Countermeasures
For the next round of participants in a pilot program to Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT), the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) recently announced 13 projects will receive funding.
Helmed by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced a $95 billion package (H.R.815) over the weekend that will include aid for Ukraine and Israel, and billions in support for the domestic defense industrial base.
The Ukraine portion of the bill passed 311-112, with one vote as simply present, but it,... Read More »
Under a new bill – the Ammunition Supply Chain Act – proposed in the House by U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) and in the Senate by U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), the U.S. Army would need to prepare a thorough report on the supply chain of ammunition manufacturing.
“As threats to our nation’s... Read More »
Focused on China and Russia as the combined threats of the present and future, a group of senators recently introduced the Restoring American Deterrence Act to revise United States nuclear preparedness and update deterrence strategies.
The bill was based on recommendations from the Congressional... Read More »
This week, a collection of Republican and Democratic legislators introduced a bill to sanction any Chinese military firm supporting Russia.
In the NO LIMITS ACT, U.S. Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), John Moolenaar (R-MI), and Jared Golden (D-ME) proposed blanket sanctions for... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced more than $1.8 billion in preparedness grants to benefit eight recipients in fiscal year 2024 in addressing capacity, flexibility and high priority investments.
“As threats continue to evolve, the Department of Homeland... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a notice of funding opportunity for its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) grant program recently, opening a month-long application period for interested parties to seek out $18 million.
Online, in-person, and... Read More »
In introducing their Defense Quantum Acceleration Act last week, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) seek to hasten the implementation of quantum technologies within the Department of Defense (DoD).
Both lawmakers pitched the move as one specifically meant to... Read More »
A bill introduced by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Steve Daines (R-MT) recently proposed extending use of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) procurement tool to acquire leading-edge technology from private companies.
The Better Enabling Secure and Trustworthy (BEST) Technology... Read More »
A new bill introduced by U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) proposed protections for servicemembers by requiring the Department of Defense (DoD) to pursue better blast overpressure screening, tracking, prevention and treatment measures.
Blast overpressure is the pressure... Read More »
In a move to improve technology transitions, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) last month launched the Transition Tracking Action Group (TTAG) and granted the new advisory group access to advanced data analytics.
For its part, the TTAG will be charged with establishing a department-wide... Read More »
According to new findings from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S. Coast Guard’s ongoing efforts to modernize its fleet of about 200 aircraft suffer from a major flaw in its lack of analytical data.
The Coast Guard relies on its aircraft to protect the U.S. coastline and... Read More »
Through an exercise known as Poseidon’s Domain, the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve will take crews from three of its Port Security Units (PSU) and put them to the test along the northeast and eastern coasts of Puerto Rico this month.
From April 8 to April 25, crews from PSUs 305, 307, and 309 will... Read More »
Lockheed Martin recently announced plans to collaborate with Intel Corporation and Altera for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering’s (OUSD R&E) STAMP program and its airborne electronic defense system.
STAMP, or Stimulating Transition for Advanced... Read More »
In order to provide field support, maintenance and recovery efforts for its Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACVs), the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) recently awarded a $79 million contract to BAE Systems to build and deliver test versions of an ACV Recovery variant this year.
These representative test... Read More »
After newly hired officers’ benefits were pulled due to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) error that claimed they would be eligible for proportional annuity, federal lawmakers have introduced bills to correct that mistake and renew those benefits.
The U.S. Customs and Border... Read More »
Working together, U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) recently introduced the Veterans Assistance Helpline Act, a bill to make a veterans information and assistance helpline a permanent fixture of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
“We owe so much to our veterans for... Read More »
Framing it as a move to strengthen enforcement and support American textile jobs, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced a strategy taking aim at illicit textiles and customs violations.
“We are dedicated to ensuring a fair and level playing field for American... Read More »
Working with law enforcement partners, the U.S. Secret Service recently arrested 10 individuals across the state of California and charged them with crimes related to Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) fraud, as part of an action dubbed Operation April Fools.
The multi-day operation sought to... Read More »
Troubled by a trend of suspended or delayed reenlistment bonuses, U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) recently wrote to National Guard Bureau Chief Daniel Hokanson urging the service branch to maintain incentive payments for its members.
“In October 2023, over 9,000 soldiers were identified as... Read More »
Building on successful proof of concepts in other cities since 2022, the United States Justice Department announced this week that it will add the cities of St. Louis; Jackson, Mississippi; and Hartford, Connecticut to its Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative (VCI).
“The Justice... Read More »
A bill recently introduced by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) – the Improving Contracting Outcomes Act of 2024 – aims to shore up federal oversight of taxpayer funds produced by requiring each agency to track their returns on investment.
The bill would create a pilot program dedicated to... Read More »
Following an independent review of the Microsoft Exchange Online intrusion in summer 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB) announced that the attack had been preventable, and steps should be taken to do so in the future.
Last summer, Microsoft... Read More »
In a letter to the Governmental Accountability Office (GAO), House Republican leaders of the Energy and Commerce Committee and its subcommittees urged an investigation of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and how it protects research funds from Chinese exploitation.
Accusing China of... Read More »
Beginning this July, the U.S. Air Force will allot special cold weather pay for those eligible airmen and guardians stationed at bases where the temperature drops below -20 degrees Fahrenheit.
As called for in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the plan acts as a sort of... Read More »
Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM) and HELLFIRE missiles will be sticking around in coming years, given that the United States Army recently awarded the company a $483 million follow-on-production contract.
The contract coupled with a Program Year 3 award, to get the... Read More »
In support of the Missile Defense Agency’s Flight Test Aegis Weapon System 32 (FTM-32), Northrop Grumman Corporation recently announced a successful launch of its ballistic missile target vehicle.
Such vehicles are used to represent threats during test and verification of missile defense... Read More »
With the recent release of its Defense Industrial Base (DIB) Cybersecurity (CS) Strategy, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) sought to lay out a means to achieve internal and industry-facing cybersecurity through 2027.
The strategy is split into four goal areas:
Strengthening the DoD... Read More »
Looking to build on current RNA-based COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) recently announced the Patch Forward Prize, pledging $50 million for those who can advance patch-based vaccines.
While administering vaccines is most often... Read More »
After a raucous month that included National Guard members on the New York City subway system, the city recently announced a new effort at safety for the transit system, which will include new technology to detect firearms and more clinicians on hand for cases of mental illness.
After... Read More »
As required by the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022 (CIRCIA), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on new cybersecurity measures meant to bolster its real-time capabilities.
“Cyber... Read More »
Following the recent passage of the fiscal year 2024 Defense Appropriations Bill, U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) began a statewide tour of North Dakota, to highlight all the ways the bill benefits the state’s involvement with the U.S military.
Overall, the bill provided a 3 percent boost to... Read More »
With artificial intelligence (AI) the increasing focus of interest for Washington and private companies, U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) this week wrote to U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm with doubts about her department’s ability to protect research from Chinese interests.
“In the... Read More »
The Senate greenlit the Federal Building Security Act (S. 3613) this week, moving to the House’s consideration a bill that would make federal agencies respond to Federal Protective Services (FPS) security recommendations within 90 days.
“Every day, Americans across the country visit federal... Read More »
A bipartisan group of senators recently introduced the American Economic Independence Act, which would require the president to provide Congress with a comprehensive threat assessment of integrating economically with China.
It would focus on numerous sectors, demanding analysis of both current... Read More »
