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By Editorial Board GOOGLE DECIDED after an employee backlash this summer that it no longer wanted to help the U.S. military craft artificial intelligence to help analyze drone footage. Now, the military is inviting companies and researchers across the country to become more involved in machine learning. The firms should accept the invitation. The Defense Department's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency will invest up to $2 billion over the next five years in artificial intelligence, a significant increase for the bureau whose goal is promoting innovative research. The influx suggests the United States is preparing to start sprinting in an arms race against China. It gives companies and researchers who want to see a safer world an opportunity not only to contribute to national security but also to ensure a more ethical future for AI. The DARPA contracts will focus on helping machines operate in complex real-world scenarios. They will also tackle one of the central conundrums in AI: something insiders like to call “explainability.” Right now, what motivates the results that algorithms return and the decisions they make is something of a black box. That's worrying enough when it comes to policing posts on a social media site, but it is far scarier when lives are at stake. Military commanders are more likely to trust artificial intelligence if they know what it is “thinking,” and the better any of us understands technology, the more responsibly we can use it. There is a strong defense imperative to make AI the best it can be, whether to deter other countries from using their own machine-learning capabilities to target the United States, or to ensure the United States can effectively counter them when they do. Smarter technologies, such as improved target recognition, can save civilian lives, and allowing machines to perform some tasks instead of humans can protect service members. But patriotism is not the only reason companies should want to participate. They know better than most in government the potential these technologies have to help and to harm, and they can leverage that knowledge to maximize the former and minimize the latter. Because DARPA contracts are public, the work researchers do will be transparent in a way that Project Maven, the program that caused so much controversy at Google, was not. Employees aware of what their companies are working on can exert influence over how those innovations are used, and the public can chime in as well. DARPA contractors will probably develop products with nonlethal applications, like improved self-driving cars for convoys and autopilot programs for aircraft. But the killer robots that have many people worried are not outside the realm of technological possibility. The future of AI will require outlining principles that explain how what is possible may differ from what is right. If the best minds refuse to contribute, worse ones will. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/silicon-valley-should-work-with-the-military-on-ai-heres-why/2018/09/12/1085caee-b534-11e8-a7b5-adaaa5b2a57f_story.html

By: Pierre Tran PARIS — The U.S. is a close and valued ally to France, but the European country seeks continentwide strategic autonomy in defense and security, with a stronger and more cooperative industrial base, said French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly. “The United States is our ally and our friend, and it will remain so,” she said Sept. 11 at the Summer defense university, a gathering of parliamentarians, officers and foreign guests. “Our cooperation in defense and security is intense and highly valued.” Parly had planned to pass on that message when she saw U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in Washington on Thursday, but that trip to the U.S. — which included a presentation at the Atlantic Council — was canceled due to Hurricane Florence hitting the East Coast. “Can we always count, in every place and in every circumstance, on American support?" she said. “Listen to the statements of the U.S. president, read his tweets: The message sent is clear and without ambiguity,” she added. “We have to count on ourselves ... build a European strategic autonomy.” But Robbin Laird, an analyst with U.S.- and France-based consultancy ICSA, said the U.S. is very present in Europe. “Despite the president's comments on NATO and Article 5, his administration has committed significant resources in Europe,” he said, referring to the alliance's charter that calls for a united response should a member nation come under attack. Mattis was recently “very visible in Finland,” attending a trilateral meeting with Finnish and Swedish senior officials, Laird said, noting the upcoming NATO Trident Juncture exercise in Norway in October and November. “It is clear Trump would welcome a more European capability; a real defense capability is what he is looking for, not just words,” he said. On the industrial front, Parly said France and Germany have signed up for projects for a Future Combat Air System — centered on a new fighter jet— and a new tank. This is a “historic step for Europe, for the future of our equipment and the strength of our industry,” she said. These were long-term commitments, open to other nations, she added. Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2018/09/14/france-wonders-can-we-always-count-on-american-support/

