Carey Smith

I’d like to commend our space operating group president and former astronaut Scott Altman for his exceptional recommendations in The GovExec Space Project article on ‘Four Ways to Accommodate the Massive Growth in Space.’ He offers smart and strategic insights on how government and its partners can navigate the growing challenge of managing the exponentially increasing number of space launches with limited, shared resources. #ASRCFederal #GovExec #SpaceExploration

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📢 Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering office unveils latest #APFIT winners. US Army partnered projects lead with ~$46M, USSOCOM partnered projects land $36.1M. "The purpose of the APFIT pilot program is to expeditiously transition technologies into production, and to accelerate the fielding of needed technologies to the warfighter, with priority given to technologies developed by small businesses and nontraditional defense contractors." #defenseinnovation #defensetechnology #defensefunding

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Watch the AIPCon 5 live stream today if you want to hear how leading organisations are able to operationalise AI at enterprise scale.

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“In 2023, the global UAS market was worth more than $30 billion, a number projected to increase to more than $55 billion by 2030. The market is dominated by firms based in China, with DJI controlling 80 percent of the commercial market within the United States and as much as 70 percent of the global market, and Autel, another PRC manufacturer, controlling 7 percent globally. As of 2021, estimates put Autel’s US market share at 15 percent. In comparison, Skydio, perhaps the most prominent US-based company, had only a 3 percent share of the global market, the same as Parrot, a French-based entity.” New report regarding the necessity for a global allied UAS supply chain pact, and the importance of the commercial market as a strategic natsec concern, from Matthew Kroenig at the Atlantic Council

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Digital Pathfinder showcases how digital tools and advanced manufacturing are unlocking an even faster cycle of innovation. 

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The #DefenseInnovationBoard recommends merging back the offices of the undersecretaries for Acquisition & Sustainment (A&S) and Research and Engineering (R&E) and creating the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for International Integration and Cooperation. #acquisition #innovation

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🚀 Accelerating Innovation in Defense: Key Lessons from NDIA’s Latest Report 🌐 The National Defense Industrial Association - (NDIA) ETI | Emerging Technologies Institute has unveiled an insightful report, "Accelerating the Adoption of Emerging Capabilities". It highlights strategies to enhance the Department of Defense’s (DoD) ability to rapidly adopt innovative technologies, crucial for maintaining national security in an ever-evolving landscape. Key takeaways include: 1️⃣ Six Principles for Rapid Capability Adoption: From securing high-level political support to ensuring manufacturing readiness, these guidelines are essential for bridging the gap between development and deployment. 2️⃣ Proposed Reforms: A new acquisition pathway bypassing traditional bureaucratic hurdles, maximizing current authorities, and fostering public-private partnerships. 3️⃣ Case Studies of Success: The report analyzes the rapid fielding of the MOAB, MRAP vehicles, and vaccines under Operation Warp Speed, offering replicable frameworks. Conclusion: Embracing agility and leveraging commercial innovations will enable the DoD to address critical challenges faster. Let’s drive conversations on fostering innovation and collaboration in defense acquisition! 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/evxXJxFx #Innovation #Defense #EmergingTechnologies

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The Alliance for Commercial Technology in Government has just issued its review and commentary on the PPBE Commission's Final Report. The report was a Tour de Force, chock full of recommendations to modernize the United States Department of Defense's antiquated budgeting process. The Alliance's mission is to make the DoD the indisputable first, best stop for every innovator with a hot new idea that could keep the USA ahead of its adversaries. The current acquisition process is widely regarded as antagonistic towards commercial startup companies, consigning them to work in the commercial world or with our adversaries first, putting our warfighters and taxpayers at a dangerous disadvantage. While most of the report and its recommendations were directed inwards towards fixing internal obstacles within the bureaucracy, many of the recommendations will have direct impact on how the DoD is perceived, and acts as a first customer. While we wholeheartedly endorse all the recommendations in the report, our assessment points out those suggestions that would most impact the ease at which innovators can scale up their sales within DoD such that DoD becomes the obvious best first stop. https://lnkd.in/eYnjn-HR

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Belcan continues to lead the way in critical areas

