22 janvier 2019 | International, C4ISR

Googlers headline new commission on AI and national security

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Is $10 million and 22 months enough to shape the future of artificial intelligence?

Probably not, but inside the fiscal 2019 national defense policy bill is a modest sum set aside for the creation and operations of a new National Security Commission for Artificial Intelligence. And in a small way, that group will try. The commission's full membership, announced Jan. 18, includes 15 people across the technology and defense sectors. Led by Eric Schmidt, formerly of Google and now a technical adviser to Google parent company Alphabet, the commission is co-chaired by Robert Work. former undersecretary of defense who is presently at the Center for New American Security.

The group is situated as independent within the executive branch, and its scope is broad.

The commission is to look at the competitiveness of the United States in artificial intelligence, how the US can maintain a technological advantage in AI, keep an eye on foreign developments and investments in AI, especially as related to national security. In addition, the authorization for the commission tasks it with considering means to stimulate investment in AI research and AI workforce development. The commission is expected to consider the risks of military uses of AI by the United States or others, and the ethics related to AI and machine learning as applied to defense. Finally, it is to look at how to establish data standards across the national security space, and to consider how the evolving technology can be managed.

All of this has been discussed in some form in the national security community for months, or years, but now, a formal commission will help lay out a blue print.

That is several tall orders, all of which will lead to at least three reports. The first report is set by law to be delivered no later than February 2019, with annual reports to follow in August of 2019 and 2020. The commission is set to wrap up its work by October 2020.

Inside the authorization is a definition of artificial intelligence to for the commission to work from. Or, well, five definitions:

  • Any artificial system that performs tasks under varying and unpredictable circumstances without significant human oversight, or that can learn from experience and improve performance when exposed to data sets.
  • An artificial system developed in computer software, physical hardware, or other context that solves tasks requiring human-like perception, cognition, planning, learning, communication, or physical action.
  • An artificial system designed to think or act like a human, including cognitive architectures and neural networks.
  • A set of techniques, including machine learning that is designed to approximate a cognitive task.
  • An artificial system designed to act rationally, including an intelligent software agent or embodied robot that achieves goals using perception, planning, reasoning, learning, communicating, decision-making, and acting.

Who will be the people tasked with navigating AI and the national security space? Mostly the people already developing and buying the technologies that make up the modern AI sector.

Besides Schmidt, the list includes several prominent players from the software and AI industries including Oracle co-CEO Safra Catz, Director of Microsoft Research Eric Horvitz, CEO of Amazon Web Services Andy Jassy, and Head of Google Cloud AI Andrew Moore. After 2018's internal protests in Google, Microsoft, and Amazon over the tech sector's involvement in Pentagon contracts, especially at Google, one might expect to see some skepticism of AI use in national security from Silicon Valley leadership. Instead, Google, which responded to employee pressure by declining to renew its Project Maven contract, is functionally represented twice, by Moore and functionally by Schmidt.

Academia is also present on the commission, with a seat held by Dakota State University president. Jose-Marie Griffiths. CEO Ken Ford will represent Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition, which is tied to Florida's State University program. Caltech and NASA will be represented on the commission by the supervisor of Jet Propulsion Lab's AI group, Steve Chien.

Intelligence sector will be present at the table in the form of In-Q-Tel CEO Christ Darby and former Director of Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity Jason Matheny.

Rounding out the commission is William Mark, the director of the information and computing sciences division at SRI, a pair of consultants: Katrina McFarland of Cypress International and Gilman Louie of Alsop Louie Partners. Finally, Civil society groups are represented by Open Society Foundation fellow Mignon Clyburn.

Balancing the security risks, military potential, ethical considerations, and workforce demands of the new and growing sector of machine cognition is a daunting task. Finding a way to bend the federal government to its conclusions will be tricky in any political climate, though perhaps especially so in the present moment, when workers in the technological sector are vocal about fears of the abuse of AI and the government struggles to clearly articulate technology strategies.

The composition of the commission suggests that whatever conclusions are reached by the commission will be agreeable to the existing technology sector, amenable to the intelligence services, and at least workable by academia. Still, the proof is in the doing, and anyone interested in how the AI sector thinks the federal government should think about AI for national security should look forward to the commission's initial report.

https://www.c4isrnet.com/c2-comms/2019/01/18/googlers-dominate-new-comission-on-ai-and-national-security/

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  • Contracts for June 10, 2021

    11 juin 2021 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

    Contracts for June 10, 2021

    Today

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - September 09, 2020

    10 septembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - September 09, 2020

