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Senators Seek Info on DHS’ Efforts to Protect Critical Infrastructure From Russian Cyberattacks
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Senators Seek Info on DHS’ Efforts to Protect Critical Infrastructure From Russian Cyberattacks

Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and 20 other lawmakers asked the Department of Homeland Security for information on DHS’ efforts to safeguard the U.S. from Russian cyberattacks and disinformation threats in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The lawmakers wrote a letter to Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of DHS and a previous Wash100 Award winner, asking whether the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has strategy in place should Russian state-backed hackers target U.S. critical infrastructure in retaliation for sanctions imposed on Russia, Rosen’s office said Monday.

“As we stand with the Ukrainian people, impose crushing sanctions on Vladimir Putin’s regime, and push for additional security assistance to help Ukraine defend itself, we also must work to secure the homeland from retaliatory cyber activities,” the bipartisan group of senators wrote in the March 13 letter.

The lawmakers also asked how CISA identifies and provides technical support to critical infrastructure operators and owners and works with international partners to advance operational coordination.

POC - 2022 CMMC Forum

The Potomac Officers Club will host the 2022 CMMC Forum on May 18. Visit the Potomac Officers Club site to learn more about this event and view POC’s full calendar.

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Jeff Lau Named Executive Sponsor of GSA’s Commercial Platforms Program
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Jeff Lau Named Executive Sponsor of GSA’s Commercial Platforms Program

Jeff Lau, regional commissioner for the Northeast and Caribbean Region at the General Services Administration’s Federal Acquisition Service, has been appointed executive sponsor of the Commercial Platforms program at GSA.

He will oversee the team and help shape the Commercial Platforms program’s future, Laura Stanton, assistant commissioner for the office of information technology category at FAS, wrote in a blog post published Thursday.

Lau said he sees an opportunity to streamline and modernize commercial procurement through the program.

“I am excited about growing the program and broadening the number of platforms participating in future contracts. This will be a significant focus area as part of my leadership,” he added.

As regional commissioner, Lau oversees four FAS portfolios that provide contracting and procurement platforms to federal, state and local agencies.

He joined GSA in 2004 as a contract specialist in the Northeast and Caribbean Region. He previously served as acting regional administrator and special adviser to the FAS regional commissioner.

The appointment came days after GSA started soliciting feedback from online portal providers on requirements that may be included in future contracts under the Commercial Platforms program. Responses to the request for information are due April 15.

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2021 Sustainability Report Showcases L3Harris Environmental, Social, Governance Goals and Results; CEO Christopher Kubasik Quoted
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2021 Sustainability Report Showcases L3Harris Environmental, Social, Governance Goals and Results; CEO Christopher Kubasik Quoted

L3Harris Technologies has released its yearly Sustainability Report enumerating the company’s various environmental initiatives over the course of 2021 and naming focus areas for its Environmental, Social and Governance program.

According to the report, published Monday, L3Harris made advancements in its objectives to reduce greenhouse and gas emissions by 30 percent and water consumption by 20 percent before 2026.

“We continue to make meaningful strides with our ESG efforts as they become engrained in the L3Harris culture,” said Christopher Kubasik, vice chair and CEO of L3Harris as well as a three-time Wash100 Award recipient. 

The company also said they have done work to meet their goal of reducing waste disposal in landfills by 75% before 2026.

During 2021, L3Harris began commercial work for Elm Branch, a solar farm that it owns and facilitates. The enterprise was built in collaboration with military veterans, spans 1,350 acres and is said to decrease CO2 emissions by 110,000 metric tons annually.

Kubasik also stated the company strengthened its climate data monitoring efforts during the last calendar year in order to ensure its ability to run ethically and sustainably for the foreseeable future.

“We initiated alignment with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures to advance our transparency in climate-related risks and opportunities,” Kubasik added.

The company reported a 100% rating on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index and that all of its employees were trained on Global Trade Compliance Policy in order to ensure proper international trade conduct.

L3Harris team members logged 105,000 total volunteer hours in 2021, which exceeded the company’s prior high watermark in this category by almost 50,000 hours. In addition, the company noted its diversity, equity and inclusion statistics, reporting half of the workforce being women and nearly a quarter of jobs occupied by people of color.

“Together, we aim to cultivate an ethical, disruptive company that strives for excellence far beyond base policies and standards,” Kubasik concluded.

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Army Eyes Contractor Selection for New Mobile Protected Firepower Light Tank Soon
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Army Eyes Contractor Selection for New Mobile Protected Firepower Light Tank Soon

The U.S. Army officials revealed that a contract for the production of the service’s new Mobile Protected Firepower light tank could be coming in the third quarter of fiscal 2022, Defense News reported Saturday.

The announcement followed a limited-user test in fall 2021 during which Army soldiers tried out the light tank prototypes developed by BAE Systems and General Dynamics‘ land systems business.

“We got what we needed out of the competition, which was prototypes that went through a full range of testing, limited-user testing, soldier touch points,” shared Doug Bush, the Army’s chief acquisition officer, to reporters.

In 2018, the service branch selected BAE and GDLS to produce tanks prototypes that will provide a capability for mobile, protected and direct fires once they were initially deployed in fiscal 2025.

BAE is offering an updated version of the B8 Buford armored gun system with additional capabilities and components, while GDLS is presenting a lightweight chassis with a power pack, advanced suspension and a turret featuring M1 Abrams battle tank technologies.

Recent reports suggest that acquisition officials disqualified BAE from the competition, but the Army has yet to confirm the news’ validity.

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GSA Seeks Support Services for Defense Innovation Unit
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GSA Seeks Support Services for Defense Innovation Unit

The General Services Administration has released an advanced notice to inform potential contractors about an upcoming opportunity in support of the Defense Innovation Unit.