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🚀 Excited to start a new EVMS series, sharing insights into the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s powerful tool: Integrated Project/Program Management Maturity and Environment Total Risk Rating (IP2M METRR). This tool offers a comprehensive assessment of an EVMS’ Maturity and Environment. IP2M METRR provides a robust framework for evaluating a project’s EVMS and its operating environment. By using IP2M METRR, leaders can identify strengths and areas for improvement, ensuring effective project management. 📊 Let’s break it down: 🔹 Maturity assessment consists of 10 sub-processes: 1️⃣ Organizing: Establishing the framework for project execution, including roles, responsibilities, and structure. 2️⃣ Planning & Scheduling: Developing robust plans and schedules to guide project activities and resource allocation. 3️⃣ Budgeting & Work Authorization: Allocating budgets, authorizing work, and ensuring alignment with project objectives. 4️⃣ Accounting Considerations: Ensuring accurate and timely recording of project costs and financial transactions. 5️⃣ Indirect Budget & Cost Management: Managing indirect costs and budgets to support project activities effectively. 6️⃣ Analysis & Management Reporting: Analyzing performance data and providing timely, accurate reports to stakeholders. 7️⃣ Change Control: Implementing procedures to assess, approve, and manage changes to the project scope, schedule, and budget. 8️⃣ Material Management: Procuring, managing, and tracking materials to support project execution. 9️⃣ Subcontract Management: Managing subcontractors and ensuring their work aligns with project requirements and standards. 🔟 Risk Management: Identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks to project success, ensuring resilience and adaptability. 🔹 Environment assessment consists of four categories: 1️⃣ Culture: Fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the project team. 2️⃣ People: Ensuring the team has the skills, knowledge, and capabilities to execute activities successfully. 3️⃣ Practices: Implementing best practices, standards, and processes to optimize performance and efficiency. 4️⃣ Resources: Providing the tools and infrastructure needed to support project execution effectively. Stay tuned as we delve deeper into each maturity sub-process and its attributes, as well as each environment category and its factors. Next week, we’ll dive into the organizing sub-process. #ProjectManagement #ProjectControls #DOE #EarnedValueManagement

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There are SBIRs, there are OTAs, there is Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)… how do they fit together? Skip to the bottom of this article and read the corporate description of iDirect, a recent DIU awardee. They’ve been in the government business for… 19 years. I recently learned that DIU targets TRL 7-9 companies for its awards. I don’t know if that’s consistent across all of their portfolios. Bottom line, though, for technology companies looking to enter #defense, the key is lining up where your technology aligns to mission, where the money is, and then the contracting mechanism that aligns with your product roadmap and its maturity. Want help? Reach out. #nationaldefense #executionmatters #onwards

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If you missed the webinar last week about the future of lidar acquisition you can check it out here. I participated on a panel with others from Woolpert, Dewberry, and NUVIEW and shared my perspective from the work we do at IO Aerospace Inc. Thanks to Jordan Regenie and National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) for having me!

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Today’s luncheon of the American Defense Industry Forum focused on the critical importance of the Defence Production Action Plan, how NATO can provide a consolidated demand signal to industry and upcoming high visibility projects. Standardization, Interoperability and Data Sharability kept coming up throughout the conversations. Yes, call me biased, but this is exactly where Janes can make a contribution. #Assured #OSINT #Marketforecasts #Equipmentdata It was great to be back at ADIF. https://lnkd.in/eZF-RtzM

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Can’t Wait for SOF Week 2024!    Hello, everyone! As we prep for SOF Week 2024 in sunny Tampa next week, I want to share one of the sessions I'm particularly excited about.    This year, I’m eagerly looking forward to the Project Spectrum briefing which is a comprehensive platform that provides companies, institutions, and organizations with cybersecurity information, resources, tools, and training at no cost to industry.  As someone passionate about Cyber Security, I am thrilled to dive deeper into the CMMC certification process that will shape our operations and strategies in the coming years.    The speaker is impressive, and I expect the session to provide valuable insights that could drive future initiatives at Secured™ and beyond. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a strategic planner, or just curious about the future of SOF operations, this session promises to be enlightening.    If you’re planning to attend this session or have other sessions, you’re excited about, let’s connect and discuss what we’re looking forward to the most. Here’s to a week of learning and connecting with the best in our field!    #SOFWeek2024 #DefenseInnovation #DefenseTechnology #SecuredAtSOF #FutureTech 