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi NEW DELHI — After 13 years of a punitive suspension from carrying out defense business in India, the country's Ministry of Defence has officially withdrawn South African company Denel from its blacklisting. The ban was recently lifted following a May 2018 judgement by the Supreme Court, which dropped all corruption changes against the defense company, according to an MoD official. Denel, who is ranked 84 on this year's Defense News Top 100 list, was one of the prime contenders for small arms, ammunition and artillery programs in the 1980s in India. The blacklisting was also lifted following a personal request from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a July meeting in Johannesburg. A few months earlier in April, India's national investigation agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation, had filed the closure report on the corruption case against Denel in the Supreme Court. Another MoD official said the South African company waived a $100 million penalty that was imposed on the MoD by the Supreme Court following arbitration proceedings. Denel was blacklisted in 2005 by the then-United Progressive Alliance-run government over allegations that the company paying kickbacks to secure a deal from the year 2000 for the Indian Army's global tender to purchase of 1,000 NTW-20 anti-materiel rifles along with 398,000 rounds of ammunition. Under the deal, 700 anti-materiel rifles were to have been purchased directly and the remaining 300 rifles produced under license in one of the factories of the state-owned Ordnance Factory Board, out of which only 400 rifles were inducted; the remaining were put on hold. https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2018/09/14/india-lifts-blacklisting-of-south-african-defense-firm-denel

By: Daniel Cebul The U.S. Air Force is getting ready to deliver the first of its next-generation GPS III satellites into orbit later this year, and expects the new satellites to deliver significant capability improvements. But much work also needs to be done on Earth to make sure the Air Force is able to get the most out of the platforms. That's why Lockheed Martin will begin a series of updates to the architecture's ground control system following the initial launch, according to a statement from the company. These updates will give the Air Force get a head start on testing and operations before the majority of the constellation is in place. The Air Force placed Lockheed Martin on contract in 2016 and 2017 to upgrade the existing Architecture Evolution Plan (AEP) Operational Control System (OCS) called GPS III Contingency Operations (COps) and M-Code Early Use (MCEU), respectively. Just as the GPS III satellites themselves are equipped with improved anti-jamming technology and more accurate signals transmission capability, the ground systems and software that control them need to be upgraded as well. The Air Force has also worked with Raytheon on the estimated $6 billion Operational Control Segment program, often referred to as OCX. That program is expected to serve as the primary ground control system for the GPS III program but has been behind schedule. SpaceNews recently reported the target completion date for Block 1 of the program is June 2021. Block O, the launch and checkout system, was delivered in September 2017. ockheed Martin's contingency program will allow the existing control system to support and integrate more powerful GPS III satellites. Modifications will support GPS III satellites in their position, navigation and timing missions, coordinating their movement with GPS IIR, IIR-M and IIF satellites already in orbit. A second set of upgrades, known as the MCEU modernization program, will focus on the development of M-Code, a new advanced signal designed to improve anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities. The program will improve the existing ground system and allow it to task, upload and monitor M-Code within the GPS constellation. In other words, MCEU modernization will help the Air Force integrate and test GPS III satellites into the current constellation earlier. COps is on schedule for delivery in May 2019 and MCEU is scheduled for delivery in January 2020. https://www.c4isrnet.com/c2-comms/satellites/2018/09/14/gps-iii-satellites-are-nearly-ready-to-launch-but-whats-being-done-on-terra-firma-to-support-them

By: Justin Lynch The biggest cyber threats governments and businesses face may not be the cutting edge hack from China, but a 10-year-old virus that infects a little-used computer. Some of the most well-known viruses from the past decade are still infecting machines despite their well-documented nature, according to cyber research firms. Some viruses, such as WannaCry and Conficker, are still spreading, Sean Sullivan, a security adviser at F-Secure told Fifth Domain. “It costs hackers nothing to keep using them,” Sullivan said. These known vulnerabilities are still effective because older machines do not receive patches for updates, which can then infect an entire network. Hackers often bundle known hacks together because it increases their success rate with no downside, Sullivan said. “Nothing is going to be 100 percent patched across organizations,” Sullivan, said. He described a network administrator's role as “triage.” The 2017 WannaCry hack infected users in more than 150 countries and had an economic impact of anywhere from $4 billion to $8 billion. Although progress has been made to patch computers, WannaCry is still a top malware threat for customers, F-Stream said in a September report. The Conficker hack targeted Windows systems and was first launched in 2008. It is reported to have cost as much as $9 billion in damage. But much work remains. More than two-billion devices have not been patched to defend against BlueBorne, a Bluetooth vulnerability that allows an attacker to take over devices, according to the cyber protection company Armis. The devices are still vulnerable because they have not been updated or because an update does not exist, according to the company. “Whether they're brought in by employees and contractors, or by guests using enterprise networks for temporary connectivity, these devices can expose enterprises to significant risks,” wrote Ben Seri, the vice president of research at Armis. A previous version of this article said that two million devices have not been patched to defend against BlueBorne. It is two billion. https://www.fifthdomain.com/industry/2018/09/13/really-old-computer-viruses-are-still-infecting-new-machines

