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September 9, 2019 | International, C4ISR

Who should manage the Pentagon’s AI data? DARPA’s director has a suggestion.

By: Jill Aitoro

The Pentagon's needs one central hub to manage all of the data supporting artificial intelligence across the services — and the newly stood-up Joint Artificial Intelligence Center should be the entity to take that on, said Steve Walker, director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

DARPA has funded foundational AI work for 56 years, now concentrating on what Walker calls third wave AI that focuses on human and machine interaction as well as building “trust and explainability” of the data, Walker said during a panel discussion at the Defense News Conference on Sept. 4.

“Everybody should own it, but I think there's a real need in [the Department of Defense] to understand how to do what we call AI engineering,” he said. “We can do the foundational part, the research, but who's going to manage the data? Who's going to update the data as it changes? Who's going to update the algorithms as the data changes?

"I know that the Joint AI Center has stood up in the department. I've encouraged them to take that on for all of DoD and all the services. I think that would be an excellent role for them.”

Established in June 2018, the Joint AI Center is an effort to accelerate the Pentagon's adoption and integration of AI at scale. As a center of excellence, Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, JAIC's director, said the organization was intended to expand beyond product delivery to include “strategic engagement and policy, plans and analysis, and intelligence and more.” It's been billed as a clearing house for organizing the DoD's thinking and projects related to AI.

That said, it's too soon to know whether JAIC will take Walker's advice and serve as a central manager of sorts for AI data; he did say leadership seemed “amenable” to the idea.

A centralized hub for data could also ease efforts underway by agencies. The Air Force has people plugged in with the JAIC effort, as well as DARPA and academic institutions. The service is starting an AI accelerator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where members of the Air Force are embedding with the university's computer science and AI lab.

“We're trying to make it real, to take some of what Dr. Walker and his team had been working on and turn it into something that our airmen out in the field can use across the spectrum,” said Gen. Stephen “Seve” Wilson, Air Force vice chief of staff. “Whether you're logistics, whether you're an operator, whether you're space. I would make it real.”

At the end of the day, successful AI efforts are based on big data sets. Without that underlying data, the Pentagon is “building a house on sand,” said Juliana Vida, the chief technical adviser for the public sector at Splunk, Inc.

“If you don't get the foundation right, the input into the machine-learning algorithm is not going to be complete. It's not going to be correct. Even though it's not cool and it doesn't go bang and it's not sexy, the data is the underlying piece to all of these other technologies,” Vida said.

https://www.c4isrnet.com/artificial-intelligence/2019/09/06/who-should-control-the-pentagons-ai-data-darpas-director-has-a-suggestion/

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    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 09, 2021

