September 20, 2023

QUICK HITS

• “Keep it simple, amiright?” Fed customer experience improvements ‘are the love language of democracy:’ Plain language and simple forms.

• Marines pause aviation operations after crash, missing jet: Move follows two deadly crashes.

• One month stopgap bill proposed while slashing agency spending: Can the Speaker sell it to his members?

• How much is too much to ask for in the OASIS+ solicitation? One protestor says GSA asking bidders to break costs down doesn’t comply with FAR 15.404.1.

DEFENSE & AEROSPACE

Opinion: Government needs to stay out of production for Replicator to succeed.

Earlier this month, Deputy Secretary of Defense Hicks announced the Replicator program aimed at delivering thousands of low-cost attritable autonomous systems (AAS) across multiple domains in 18-to-24 months. If successful, Replicator will strengthen the industrial base fostering partnerships between government and commercial industry. It’s been suggested in these pages that the DOD should “invest in new government owned production facilities, not simply the systems themselves.” This would be a mistake. Read more

GAO pushes DOD for better planning on restrictive cloud practices.

GAO found that DOD needs to do better in mitigating the effects of restrictive practices by cloud service vendors – from choice of provider to the cost of cloud services – as it moves its data and software to the cloud. Read more

Experts want ChatGPT to write battle plans, not execute them.

Theoretically, there's little stopping chatbots from summarizing secret intel or coming up with in-depth orders for military operations. But should generative AI like ChatGPT be executing battle plans in addition to just writing them? Read more

ICYMI Snippets

• RFP: NASA opens competition for 3rd on-ramp of rapid spacecraft acquisition program.

• At Hawaii conference, industry experts show off ways to improve DOD space monitoring.

• Lockheed's hopes for a F-35 sustainment deal may be crumbling.

• L3Harris seeks satellite supplier partnerships.

• Juggling ways to send Taiwan weapons – but no line skipping.

• Under DIU '3.0' innovation hub looks to take on more embedded role.

• The first asteroid sample collected in space by NASA is arriving this Sunday.

Defense Contract Awards

• MIL Corp. to support NAWCAD CW requirements under $224M USN contract.

• Long Wave secures $113M USAF contract for antenna program support.

• ABL gets contract for U.S. Space Force 'responsive launch' mission.

• DOD uses SBIR Phase III to award Aeyon $250M Digital Modernization of Analyses and Decisions Support IDIQ.

• LeoLabs, SAIC to develop space tracking software platform.

Follow the Defense Leaders

• Peraton strategy VP assumes new responsibilities as VP and GM.

• Northrop veteran takes on VP role at Siemens Government Technologies.

• Technology executive joins General Dynamics as Chief Growth Officer.

Defense Job Openings

• The Army is hiring a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Installations, Housing, and Partnerships.

• Army's U.S. Futures Command is seeking a Director of Futures Integration, FCC.

• USAF seeks a Director, Nuclear Command Control and Communications Enterprise Center.

INTEL COMMUNITY

China's cyberespionage program bigger than the competition combined, says FBI chief.

The FBI's director says that China has a bigger hacking program than all of its major competitors (*coughRussiaIrancough*) combined. U.S. officials have been sounding the alarm about Chinese hackers for years. But even after decades of handwringing over the theft of American secrets, these comments were unusually stark. Read more

NGA delivering support for Morocco, Libya disasters.

NGA U.S. Africa Command has begun conducting unclassified damage assessments for Morocco. The agency has created shapefiles of the road network in the Atlas Mountains, including obstructions, damage assessments, and maps of hospital locations. NGA has also established a Libya flooding PIX portal, which includes satellite before and after imagery of the Wadi Derna Dam and Derna, Libya. Read more

ICYMI Snippets

• Air Force looks to move spy-plane sensors to satellites.

CIVILIAN

Looking for opinions: FDA's draft plan calls for AI, other emerging tech in modernization efforts.

FDA plans to publish the FDA Data and Technology Strategic Plan to guide the future of the agency’s technology capabilities and is seeking feedback on the draft document to better gauge industry needs and thoughts on the preliminary guidance. Read more

Looming shutdown called ‘terrible’ for CISA cyber programs.

Cybersecurity experts across the private sector expressed concerns that a federal government shutdown would have major negative impacts on the CISA’s ability to defend federal networks and keep its critical programs running. Read more

Exploring the very real cost of planning for a govt. shutdown.

It's anyone's guess as to whether a government shutdown will be averted by the funding deadline at the end of this month, but former government IT officials say even the specter of one affects federal tech shops. Read more

ICYMI Snippets

• IRS falling behind on migrating to electronic records.

• Mace, Connolly Bill aims for ‘sustainable’ TMF through 2030.

• IRS hiring 3,700 enforcement agents ‘doable,’ if it learns from past recruiting mistakes.

• Protest dismissed: $38M IRS Enterprise Services, Solution Engineering, Data Engineering support BPA.

• Carahsoft expands access to Palo Alto Network solutions.

Civilian Contracts Awards

• $29M HUD PIH IT Development, Modernization and Enhancement (DME) contract awarded.

• USDA awards $44M FPAC ServiceNow Mission Support Services O&M and DME contract.

Follow Civilian Leaders

• Technology executive assumes role of partner at McKinsey & Co.

• Former Ventech VP promoted to SVP of growth and BD.

Civilian Job Openings

• VA is hiring an Executive Director, Production Services.

• SSA seeking Deputy Associate Commissioner for Digital Transformation.

• The Economic Research Service seeks a Senior Economic Advisor.

M&A CORNER

AeroVironment closes Tomahawk Robotics acquisition.

AeroVironment completed the purchase of Tomahawk Robotics less than a month after signing a definitive agreement to acquire the developer of AI-enabled robotic control and integrated communications systems for $120M. Read more

SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿

What is USB-C? A computer engineer explains the one device connector to rule them all.

Apple announced on Sept. 12, 2023, that it plans to adopt the USB-C connector for all four new iPhone 15 models, helping USB-C become the connector of choice of the electronics industry, nine years after its debut. The move puts Apple in compliance with European Union law requiring a single connector type for consumer devices. So why does USB-C matter? Read more

AI: To generate or not to generate? Research reveals the divide.

The topics of large language models (LLM) and generative AI have officially made the leap from the basement to the boardroom. We are past questioning if these technologies will change how we work; the questions now up for debate are how and when. Read more

Is Tactically Responsive Space the key to a stronger America?

Tactically Responsive Space - you may already know it as TacRS - is a key competency that may be the next step toward leveraging commercial capabilities to supplement the nation's security space in times of need. Why is it so important and an important component in American competitiveness? Read more

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