Quantum Resistance. The National Security Agency last Wednesday released its second round of requirements for algorithms
to assist owners, operators and vendors of national security systems owners in the transition to quantum-resistant technology. The pursuit of quantum computing is expected to make vulnerable current public key encryption, hence the race to create algorithms to protect classified information and critical networks. “This transition to quantum-resistant technology in our most critical systems will require collaboration between government, national security system owners and operators, and industry,” Rob Joyce, director of cybersecurity at NSA, said in a statement. “Our hope is that sharing these requirements now will help efficiently operationalize these requirements when the time comes.” The agency intends that “all” national security systems will be quantum-resistant by 2035.
People News. The Senate last Thursday by voice vote confirmed Dimitri Kusnezov to the under secretary for science and technology at the Department of Homeland Security. He currently works at the Department of Energy’s Office of Science creating international partnerships on artificial intelligence. The Defense Department Cyber Crime Center has a new executive director, Jude Sunderbruch, who most recently was executive director of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Sunderbruch will oversee a staff of more than 400 civilian, military and contractor personnel that provide digital and multimedia forensics, cyber training, and cyber analytics across the department. Defense contractor BlueHalo has appointed Trip Ferguson as chief operating officer, joining the company from Leidos’ Dynetics business unit where he held the same position. Aerojet Rocketdyne has appointed Joseph Chontos as vice president and general counsel. He had been acting general counsel since April.
Thales N.A. Expanding. Thales North America says it is expanding in North America through the hiring of 1,300 new positions in 2022, noting that nearly 1,000 new employees have already been hired. Based in France, Thales says the expansion will increase its employees in the U.S. and Canada to about 6,200.
EMP Protections. The Department of Homeland Security last week released a report outlining best practices for protecting the National Public Warning System from an electromagnetic pulse attack, urging government agencies and owners and operators of critical infrastructures to implement best practices by “the placement of co-located groups of time-urgent, mission-critical equipment in cabinets or racks, shelters, shielded rooms, or buildings that are protected by an electromagnetic barrier.” Electrical equipment could be disrupted by solar storms or the detonation of nuclear bombs, which can impact critical infrastructure hundreds of miles away, says the report. The National Public Warning System ensures the U.S. president can communicate with the country during a national emergency.
SWAC to NRO. The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on Sept. 9 said that it has named U.S. Space Force Brig. Gen. Christopher Povak as the new NRO deputy director and the commander of the NRO’s Space Force element this week. NRO said that Povak assumed command in a ceremony on Sept. 9, officiated by Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, U.S. Space Force deputy chief of space operations, strategy, plans, programs, and requirements. In a statement, NRO director Chris Scolese said that Povak’s 30 years of experience, including the command of space operations units, “will be crucial in our ongoing efforts to bolster innovation and maintain America’s intelligence advantage in space.” Povak is to manage NRO’s strategic and tactical operations, and, as the agency’s Space Force element commander, he will be Scolese’s senior adviser on military matters. From July last year until last month, Povak served as the deputy director of the Space Force’s Space Warfighting Analysis Center (SWAC) in Washington, D.C.
300,000 or 50,000? This week, DoD paused accepting new Lockheed Martin F-35s due to a Chinese-made cobalt and samarium alloy in magnets for the aircraft’s turbomachine pumps by Honeywell. In Lockheed Martin’s response to the pause, the company laid out some background on the fighter. “The F-35 is made up of 300,000 parts from more than 1,700 suppliers,” the company said. “All supplier parts on the F-35 are inspected at every stage of production to ensure they meet strict program standards before delivery and present no risks to the F-35 aircraft.” Recently retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Eric Fick, the former head of the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), had spoken of some 50,000 parts on the F-35. So, which is it? 50,000 or 300,000? Apparently, it all depends on how you count. “The problem with part numbering is that they can be counted in many different ways, depending on how components and hardware numbers are considered in the count,” the F-35 JPO said.
DIGAR Contract. BAE Systems said it has received a $13 million contract for the company’s Digital GPS Anti-jam Receiver (DIGAR) to protect U.S. Air Force F-15Es from GPS signal jamming and spoofing. “DIGAR uses advanced antenna electronics, high-performance signal-processing, and digital beamforming – a capability that combines 16 steered beams – for better GPS signal reception and superior jamming immunity,” BAE said. “These capabilities are critical for high-speed aircraft as they maneuver through the battlespace. The F-15 Eagle is the second U.S. Air Force fighter platform to receive DIGAR GPS upgrades, following the F-16 Fighting Falcon. DIGAR also provides advanced GPS capabilities for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft as well as multiple unmanned aerial vehicles.”
