July 8, 2019 | International, Other Defence
By: Graham Gilmer
The excitement of artificial intelligence today is like the space race of the 1960s, when nations were in fierce competition. Now, the United States is in first place. But continued leadership is not a given, especially as competitors, namely China and Russia, are making significant investments in AI for defense. To maintain our technological advantage, safeguard national security, and lead on the world stage, we have an imperative to invest strategically in AI.
The successful and widespread adoption of AI requires the United States take a human-centric and technologically innovative approach to using AI to help maintain the peace and prosperity of our nation. As the Department of Defense and Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) continue their efforts to accelerate AI adoption, they must address three key components of successful adoption: building trust in AI technology, operationalizing AI technologies to reach enterprise scale, and establishing ethical governance standards and procedures to reduce exposure to undue risk.
Build trust in AI technology
Fear and distrust hold technology adoption back. This was true during the first three industrial revolutions as mechanization, factories, and computers transformed the world, and it is the case in today's fourth industrial revolution of AI. The confusion surrounding AI has led to teams abandoning applications due to a lack of trust. To build that trust, we must prioritize training, explainability, and transparency.
Trust in technology is built when leaders have accurate expectations around what it is going to deliver, mission owners can identify use cases connected to the core mission, and managers understand the true impact on mission performance. Building trust requires that all users, from executives and managers to analysts and operators, receive training on AI-enabled technologies. Training involves not only providing access to learning resources, but also creating opportunities for them to put their new skills to use. In its formal AI strategy, Pentagon leaders outlined extensive plans for implementing AI training programs across the department to build a digitally savvy workforce that will be key to maintaining the United States' leading position in the AI race.
“Explainable AI” also curbs distrust by showing users how machines reach decisions. Consider computer vision. Users may wonder: How can such a tool sift through millions of images to identify a mobile missile launcher? A computer vision tool equipped with explainable AI could highlight aspects of the image that it uses in identification—in this case, elements that look like wheels, tracks, or launch tubes. Explainable AI gives users a “look under the hood,” tailored to their level of technical literacy.
AI technologies must be more than understandable; they must also be transparent. This starts at the granular system level, including providing training data provenance and an audit trail showing what data, weights, and other inputs helped a machine reach its decision. Building AI systems that are explainable, transparent, and auditable will also link to governance standards and reduce risk.
Operationalize AI at the enterprise scale
AI will only be a successful tool if agencies can use AI at the enterprise level. At its core, this means moving AI beyond the pilot phase to real-world production across the enterprise or deployed out in the field on edge devices.
Successfully operationalizing AI starts early. AI is an exciting new technology, but agencies too enamored with the hype run the risk of missing out on the real benefits. Too many organizations have developed AI pilot capabilities that work in the lab but cannot support the added noise of real-world environments. Such short-term thinking results in wasted resources. Agencies must think strategically about how the AI opportunities they choose to pursue align with their real-world mission and operations.
Leaders must think through the processes and infrastructure needed to seamlessly extend AI to the enterprise at-scale. This involves building scalable infrastructure, data stores and standards, a library of reusable tools and frameworks, and security safeguards to protect against adversarial AI. It is equally important to prioritize investment in the infrastructure to organize, store, and access data, the computational needs for AI (cloud, GPU chips, etc.), as well as open, extensible software tools for ease of upgrade and maintenance.
Establish governance to reduce risk
Governance standards, controls, and ethical guidelines are critical to ensuring how AI systems are built, managed, and used in a manner that reduces exposure to undue risk. While our allies have engaged in conversations about how to ensure ethical AI, China and Russia have thus far shown little concern for the ethical risks associated with AI. Given this tension, it is imperative that the United States maintain its technological advantage and ethical leadership by establishing governance standards and proactive risk mitigation tactics. To this end, in May, three Senators introduced the bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act, which includes provisions for establishing a National AI Coordination Office and national standards for testing AI algorithm effectiveness.
