prohibit Russian Elites From Using Digital Assets to Evade Sanctions; Sen. Mark Warner Quoted

A group of senators introduced a bill that would discourage foreign cryptocurrency firms from engaging with sanctioned Russian elites to prevent the latter from evading international sanctions using digital assets.

The Digital Asset Sanctions Compliance Enhancement Act “will crack down on foreign actors who help sanctioned Russians use digital assets like cryptocurrencies to circumvent the crippling measures we’ve put in place to punish Russia for its barbaric invasion of Ukraine,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., said in a statement published Thursday.

The bill would direct the U.S. president to identify and sanction foreign digital asset actors that enable Russia to evade sanctions and require the Department of the Treasury to release a public report that identifies foreign digital asset trading platforms that are considered to be high risk for money laundering, sanctions evasion and other illicit activities.

The legislation would provide the Treasury secretary authority to bar digital asset trading systems from transacting with Russia-linked cryptocurrency addresses and direct the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to require U.S. taxpayers with offshore cryptocurrency transactions worth more than $10,000 to file FinCEN Form 114.

Among the lawmakers that introduced the bill were Warner, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

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