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Naval Research Lab Pilot Project Delivers Maritime Domain Awareness to Support Agencies’ Missions
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Naval Research Lab Pilot Project Delivers Maritime Domain Awareness to Support Agencies’ Missions

A Naval Research Laboratory pilot project is currently providing four federal agencies and various state and local law enforcement organizations with global maritime domain awareness capabilities half a year following its launch.

NRL said Thursday the PROTEUS program uses a data collector and aggregator, multi-source data fusion engine, event processor, common operating picture and other information technologies to identify and track maritime vessels around the world.

Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Transportation and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration use the NRL system in performing various missions such as search and rescue, maritime law enforcement and environmental protection and response.

“PROTEUS is need to protect our vulnerable maritime borders from illicit activity as well as support international efforts against illegal fishing and human trafficking,” explained Alan Hope, PROTEUS program manager at NRL.

The program, which started in early June, is set to have a lifespan of multiple months.

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New FITARA Scorecard: 15 Agencies Graded F on Transition to Modern Telecommunications Contract
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New FITARA Scorecard: 15 Agencies Graded F on Transition to Modern Telecommunications Contract

Several agencies have received failing marks on their progress to transition to the Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions modern telecommunications contract vehicle from the expiring Networx deal, Nextgov reported Thursday.

The recently released 12th biannual Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act scorecard shows that 15 agencies received an F on the transition category, an increase from just two in July and five in December 2020.

Despite the poor marks, all 24 graded agencies received an A for their work on optimizing their respective data centers.

Following the release, the House Oversight and Reform’s government operations subcommittee was set to hear on Thursday suggestions on improving how FITARA scorecards measure an agency’s modernization progress with accuracy.

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Reps. Gerry Connolly, Darrell Issa Initiate Congressional Caucus for IT Modernization
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Reps. Gerry Connolly, Darrell Issa Initiate Congressional Caucus for IT Modernization

Reps. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., and Darrell Issa, R-Calif., have announced a bipartisan group aimed at promoting the importance of information technology modernization through discussions between lawmakers and companies.

The Congressional IT Modernization Caucus will address barriers that challenge the federal government’s IT modernization pursuits and will inform other Congress members on federal IT matters, Connolly’s office said Thursday.

“It has become abundantly clear that to generate the necessary resilience against future crises effectively, governments at all levels must fully embrace cutting-edge technology and data analytics,” Connolly said.

Connolly and Issa previously authored the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act, which has supported IT procurement at 24 federal agencies since it was signed into law.

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GAO: HHS Needs Strategies to Address Workforce Needs as It Takes Over Vaccine Responsibilities
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GAO: HHS Needs Strategies to Address Workforce Needs as It Takes Over Vaccine Responsibilities

The Government Accountability Office has recommended that the Department of Health and Human Services come up and implement workforce strategies to address identified staffing needs as it assumes all responsibilities over COVID-19 vaccine-related work previously led by the Department of Defense as part of a partnership. 

In May 2020, HHS and DOD partnered through the COVID-19 Countermeasures Acceleration Group, formerly Operation Warp Speed, to speed up vaccine development, production and distribution, according to a GAO report published Wednesday.

In accordance with the April 2021 memorandum of understanding between HHS and the Pentagon, the CAG dissolved and transferred DOD-led vaccine work and other activities to HHS, which assumed vaccine responsibilities at the start of 2022.

GAO reviewed the transition documentation and found that HHS did not develop a workforce strategy for four of the seven lines of effort.

For instance, the CAG’s transition document for the Security and Assurance line of effort showed that HHS did not have the needed personnel to continue the group’s responsibilities and highlighted a need for additional contractors to maintain capabilities for this specific line of effort, which includes coordinating initiatives to protect vaccine development, production and distribution work and offer industrial security to supply chains of vaccine companies.

The congressional watchdog also recommended that HHS develop a schedule that is in line with the best practices outlined in the GAO Schedule Assessment Guide to manage vaccine-related responsibilities and expand the lessons-learned review to integrate insight from key stakeholders.

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White House Announces Launch of Made in America Council
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White House Announces Launch of Made in America Council

The Biden administration has unveiled a new council to help coordinate and accelerate the work of the Made in America Office across the federal government.

The Made in America Council will establish a regular forum to enable agencies to collaborate as they further build up the use of federal procurement and financial assistance to increase dependence on domestic supply chains and lessen the need for waivers, the White House said Wednesday.

The council will also help the current administration implement the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, come up with recommendations to expand U.S. supply chains and advance data sharing to encourage best practices and domestic sourcing across agencies.

The White House said the creation of the new council marks a step in helping the Made in America office deliver on its mission to support and advance U.S. manufacturing, workers and industries.

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Russia’s Central Bank Seeks to Prohibit Crypto Mining
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Russia’s Central Bank Seeks to Prohibit Crypto Mining

The central bank of Russia has proposed to impose a ban on the mining and use of cryptocurrencies and on cryptocurrency exchanges, Reuters reported Thursday.