Building auditability and validation functions into AI not only ensures trust and adoption, but also reduces risk. By establishing proactive risk management procedures and processes for continuous testing and validation for compliance purposes, organizations can ensure that their AI systems are performing at optimal levels. Governance controls and system auditability also ensure that AI systems and tools are robust against hacking and adversarial AI threats.
AI could be the most transformative technological development of our lifetime—and it's a necessity for maintaining America's competitive edge. To ensure that we develop AI that users trust and can scale to the enterprise with reduced risk, organizations must take a calm, methodical approach to its development and adoption. Focus on these three areas is crucial to protecting our national security, maintaining our competitive advantage and leading on the world stage.
Graham Gilmer is a principal at Booz Allen who helps manage artificial intelligence initiatives across the Department of Defense.
https://www.c4isrnet.com/opinion/2019/07/08/how-the-pentagon-can-improve-ai-adoption/
September 29, 2021 | International, Aerospace
The first Next-Gen OPIR satellites, designed to replace the current SBIRS missile warning constellation beginning in 2025, are likely to be delayed, says GAO in a new report.
May 31, 2019 | International, Aerospace
The French Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, has announced that the launch of the Joint Light Helicopter (Hélicoptère Interarmées Léger, HIL) program has been brought forward to 2021. The HIL program, for which the Airbus Helicopters' H160 was selected in 2017, was initially scheduled for launch in 2022 by the current military budget law. Launching the program earlier will enable delivery of the first H160Ms to the French Armed Forces to be advanced to 2026. During a visit to the Airbus Helicopters headquarters, the Minister also revealed the full-scale mock up of the H160M that will be presented on the Ministry of the Armed Forces stand at the next Paris Air Show. The helicopter was also given its official name and will be designated as “Guépard” (“Cheetah”) by the French Armed Forces. The H160 was designed to be a modular helicopter, enabling its military version, with a single platform, to perform missions ranging from commando infiltration to air intercept, fire support, and anti-ship warfare in order to meet the needs of the army, the navy and the air force through the HIL program. “We are proud that the HIL is considered a strategic program. I would like to thank the Ministry, the French Defence Procurement Agency DGA and the armed forces for their trust and for the close collaboration which helped create the conditions for the program to be brought forward within the framework of the current military budget law,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “This will make it possible to speed up the replacement of the older generation of aircraft, while optimizing the support and availability of the French State's helicopter fleet. Our teams are committed to delivering an aircraft in 2026 that meets the needs of the French Armed Forces in terms of availability, performance and capability, thus enabling it to rapidly become the new benchmark on the world's medium-lift military helicopter market.” Built around a platform that will enter service next year, the HIL program will benefit from many of the advantages inherent in the civil H160, particularly in terms of support, with simplified maintenance and lower operating costs than the previous generation of helicopters in this category. https://www.verticalmag.com/press-releases/ministry-of-the-armed-forces-brings-development-of-future-joint-light-helicopter-forward/
December 2, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, California, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $218,749,892 modification (P00006) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPRPA1-20-F-CD01) with four one-year option periods for performance based logistics and engineering support for the V-22 platform. This is a firm-fixed-price requirements contract. Locations of performance are Texas and Pennsylvania, with a Nov. 30, 2020, performance completion date. Using customers are Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Foreign Military Sales to Japan. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 Air Force, U.S. Special Operations Command, Navy and FMS appropriated funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NAVY Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, San Diego, California, is awarded a $74,726,993 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for design agent engineering services for networks and network user systems on operational landing platform/dock (LPD)-17 class amphibious transport dock ships. Work will be performed in San Diego, California (80%); Norfolk, Virginia (15%); Mayport, Florida (5%) and is expected to be complete by December 2024. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, (Navy) funding in the amount of $689,680 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c) (1), only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, as implemented by Part 6.302-1 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. This contract was issued on a sole-source basis to Raytheon Integrated Defense Services. This requirement is for design agent engineering and technical services for the overall management, development, testing, troubleshooting, repair, configuration, maintenance and fleet sustainment of fielded networks and associated network user systems/clients on operational LPD 17-class amphibious transport dock ships. These services are in support of Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, Code 52, which is responsible for the lifecycle in-service engineering agent support of mission critical interior communications data networks. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N64498-20-D-0001). W.R. Systems, Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded a modification to a previously awarded (N65236-19-D-8001) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, with provisions for firm-fixed-price task orders, performance based contract. This single award contract (SAC) is currently in its first year with a Feb. 15, 2020, contract expiration date. This modification increases the basic contract estimated ceiling by $61,999,996, and changes the cumulative estimated value of the contract from $49,999,995, to $111,999,992. This SAC is for position, navigation and timing and geospatial information services support to naval ships and shore facilities. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by February 2020. This SAC was previously procured competitively by full and open competition via the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command e-commerce central website and the Federal Business Opportunities website. This sole-source contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) and only one responsible source (Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 6.302-1). The Naval Information Warfare Center, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics/Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut (N66604-20-D-D001); Huntington Ingalls/Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia (N66604-20-D-D002); and Oceaneering International Inc., Chesapeake, Virginia (N66604-20-D-D003) are being awarded a $49,921,536 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) multiple-award contract to fabricate submarine safety/Level 1 (SUBSAFE/L1) hardware, and provide technical and engineering services. For these base ID/IQ five-year contracts, funding will not be obligated at time of award; the $1,000 minimum guarantee will be executed on each awardee's initial task order. Work will be performed at the contractors' locations and minimally at government locations, and is expected to be completed by November 2024. This multiple-award contract was competitively procured with three acceptable offers received via the Federal Business Opportunities website. This requirement is to provide SUBSAFE/L1 (or related) hardware, systems engineering, technical analyses, mechanical and electrical design, manufacturing, installation, test and evaluation, maintenance and repair services required to support existing and future fleet programs. In accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), only a limited number of responsible sources and no other supplies or services will satisfy the needs of the agency. This tasking was limited to those activities qualified to perform SUBSAFE work per the Naval Sea Systems Command Notice 5000, fiscal 2019 Navy working capital funds. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport, Newport, Rhode Island, is the contracting activity. Washington State Community College District #3, Bremerton, Washington, is awarded a not-to-exceed $18,000,000 five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for educational services in support of the apprenticeship, helper and after-hours program, which pays for tuition, lab fees, math fees, tutoring services and assessment fees in an effort to provide customers with quality, timely and cost efficient maintenance, modernization, and technical and logistics support by maintaining a highly trained and skilled workforce. These services are in support of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Facility in Bremerton, Washington. This contract does not include options. Work will be performed in Bremerton, Washington, and is expected to be complete by December 2024. No funding will be obligated at the time of award. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations Part 15, this was a competitive procurement with one offer received via the Federal Business Opportunities website. Operations and maintenance (Navy) funding will be obligated at the task order level prior to each semester. This is a commercial service contract that was competed in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 15. Only one proposal by the incumbent was received. The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington, is the contracting activity (N4523A20D1300). ARMY General Dynamics Mission Systems, Taunton, Massachusetts, was awarded a $9,164,584 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to procure contractor field service representative support services for the warfighter. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Taunton, Massachusetts, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $6,363,737 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W15P7T-20-F-0004). AIR FORCE Tunista Services LLC, Honolulu, Hawaii, has been awarded a $7,362,228 firm-fixed-priced contract modification (P00006) to previously awarded contract FA4855-18-C-0001 for continuation of operations, maintenance and support services at Melrose Air Force Range. The contract modification provides for the exercise of option year two procured under the basic contract. Work will be performed at Melrose, New Mexico, and work is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2020. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $22,676,639. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $7,362,228 are being obligated at the time of award. The 27th Special Operations Contracting Squadron, Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, is the contracting activity. https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2029052/source/GovDelivery/