    NAVY Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $126,934,433 cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost only contract modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-6259 to exercise and fund options for Navy engineering services, materials and spares. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (65%); Clearwater, Florida (32%); Syracuse, New York (2%); and Marion, Florida (1%), and is expected to be completed by December 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Navy (63%); and fiscal 2020 research development test and engineering, Navy (37%) funding in the amount of $1,400,676 will be obligated at time of award, of which $882,426 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Harper Construction Co., Inc., San Diego, California (N62473-16-D-1881); Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Irvine, California (N62473-16-D-1882); M. A. Mortenson Co. doing business as Mortenson Construction, Minneapolis, Minnesota (N62473-16-D-1883); R. A. Burch Construction Co., Inc.,* Ramona, California (N62473-16-D-1884); RQ Construction LLC, Carlsbad, California (N62473-16-D-1885); Solpac Construction, doing business as Soltek Pacific Construction Inc., San Diego, California (N62473-16-D-1886); and Straub Construction Inc., Fallbrook, California (N62473-16-D-1887), are awarded $92,000,000 to increase the aggregate capacity of the previously awarded suite of firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award construction contracts. The maximum dollar value including the base year and four option years for all seven contracts combined is increased from $332,000,000 to $424,000,000. The contracts are for new commercial and institutional building construction projects at various locations within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility, including but not limited to California (90%); Arizona (6%); Colorado (1%); Nevada (1%); New Mexico (1%); and Utah (1%). All work will be performed at various federal sites within the NAVFAC Southwest area of responsibility. No funds are being obligated on this award and no funds will expire. Future task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (Navy); operations and maintenance (O&M) (Navy); O&M (Marine Corps); and Navy working capital funds. The original contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 21 proposals received. The NAVFAC Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Core Services Group Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded a $29,000,000 commercial firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide test and evaluation support services for Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force Aviation Warfare Division. The contract will include a 60-month base ordering period with an additional six-month ordering period option pursuant of Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.217-8. The option to extend services, if exercised, will bring the total value to $32,000,000. The base ordering period is expected to be completed by November 2025; if the option is exercised, the ordering period will be completed by May 2026. All work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,500 will be obligated to fund the contract's minimum amount and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Individual task orders will be subsequently funded with appropriate fiscal year appropriations at the time of their issuance. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation posted on beta.sam.gov as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside using commercial items procedures, with four offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center, Norfolk, Contracting Department, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00189-20-D-0020). Science Application International Corp., Reston, Virginia, is awarded a $17,816,869 single-award, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide advanced technical training of shipboard communication and network systems in support of the Water Front Training Delivery Program for the Center for Information Warfare Training, Pensacola, Florida. The contract will include a five-year base ordering period with no options. Work will be performed in Pensacola, Florida (52%); San Diego, California (22%); Virginia Beach, Virginia (19%); and Groton, Connecticut (7%). Work is expected to be completed by September 2025. Fiscal 2021 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $100,000 will be obligated to fund the contract's minimum amount and funds will expire at the end of the fiscal year. Individual task orders will be subsequently funded with appropriate fiscal year appropriations at the time of their issuance. This contract resulted from a full and open competitive solicitation through the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center, Norfolk, Contracting Department, Philadelphia Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00189-20-D-Z032). Bell Textron Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded an $8,941,785 firm-fixed-price modification (P00018) to previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm-target contract N00019-17-C-0030. This modification increases the total contract value to produce, deliver, install and integrate, in country, a fully assembled AH-1Z flight training device for the government of Bahrain. Work will be performed in Broken Bow, Oklahoma (50%); Fort Worth, Texas (30%); and St. Louis, Missouri (20%), and is expected to be completed in May 2022. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $8,941,785 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. Life Cycle Engineering Inc., North Charleston, South Carolina, is awarded an $8,364,504 firm fixed price modification to task order N32253-19-F-3000 against previously issued SeaPort-e multiple award contract N00178-07-D-4077. This modification exercises Option Period One for the accomplishment of the technical, engineering, management, programmatic and education support services at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility. Work will be performed in Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by September 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $8,364,504 will be obligated at time of modification award and expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity. Sabre Systems, Inc.,* Warrington, Pennsylvania, is awarded an $8,174,314 cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N68335-20-F-0212) against previously issued basic ordering agreement N68335-16-G-0022. This order provides support for the rapid research, development, maturation, procurement, integration, training and sustainment of cyber resilient and full spectrum cyber warfighting capabilities for the Digital Analytics, Infrastructure and Technology Advancement Group. These solutions support various systems within the Naval Air Systems Command portfolio throughout all phases of acquisition, operational field demonstrations, prototyping, experiments, operational assessments, extended user evaluations and fleet/force deployments. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in September 2025. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Defense wide) funds in the amount of $667,721; and fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $52,000 will be obligated at time of award, $52,000 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. AIR FORCE Raytheon Missiles Systems, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a ceiling $125,000,000 four-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (FA8675-20-D-0002) for the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) system improvement program. This contract provides for delivery of software updates to the AMRAAM inventory. Software development activities are expected to use a recognized agile framework consisting of government/Prime collaboration through repeatable increments of study, development, integration, test and capability demonstration. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2026. An initial task order (FA8675-20-F-1026) will be awarded concurrently with the basic contract, for a total cost-plus-fixed-fee face value of $1,192,809. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $678,402 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. FPM Remediations Inc., Oneida, New York, has been awarded a ceiling $60,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base realignment and closure (BRAC) environmental construction optimization services to support the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) Installations Directorate (CIB). These performance-based remediation efforts support the AFCEC BRAC mission and enhance BRAC program capabilities within AFCEC/CIB. The requirements support a variety of environmental restoration services and construction necessary to maintain regulatory selected remedies, implement optimization to enhance remedial progress and advance sites to completion in a cost-effective manner. The efforts will be executed in accordance with technical and regulatory requirements to ensure protection of human health and the environment. Work will be performed at the following deactivated Air Force bases: Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas; Brooks AFB, Texas; Carswell AFB, Texas; Eaker AFB, Arkansas; England AFB, Louisiana; Kelly AFB, Texas; Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina; Reese AFB, Texas; Buckley Annex, Colorado; and Lowry AFB, Colorado. Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2030. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and four offers were received. Fiscal 2020 BRAC funds in the amount of $2,466,636 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA8903-20-D-0003). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Valneva USA Inc.,* Gaithersburg, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $60,601,800 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Japanese Encephalitis vaccines. This is a one-year base contract with two one-year option periods. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. Locations of performance are Maryland and United Kingdom, with a Sept. 8, 2021, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DP-20-D-0005). Vinyl Technology, Monrovia, California, has been awarded a maximum $10,996,200 modification (P00011) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-19-D-1188) with three one-year option periods for Advanced Technology Anti-G Suits. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is California, with a Sept.16, 2021, ordering period end date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ARMY Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio, was awarded a $49,525,698 modification (P00006) to contract W9132V-19-F-0005 for geospatial research, development, technology and evaluation of current and emerging geospatial technologies that will help characterize and measure phenomena within the physical and social environments encountered by the Army. Work will be performed in Washington, D.C., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 28, 2023. Fiscal 2020 revolving funds in the amount of $1,038,309 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi, is the contracting activity. Moog Inc., Elma, New York, was awarded a $46,659,837 firm-fixed-price contract to overhaul and upgrade cylinder assembly actuators for UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 9, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-20-D-0032). Lockheed Martin, Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $22,335,977 modification (P00035) to contract W31P4Q-19-C-0071 for engineering services in support of the Hellfire and Joint-Air-to-Ground missiles. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 2, 2022. Fiscal 2018 and 2020 missile procurement (Air Force) funds; 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds; 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds; and 2018 and 2020 missile procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $22,335,97 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Optimal GEO Inc.,* Athens, Georgia (W912P9-20-D-0027); and Surdex Corp., Chesterfield, Missouri (W912P9-20-D-0026), will compete for each order of the $16,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for photogrammetric and lidar surveying and mapping. Bids were solicited via the internet with 38 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 3, 2025. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis, Missouri, is the contracting activity. David Boland Inc.,* Titusville, Florida, was awarded a $15,472,000 firm-fixed-price contract for renovation of Building 546 at Missile Command Headquarters. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 25, 2023. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $15,472,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska, is the contracting activity (W9128F-20-C-0036). Speegle Construction,* Niceville, Florida, was awarded a $13,214,700 firm-fixed-price contract to construct a two-story, 39,500 square-foot facility with reinforced concrete foundation and floor slab, steel structure, masonry walls, metal roof, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, fire detection and protection and mass notification system. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed at Hurlburt Field, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 16, 2022. Fiscal 2024 military construction (Defense-wide) funds in the amount of $13,214,700 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W91278-20-C-0028). BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., San Jose, California, was awarded a $10,457,946 modification (P00143) to contract W56HZV-15-C-0099 for Bradley Fighting Vehicle current fleet sustainment logistics management. Work will be performed in San Jose, California, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 9, 2022. Fiscal 2018 procurement (Defense-wide) funds in the amount of $10,457,946 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Limno-Tech Inc.,* Ann Arbor, Michigan, was awarded a $9,900,000 fixed-price-level-of-effort contract for research and development services for water quality and contaminant modeling. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 8, 2025. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi, is the contracting activity (W912HZ-20-D-0004). Accenture Federal Services, Arlington, Virginia, was awarded an $8,293,896 modification (P00001) to contract W52P1J-20-C-0005 for unified enterprise resource planning capability support services. Work will be performed at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 8, 2026. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $8,293,896 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. CORRECTION: The contract announced on Sept. 8, 2020, for Amentum Services Inc., Germantown, Maryland (W56HZV-20-F-0396), for $29,034,547, was announced with an incorrect award date. The correct award date is Sept. 9, 2020. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2341844/source/GovDelivery/