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Tomorrow marks the start of a two-day Cyber Rodeo event sponsored by the Aviation Cyber Initiative (ACI), a partnership of the FAA, DHS, and DoD created for the purpose of developing a comprehensive, strategic framework to reduce cybersecurity risks to civil aviation. DESE Research, Inc. in conjunction with our partners at the The University of Alabama in Huntsville have the wonderful opportunity to help facilitate a discussion of challenges and opportunities for cyber resiliency of MOSA-aligned aviation platforms.   Throughout this event, DESE will present a variety of Science and Technology solutions developed on behalf of U.S. Army DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center including: · Enabling zero-trust architectures · Leveraging techniques in digital forensics to support cyber incident response · Incorporating AI/ML to help predict vulnerabilities in software · Creating novel solutions to address memory safety · Performing continuous operational threat monitoring with the capability for recovery · Illuminating and securing the hardware and software supply chain · Integrating MBSE and Digital Engineering artifacts for early cyber risk assessments    ...and much more... all through the lens of the Modular Open Systems Approach to engineering next-generation capabilities that help protect our warfighters and secure our way of life.   If these topics are of interest to you, registration for virtual attendance is still available via the vFairs platform. Virtual attendance of the event also provides access to materials from our partners including The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Lynx Software Technologies, Riverside Research, DornerWorks, Knowledge Based Systems, Inc., Star Lab, a Wind River Company, ADAM Aerospace, Analytical AI, BAE Systems, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.   We hope you'll join DESE Research Inc. as we collaborate together with representatives from government, industry, and academia on these important topics! https://lnkd.in/eGJ7ckwM #zerotrust #cybersecurity #mosa

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From Matthew Kroenig, Vice President and Senior Director of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, and Imran Bayoumi an associate director with the Scowcroft Strategy Initiative in the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. "The United States and its allies need a new strategy to protect against the threats posed by Chinese drones, strengthen their position in the international UAS market, and assert global leadership in this key twenty-first-century technology. To help the United States and its allies win the new tech race, the Scowcroft Center previously published a three-part “promote, protect, and coordinate” strategy. This paper updates that framework, and applies it to the issue of dual-use drones. First, the United States and its allies should protect their countries from the national security threat posed by Chinese-made drones by prohibiting their use in sensitive areas, such as by the government and in critical infrastructure. Specific recommendations include the following. - The US Congress should pass the Countering CCP Drones Act and the Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant (DIIG) Act. - The US Congress should pass legislation to make US state-level bans effective and actionable by offering federal-government support for their implementation, including through targeted grant programs accelerating the transition to secure and capable systems. - The US State Department should, in light of increasing global restrictions on People’s Republic of China (PRC)-made drones, launch an initiative to educate allies and partners on the risks associated with those systems, and support secure and capable alternatives. - The US State Department should encourage allies and partners to enact tariffs and sanctions on PRC-made UAS to counter China’s unfair trade practices. "

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The Department of Defense (DoD) has outlined a comprehensive plan to implement the National Defense Industrial Strategy (NDIS), focusing on enhancing the resilience and modernization of the defense industrial base. NovaSpark actively contributes to this initiative through its innovative hydrogen generation technologies, aligning with several key objectives of the NDIS. Advancing Production and Supply Chain Resilience A core component of the NDIS is strengthening production capabilities and supply chain resilience. NovaSpark’s “Air-to-Power” technology generates hydrogen fuel on-site by extracting moisture from the air, reducing reliance on traditional fuel supply chains. This capability enhances operational readiness and aligns with the DoD’s goal of mitigating supply chain vulnerabilities. Supporting Capabilities and Infrastructure Modernization The NDIS emphasizes the modernization of defense capabilities and infrastructure. NovaSpark’s mobile hydrogen generation systems provide a sustainable energy source for various military applications, including unmanned aerial systems and ground vehicles. By offering a clean and efficient alternative to conventional fuels, NovaSpark supports the DoD’s efforts to modernize its energy infrastructure and reduce environmental impact. Facilitating Allied and Partner Industrial Collaboration The NDIS encourages collaboration with allies and partners to enhance industrial capabilities. NovaSpark’s adaptable hydrogen solutions are suitable for deployment in joint operations and multinational exercises, promoting interoperability and shared technological advancements among defense partners. Enhancing Intellectual Property and Data Analysis Protecting intellectual property and leveraging data analytics are vital aspects of the NDIS. NovaSpark invests in robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard its proprietary technologies and utilizes data-driven approaches to optimize hydrogen production and deployment strategies, aligning with the DoD’s emphasis on technological security and innovation. NovaSpark’s contributions to sustainable energy solutions and technological innovation directly support the DoD’s National Defense Industrial Strategy, enhancing the resilience, modernization, and collaborative capabilities of the defense industrial base. https://lnkd.in/g7n66GQD

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