September 4, 2024 | International, C4ISR
Clearview AI Faces €30.5M Fine for Building Illegal Facial Recognition Database
Clearview AI fined €30.5M by Dutch authorities for illegal facial data collection and GDPR violations.
May 4, 2018 | International, C4ISR
The Army Is Working on Brain Hacks to Help Soldiers Deal With Information Overload
The Army hopes that technology can solve the info-overload problem that technology has created, and free up people to do what people do best.
With drones and tiny sensors spreading across the planet, the US Army is worried that there's simply too much information for soldiers to process.
So the ground-combat branch wants to hack troops' brains, and develop new technologies and methods for pairing human beings and artificial intelligence. The idea is for the AI—"intelligent agent" is the term the Army uses—to process raw information, leaving the human soldier to do what they're best at: make decisions, especially creative ones.
"In theory, intelligent agents will have parallel computational power that is much greater than that of humans," Dr. Jonathan Touryan, a neuroscientist at the Army's Human Research and Engineering Directorate in Maryland, said in an Army release. "In developing human-agent integration principles, we hope to accentuate the strengths of both while mitigating individual weaknesses."
For its main human-AI integration effort, the Army teamed up with private industry and universities in California, Texas, Florida, and New York. The resulting Cognition and Neuroergonomics Collaborative Technology Alliance began in 2010 and is scheduled to continue in its current form until at least 2020.
One recent experiment involved two people—a driver and passenger—traveling together along a busy highway. The passenger, acting as a sort of surrogate AI, talked to the driver in order to test how well a human being can remember and respond to new information while under stress.
"What we're interested in doing is understanding whether we can look at the synchrony between the physiologies—the brain response or the heart rate response—between the driver and passenger, and use that synchrony to predict whether the driver is going to remember the information the passenger is telling them after the drive is over," Dr. Jean Vettel, an Army neuroscientist, said in an official release.
The resulting data could help the Army determine when and how an AI should relay information to a soldier in combat. This man-machine division of labor could become even more important in coming years.
The Defense Advanced Research Project's Squad X initiative, which began in 2013, aims to “increase squad members' real-time knowledge of their own and teammates' locations ... through collaboration with embedded unmanned air and ground systems." More drones and sensors means more information for troops to sort through during a firefight or some other life-or-death situation.
Separately from the Army's Cognition and Neuroergonomics Collaborative Technology Alliance and DARPA's Squad X, the military has been working on an “implantable neural interface” that could allow soldiers and AIs to directly communicate.
That's right, a brain modem, one that translates data into electronic impulses that are compatible with a human being's own thoughts. Inspired by the rapid advancements in cochlear implants and other medical implants, DARPA began work on the modem in 2016 as part of a four-year, $60-million program.
Experts say the brain modem might not work. “The big challenge is you're talking about interfacing with the human brain—that's not a trivial thing," Dr. Bradley Greger, a neuroscientist at Arizona State University, told me.
But for the Army, it could be worth taking a chance on this and similar technology. Drones and sensors are steadily getting better, smaller, cheaper and more numerous. There's more data by the day. "Humans simply cannot process the amount of information that is potentially available," Touryan said. "Yet, humans remain unmatched in their ability to adapt to complex and dynamic situations, such as a battlefield environment."
The Army hopes that technology can solve the info-overload problem that technology has created, and free up people to do what people do best: think creatively.