The potential five-year contract would provide for scientific, technical and subject matter expertise that can support DIU in multiple areas including artificial intelligence, machine learning, autonomous systems, information technology, cyber, space technology, human systems and advanced energy and materials, GSA said Thursday in a SAM.gov notice.

Support tasks under the effort would also encompass program management, business operations and procurement.

Work would begin on Sept. 1st and take place at multiple locations including those in California, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Japan, Germany, South Korea and Washington, D.C.

The government expects to allot $10 million per year for the effort, which includes a one-year base period and four option years through Aug. 31, 2027. Interested parties may submit expressions of interest through April 10.

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Army C5ISR Center Wants Info on Threat Forecasting Tech
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Army C5ISR Center Wants Info on Threat Forecasting Tech

The U.S. Army’s Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center has released a request for information on technologies that can predict a threat’s behavior and location.

According to the RFI on SAM.gov, contractor threat forecasting software is expected to help the C5ISR Center’s Engineering System Integration Directorate in developing requirements and prioritizing resources for ISR operations.

The service branch is interested in capabilities that use information from known threat tactics, techniques and procedures; terrain, intelligence, training and previous events to produce continuous forecasts of threat courses of action and high-value target locations that would improve wargaming, ISR collection and decision-making processes.

Interested companies can respond to the RFI on or before April 25.

The effort is part of the Army’s transition to the multi-domain concept, in which commanders need intelligence to view insights into adversaries’ upcoming actions and make decisions at a faster rate.

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Accenture Federal Services Secures $199M TSA Contract for Credential System Support; Maurine Fanguy Quoted
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Accenture Federal Services Secures $199M TSA Contract for Credential System Support; Maurine Fanguy Quoted

Accenture’s Federal Services, has received a seven-year, $199 million contract award from the Transportation Security Administration to perform information technology modernization services.

Under the contract, Accenture Federal Services will assist the Department of Homeland Security arm with threat response by streamlining the department’s credentialing apparatus from three programs into one, the company said Monday.

“TSA’s credentialing systems play a critical role in protecting our nation from a broad range of threats,” explained Maurine Fanguy, managing director and DHS lead at AFS.

Fanguy continued, saying the consolidated platform is aimed to increase efficiency and maximize business value for the agency’s Information Technology, Technology Solutions division.

AFS will employ an agile software approach for its program consolidation strategy. The company’s team will also be responsible for project management, cybersecurity and operations support services.

According to Anthony Pinheiro, managing director of AFS and TSA lead, the credentialing systems serve about 30 million people, such as transportation workers, airline crews and hazmat drivers. He attests the new program will enable the TSA to “more rapidly adapt to changing threats.”

“AFS is proud to continue our support of TSA’s mission to protect the nation’s transportation systems, ensuring freedom of movement for all Americans,” Pinheiro added.

This contract award follows AFS’ $200 million January task order to help the TSA with flight adaptive maintenance. In the same month, the company also landed a $73 million contract award from the IRS to work on their taxpayer income verification and fraud alert systems.

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State Department Announces New $200M Security Assistance Package for Ukraine; Antony Blinken Quoted
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State Department Announces New $200M Security Assistance Package for Ukraine; Antony Blinken Quoted

The Department of State has authorized up to $200 million in military support for Ukraine as the European country copes with the effects of Russia’s invasion.

The package marks a fourth presidential drawdown in support of Ukraine and includes resources to help the country in conflict defend against airborne, armored and other threats, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement posted on Saturday.

The newly announced drawdown raises the Biden administration’s total security assistance to Ukraine to over $1.2 billion. Blinken also said the U.S. will continue to provide security and economic assistance to help Ukraine meet humanitarian needs.

“We are committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and will continue to provide Ukraine the support it needs,” said Blinken, who is also a 2021 Wash100 Award winner.

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DLA Develops Dashboard App to Track COVID-19 Test Kit Deliveries
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DLA Develops Dashboard App to Track COVID-19 Test Kit Deliveries

The Defense Logistics Agency has created a new dashboard designed to track the distribution of COVID-19 test kits across the U.S.

The new dashboard application, launched in February, uses key performance indicators to measure and track the progress of DLA’s distribution operations in San Joaquin, California, and an associated warehouse in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, the agency said Thursday.

The U.S. Postal Service and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Coordination Operation and Response Element provide data that the application uses to generate information on inbound and outbound kit shipments nationwide.

“Between the speed of analysis and delivery to our users, whether they’re accessing the application on a computer or mobile device, everyone now sees the same data simultaneously,” said Steven Forster, a supply management specialist at DLA Distribution.

Forster, who developed the app for computer use, eventually created an interface that allows mobile devices to access the dashboard. The app also features a chart that presents USPS’ hub deliveries and how long it would take to drive to these locations.

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Rear Adms. John Lemmon, Stephen Tedford Named to Navy PEO Roles
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Rear Adms. John Lemmon, Stephen Tedford Named to Navy PEO Roles

The U.S. Navy appointed Rear Adm. John Lemmon as program executive officer for tactical aircraft programs and Rear Adm. Stephen Tedford as PEO for unmanned aviation and strike weapons, the Department of Defense said Friday.

Lemmon currently serves as commander of the Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division and assistant commander for research and engineering at Naval Air Systems Command.

He previously served as vice commander of NAVAIR and executive assistant to the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition.

Tedford is commander of the Navy’s Operational Test and Evaluation Force in Norfolk, Virginia.

He is former vice commander of NAVAIR and served as program manager of the service’s aircraft launch and recovery equipment program office (PMA-251) for nearly four years.

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