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Noblis Wins Prime Position on BPA to Provide T&E for JAIC Software; VP Glenn Hickok Quoted
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Noblis Wins Prime Position on BPA to Provide T&E for JAIC Software; VP Glenn Hickok Quoted

Information technology services company Noblis has secured a prime position on the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center test and evaluation blanket purchase agreement.

The five-year BPA mandates that Noblis will test and evaluate software to make sure it adheres with DoD ethical principle rulings, the Reston, Virginia-based company announced on Monday.

Glenn Hickok, Noblis defense mission vice president, emphasized the company’s commitment to providing high-level science, technology and strategy services.

“We’re looking forward to combining this pedigree with our collective team’s extensive AI and T&E experience to ensure that AI will be a force multiplier for the DoD for many years to come,” Hickok continued.

Noblis will lead the team, including CalypsoAI and i3, in the work under the BPA. The companies’ combined efforts bring experience in the design, development and implementation of AI software to the project.

The work will be conducted with JAIC clientele and aims to enable the JAIC to cut costs and redirect the funds to other AI procedures.

Noblis and its affiliates have been serving U.S. federal government customers like the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, Department of Homeland Security and law enforcement for over three decades.

The company is currently working under a $263 million prime contract to accelerate the usage of the Cooperative Threat Reduction program for the DoD’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency. The contract was announced in September 2021.

That same month, Glenn Hickok spoke with ExecutiveBiz in an interview detailing the establishment of Noblis MSD, challenges in technology innovation and what he sees as the future of the company.

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David McKeown: More Vendors May Need 3rd Party Assessments Under CMMC 2.0
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David McKeown: More Vendors May Need 3rd Party Assessments Under CMMC 2.0

David McKeown, deputy chief information officer for cybersecurity at the Department of Defense, said approximately 80,000 contractors might have to undergo third-party assessments under the second iteration of DOD’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, Federal News Network reported Thursday.

“Unfortunately, it looks like pretty much everybody falls into the category of either being a clear defense contractor or having some critical industry tie, that pretty much all of those are going to end up being very important [controlled unclassified information],” McKeown said Thursday at a town hall meeting.

When DOD unveiled the CMMC 2.0 program in late 2021, officials initially anticipated that half of those 80,000 vendors handling less risky data would only need to self-attest to their cybersecurity practices. However, further studies have revealed that all of those companies will need to undergo third-party assessments.

McKeown noted that the Pentagon is working with the CMMC Accreditation Body to build up the “assessment ecosystem” and hinted that the department is not tied to a previous goal of integrating CMMC requirements into all defense contracts by 2025.

“We want to phase this in over a perhaps a longer period of time than the three years,” McKeown said. “We haven’t nailed that down yet. That’s also part of the rulemaking and negotiating with the AB, what we think the capacity is going to be to get through that group of 80,000 companies out there.”

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White House Unveils U.S. Strategy for Indo-Pacific Region
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White House Unveils U.S. Strategy for Indo-Pacific Region

The White House has released a new strategy to strengthen the U.S. role in the Indo-Pacific region while reinforcing the region in collaboration with allies, partners and regional institutions.

The Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States has five objectives and these are advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific; building connections within and beyond the region; driving regional prosperity; bolstering Indo-Pacific security; and building regional resilience to transnational threats, the White House said Friday.

To meet the first objective, the U.S. will invest in democratic institutions, a free press and a vibrant civil society; improve fiscal transparency to drive reform and expose corruption; and advance common approaches to critical and emerging technologies, the internet and cyberspace, among other efforts. 

The U.S. will also pursue integrated deterrence, deepen cooperation and enhance interoperability with allies and partners and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, among other initiatives, to reinforce Indo-Pacific security.

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John Bass Named State Department Chief Sustainability Officer
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John Bass Named State Department Chief Sustainability Officer

John Bass, undersecretary for management at the State Department, has been designated by State Secretary Antony Blinken as chief sustainability officer.

Blinken, a previous Wash100 Award winner, said in a statement published Wednesday Bass will help advance the department’s federal climate and sustainability priorities outlined in the Biden administration’s two executive orders and oversee the implementation of the department’s resilience, sustainability and adaptation goals.

“He will be supported by the Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer who leads the Greening Diplomacy Initiative within the Office of Management Strategy and Solutions, as well as the Climate and Sustainability Working Group comprising multiple Department bureaus and offices,” added Blinken.

