Skyborg project seeks industry input for artificial intelligence initiative
The Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation (SDPE) office at the Air Force Research Laboratory is seeking artificial intelligence (AI) industry input regarding incorporating artificial intelligence into its Skyborg unmanned combat vehicle. SDPE office is seeking to develop Skyborg, a... Read More »
Low public trust, misinformation likely contributed to DRC’s Ebola spread
As the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to deal with the most recent Ebola epidemic, a study from the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal shows that lack of trust might be a contributing factor. Violent episodes have complicated matters in the DRC, but one bad turn tends to foster... Read More »
Legislation would work to prevent domestic terrorism
A U.S. Senate bill aims to address the growing threat of white supremacists and other violent right-wing extremists by requiring federal law enforcement agencies to regularly assess this threat and provide training and resources to officers. The bill, the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act,... Read More »
Senate bill would allow state, local law enforcement to easier detect drugs
A bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate that would equip state and local law enforcement with high-tech devices to detect dangerous drugs like fentanyl. The legislation – called the Providing Officers with Electronic Resources (POWER) Act -- would create a new grant program through the U.S.... Read More »
Sen. Tester visits southern border to discuss border security, law enforcement
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) recently visited McAllen, Texas, to assess the situation along the southern border, meeting with law enforcement officials, landowners, agriculture producers, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. Challenges and resources needed to secure the border in a... Read More »
Military funding transfer spurs DOD inquiry
A group of lawmakers recently questioned the Department of Defense's transfer of $1 billion in military personnel funding to an account designated for border wall funding. Democratic members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on... Read More »
Hawaii Gov. Ige appointed co-chair for Council of Governors
The White House appointed this week Hawaii Gov. David Ige as one of the two newest co-chairs of the Council of Governors. Ige, along with his nine other council colleagues appointed this year, will serve a two-year term in their positions. “Hawai‘i is home to the U.S. Indo-Pacific... Read More »
Huntington Ingalls receives $1.47B contract from US Navy
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division recently received a $1.47 billion, fixed-price contract from the U.S. Navy for the design and construction of another amphibious transport dock. The ship will be a San Antonio class vessel, supporting Marine Air Ground Task Forces... Read More »
DHS Secretary Nielsen meets with Central American leaders to discuss immigration, border security
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen met this week with senior officials from Mexico and other central American nations to discuss border security and immigration. On March 26, Nielsen met with Mexican Secretary of the Interior Olga Sanchez Cordero and other senior Mexican... Read More »
Oshkosh unveils L-ATV Ambulance
Oshkosh Defense recently unveiled its L-ATV Ambulance at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium in Huntsville, Ala. The ambulance enables Army medics and Marine corpsmen to keep up with the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) while also offering protection for... Read More »
DARPA seeks to automate process of scalable security for chips
Recognizing the cybersecurity dangers posed by modern chip designs and accessible devices, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has created a new program dedicated to spreading scalable chip security through automation. The Automatic Implementation of Secure Silicon (AISS)... Read More »
Legislation would provide military firefighters with blood tests for chemicals
A bill recently introduced in the U.S. House would provide blood testing for military firefighters who were potentially exposed on the job to toxic chemicals. The Protecting Military Firefighters from PFAS Act would test for per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances during annual physicals... Read More »
US Missile Defense Agency tests new “kill vehicles” to destroy ICBMs
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency tested two Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicles (EKV), which destroyed a threat representative intercontinental ballistic missile during a test of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense System (GMD). One EKV intercepted the target and the other gathered test data in what is... Read More »
Authorities seize $28.5M cocaine shipment
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) and Coast Guard personnel recently thwarted an attempt to smuggle 2,513 pounds of cocaine valued at $28.5 million. Authorities arrested three Dominican Republic aliens found operating the vessel. Bales of narcotics were... Read More »