AMY MCCULLOUGH The Air Force plans to redesign the oxygen system in its T-6 Texan II and adjust oxygen control levels in flight, after an exhaustive study determined that varying levels of oxygen concentrations were to blame for the hypoxia-like symptoms reported by pilots. The service grounded its primary trainer fleet earlier this year while it inspected the Onboard Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS) on all T-6 aircraft, and it stood up an independent review team to determination potential causes. “So far, technical efforts to date and analysis of data collected have determined that pilots have been exposed to significantly changing levels of oxygen concentration,” said Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast, AETC commander. “The varying levels of oxygen concentration, even though in excess of what the body typically needs, has caused physiological stress that most pilots, on most days, actually adapt to without noticing.” However, the physiological stress of the changing oxygen levels can cause some pilots to experience symptom similar to hypoxia (lack of oxygen), hypocapnea (lack of carbon dioxide), and other related conditions, said Kwast in a press release issued late Thursday. It is expected to take two to four years to redesign the OBOGS system and fully stabilize oxygen levels in the T-6, a joint effort between Air Education and Training Command and Air Force Materiel Command. The two major commands also are working with industry “to adjust the OBOGS software algorithm to stabilize oxygen concentrations,” according to the release. “While this should reduce physiological events, the Air Force will pursue a broader redesign,” states the release. The Air Force and the Navy also have worked together to come up with new maintenance procedures to ensure the OBOGS system operates more efficiently. And, AETC will provide additional training for pilots to help them identify such symptoms and then learn how best to react if they ever encounter them in flight. “Since our T-6 operational pause, we have made every effort to communicate with every instructor and every student exactly what we've found,” Maj. Gen. Patrick Doherty, 19th Air Force commander, said. “Transparency remains of utmost importance to use as we all work together to ensure that our pilots are safe and know the way ahead.” http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2018/September%202018/USAF-to-Redesign-Oxygen-System-on-T-6-Fleet-After-Repeated-Hypoxia-Like-Issues.aspx

Par Vincent Lamigeon Le parti du Congrès, principal parti d'opposition en Inde, attaque durement les conditions du contrat pour 36 Rafale signé par Delhi en 2016. Le camp français évoque une polémique liée au contexte électoral. Et affirme toujours croire à un contrat de 114 avions supplémentaires. "L'affaire Rafale". C'est devenu l'obsession de Rahul Gandhi, leader du parti du Congrès, à l'approche des élections de mai 2019. Depuis novembre 2017, le dirigeant du principal parti d'opposition indien a fait du contrat pour 36 Rafale, signé par Delhi en septembre 2016, l'aiguillon de son offensive contre le premier ministre, le nationaliste hindou Narendra Modi. Gandhi évoque carrément une "escroquerie", accusant le gouvernement d'avoir favorisé un industriel proche du pouvoir, le patron du conglomérat Reliance, Anil Ambani. Ce groupe, jusqu'alors absent du secteur de la défense, avait été choisi par Dassault comme partenaire local pour remporter le contrat. "Un capitalisme de copinage", selon Rahul Gandhi, qui a multiplié ces dernières semaines les manifestations contre le contrat Rafale. L'accord pour 36 appareils pourrait-il être menacé ? Peu probable. Certes, un certain malaise est palpable. La visite à Paris de la ministre de la Défense indienne Nirmala Sitharaman, prévue ces prochains jours, a été reportée sine die, signe de la gêne persistante autour du sujet. Le passage du détachement Pégase de l'armée de l'air française en Inde (3 Rafale, un A400M, un C-135 et 130 aviateurs) début septembre a été accueilli avec un certain embarras par les responsables indiens. Un vol en Rafale de l'ambassadeur français a été annulé, de même que le survol du Taj Mahal par un A400M et le vol d'aviateurs indiens en place arrière sur les Rafale français. Contexte pré-électoral Pour autant, une dénonciation du contrat apparaît très improbable. L'armée de l'air indienne s'est même livrée à une défense en règle du contrat le 12 septembre. Dans un document dévoilé par le site indien LiveFist, elle assure que "l'Inde a obtenu le Rafale au meilleur prix" et "avec les meilleurs armements du marché". Le patron de l'armée de l'air indienne B.S. Dhanoa a même assuré que les "chasseurs high-tech Rafale" étaient plus que jamais nécessaires pour faire face aux menaces pakistanaise et chinoise. Delhi attend ses appareils à partir de septembre 2019, avec des livraisons qui s'échelonneront jusqu'à 2022. Article complet: https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/le-contrat-rafale-en-inde-est-il-menace_612305