Bass’ appointment comes as the State Department advances efforts to address the climate crisis, including improving sustainability and reducing carbon emissions of its offices in the U.S. and overseas.

Bass is a senior foreign service officer who started his diplomatic career in 1988. He previously served as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Turkey and Georgia, executive secretary of the State Department and senior adviser at the Foreign Service Institute.

POC-How Climate Policy Can Drive Change

The Potomac Officers Club will hold the forum How Climate Policy Can Drive Change on Feb. 24, Thursday. Visit the Potomac Officers Club site to learn more about this event and view POC’s full calendar.

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IntelliDyne Deemed a Top Workplace in the U.S. 2022 by Energage; CEO Robert Grey Quoted
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IntelliDyne Deemed a Top Workplace in the U.S. 2022 by Energage; CEO Robert Grey Quoted

Information technology company IntelliDyne has been recognized by Energage as a Top Workplace in the U.S. for 2022, a distinction they also received in 2021.

The federal government-serving company announced on Tuesday, February 1, 2022, that it made the cut on the decade-and-a-half-old award that picks the companies they feel are most deserving through the polling of 20 million employees.

“A cohesive culture has always been the cornerstone of our success and the pandemic has continually challenged us over the last two years to find new and innovative ways to ensure our employees remain engaged by providing meaningful work, purpose, and belonging,” said IntelliDyne CEO Robert Grey.

Grey entered the company on the ground floor in 1999 and was at its helm for almost 10 years before stepping down in 2008. He then resumed his post as CEO just before the COVID-19 pandemic exploded onto U.S. shores in February 2020.

Energage’s Top Workplaces USA survey is culled exclusively from employee feedback and takes into account over 42,000 companies before making the list. The questionnaire utilizes criteria based on “industry benchmarks” and 15 different culture-driving qualities seen as favorable by most workers.

“Our employees have truly thrived over the last year. The company experienced exciting growth in 2021 which allowed us to expand our offerings and provide new opportunities for our staff,” Grey added.

In May 2021, IntelliDyne developed a board of advisors to aid the company’s executive leadership in decision-making.

In the same year, the Falls Church, Virginia-based company also announced a partnership with Morgan State University in Maryland. Together, the organizations are aiming to offer internships, workshops and career development pathways for students.

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F-35 Office Looks for Technologies to Beef Up Joint Fighter’s Cybersecurity in Upcoming Challenge
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F-35 Office Looks for Technologies to Beef Up Joint Fighter’s Cybersecurity in Upcoming Challenge

The F-35 Joint Program Office is launching a new competition aimed at improving the security, resilience and survivability of its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter next-generation aircraft against cyberattacks.

The F-35 JSF Cybersecurity and Cyber Defense Challenge will look for technologies designed to help in the real-time atuomatic cyber threat detection, response and recovery that can be integrated on the fighter, according to a special notice on SAM.gov.

Technologies of interest may include various communication buses for real-time operating systems and platform information technology systems, as well as those that provide alerts pre-, in- and post-flight or isolate and prevent cyber incidents without affecting aircraft safety.

Interested industry members can submit their response to the special notice on or before March 3, with selected participants set to demonstrate their proposed technologies to officials in detail.

According to a report, the F-35 is full of software and cybersecurity problems.

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DOE Appoints 11 Individuals to Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee
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DOE Appoints 11 Individuals to Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee

The Department of Energy has named 11 new members of the Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee, a reconstructed group dedicated to helping DOE make decisions on various nuclear energy matters.

The renewed NEAC will meet biannually to advise the energy secretary and the assistant secretary for nuclear energy on national policy, nuclear program partners, program element reviews and the resources needed for nuclear program planning, DOE said Wednesday.

The commission, which originally stood up in 1998, will help DOE leadership identify the needs and priorities of nuclear program partners, tackle the scientific aspects of nuclear matters and periodically review elements of the department’s nuclear programs.

DOE has restructured NEAC to streamline the committee with a focus on current priorities instead of efforts that have already concluded.

“A change in the structure and focus in NEAC will help DOE act more quickly and effectively to research advances in nuclear power to meet the nation’s energy, environmental and national security needs,” said Andy Griffith, deputy assistant secretary for nuclear fuel cycle and supply chain.