According to a report issued by Russia’s central bank Thursday, crypto has the characteristics of a financial pyramid that could pose risks to financial stability, a person’s well-being and monetary policy sovereignty.

The Bank of Russia proposed restricting financial institutions from performing operations involving the digital currency and said that systems should be in place to bar transactions that seek to sell or purchase crypto for fiat currencies.

In 2020, cryptocurrency achieved legal status in Russia but the country prohibited its use as a mode of payment.

The central bank associated crypto mining with energy consumption-related problems and noted in the report that crypto users in Russia perform transactions worth about $5 billion per year.

The bank said it would collaborate with authorities in countries where cryptocurrency exchanges are registered to gather information on Russian clients’ operations.

Crypto exchange Binance told the news agency that it would work with regulatory agencies and hoped the central bank’s report would result in discussions to safeguard Russian crypto users’ interests.

POC - Digital Currency and National Security Forum

On Jan. 27, the Potomac Officers Club will bring together distinguished government and industry leaders to discuss the national security aspect of digital currencies. National Cyber Director Chris Inglis will deliver the keynote speech at POC’s Digital Currency and National Security Forum.

Register now for this virtual event via the POC Events page.

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FCC Announces Members of New Technological Advisory Council
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FCC Announces Members of New Technological Advisory Council

The Federal Communications Commission has named the new members of its reestablished Technological Advisory Council, which will be chaired by Dean Brenner, a former Qualcomm executive.

TAC’s first meeting will take place on Feb. 28 with live video coverage as announced by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, FCC said Wednesday.

The council is tasked to help FCC create informed technology policies and identify critical innovation areas including those related to artificial intelligence, emerging wireless technologies, advanced spectrum sharing and 6G.

TAC will also tackle technologies that can restore internet connectivity during disruptive scenarios.

Michael Ha, chief of the policy-focused division within FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology, will retain his position as TAC’s designated federal officer.

Martin Doczkat, chief of the same office’s electromagnetic compatibility division, will serve as the alternate designated federal officer.

The full list of TAC members, which can be found here, includes representatives from AT&T, VMware, Nokia, T-Mobile and RapidSOS, among other companies.

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Oak Ridge Official Sean Hearne Tapped as Research Consortium SURA President, CEO
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Oak Ridge Official Sean Hearne Tapped as Research Consortium SURA President, CEO

Sean Hearne, an official within the Department of Energy’s national laboratory systems for two decades, has been selected as president and CEO of the Southeastern Universities Research Association.

Hearne, the director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Materials Science and Technology Division, will officially take over his new position on Feb. 14, the 59-university consortium said Friday.

The newly appointed executive currently oversees applied materials research involving quantum materials, advanced manufacturing and other areas in support of the DOE, Department of Defense and industry partners.

“He brings a collaborative leadership style, strategic vision, and an impressive record of scientific discovery demonstrated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories,” explained David Norton, chairman of SURA’s board of directors.

Before joining the government, Hearne helped develop Intel‘s Cu interconnect technology as a senior process engineer within tits components research division.

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DOD Hypersonics Professionals Meet With Students During California Event; Gillian Bussey Quoted
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DOD Hypersonics Professionals Meet With Students During California Event; Gillian Bussey Quoted

The Department of Defense Joint Hypersonic Transition Office’s university consortium recently introduced hypersonics professionals to participating students during an American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics forum in California.

The JHTO University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics’ meet and greet event enabled students to gain insights on hypersonics work and related opportunities in the industry, the DOD said Wednesday.

According to Gillian Bussey, director of JHTO, the event is an effort by the office to inspire students and explain the future of the aerodynamic technology.

“The JHTO is planning to move out across a spectrum of workforce strategies that include surveys, research, curricula, internships, scholarships, and today’s event provided momentum for these student activities in 2022,” added Bussey.

The event comes as the JHTO consortium plans to award applied and advanced research projects to university-led teams every fiscal year.

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DAF Chief Frank Kendall Presents 7 Imperatives to Maintain Air Force, Space Force Superiority
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DAF Chief Frank Kendall Presents 7 Imperatives to Maintain Air Force, Space Force Superiority

Frank Kendall, Department of the Air Force secretary, recently outlined seven objectives he said the U.S. Air Force and Space Force should take to remain ahead of China and other modernizing rivals.

He told attendees of a Washington think tank-sponsored virtual fireside chat that the U.S. military should not assume that it is still as superior to adversaries as it was three decades ago, the Air Force said Wednesday.

According to him, the military must organize an order of battle for the space domain, form a joint all-domain command and control system, identify components for the Next Generation Air Dominance program that could operate as a unit and improve target acquisition processes.

The official added that mobile and agile bases, readiness and modernized global strike capabilities are also needed to address the current changing security environment.

“I’m trying to instill in the whole department a sense of urgency … these operational imperatives are the things we have to do to be successful and to have a successful deterrent,” shared Kendall.

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