New FISMA Bill. The top Democrat and Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee last week introduced a bill to update the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) to help the federal government keep pace with evolving cybersecurity threats by clarifying roles and responsibilities across the government, modifying reporting requirements, promoting shared services and more. The FISMA 2022 bill, offered by Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and James Comer (R-Ky.), gives the Office of Management and Budget responsibility for cybersecurity policy development and oversight, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency operational coordination responsibilities, and strategy responsibilities to the National Cyber Director. The bill would also reduce the frequency of FISMA reporting requirements by agencies while requiring they continually monitor their systems.
Gov Services Deal.
The private equity firm Godspeed Capital last Friday said it has acquired Savli Group, Inc., a provider of software and information technology solutions to the U.S. defense and intelligence communities and other government clients. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition builds on previous deals by Godspeed to create a cyber and technology solutions platform company serving the defense and intelligence community to combat cybersecurity and intelligence threats.
Bench and Live Fly Testing. As DoD seeks more insight on the effect of any interference threat posed by Verizon and AT&T 5G networks to military radar altimeters (RADALT), the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is to conduct bench testing and flight testing of military radar altimeters through Aug. 22. DoD’s Joint Interagency 5G Radar Altimeter Interference (JI-FRAI) Quick Reaction Test (QRT) team is to answer what the 5G avionics gold-standard bench test will be and what impact will C-Band 5G have on military radar altimeters.
…QRT Plans. First, the QRT is to develop bench test procedures that mimic 5G environments, then take those bench test results to run their output in flight simulators with pilots in the loop; and, finally, fly civil and military aircraft through 5G signals low-altitude and instrument procedure conditions to determine anomalies in true height-over-ground readings. “At the end we will be able to answer what impact C-Band 5G has on a sample of the DoD RADALT inventory and compare those with the bench tests to determine what bench conditions create the most realistic environment representation for evaluating avionics,” AFRL said. The JI-FRAI’s large flight tests, which will feature companies supplying mobile 5G equipment to test avionics, are scheduled for Feb. 21-March 4 and March 21-April 1.
People News. Parsons Corp.’s board has elected company president and CEO, Carey Smith, as its chairwoman effective April 14. Smith has been the company’s president since 2019 and added the role of CEO in 2021. She’ll succeed. Chuck Harrington, who was chairman and CEO before giving up the chief executive role last year, will retire after 40 years with the company. Shield AI, a venture-backed company leveraging artificial intelligence across various defense systems, has established in the UAE under Bob Harwood, the company’s new executive vice president for international business and strategy. Previously, Harwood, a retired Navy Vice Admiral, led Lockheed Martin’s efforts in the Middle East.
EPF-14. Austal USA performed a keel laying authentication for the future Spearhead-class Flight III Expeditionary Fast Transport Ship USNS Cody (EPF-14) on Jan. 26. EPFs are operated by Military Sealift Command. EPF-14 will be the first Flight II vessel configured with enhanced medical capabilities like a combined forward resuscitative care capability with a limited Intensive Care Unit and medical ward, while maintaining most of the original ship requirements. “Flight II EPFs will be able to stabilize postsurgical cases for evacuation without the requirement to first route them through a higher facility,” the Navy said. EPFs generally provide a high speed and shallow draft transportation capabilities to move personnel, supplies and equipment for the Navy and Marine Corps. Austal is also building the future USNS Point Loma (EPF-15), with production on it starting earlier in January.
DDG-54. The Navy awarded General Dynamics’s National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO), a $48 million contract for a dry-docking selected restricted availability in support of the USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG-54) to conduct maintenance, repair, and modernization of the ship before its next deployment. The contract includes options that, if exercised, would raise the total contract value to $51 million. Work will occur in San Diego and is expected to be finished by September 2023. The contract announcement said the work was competitively procured with two offers but did not reveal the other competitor.