By Lauren C. Williams The Defense Department's newest combatant command is nearly a decade old but still doesn't steer its own acquisitions. That could change in fiscal 2019, however, as U.S. Cyber Command staffs up its contracting office and seeks a bigger acquisition budget. "Acquisition authority is limited at the moment. It's capped at $75 million and has a sunset date, currently, of 2021," said Stephen Schanberger, command acquisition executive for U.S. Cyber Command during a panel at the Billington Cybersecurity Summit Sept. 6. "So the command is actively pursuing getting that increased on the ceiling amount as well as the sunset date." Cyber Command has only had acquisition authority for two fiscal years, but Congress extended that authority through 2025 in the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. That advances the authority four years from the original sunset date of 2021. Cyber Command awarded only one contract in fiscal 2017, Schanberger said, partly because it lacked a contract writing system and technical personnel to get things done. Things improved this year with $40 million in contract awards and Schanberger expects to reach the $75 million cap sometime in 2019. "We are really hamstrung at the moment in relying on the current [contracting] vehicles out there from others," he said. "And in some cases we've had to adjust our scope to match up to the contract versus waiting for them to put another whole contract vehicle or task order onto a contract." Schanberger seeks to more than triple Cyber Command's acquisition to $250 million to allow for multi-year contracts. Congressional scrutiny has been the main impediment to securing additional acquisition funds because the command needs to prove its contracting abilities, but Schanberger said increasing staff and getting things right will help. "Congress would like us to show that we actually can use our authority the way it's supposed to be and start to stand on the backbone of what it takes to be a contracting organization," particularly regarding contract types, use other transaction authorities, competitive bids versus sole source, and partnering with small businesses, he said. Schanberger told FCW he wasn't concerned about additional congressional scrutiny surrounding the Defense Department's use of other transaction authorities because "our efforts are nowhere near the big efforts that they're looking for." But overall, Cyber Command's contracting office is growing. Schanberger now leads a team of about five people, including himself, consisting of a contracting officer, specialist, and supporting contractors. He hopes to double the team's capacity by year's end. "We are in our infancy from an acquisition perspective, we are putting down the foundation of the personnel and the skills," he said, with the goal "to be able to activate, put together solicitation packages, plan our contracting strategy for [multiple] years, and be able to effectively implement and put out RFPs on the street without making a mess out it." Schanberger said they are looking at capabilities that can benefit all of the service components, such as analytic development. Cyber Command released a request for proposals for an analytic support program dubbed Rainfire on Sept. 4. "Once we get the skills in place, I think we'll be able to demonstrate to everyone around us that we can execute the authorities we have and grow them responsibly," he said. https://fcw.com/articles/2018/09/13/cybercom-aquisition-williams.aspx

CANBERRA—Upgrades to Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) are a possibility, the defense department in Canberra said, without suggesting that any such move is under ... Full article: http://aviationweek.com/defense/australia-sees-potential-upgrades-super-hornets