Tucson Expansion. Raytheon [RTN] plans to add nearly 2,000 jobs at its Missile Systems business headquarters in southern Arizona over the next five year. The company announces Friday plans to hire workers at all skill levels with an emphasis on engineering and other higher-wage, technical positions. Job creation, facilities expansion and operational output is expected to result in billions of dollars of economic impact for Arizona over 10 years, the company says. “These rewarding, high technology jobs will support Raytheon’s growth and bring even more top talent to this region,” says Taylor W. Lawrence, Raytheon Missile Systems president. “The strong support we receive from state and local organizations is essential to our expansion plans, and will help provide Raytheon with the workforce and infrastructure to meet the growing demand we are seeing from our customers.” State, regional and local partners are working with Raytheon to demonstrate that Arizona has the partnerships, infrastructure and workforce to meet the company’s long-term growth needs. Partners in the expansion initiative include Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, the Arizona Commerce Authority, Pima County, the City of Tucson, Sun Corridor Inc., Tucson Electric Power and the Tucson Airport Authority.
Open Architecture. Rockwell Collins [COL] is selected by the Army to conduct collaborative studies on advanced system designs and integration processes for the Architecture Implementation Process Demonstration (AIPD), part of the Joint Multirole (JMR) Mission Systems Architecture Demonstration (MSAD) Science and Technology (S&T) effort. The AIPD is informing standards, processes, tools and architectures for the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) family of systems. Under the agreement, Rockwell Collins assists the Army in investigating advanced open-system architecture technologies and architectural-centric model-based engineering capabilities necessary to achieve cost-effective system design and certification for future mission equipment packages (MEPs). “Rockwell Collins is pioneering modeling and analysis methods for complex electronic equipment development, such as those envisioned to be required for FVL,” says Heather Robertson, senior director of rotary wing solutions for Rockwell Collins. “These technologies automate error-prone, costly manual methods for specifying and designing products, which helps us to deliver value to our customers.” As part of the JMR industry team, Rockwell Collins’ sheds new light on the many issues surrounding affordable development of complex mission systems and inform the government’s requirements developers on new techniques and processes available from industry.
Army Cyber. The Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning and Army Cyber Command/Second Army commander Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone break ground on construction for a new Army Cyber headquarters facility on Nov. 29. The new facility combines the Army’s Cyber operations, capability development, training, and education in one location. The construction is set to take two and a half years at Fort Gordon, Ga. The first phase of the project will construct new facilities supporting Army Cyber operations and command and control functions, with an expected completion time of May 2018. This phase will cost $85.1 million. The second phase of construction will support the Cyber Protection Team operations with an expected completion time of early 2019. The buildings are projected to be ready for occupation in late 2020.
Drone Detection. The Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Homeland Security conducts drone detection research near Denver International Airport as part of the FAA’s Pathfinder Program for unmanned aircraft system (UAS) detection at airports and critical infrastructure. Nevada and North Dakota conduct flight operations for the Denver evaluations and industry partners included CACI International, which offers the SkyTracker anti-UAS system, Liteye Systems, which provides its AUDS counter-UAS system, and Sensofusion, which makes the AIRFENCE counter-UAS solution. The FAA uses data from the evaluations and draft recommendations for standards that will help guide the selection of drone-detection systems for airports nationwide.
CIO Needs. Federal agency chief information officers typically are not in their jobs long enough and are lacking the authorities to get their jobs done, says Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Information Technology. “We need CIOs staying at their posts for longer than their current two-year average,” Hurd says at the outset of hearing to examine cyber security at federal agencies. “If we are going to move the ball forward, we need federal CIOs not only with the necessary authorities to make their vision a reality, but who are sticking around long enough to see it happen.”
Cameras Needed. As part of its ongoing pilot efforts to test facial recognition systems for a biometric exit system for foreign travelers departing from airports in the United States, Customs and Border Protection issues a solicitation to small businesses for mounted facial recognition cameras for use in an airport environment. CBP says the cameras complement the test of departure information systems at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and to gather additional data. The solicitation is open to small businesses under the Department of Homeland Security First Source II contract. DHS hopes to roll out a biometric exit solution at an airport in 2018.
Ranking Change at SHSGAC. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), currently the ranking member on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, gives up his ranking on the committee in favor of Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Ill.) when the 115th Congress meets in January. Carper remains on the committee but becomes the ranking member on the Environment and Public Works Committee. McCaskill is also currently a member of the Homeland Security panel.
GOES-R. NOAA and launch provider United Launch Alliance (ULA) are set for Saturday’s launch of the first Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R (GOES-R) series satellite, according to a ULA statement. Launch takes place on an Atlas V from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Launch window opens sat 5:42 p.m. EST. As of late Thursday, ULA says the weather shows a 90 percent chance of favorable weather for launch. GOES-R is previously delayed from a Nov. 16 launch due to a minor Atlas V booster issue. GOES-R is the next generation of geostationary weather satellite constellation. GOES-R is the first satellite in a series of four total spacecraft. GOES-R is a joint NASA/NOAA program.
WorldView-4. ULA successfully launches DigitalGlobe’s newest imaging satellite, WorldView-4, on Nov. 11 from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. Built by Lockheed Martin, WorldView-4 orbits the earth every 90 minutes, travelling 17,000 miles per hour and capturing as much as 680,000 square km of the earth’s surface daily. WorldView-4 has capacity for collecting 30 cm resolution.