HII-NNS Staffing. Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) said it promoted Karey Malyszko to be vice president of Plant Operations at its Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division, succeeding Dru Branche, who retired last month. In this role Malyszko assumes responsibility for waterfront support services, facilities, environmental health and safety, and security. She reports to Jennifer Boykin, president of Newport News Shipbuilding. Malyszko has served for over 18 years in nuclear engineering leadership and radiological work on every program across NNS. She first joined the company in 2004 and started as a structural engineer in the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) carrier program.
Carrier Ops. The Carl Vinson and Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Groups (CSGs 1 and 3) started operations together in the South China Sea on Jan. 23. The Navy said the CSGs will conduct joint operations with enhanced maritime communication operations, anti-submarine warfare operations, air warfare operations, replenishments-at-sea, cross-deck flight operations and maritime interdiction operations. “Our ability to rapidly aggregate and work collectively alongside CSG 3, highlights the U.S. Navy’s ability to deliver overwhelming maritime force, when called upon, to support a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” Rear Adm. Dan Martin, commander, CSG 1, said in a statement.
Marine Radios. The Marine Corps awarded L3Harris Technologies a contract worth up to $750 million for an undisclosed amount of multi-channel hand held (MCHH) radios. The contract covers the radios, MCHH-installation kits (VIKs) and radio accessories. The MCHH-VIK includes the amplifier, antennas, and mounts needed to integrate the MCHH into a High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle and Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, the Defense Department said. The announcement noted the MCHH will replace legacy handheld systems that do not meet the National Security Agency 2024 cryptographic modernization mandate. Work will occur at Rochester, N.Y., and will be finished by January 2032. The contract value includes the base period and five option years. DoD said the contract was competitively procured with two offers solicited and received but did not disclose the other offeror.
F-35C Crash. An F-35C crashed into the deck of the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) on Jan. 24 while the aircraft was conducting routine flight operations in the South China Sea. The Navy said the pilot safely ejected from the aircraft, was recovered by helicopter and is in stable condition. The aircraft sank into the sea. Seven sailors were injured in the mishap with three requiring MEDEVAC to a medical facility in Manila, Philippines. The cause of the mishap is under investigation.
90 Days. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Jan. 28 that the Pentagon will release a Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) on Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response within 90 days. Austin said he has also established a Civilian Harm Center of Excellence to report directly to him on efforts to reduce civilian casualties caused by U.S. forces. Humanitarian organizations are concerned that the Pentagon has not been transparent about the full extent of air strikes’ toll on civilians. Larry Lewis, the director of the Center for Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence at the non-profit research group CNA and an author of a 2010 civilian casualty study for the Joint Staff, has said that patterns have emerged from his study of thousands of civilian harm incidents caused by U.S. forces, one of which is that drones are 10 times more likely to cause civilian casualties than manned aircraft.
Teledyne FLIR/Denmark. Teledyne FLIR Defense said on Jan. 24 it has signed a potential $100 million, seven-year deal with Denmark’s Defense Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO) to provide the country with a range of medium- and long-range surveillance systems for land, maritime and airborne applications. Teledyne FLIR has partnered with Denmark’s Precision Technic Defence Group on the work and will provide its SeaFLIR/TacFLIR 280-HDEP and 380 HLD-X advanced day/night, all-weather imaging systems under the deal. “We’ve invested heavily in technology upgrades across our lineup, including edge processing and AI capabilities that reduce the cognitive load on operators and improve situational awareness. As a trusted industry and regional partner, we look forward to supplying imaging platforms, service and support to Danish defense forces for many years to come,” JihFen Lei, Teledyne FLIR Defense’s executive vice president, said in a statement.
Leidos. The Army on Jan. 24 awarded Leidos a $104.5 million deal for work supporting legacy gunnery training simulation systems. Under the deal, Leidos will provide technology refresh, concurrency upgrades and production services, according to the Pentagon. Three total bids were submitted for the competitive contract. Work on the deal is expected to be completed by Jan. 24, 2027.