Intel Modernization. SAIC said on Sept. 7 it has been awarded a $200 million task order to conduct research, analysis and assessments for the Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) G-2-Intelligence, Intelligence Warfighting Function. The deal was placed under the DOD Information Analysis Center’s multi-award contracting vehicle. SAIC said it is tasked with developing and providing procedures “to increase the timeliness and accuracy of intelligence, weather and security for the warfighter and mission commanders” in support of the ongoing modernization of the Army’s military intelligence units. “Our team is ready to support FORSCOM G-2 as they produce combat-ready and globally responsive Army military intelligence forces,” Bob Genter, president of SAIC’s defense and civilian sector, said in a statement. “SAIC will introduce artificial intelligence and training, and operationally-focused innovations to assist their mission effectiveness and reach.”
Radio Order. Silvus Technologies has received a $2.4 million order from the Army to provide its StreamCaster mobile ad hoc network (MANET) radios to support the service’s Integrated Tactical Network as part of the Capability Set (CS) ‘23 network modernization effort. “StreamCaster radios provide robust, high bandwidth connectivity for the Army with a MANET waveform that has been battle-proven with ground forces, on-the-move and aerial tier units across multi-domain operations,” Mike Kell, Silvus’ director of Army strategic accounts, said in a statement. As part of CS23, the StreamCaster radios will be used to connect Stryker Brigade Combat Team command posts to help form a “self-organizing mesh network” able to operate in multiple spectrum bands at high data rates “with advanced interference avoidance and cancellation waveform capabilities.” The Army is currently modernizing its tactical network in two-year capability drops. Silvus noted its StreamCaster radios were previously selected for CS21 to connect command posts at the brigade and battalion echelons.
Equipment Refill Bill. Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) on Sept. 8 introduced a bill that would give the Pentagon modified procurement authorities to help more quickly replenish stockpiles of equipment provided to aid a partner nation attacked by an adversary, such as weapons transferred to Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s ongoing invasion. “This legislation would authorize faster procurement of weapons and combat articles so helping our allies and partners doesn’t diminish our ability to protect ourselves,” Cornyn said in a statement. The legislation would amend DoD’s emergency acquisition authorities to allow for the use of non-competitive processes to more quickly award contracts that would be used to refill defense stocks. The bill lays out the following conditions that would allow the authority to be used: the U.S. can’t be a party to the hostilities, the defense articles procured must be used to replace stocks of the same weapons and DoD must report to Congress within a week of deciding to use the authority.
LPD-31. HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division started fabrication of the future USS Pittsburgh (LPD-31) on Sept. 7, marking the first 100 tons of steel cut for the ship. LPD-31 will be the 15th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship and the second in the Flight II configuration. HII has previously delivered 12 San Antonio-class ships and two others also under construction: the future USS Richard M. McCool (LPD-29) and Harrisburg (LPD-30). The Flight II ships are meant to replace the aging Whidbey Island/Harpers Ferry ((LSD 41/49) classes of dock landing ships.
DDG-71. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) left the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa area of operations on Sept. 6 as it finished eight years as a Forward Deployed Naval Forces-Europe (FDNF-E) ship. DDG-71 is replaced by the USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) as the third of four ships shifting homeports to Rota, Spain for the FDNF-E force. Previously, the USS Roosevelt (DDG-80) replaced USS Carney (DDG-64) and USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) replaced USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) in the FDNF-E force.
Navy Recruiting. The Navy’s second highest civilian official on Sept. 7 said the Navy and Marine Corps are set to meet their recruitment targets for 2022. “We are looking very, very carefully at what the next fiscal year, what ‘23 will mean. There are some challenges there. And so, [Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro] has directed that we have an organized campaign to make sure that we are able to meet our recruiting goals, not just in ‘22, but ‘23 and beyond,” Under Secretary of the Navy Erik Raven said during the Defense News Conference on Sept. 7. He said recruitment headwinds are related to how the country is near full employment, which makes recruiting more challenging, and “we’re also seeing other challenges that the propensity of Americans to serve and the ability to serve has been declining over time. We really need to engage with the public in a new way to help explain what the value of military service is to our nation, not just as a Navy and Marine Corps equity, but in terms of the career opportunities that young people can pursue, the compensation benefits of military services and what we can provide for not just a career in the military, but outside the military.”
UNITAS. Over 20 countries marked the start of the UNITAS 63 exercise during a ceremony on Sept. 8 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. UNITAS has occurred annually since 1960 and this year is hosted by Brazil in conjunction with the country’s bicentennial anniversary of its independence and navy founding. The U.S. Navy said the main goal of UNITAS is to increase interoperability among participants, allowing assembled forces to organize and conduct combined maritime operations in a multinational task force and test responsiveness. This year’s exercise includes participants from Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Namibia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, South Korea, Spain, the U.K., Uruguay and the U.S. U.S. Navy ship participants include the USS Lassen (DDG-82), USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19), USS Albany (SSN-753).