  • Army Reassures Anxious Industry Over Stryker Cannon Competition

    18 juin 2020 | International, Terrestre

    Army Reassures Anxious Industry Over Stryker Cannon Competition

    While at least two of six competitors have dropped out, the Army says it will still have plenty of 30mm turret options to choose from as it starts testing this fall. By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR.on June 17, 2020 at 2:43 PM WASHINGTON: “This is a healthy competition,” the head of the Army Stryker program, Col. Bill Venable, reassured reporters. “My No. 1 mandate as the overall program manager was to protect the competition in this first phase.” Venable was allaying anxieties yesterday about the five-year-old effort to upgun the infantry transport version of the Stryker, an 8×8 armored vehicle that's become an Army workhorse worldwide since its controversial introduction in 2003. The wheeled Stryker was criticized for having lighter armor than the tracked M1 Abrams and M2 Bradley, although it's far better protected than Humvees. It often struggled over Afghan terrain. But its ability to move rapidly by road – with fewer stops for gas and maintenance than heavy armored vehicles – made it a favorite of US commanders from Iraq to Estonia. So, while overshadowed by high-tech prototypes from hypersonic missiles to high-speed helicopters to robotic tanks, the Army is doubling down on the proven Stryker in several ways: Two light infantry brigades are being converted into Stryker units, which increases the number of active-duty Stryker brigades from five to seven. (There are two more part-time units in the National Guard). Original manufacturer General Dynamics has a $2.4 billion contract to rebuild hundreds of existing Strykers as DVHA1 models with bigger engines, upgraded electronics, and mine-resistant “double-V” hulls. Leonardo DRS is developing a new anti-aircraft variant called IM-SHORAD. It is several months behind schedule due to COVID disruptions and software issues. And the Army is upgunning the basic infantry-carrier variant from an exposed 12.7mm (0.50 cal) machinegun, viable against infantry and unarmored trucks, to a turret-mounted Medium Caliber Weapon System (MCWS), a 30mm autocannon capable of killing light armored vehicles widely used by Russia General Dynamics urgently built 83 upgunned Strykers to reequip a single Europe-based brigade. Now the Army is holding an open competition for an official Program of Record (POR) to upgrade at least three more brigades with a more refined 30mm turret design – but we've heard some anxiety over whether any other vendor can really unseat the incumbent. Out of six companies awarded $150,000 design contracts last summer, Venable confirmed that at least two have dropped out. At the current — sensitive — stage of the competition, the program manager said after a quick consultation with his staff, he isn't allowed to disclose how many companies remain and how many have quit. But Venable did tell reporters that one vendor dropped out because it wasn't making adequate progress to meet the technical requirements, while another decided it didn't have a good enough chance of winning to justify the investment. While the Army gave competitors free Strykers and 30mm guns, they must provide their own turrets, electronics and other components to integrate the weapon and the vehicle into a functional fighting system, to be delivered to the Army for testing by August 10. “We're not funding their development,” Venable said, “[which is] in some cases millions of dollars they're going to invest.” While he won't second-guess any company's cost-benefit calculus, he's been working with all of them to try to keep them in the running, despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have adjusted the evaluation strategy in order to maintain the competition as robust as we can,” he said. “This isn't the first competitive selection effort that I've run, and I will say we have more [viable competitors] than the incumbent, significantly more than the incumbent,” Venable told reporters. “We're going to present a variety of choices to the source selection authority to evaluate starting on 10 August.” Once the vehicles arrive in August, the Army will live-fire the 30 mm guns, check out the armor, and conduct a host of other tests. By January, Venable expects to have that data ready for the evaluation board, which aims to announce a winner by the end of April, 2021. After that, the winning company will start mass production, with the first vehicles scheduled for delivery to a Stryker unit in August or September 2022. That meets the Army's previously announced deadline to start fielding by the end of fiscal '22, Venable said. But the brigade will spend months more taking possession of the vehicles and training on them – a “Rubik's Cube” of logistics and scheduling, Venable said — before it's officially declared the “First Unit Equipped,” probably around March 2023. https://breakingdefense.com/2020/06/army-rebuffs-anxiety-over-stryker-cannon-competition

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