    ARMY Covalus LLC,* Dallas, Texas (W912DY-21-D-0006); Holitna Construction LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska (W912DY-21-D-0007); Martek Global Solutions LLC,* Bethesda, Maryland (W912DY-21-D-0008); and Workplace Solutions Inc.,* Jacksonville, Florida (W912DY-21-D-0009), will compete for each order of the $495,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to support military healthcare construction/renewal projects. Bids were solicited via the internet with 19 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 3, 2026. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Vectrus Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado, was awarded an $18,337,000 modification (P00021) to contract W52P1J-18-C-0025 to provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, transportation, tools, materials, supervision and other items and non-personal services necessary for food services at the Area Support Group-Kuwait dining facility. Work will be performed in Kuwait City, Kuwait, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 10, 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $18,337,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Garland, Texas, was awarded a $12,722,355 modification (P00004) to contract W52P1J-18-C-0052 for MK82-1, MK82-6, MK82-8, MK83-4, MK84-6 and BDU-56/B bomb bodies. Work will be performed in Garland, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 aircraft procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $12,722,355 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Chromalloy Component Services, San Antonio, Texas, has been awarded a $74,632,104 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the remanufacture of the F108 Module 14 low pressure turbine assembly. This contract provides for the remanufacturing of the F108-200 (CFM56-2A) low pressure turbine assembly (Module 14) to like-new condition. Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas, and is expected to be completed Feb. 8, 2026. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Defense agencies working capital funds will be used, but no funds are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8122-21-D-0002). CORRECTION: The $95,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract awarded on Feb. 4, 2021, to Scientific Research Corp., Atlanta, Georgia (FA7037-21-D-0001), is for Full Spectrum Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance operational numbered Air Forces Support; not Full Spectrum Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance operational non-appropriated funds Support. NAVY Gichner Systems Group Inc., Dallastown, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $57,319,314 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract procures up to a maximum quantity of 732 mobile facility shelters used for human habitation as well as permanent equipment storage or operation to support the testing, repairing, and operation of various avionics and non-avionics gear for the Navy, Marine Corps and Army. Work will be performed in Dallastown, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed in February 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 competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal and two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (N68335-21-D-0214). Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $26,825,606 modification (P00010) to previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract N00019-20-C-0037. This modification exercises an option to provide continued support for training system product development, integration and test for current, fielded and planned hardware baselines in support of the F-35 training systems labs for the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and non-Department of Defense (DOD) participants. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (98%); and Fort Worth, Texas (2%), and is expected to be completed in March 2022. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,000,000; fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force) funds in the amount of $2,000,000; and non-DOD participant funds in the amount of $881,107, 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. General Electric Aviation, Lynn, Massachusetts, is awarded a $21,095,294 firm-fixed-price modification (P00016) to previously awarded contract N00019-18-C-1007. This modification procures 4 T408-GE-400 turboshaft spare engines and various spare engine parts in support of CH-53K Lot 5 low rate initial production aircraft. Work will be performed in Lynn, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed in December 2024. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $20,390,291; and fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $705,003 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. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY KBR Services LLC, Houston, Texas, has been awarded an estimated $38,110,000 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for automated fuel handling equipment maintenance. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. The estimated dollar amount is for the life of the contract and the maximum dollar amount is $49,500,000. This is a one-year base contract with four one-year option periods. Locations of performance are California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, Greenland, Japan and Spain, with a March 12, 2022, base ordering period end date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Contracting Services Office, Columbus, Ohio (SP4702-21-D-0001). Abbott Rapid DX North America LLC, Orlando, Florida, has been awarded a maximum $48,750,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for laboratory supplies. This was a competitive acquisition with 32 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Florida, with a Feb. 8, 2026, ordering period end date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2026 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DE-21-D-0017). Metro Medical Equipment and Supply, Saint Ann, Missouri, has been awarded a maximum $42,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for hospital equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency electronic catalog. This was a competitive acquisition with 140 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Missouri, with a Feb. 8, 2026, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2026 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DH-21-D-0058). Base Utilities Inc.,* Grand Forks and Cavalier, North Dakota, has been awarded a maximum $16,285,037 modification (P00012) to a 50-year utilities privatization contract (SP0600-18-C-8322) with no option periods for additional utility services for two water and two wastewater systems at Grand Forks Air Force Base and Cavalier Air Force Station. This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract. Location of performance is North Dakota, with a Jan. 31, 2069, performance completion date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2069 Air Force operations and maintenance funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY Perspecta Enterprise Solutions LLC, Chantilly, Virginia (HC1084-21-D-0002), has been awarded a competitive single-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for Global Content Delivery Services II for the Defense Information Systems Agency Operations Center. The contract ceiling is approximately $201,543,314, and the minimum guarantee is $10,000. The place of performance will be at government data centers or future government centers within the continental U.S.; data centers outside the continental U.S.; and other government-approved locations worldwide, in which the government may acquire an operational responsibility. Solicitation HC1084-20-R-0005 was posted on the beta.SAM.gov website as a competitive acquisition and four proposals were received. The period of performance consists of a three-year base period and three one-year option periods, for a total contract life cycle of six years. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2498742/source/GovDelivery/

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