Collins Aerospace adds navigation receivers to its expansive content on Boeing T-7A Red Hawk

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  September 22, 2024 | International, Land, Security

  Anduril Collaborates with Microsoft to Bring Lattice to the U.S. Armys IVAS Program

  This partnership includes initial integration of Anduril's Lattice platform into the IVAS ecosystem, leveraging Anduril's software and systems integration expertise, to enhance the capabilities fielded to Soldiers through IVAS.

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  September 2, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

  Pentagon’s central AI office wants to standardize its acquisition process

  Andrew Eversden WASHINGTON — The Pentagon's top artificial intelligence office released a request for information Aug. 28 outlining interest in establishing a new acquisition approach for standardizing the development and procurement process for AI tools. According to the solicitation, the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center is “considering” starting a competition for a 501(c) nonprofit manager or managers of its prototype “Artificial Intelligence Acquisition Business Model” that looks to use other transaction authorities to more quickly purchase AI products. The JAIC's prototype business model could deliver “AI capabilities through meaningful market research/front-end collaboration and optimal teaming arrangements of both traditional and non-traditional companies for AI product procurement,” the RFI said. If the plan moves forward, the JAIC would also “explore the possibilities of using the model to enable agile AI acquisition processes to the DoD at scale.” The JAIC is the Defense Department's main hub for artificial intelligence and is responsible for increasing adoption of AI across the department. It works with the services and combatant commands to develop AI tools that have practical use. To meet the military's needs, the JAIC uses the traditional government contracting process, known as Federal Acquisition Regulation-based contracts, and works with the General Services Administration, the Defense Information Systems Agency and the Defense Innovation Unit. The traditional acquisition strategy currently being used is unlikely sufficient enough to help the JAIC carry out its mission, the RFI stated. “To scale this strategy to other DoD service requirements or respond to emergent requirements such as COVID-19 is challenging and may not be the most efficient use of acquisition tools,” the RFI read. “The JAIC will therefore prototype a new AI Acquisition Business Model to assess the potential for non-FAR-based contracts mixed with FAR-based contracts to meet JAIC requirements.” JAIC's goals are to streamline awards while maintaining flexibility between FAR and non-FAR awards, and to maximize competition while minimizing restrictions, the RFI explained. The JAIC recently awarded major contracts through DISA and GSA. In May, it awarded a five-year contract with an $800 million ceiling to Booz Allen Hamilton through the GSA for its new joint war-fighting national mission initiative, though JAIC officials have continuously noted that the value of the contract won't hit $800 million. https://www.c4isrnet.com/artificial-intelligence/2020/09/01/pentagons-central-ai-office-wants-to-standardize-its-acquisition-process/

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  August 19, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  When the challenge of coronavirus becomes a catalyst to change

  By: Mike Gruss One way to understand how the United States' largest defense companies are responding to the coronavirus pandemic is to listen to what their leaders said on the most recent round of earnings calls. Consider this anecdote from General Dynamics. Phebe Novakovic, the company's chief executive, told analysts in late July that when COVID-19 struck, “our classified customers closed their sites to all but mission-essential employees. This impacted revenue and earnings and will continue to do so. Some of IT services' highest-margin programs have come to a hard stop because of COVID-19.” Novakovic described the pandemic as a time of “significant uncertainty.” That story was not unusual. David Calhoun, Boeing's CEO, described this as “a historically dynamic and challenging time.” Greg Hayes, Raytheon Technologies' top executive, opened his second-quarter call by stating: “As everyone knows, these last several months have been incredibly challenging.” And Bill Brown, the CEO of L3Harris, said: “The pandemic has challenged us all to find new ways of working effectively.” To be clear, defense contractors have lost roughly 20 percent of their value in the last six months, by tracking exchange-traded funds. That's the worst run for publicly traded companies in at least a decade. So what to make of this? James Taiclet, Lockheed Martin's new leader, said his philosophy is that there may be “an opportunity for us if there is a downturn, we're going to look at the silver linings that may be there.” He was talking about mergers and acquisitions. But defense companies of all sizes should look for another opportunity: a reason to operate differently, not an excuse to get back to basics. Leaders should reexamine how to embrace new talent, how to effectively telework, and how to add new equipment or partnerships with unexpected sources. Military leaders for years have said they value agility. Now they will get to watch firsthand who changes, who is prepared for the long term, who adapts and who merely talks about adapting. These “challenges” can give acquisition officials a reason to reward agility. But back to the earnings calls. Officials hinted about what may happen next, before we — fingers crossed — enter a post-pandemic world. Lockheed's Kenneth Possenriede, the company's chief financial officer, said that while solicitations may be slower getting out the door, final deadlines have not changed. Brown at L3Harris said: “We believe that the heightened threat environment will drive the trajectory of U.S military spending regardless of the election.” Novakovic seconded that notion. “There's a general consensus that the threat has not dissipated,” she said. “In fact, arguably some of our potential adversaries have raised additional questions. ... We'll see going forward, but [I'm] not hearing a lot at the grassroots level on ... any pending defense cuts.” The threat may not have changed. Nor may the business of defense. Yet. But it's impossible to ignore that almost everything else has. https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/2020/08/17/when-the-challenge-of-coronavirus-becomes-a-catalyst-to-change/