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January 28, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - January 27, 2021
ARMY Eli Lilly and Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, was awarded a $625,000,000 modification (P00007) to contract W911QY-21-C-0016 for 500,000 doses of LY-CoV555, a COVID-19 therapeutic drug treatment. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 27, 2021. Fiscal 2021 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds in the amount of $625,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 26, 2021) Bay Ship & Yacht Co., Alameda, California (W56HZV-21-D-L002); Colonna's Shipyard Inc.,* Norfolk, Virginia (W56HZV-21-D-L003); Conley Marine Services,* Harvey, Louisiana (W56HZV-21-D-L004); Fairlead Boatworks Inc., Newport News, Virginia (W56HZV21DL005); GMD Shipyard Corp.,* Brooklyn, New York (W56HZV-21-D-L006); Gulf Copper & Manufacturing Corp.,* Galveston, Texas (W56HZV-21-D-L007); Lyon Shipyard Inc.,* Norfolk, Virginia (W56HZV-21-D-L008); Mare Island Dry Dock, Vallejo, California (W56HZV-21-D-L009); Metal Trades Inc.,* Yonges Island, South Carolina (W56HZV-21-D-L010); Murtech Inc.,* Glen Burnie, Maryland (W56HZV-21-D-L011); Platypus Marine Inc., Port Angeles, Washington (W56HZV-21-D-L012); Swiftships LLC,* Morgan City, Louisiana (W56HZV-21-D-L013); Vigor Marine LLC, Portland, Oregon (W56HZV-21-D-L014); and Yank Marine Services,* Dorchester, New Jersey (W56HZV-21-D-L015), will compete for each order of the $235,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the purpose of performing on-condition cyclic maintenance, modifications, modernizations and repairs, requiring the use of a dry dock as well as sustainment maintenance, modernization efforts on the Army Watercraft Fleet of vessels. Bids were solicited via the internet with 16 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 26, 2026. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Swiftships LLC,* Morgan City, Louisiana (W56HZV-21-D-L018); Heavy Engineering Industries and Shipbuilding Co., Shuwaikh, Kuwait (W56HZV-21-D-L019); Japan Marine United Co., Yokohama, Japan (W56HZV-21-D-L020); Orient Shipyard Co. Ltd., Pusan, South Korea (W56HZV-21-D-L021); Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd., Yokosuka, Japan (W56HZV-21-D-L022); Sunjin Entech Co. Ltd, Pusan, South Korea (W56HZV-21-D-L023); and Yokohama Engineering Works Ltd., Yokohama, Japan (W56HZV-21-D-L024), will compete for each order of the $180,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the follow-on efforts for the Watercraft Inspection Branch and Army Watercraft Systems Product Directorate to combine its shipyard efforts to efficiently execute modifications, modernizations and on-condition cyclic maintenance efforts for its existing fleet of vessels. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan 26, 2026. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Colonna's Shipyard Inc.,* Norfolk, Virginia (W56HZV-21-D-L025); Conley Marine Services LLC,* Harvey, Louisiana (W56HZV-21-D-L026); Continental Tide Defense Systems Inc., Wyomissing, Pennsylvania (W56HZV-21-D-L027); Epsilon Systems Solutions Inc., Portsmouth, Virginia (W56HZV-21-D-L028); Guam Industrial Services Inc., Agat, Guam (W56HZV-21-D-L029); Heavy Engineering Industries & Shipbuilding, Shuwaikh Port Area, Western Extension Shuwaikh, Kuwait (W56HZV-21-D-L030); HII Fleet Support Group LLC, Virginia Beach, Virginia (W56HZV-21-D-L031); L3 Unidyne Inc., Norfolk, Virginia (W56HZV-21-D-L032); Lyon Shipyard Inc., Norfolk, Virginia (W56HZV-21-D-L033); Metal Trades Inc.,* Yonges Island, South Carolina (W56HZV-21-D-L034); QED Systems Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (W56HZV-21-D-L035); Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd., Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan (W56HZV-21-D-L036); Sunjin Entech Co. Ltd., Pusan, South Korea (W56HZV-21-D-L037); and Yokohama Engineering Works Ltd., Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan (W56HZV-21-D-L038), will compete for each order of the $155,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for unprogrammed maintenance, emergency repair, modification and modernization efforts that do not require the use of a dry dock. Bids were solicited via the internet with 15 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 26, 2026. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Indtai Inc.,* Vienna, Virginia, was awarded an $8,021,713 modification (P00004) to contract W9124J-20-C-0012 to provide educational support services in education centers located on over 60 Army garrisons in the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Jul. 27, 2021. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $8,021,713 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Field Directorate Office, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity. NAVY CH2M Hill Inc., Englewood, Colorado, is awarded a maximum value $480,000,000 cost-plus-award-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering contract for comprehensive long-term environmental action services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed provides for architectural and engineering services to provide program management and technical environmental services in support of the Department of the Navy's Environmental Restoration Program, Munitions Response Program and other similar programs at any Navy and Marine Corps activity in the AOR covered by NAVFAC Atlantic. Future task orders will be primarily funded by environmental restoration (Navy) funds. An initial task order is being awarded at $200,000 for architect-engineering services at the program management office in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by March 2022. All work on this contract will be performed within the NAVFAC Atlantic AOR including, but not limited to, North Carolina (25%); Puerto Rico (25%); Virginia (25%); Maryland (10%); California (5%); District of Columbia (3%); West Virginia (3%); Washington (2%); and Alaska (2%), and is expected to be completed by January 2026. Fiscal 2021 environmental restoration (Navy) funds in the amount of $200,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-21-D-0007). Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, is awarded a not-to-exceed $49,663,781 undefinitized firm-fixed-price modification (P00001) to cost-plus-fixed-fee order N00019-21-F-0062 against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-19-G-0029. This modification adds scope for the production and delivery of 19 AN/AAQ-30A Target Sight Systems; 14 for the government of Bahrain and five for the government of the Czech Republic. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (36%); Burlington, Ontario, Canada (34%); Merrimack, New Hampshire (14%); Ocala, Florida (5%); Santa Barbara, California (3%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (8%), and is expected to be completed in January 2023. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $7,433,265 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 26, 2021) Maxon Furniture Inc., Muscatine, Iowa, is awarded a $34,924,508 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides furniture finishes and equipment to ensure office furniture standardization, sustainability and maximum flexibility of personnel office spaces including design services and installation. Work will be performed in Muscatine, Iowa, and is expected to be completed in January 2026. Fiscal 2021 working capital (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,733 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; three offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity (N68936-21-D-0011). Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is awarded a $25,523,136 modification (P00005) to cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price order N00019-20-F-0315 against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-17-G-0002. This modification adds scope for the production and delivery of nine right aft sponson fuel tank kits in support of V-22 Production Aircraft 9-17 for the government of Japan. Additionally, this modification provides development and updates to existing technical data as well as services in support of aircraft deliveries and aircrew pilot and crew chief training for the government of Japan. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, North Carolina (35%); Chiba Provence, Japan (35%); Ridley Park, Pennsylvania (20%); Stennis, Mississippi (5%); and Fort Worth, Texas (5%), and is expected to be completed in March 2024. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $25,523,136 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Marietta, Georgia, is awarded a $11,403,660 cost-plus-fixed-fee indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides engineering and logistics services in support of the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft program to monitor and manage fatigue and obsolescence issues and operational and/or technical problems arising from P-3 fleet usage for the Navy, Foreign Military Sales customers and other U.S. government agencies. Work will be performed in Marietta, Georgia, and is expected to be completed in January 2026. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (N68335-21-D-0045). Boeing Distribution Inc., Dallas, Texas, is awarded an $8,624,300 firm-fixed-price modification (P00008) to previously awarded contract N00019-18-C-0055. This modification adds scope for the production and delivery of two P-8A engine build up kits and associated mating to core engine; one for the government of New Zealand and one for the government of Australia. Work will be performed in Dallas, Texas (50%); and Everett, Washington (50%), and is expected to be completed in June 2022. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $8,624,300 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Marietta, Georgia, has been awarded a $129,363,552 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for C-5 contractor logistic support services. This contract involves supply chain management, repair and technical support services. Work will be performed in Marietta, Georgia; and Greenville, South Carolina, and is expected to completed Jan. 31, 2022. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2021 Material Supply Division; and operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $31,544,612 are being obligated at the time of award by way of task order FA8525-21-F0003. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity. L3Harris Technologies Inc., Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded an $89,712,422 fixed-price-incentive-firm modification (P00024) to contract FA8823-20-C-0004 for system sustainment services Option Year Two. This modification updates and revises the Maintenance of Space Situational Awareness Integrated Capabilities system sustainment performance requirements for the current option year. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Dahlgren, Virginia, and is expected to be completed Jan 31, 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $55,578,977 are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $315,420,730. Space and Missile Systems Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity. Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., Savannah, Georgia, has been awarded an $83,831,036 firm-fixed-price modification (P00014) to contract FA8106-18-D-0002 for C-20/C-37 fleet sustainment. The contract modification is for exercise of Option Year Four, to include issuance of task orders for a one-year extension of contract term to support the C-20 and C-37 fleet for the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard; funding uninterrupted continuation of contractor logistics. Work will be performed in Savannah, Georgia; Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy; Ramstein Air Base, Germany; Joint Base Andrews, Maryland; Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii; Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Hawaii; and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington, D.C. The work is expected to be completed Jan. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $44,482,293 are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $594,429,554. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity. MilSup LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada, has been awarded a $50,628,080 firm-fixed-price contract for the RC/OC/WC-135 and E-4B Contract Aircrew Training (CAT) and Courseware Development (CWD) program. The contractor will furnish all personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision and all other items and services that are required to perform RC/OC/WC-135 and E-4B CAT and CWD. Work will be performed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, and is expected to be completed March 31, 2026. This award is the result of a competitive Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business acquisition and six offers were received. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $145,476 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Combat Command, Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity (FA4890-21-C-0001). U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND Eleven (11) companies have been awarded Option Year 3 modifications under the following Category A (CAT A) III, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity, Fixed Price contracts: HTC711-18-D-C003/P00008 American Airlines of Fort Worth, TX; HTC711-18-D-C004/P00008 Air Transportation International (ATI) of Irving, TX; HTC711-18-D-C005/P00008 Atlas Air of Purchase, NY; HTC711-18-D-C006/P00008 Delta Air Lines, Inc. of Atlanta, GA; HTC711-18-D-C007/P00008 FedEx of Washington, DC; HTC711-18-D-C008/P00008 Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. of Honolulu, HI; HTC711-18-D-C011/P00008 National Air Cargo, Inc. of Orlando, FL; HTC711-18-D-C012/P00008 Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc. of Purchase, NY; HTC711-18-D-C013/P00008 United Parcel Service Co. (UPS) of Louisville, KY; HTC711-18-D-C014/P00008 USA Jet Airlines of Belleville, MI; and HTC711-18-D-C015/P00008 Western Global Airlines (WGA) of Estero, FL. The companies are eligible to compete at the task order level for an option year estimated amount of $34,732,959. The program's cumulative value increased from $124,325,701 to $159,058,660 (estimated). This modification provides international commercial scheduled air cargo transportation services. Services encompass time-definite, door-to-door pick-up and delivery, transportation, Intransit Visibility (ITV), Government-Approved Third Party Payment System participation, and expedited customs processing and clearance of less than full planeloads for the movement of regular and recurring hazardous, refrigerated/cold chain (perishable), life and death, narcotics, and other regular recurring cargo shipments. Work will be performed world-wide. Option Year 3 period of performance is Feb. 1, 2021 to Jan. 31, 2022. United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, IL, 62225-5357, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2484774/source/GovDelivery/
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March 7, 2022 | International, Aerospace
Un nouveau missile MBDA pour le Tigre MkIII d’Airbus Helicopters
A l'issue du rétrofit, le Tigre MkIII sera équipé d'une version modernisée du missile Mistral et, pour la version française, du nouveau missile MHT (Missile Haut de Trame / Missile Longue Portée) de MBDA qui a une portée supérieure poussée à 10 km. L'équipage bénéficie des images haute résolution renvoyées depuis l'autodirecteur optronique à infrarouge du missile via une transmission de données bidirectionnelle, permettant de choisir le point d'impact du missile ou de sélectionner un nouvel objectif en vol. Jusqu'à 12 missiles MHT pourront être emportés en configuration de combat. Air & Cosmos du 3 mars