The new NEAC members and their respective focuses are:

  • Bill Magwood (Chair)  – International Perspective
  • Edward Kee – Private Investment and Financial Perspective
  • Frederick Bresler – Utility Distribution Perspective
  • J’Tia Hart – Engineering and National Security Perspective
  • Kemal Pasamehmetoglu – Advanced Reactor Research and Development Perspective
  • Lake Barrett – Used Nuclear Fuel Perspective
  • Maria Korsnick – Industry Perspective
  • Michael Ford – Engineering, Public Policy and National Security Perspective
  • Raluca Scarlat – University Perspective
  • Richard Arnold – Tribal Perspective
  • Sonja Schmid – Social Studies of Science and Technology Perspective

 

Army’s Paul Pucket Urges DOD to Build Direct Relationships With Cloud Service Providers
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Army’s Paul Pucket Urges DOD to Build Direct Relationships With Cloud Service Providers

Paul Puckett, the director of the Enterprise Cloud Management Office for the U.S. Army, said the Department of Defense must transform cloud acquisition strategy by developing a standard cost structure and building direct relationships with cloud service providers.

Puckett said the Army has begun to forge direct partnerships with CSPs through its cArmy program and Cloud Account Management Optimization effort in a push to eliminate excess cloud spending and have ownership of an enterprise cloud infrastructure, Federal News Network reported Thursday.

The Army lets companies compete for delivering mission capabilities based on their ability to design and deploy services using a government secure cloud infrastructure rather than their ability to resell cloud services.

Puckett said the adoption of the enterprisewide cloud platform has enabled the Army to save about $8 million in spending.

The military service’s cloud acquisition approach serves as a foundation to DOD’s Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability program, the replacement for the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure effort.

Pucket said his office is working closely with the Defense Information Systems Agency to provide lessons learned from the CAMO and cArmy programs and share how the Army lead cloud acquisitions.

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NASA Pursues New Heliophysics Missions to Further Study the Sun
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NASA Pursues New Heliophysics Missions to Further Study the Sun

NASA will employ a pair of new scientific missions to further study the Sun and its connection with Earth in ways that can benefit astronaut and space asset safety.

The space agency said Friday its Multi-slit Solar Explorer or MUSE mission aims to determine the roots of coronal heating and instability and provide insight into the corona’s basic plasma properties. The corona serves as the sun’s outermost atmospheric layer.

MUSE will also attempt to capture images that depict changes of solar flare ribbons. Bart DePontieu from the Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center will serve as MUSE’s principal investigator, with his organization being in charge of program management.

“It will provide more insight into space weather and complements a host of other missions within the heliophysics mission fleet,” Nicola Fox, director of the NASA’s heliophysics division, said about MUSE.

The second mission, known as HelioSwarm, will deploy nine spacecraft designed to measure solar wind turbulence, which refers to the fluctuations in the magnetic field of solar wind. HelioSwarm will employ a hub spacecraft linked with eight co-orbiting small satellites to measure plasma from different points.

Harlan Spence, a physics professor at the University of New Hampshire, will serve as the principal investigator for HelioSwarm, which will be managed by NASA’s Ames Research Center.

The Explorers Program Office within NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center will fund and oversee both missions under the Heliophysics Explorers Program.

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Air Force’s Lease Program Helping Provide Installations With Commercial 5G Coverage
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Air Force’s Lease Program Helping Provide Installations With Commercial 5G Coverage

U.S. Air Force officials have revealed that an ongoing lease program with commercial telecommunications companies are helping provide 5G cellular coverage to military installations across the U.S.

The multi-phase Long Term Evolution project is currently offering 25-year leases to private entities for the installation of broadband networks to connect all installations on an improved cellular network by 2026, the Air Force said Wednesday.

Managed by the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, the project is expected to imporve connectivity at home and offices within the military facilities as well as the service branch’s operational flight line, according to AFCEC Deputy Director of Installations Col. Shamekia Toliver.

“We’re ensuring lethality and readiness by improving connectivity for devices powering missions while benefiting Airmen and Guardians and their families,” explained Toliver.

Once the the first two phases of the program, which covers southeast, southwest and midwest U.S., are completed in 2023, Air Force Reserve Command Chief Information Technology Officer Kenneth Morgan noted that all bases will ready to tap into 5G communications.

“That means when we deploy capabilities, we can deploy those technologies universally across the command,” explained Morgan.

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