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October 21, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

Cyber Solarium Commission outlines recommendations for strengthening the supply chain

WASHINGTON — On the heels of its capstone March report, the Cyberspace Solarium Commission has released a detailed follow-up with recommendations for how to secure the information and communications technologies supply chain.

The commission is a bipartisan organization created by Congress in 2019 to develop a multipronged U.S. cyber strategy. It delivered a report in March, advocating for multiple cyber deterrence efforts.

The whitepaper, released Monday, is one of several add-ons to the original report that go into greater depth on a particular topic or recommendation from the March report.

This specific whitepaper solely focuses on the recommendation that Congress should direct the U.S. government to develop and implement a strategy for the information and communications technology industrial base to ensure more trusted supply chains and the availability of critical information and communications technologies.

The whitepaper frames in stark terms that the United States lacks a strategy vis-a-vis China.

“Over the past two decades, China has mobilized state-owned and state-influenced companies to grab a dominant position in markets for several emerging technologies, including the market for telecommunications equipment,” the report noted. “This is no accident but rather the result of a concerted, strategic effort by the Chinese government to capture these markets through a mix of government-led industrial policy; unfair and deceptive trade practices, including state-led intellectual property theft; the manipulation of international standards and trade bodies; a growing network of influence built on the back of diplomatic and trade negotiations; and significant investments in research and development in ICT.”

As a result, the whitepaper is the commission's effort to help lay out a strategy for the government to better compete in this space, become less reliant upon manufacturing and resources in Asia, and thus spur greater security.

“We're doing a lot but we lack a north star or a strategic approach that weaves or stiches it all together,” Robert Morgus, senior director for the commission, told C4ISRNET ahead of the whitepaper's release. “Without that north star, U.S. federal government efforts are uncoordinated.”

The paper lists a five-pronged strategy to build trusted supply chains:

  • Identify key technologies and equipment through government reviews and public-private partnerships to identify risk.
  • Ensure minimum viable manufacturing capacity through strategic investment.
  • Protect supply chains from compromise through better intelligence, information sharing and product testing.
  • Stimulate a domestic market through targeted infrastructure investment, and ensure the ability of companies to offer products in the United States similar to those in foreign markets.
  • Ensure global competitiveness of trusted supply chains, including American and partner companies, in the face of Chinese anti-competitive behavior in global markets.

Moreover, the paper lists a series of recommendations to achieve the strategy, which include a variety of ways to streamline information sharing and efforts that could be taken within the federal government.

The report couches supply chain security in both economic and national security terms, which Morgus noted cannot be decoupled.

“The simple fact that we aren't competing with China on that front creates that security issue. ... The economic issue here is leading to a national security and a cybersecurity issue, and the two issues really can't be disentangled,” he said. “The fact that we don't have trusted suppliers or a robust network of trusted suppliers that can compete has created a security issue where we are reliant on Chinese manufacturing or companies with manufacturing presence in China, which is a potential security issue from the trustworthiness and the availability of those goods and services.”

Among one of the key pillars of the strategy to build a stronger supply chain, the report suggests greater intelligence sharing between allies and partners to disseminate intelligence on risks, which is also beneficial to the private sector.

The paper recommends Congress direct the president to create or designate a national supply chain intelligence center that would integrate supply chain intelligence efforts from across the government with other members of the public and private sectors. It would also serve as the shared knowledge center for threats to the supply chain.

https://www.c4isrnet.com/cyber/2020/10/19/cyber-solarium-commission-outlines-recommendations-for-strengthening-the-supply-chain/

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  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - October 16, 2018

    October 18, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - October 16, 2018

    DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY ViON Corp., Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a competitive, single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for SPARC processor capacity services with a total lifecycle contract amount of $329,586,627. The minimum guarantee for this effort, which is being met by the first delivery order under HC1084-19-D-0001, is $630,000, funded by fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds. Performance will be at current Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) data centers or future DISA centers in the continental U.S. (CONUS); DISA outside CONUS data centers; and other DISA or DISA-approved locations worldwide in which DISA may acquire an operational responsibility. Proposals were solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website (FEDBIZOPPS), and two proposals were received. 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Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, California, is awarded a $136,753,425 undefinitized contract action on a not-to-exceed basis for the procurement of long lead time material, pre-production and engineering support for the Expeditionary Sea Base 6. This action allows the procurement of ship sets of the purchase specifications supporting integrated propulsion, main diesel generator engines, propeller and shafting, integrated bridge electronics, centrifugal pumps, fuel and lube oil purifiers and steering gear components. Work will be performed in San Diego, California (21 percent); Beloit, Wisconsin (19 percent); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (17 percent); various cities in Alabama and Iowa (9 percent); Chula Vista, California (5 percent); Chesapeake, Virginia (5 percent); Iron Mountain, Michigan (4 percent); Busan, Korea (3 percent); and various other locations totaling 17 percent, and is expected to be completed by May 2019. Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $65,876,713 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with U.S. Code 2304(c) (1) – only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. StandardAero Inc., San Antonio, Texas, is being awarded $121,890,824 for modification P00002 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, time and material, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-18-D-0110). This modification provides CFM56-7B27A/3 and CFM56-7B27AE engine depot maintenance and repair, field assessment, maintenance repair and overhaul engine repair, and technical assistance for removal and replacement of engines for the P-8A Poseidon aircraft in support of the Navy and the government of Australia. Work will be performed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (93 percent); and San Antonia, Texas (7 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2019. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., Seattle, Washington, is awarded $33,025,575 for modification P00003 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, time and material, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract (N00019-18-D-0112). This modification provides P-8A Poseidon aircraft depot scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, depot in-service repair planner and estimator requirements, technical directive incorporation, airframe modifications, ground support and removal and replacement of engines in support of the Navy and the government of Australia. Work will be performed in Atlanta, Georgia (94 percent); and Seattle, Washington (6 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2019. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. AAR Aircraft Services Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana, is awarded $32,784,405 for modification P00003 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, time and material, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract (N00019-18-D-0111). This modification provides P-8A Poseidon aircraft depot scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, depot in-service repair planner and estimator requirements, technical directive incorporation, airframe modifications, ground support and removal and replacement of engines in support of the Navy and the government of Australia. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected to be completed in October 2019. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Vectrus Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado, is awarded $28,694,621 for firm-fixed-price task order N6945019F0500 under a previously awarded global contingency service multiple award contract (N62742-16-D-3552) for base operations support services at Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay. The work to be performed provides for base operations support services to include family housing, facility management, facility investment, custodial, pest control, integrated solid waste management, other (swimming pools), grounds maintenance and landscaping, utilities management, electrical, wastewater, water, and base support vehicles and equipment. The task order also contains two unexercised six-month option periods, which if exercised would increase the cumulative task order value to $59,727,709. Work will be performed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and is expected to be completed by November 2019. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy, Army and Defense Agencies); fiscal 2019 Navy working capital funds; and fiscal 2019 Defense Health Program contract funds in the amount of $21,483,790 for recurring work will be obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity. EDO LLC, Amityville, New York, is awarded $7,751,952 for modification P00009 to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price, cost reimbursable contract (N00019-17-C-0029). This modification provides for the procurement of four carriage system simulators, nine BRU-55B/A engineering change proposal kits, 30 joint miniature munition interface / universal armament interface capable umbilical cables, and non-recurring engineering for the universal armament interface to include parts, testing, labor and travel in support of the Precision Strike Weapons program office. Work will be performed in Amityville, New York, and is expected to be completed in June 2021. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,751,952 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Aseptico Inc.,* Woodinville, Washington, has been awarded a maximum $28,500,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for hospital equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency electronic catalog. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. This was a competitive acquisition with 53 responses received; 16 contracts have been awarded to date. Using customers are Department of Defense and other federal organizations. Location of performance is Washington, with an Oct. 15, 2023, performance completion date. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2018 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DH-19-D-0004). *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1663723/source/GovDelivery/

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