Turner/NATO. House Armed Services (HASC) tactical air and land forces subcommittee Chairman Michael Turner (R-Ohio) on Wednesday calls for NATO allies to spend more on defense. While this is not necessarily a new request coming from U.S. leadership, Turner is the president of NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly, a key governing body. Turner tells an audience at the Heritage Foundation in Washington that lawmakers representing many NATO allies believe they don’t have to spend more on defense because they are part of NATO. The opposite is true, Turner says, they need to spend more on defense because they are part of a defense collective with shared responsibilities. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has called for NATO allies to hit a benchmark of two percent GDP on defense spending. Critics of such a call say the two percent is not as important as the types of programs nations pursue.
Avenger ER Flies. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) says its new Avenger Extended Range (ER) unmanned aircraft completed its first flight Oct. 27 over Palmdale, Calif., and will undergo 30 to 40 more flight tests during development. Avenger ER has a longer wingspan and carries more fuel than the legacy Avenger, giving Avenger ER 20 hours of endurance compared to 15 hours for Avenger, also known as Predator C. “The increased endurance and high payload capacity will deliver tremendous capability to our customers, who need persistent situational awareness and strike mission affordability,” says Linden Blue, GA-ASI’s chief executive officer.
Unmanned Huey. Aurora Flight Sciences says it plans to integrate its Tactical Autonomous Aerial Logistics System (TALOS) onto a Bell UH-1H Huey helicopter so the aircraft can fly without a pilot in the cockpit. Flight demonstrations are expected to occur in 2017-2018 under the Office of Naval Research’s Autonomous Aerial Cargo Utility System (AACUS) program. Aurora has already flown TALOS on a Boeing H-6U Unmanned Little Bird helicopter and on manned Bell 206 helicopters.
DDG-1000 Work. BAE Systems receives a $192.7 million contract from Naval Sea Systems Command to conduct post-delivery work on the USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) and USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001), including the completion and installation of combat systems. The Zumwalt, commissioned in Baltimore in October, is expected to arrive at its homeport of San Diego by year’s end. The Michael Monsoor is under construction at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Maine.
LPD-18 Repairs. BAE Systems receives a $36.7 million contract from the Navy to repair and maintain the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18). The work includes structural and tank repairs, propulsion system repairs, and ventilation and auxiliary systems repairs, as well as preservation of the crew habitability systems and spaces that should be complete by March 2018. The New Orleans will be the first ship repaired in the company’s new drydock in San Diego.
OMB Cyber Official Retires. Lisa Schlosser, the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) federal deputy chief information officer (CIO), is set to retire at the end of November. Schlosser spends the previous year on a detail to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as acting CIO. At OPM she helps the office recover from the cybersecurity breach covering millions of federal employees.
IT Contract. The Navy awards CSC Government Solutions, LLC a $21.2 million modification to extend a previously single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for information technology (IT) support services. The company provides services in support of the Naval Education and Training Command and all organizations within the manpower, personnel, training, and education enterprise. This modification aims to extend the original contract period of performance for five more months. This raises the total estimated contract value to $283.9 million. The modification is a non-competitive action. Work is expected to be completed by May 2017 and be performed in Pensacola, Fla. and various locations throughout the continental U.S. and the world. No funding is obligated at award time but fiscal 2017 Navy operations and maintenance (O&M) funds are obligated as individual task orders are issued. Funds do not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
Cyber Software Contract. The Air Force awards Kudu Dynamics, LLC a $37 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for software and software development concerning capabilities to support offensive and defensive cyber operations. This award is a result of a competitive acquisition with 23 offers received. Fiscal 2017 research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) funds of $3.2 million are obligated at award time. Work will be performed in Chantilly, Va. with an expected completion date of May 16, 2021.
Saudi Cyber. The Air Force awards Advanced Electronics Co. in Saudi Arabia a $12.4 million modification to a previously awarded contract for F-15SA cyber protection and related facilities Phase IIA contract. The company will provide system and facilities site survey through system requirements review close-out and the architecture and engineering design. Work is performed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and is expected to be complete by Nov. 16, 2018. This is a 100 percent foreign military sale to Saudi Arabia.
Rogers on Wikileaks. Adm. Michael Rogers, director of the National Security Agency and commander of U.S. Cyber Command reiterates at a Wall Street Journal conference that the hacking of Democratic party officials and the information posted to Wikileaks was purposefully done by an unnamed country. “There shouldn’t be any doubt in anybody’s mind. This is not something that was done casually. This was not something that was done by chance. This was not a target that was selected purely arbitrarily. This was a conscious effort by a nation-state to attempt to achieve a specific effect,” Rogers says. In October the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) release a joint statement that they are confident the Russian Government directed these hacks.
FireEye Hire. FireEye, Inc. announces Bill Robbins joins the company as executive vice president of worldwide sales. Robbins will report to company CEO Kevin Mandia. Robbins serves as executive vice president of worldwide sales at Nuance Communications since 2013. He also earlier serves as the chief operating officer (COO at [24]7, a consumer experience software and services company, as well as a ten year career at Symantec and VERITAS Software.